Just wondering, what fuel grade do you use and which gas stations do you go to? I’ve been going to a Shell nearby and using 89 octane fuel here (I'm in the US)

 

What octane does the owners manual for your Rover say should be used?

 

It says premium. I didn’t think to check that. Am I going to have serious problems because of this? I guess I’ll start using 91 octane now, unless this is one of those things people here have anything else to say about using 89.

 

don’t drive it like a grandma and you can put whatever you want

pcv mod a great idea

 

Thanks - I’ve done the PCV mod and I think it’s helping.

I didn’t really understand different fuel grades and that this would affect the timing, so after filling up yesterday with 89 octane fuel while I decided to ask this question on here and learning a bit more, I’ll be sure not to use 89 anymore. I don’t think I’ve ever used 91. I’ll have to see how this affects things. I tend to drive modestly on the city roads and freeways/highways, but on the mountain roads I take to get home, I drive much more sporty.

I don’t tend to take it over 3,000 RPM. Should I be sure to floor it regularly to clear out deposits, or is it good usually good enough to drive it just a bit more aggressively? Is there anything else I should do to clean things?

Also, is there an additive or cleaner you’d recommend? Would you use this every month, year, or certain amount of miles, and, on a full tank, half tank or almost empty tank?

 

I used regular for the first year of my truck with no issues, then I heard everyone on here swear by premium so I just started going for it, and I went with shell premium. Like flushing money away being an extra like 30 or 40 cents. I noticed no difference in performance when I finally started going to other stations for fuel, but my wallet sure did like it. I think any name brand premium gasoline is fine.

The different octane ratings are for how resistant the gas is to igniting from compression, so the more resistant to compression(higher octane), the more you can advance the timing and crank out some more power. All newer engines can correct for this difference, but you're not going to get the same power output.

I did the math awhile ago and I did like 4 tanks of regular and got my gas mileage and then did 4 tanks of premium and got my gas mileage. My findings were that I was spending the same amount in gasoline but I was getting more mileage out of the premium so obviously I went for that ( better mileage, better power, less frequent fill ups, cleaner engine, same cost ) and still am. This was back when gas was like over $3.40 but i *assume that the prices went down proportionally.

Another point to mention is that while you and I have not had any issues running regular, my buddy when he just got his truck filled it with premium and it started knocking, went away after I told him to burn it off and fill with premium, hasn't been back since and that was over a year ago.

I don't use any cleaner besides when I see a can of seafoam or the lucas injector cleaner stuff on sale maybe once or twice a year, although I have no proof that it does anything. Check out Project Farm on youtube where he actually tests a lot of this stuff with no bias. Aside from that I like to floor it often and make sure she is going strong and any buildups get cleared before they solidify, although I think staying on time with your oil changes is the best way to keep most of the engine very clean.

This is my understanding and experience of it and hope it helps, feel free to correct me anyone, love to learn something new
good luck

 

I just had my 97 XD apart with 169K on it to do a HG job. The pistons, and valves were in very good condition and I know for a fact with the XD being a ranch truck for 6 years was NOT getting 93 octane fuel. If you are planning on towing or hauling a big load the 93 octane will certainly help, but it is nearly 1.00 more per gallon here vs 87 octane. I've ran 87 to 93 octane for years and I personally have noticed little to no difference at all. Whatever you do like mentioned earlier DO NOT drive it like Mrs Daisy. Drive it like you mean it and let it rev up. I have never been gentle with the tall skinny pedal on any vehicle and I've NEVER suffered from carbon deposits lol.

I'd use a good fuel treatment at every oil change, and just put in whatever you want.

 

I run minimum of 92 octane and will always pony up for 93 or 94 if available. I have found that the engine makes a bit more power and accelerates a bit quicker and the better fuel economy it brings offsets the higher fuel costs

 

$1.00 per gallon more here is just not worth it for me. I still get 12-13MPG with a 2inch lift, large tires, metal bumpers, aux lights, and a roof rack. $44.00-46.00 fill up on 87 octane vs $70.00-75.00 for 93 octane.

Now when I travel to Central TX for example and I find 93 octane fuel for just .25-.30 cents more = sure I'll go for it.

 

Thanks everyone - this is great information!

This is interesting - are the octane ratings you listed in AKI? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything above 91 here, although that’s an AKI rating.

Although the manual says to use premium fuel, I’m wondering what octane rating is ideal and which rating standard is being referred to - AKI, RON. Would it be an issue to use higher octane fuel than 91 AKI, such as 92, 93, or 94? Would it still help achieve better gas mileage, due to increased performance, or is there a point of diminishing returns here?