Acura MDX SUV Forums banner

Regular 87 octane gas used for 50,000 miles - any advice

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  License2Ill 
#1 ·
I bought my 2010 mdx this weekend. The PO said he mostly used 87 gas. I suspect he put 40-50k miles with 87. I WILL start using premium from now on. Is there anything I should do or be on the lookout for based on this? Timing, excess carbon buildup cleaning, valve adjustment???
Thanks
 
#2 ·
I've always used 91 octane with my 11 MDX with +155,000 miles (switch between Sam's or Costco depending on how long the lines are). I think what is most important is doing the schedule maintenance and using top tier gas whenever possible. That will help keep everything running smooth with the octane level you decide to stick to.

There is always a HUGE debate on 87 vs 91 octane for the MDX that requires 91 octane. You will get A LOT of pros/cons for using either; but, top tier gas and schedule maintenance will always make your MDX happy.


SIDE NOTE: Watch out for oil consumption issue for the 10-13 MDXs in all trim levels. It can be as bad as 1 qt per 1000 miles for the +/- 9500 mile oil change interval. It from the cylinder rings getting gummed up/stuck and allowing engine oil to get burned in the combustion chamber. I would make sure the MDX is 100% level and check the oil and re-check every 500-1000 miles double-check the consumption rate. The low oil light doesn't seem to come on until your are +2 qts down on 4.5 qts crankcase.
 
#3 ·
Gasoline is pretty much all the same here. Every brand has their own blend of additive packs, but the gas all comes from the same place, regardless of octane level. Maybe a few brands only put additives in their premium octane but I doubt it. 91 is premium here, 87 is regular, but that's just the octane level. That's got nothing to do with cleansers or additives that may or may not have any real value when used all the time. I think Techron is proven to be effective for whatever that's worth, but I'll never pay Chevron prices at any point. The only difference is going to be that the computer will pull timing so it may not make as much power at wide open throttle when running on 87 octane and could cause detonation under high load at low rpm, which could cause valve or rod and crank damage at some point, but that's nothing to be on the lookout for until it breaks.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top