Does premium gas make a big difference over regular?

[tcman54]

I believe my 2016 stock ecoboost should achieve around 145mph but I only get to about 128mph on regular gas.

I read somewhere that the cars top end 310hp can only be achieved with premium gas, will with regular it only gets to about 270hp, is this true?

Or do I have something else weird going on with my engine, which up to this point, 32,000 miles, hasn't had any problems.

Terry

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[ChaoticFury09]

I believe my 2016 stock ecoboost should achieve around 145mph but I only get to about 128mph on regular gas.

I read somewhere that the cars top end 310hp can only be achieved with premium gas, will with regular it only gets to about 270hp, is this true?

Or do I have something else weird going on with my engine, which up to this point, 32,000 miles, hasn't had any problems.

Terry

It is true that your EcoBoost will have a lower horsepower rating on regular gas. I ran my eco on 87 for a little but when I changed to 93 it made a noticeable difference. Ford tests the cars at 93 pump grade and the horsepower rating is based on that.

As far as the top speed I’m not sure. I recommend 93 for the performance but also the engine health.

 

[2017GBGTPP]

The standard EcoBoost is speed limited at 121 MPH, so octane won't change anything. You need a tune to break that limit.

 

[Condor1970]

Even though both gasolines have the same amount of energy, lower octane gas will burn faster and have a higher tendency to self ignite under pressure. Because of this, it may have little pockets of fuel that ignite somewhat prematurely before the piston reaches top dead center and gives a knock at higher RPM.
The higher octane will ignite at a higher pressure and temp, which allows it to burn all at once at the proper time, allowing more of its energy to provide mechanical energy as the piston reaches TDS. So, it's more efficient and also creates more power.
However, under normal daily driving conditions, the difference in power and gas mileage is almost negligible. It's when you're really pushing the engine is when its most noticeable.
Mine being a Coyote, it has a 12:1 compression ratio, which means it really runs best on fuel over 91 octane. The knock sensors do help to retard the spark ignition to provide smoother running with 87, but nothing can prevent self ignition, especially at high RPM. I've noticed mine runs ok on 87, but only as long as I keep it under about 4,000rpm at all times for normal driving. The moment I goose it on a highway on ramp though, I have gotten a knock or two, and decided never to run 87 anymore.

 

[mustang1]

is this car standard or PP ?

 

[ash9785]

According to my butt, there is a pretty noticeable difference between the two just driving around town.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Ford tests the cars at 93 pump grade and the horsepower rating is based on that.

Actually they test on 91, not 93. Out west in the rockies and in commiefornia they can only get 91 so they test using that octane.

 

[tcman54]

is this car standard or PP ?

It's standard

It rockets up to 126mph pretty easily and then won't go anymore, like its being held back, all the stats say the car is capable of 148mph.

 

[Nagare]

Actually they test on 91, not 93. Out west in the rockies and in commiefornia they can only get 91 so they test using that octane.

All official Ford power numbers for the Eco and GT are based on 93. Go check the brochures for every year if you want the source.

Supposedly down 30hp / 0 tq on 87 compared to 93.

For the not going past "126", that's the governor on the car due to the tires. To get rid of that and get to around 150, you'll need a tune.

 

[Bikeman315]

Hi Terry, Before you make any assumptions about there being a problem with your engine throw in a couple of tanks of 93 (top tier, of course) and give it a go. I tried 87 on my old 15 EB and it felt like a pig. Went back to 93 and all was well.

 

[Blue Moon]

If you have stock tires, the governor limits top speed to 120-something. If you have higher-rated tires, then you can look into an aftermarket tune that eliminates the governor limit. I know the Cobb Accessport does that, can't speak for any of the others.

 

[ChaoticFury09]

Actually they test on 91, not 93. Out west in the rockies and in commiefornia they can only get 91 so they test using that octane.

Nagare already covered this before I got to it. 93 is listed on all the brochures as well as the specs on Ford.com

 

[mustang1]

If you have stock tires, the governor limits top speed to 120-something. If you have higher-rated tires, then you can look into an aftermarket tune that eliminates the governor limit. I know the Cobb Accessport does that, can't speak for any of the others.

what are the stock tires on standard ecoboost ?

 

[FruityJudy]

It's standard

It rockets up to 126mph pretty easily and then won't go anymore, like its being held back, all the stats say the car is capable of 148mph.

It is capable of probably greater than 148mph but your governor is limiting you to 126 while a performance pack is limited to 146? or so.

 

[tcman54]

I have 18" Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires speed rated at 168mph.

So, if I get the Ford performance tune (100hp engine bump with upgraded air intake) and use 93 octane gas will I get 148mph, I should...correct?

Terry

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