just got a V6 2011 ford mustang and had a question
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just run regular
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Using premium would not net you additional gains. Sure, it wouldn't hurt to use .91 if you'd like, but there is really no point to it.
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Wrong. The new V6 has adaptive knock spark control. If you put in higher octane gas, the ECU will advance timing and the car will make more power. I can't wait till mne comes in and I can try 100 octan race gas at the track.
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I agree with this. Most new cars now have spark knock sensors which will allow the ECU to optimize timing for the fuel that you're running. I've tried this in different cars and have noticed a difference, some seems like more than others.
I don't have any idea what the actual increase to power might be, but it would be interesting if somebody had one of those dynamic performance measuring tools to check the difference.
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According to the manual:
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use “Regular” unleaded gasoline with a
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. Some stations offer fuels posted as “Regular” with an octane rating below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with octane levels below 87 are not recommended.
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. Some stations offer fuels posted as “Regular” with an octane rating below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with octane levels below 87 are not recommended.
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I just got my 2011 a few weeks back, the manual says to run only 87 octane. I wouldn't run anything other than that.
Had a 99 Camaro V6 and used to run higher octane gas in it frequently. The dealership service department told me they highly discourage running anything higher than 87 in a V6 engine because the engine is not capable of the higher compression required to ignite the higher octane gasoline. They also told me that a carbon buildup occurs if you run higher octane gas in a V6.
This is just what I was told, I'm no expert, but I wouldn't run anything in the engine that the manual doesn't suggest. There's a reason why they say to run 87 octane and not 87+. The engine is designed to run the 87 rated octane gas.
Had a 99 Camaro V6 and used to run higher octane gas in it frequently. The dealership service department told me they highly discourage running anything higher than 87 in a V6 engine because the engine is not capable of the higher compression required to ignite the higher octane gasoline. They also told me that a carbon buildup occurs if you run higher octane gas in a V6.
This is just what I was told, I'm no expert, but I wouldn't run anything in the engine that the manual doesn't suggest. There's a reason why they say to run 87 octane and not 87+. The engine is designed to run the 87 rated octane gas.
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As for the adaptive knock sensor comment, it's usually a one-way deal. A car is "designed" for a specific grade of gas but if you put in a lesser octane, it will adjust the timing to avoid the knock. But it won't suddenly say, "Look, we have race gas, let's add 40 HP."
With cars that recommend premium fuel, you can use a lesser grade gas and the knock sensor will detect it and adjust timing accordingly.
With cars that recommend premium fuel, you can use a lesser grade gas and the knock sensor will detect it and adjust timing accordingly.
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From various sources:
Ford also worked outside the engine to make the package a better fit for the Mustang. The powertrain ECU has been upgraded with a very aggressive deceleration cylinder shutoff for fuel economy, coupled with very rapid tip-in for street performance. On the flip side, the ECU has been reprogrammed with adaptive-knock spark control. If the two knock sensors embedded in the cylinder block don't hear knocking, the ECU will keep advancing the spark until it does.
What this means in performance terms is that, if the owner uses premium or race gas on weekends, the engine should make considerably more power and torque than the numbers quoted here, which are the product of standard SAE dynamometer laboratory testing procedures and not real-world driving.
Ford also worked outside the engine to make the package a better fit for the Mustang. The powertrain ECU has been upgraded with a very aggressive deceleration cylinder shutoff for fuel economy, coupled with very rapid tip-in for street performance. On the flip side, the ECU has been reprogrammed with adaptive-knock spark control. If the two knock sensors embedded in the cylinder block don't hear knocking, the ECU will keep advancing the spark until it does.
What this means in performance terms is that, if the owner uses premium or race gas on weekends, the engine should make considerably more power and torque than the numbers quoted here, which are the product of standard SAE dynamometer laboratory testing procedures and not real-world driving.
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