I see the owners manual says that if premium gas isn't available, that it's OK to use regular and that the engine will compensate but with less HP. Has anyone tried using 87 and/or 89 octane gas? What were your results?

 

it does work fine. no detonation, no issues really. just less performance. just not recommended.

 

With low octane fuel I would not only worry about less HP, but what would occur when the engine was put into VTEC or TRUE VTEC (9000 RPM). If you were going to run out of gas and 87 was the only way to get to a 92 or 93 octane station. IMHO only in emergency situations would I use low octane fuel.

As a daily driver, even though the cost may be $.10 to $.15 more a gallon, the S 2000 with premium fuel is the only way to be driven.

Just My $.02

axcilla

 

Do you really want to take the chance with your car to save a dollar or two with each fillup? Sitting in hot weather in stop and go traffic is probably some of the worst conditions for detonation and having a low octane fuel is not going to help.

 

I thought the S2000 had a knock sensor?

If so, lower octane fuel would at worst cause some additional timing retard and loss of performance, but no harm to the engine.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pfb
[B]I thought the S2000 had a knock sensor?

 

Well when your gas mileage gets worse it makes no financial sense to switch to low octane.

 

I always alternate fill-ups at the mid tank level- alternating between 93 and 89. Should give me the 91 octane I'm looking for w/o wasting money on extra octane.

 

I think the lower gas mileage produced by lower octane fuels will erase any savings from buying the cheaper fuel. As with most all things....you get what you pay for.

Nix

 

I have heard this question asked regularly in newspaper columns on many car types. I always remember Jim Mateja of Chicago Tribune saying " Why do you buy an expensive car and then worry about price of gas?" Everyone is different but my feeling is it is not a big deal with 10 gallon fillups. I would have bought an Insight if I worried about gas mileage.