Gas Premium or Regular?

Scarpacci · Newbie Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 16

Do most of the ski boats run on premium (mid grade) gas or do they run on regular gas....?

--S

boomerzuma · Criminal Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 95 City: Wichita

My GT40 with EFI in my Air Nautique needs premium gas, that's what the owners manual calls for.

jvanick · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 8:01 am Post subject:

My VLX runs best on 89...

-J

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

It is going to be hard to pay over 2 bucks for the premium. 2 dollars is like the imaginary line where consumers say "this has gone too far" I think.

whiteVLX · Newbie Joined: 22 Jun 2003 Posts: 32

Indmar says 89, I use 87 with no performance issues at all.

eeven73 · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 8:40 am Post subject:

well the 2 dollar imaginary line is going to be blown away this summer!

watsoc · Addict Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 574 City: Anthem

I run 87 but at altitude in Colorado it is a different story. I would just run different types through the engine and use the least expensive version where your boat still runs well. Glasses

MissJade · Soul Rider Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 486 City: Austin, TX

I run 87 on my Indmar and it's fine. I can't even imagine paying more. We're at $1.49 and I'm swallowing hard with my 30 gallon boat tank and 25 gallon truck tank. I refuel both about every 4 days. Shocked

J_DOGG · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 9:38 am Post subject:

J_DOGG · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 9:40 am Post subject:

oh sorry, I have a 2002 Team Edition with the GT40 and use the cheapest gas I can get my hands on and have had no issues.

actiondcpd · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 9:54 am Post subject:

[quote="MissJade"] We're at $1.49 [/quote]

I would love to see 1.49 gas! We are at 2.25 with a 40 gal tank... sucks a lot! Oh and that is for 87 octane which is what I use.

cabalisticfire · Criminal Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 98

The Indmar monsoon in my VLX calls for 89 and that's what I usually run. Probably not too much of an issue running slightly lower octane at low altitudes. The computer will usually just pull timing if detonation is sensed and while you'll loose HP, you'll be safe from hurting your motor. The problem is when the computer fails to notice the detonation and you blow a hole through a piston. Personally, after paying so much for my boat I won't skimp on fluids.

finkle · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 4067

MissJade, consider yourself lucky.

Jeffro · Addict Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 659 City: Austin, Texas

for clarification, how many of these prices are "off the lake" vs. filling up at a marina "on the lake" ?

our "on the lake" gouging artists are up to like $2.75 for 87.... and that's "if" they have any.

disclaimer: i fill up "off the lake" Wink

actiondcpd · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 10:31 am Post subject:

I'm scared for the on the lake prices this summer in shasta... Probably 3.50?? yikes.

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

read your owners manual and use what is recommended. if you have a carbed model, the fuel required would depend on its state of tune. i buy premium for the slower burn.

BurkeViper · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 3:39 pm Post subject:

I use premium on my 03' Centurion Avalanche. Maybe that'll change as gas prices sky rocket.

ohsix · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject:

I use the cheap stuff and fill up off the lake. After 25 gallons in the boat and and 36 of diesel in the truck I suffer from buyers remorse. Not having any income doesn't help either.

jayreese · Posted: Mar 05, 2004 4:40 pm Post subject:

I took the boat out last week end for its maiden voyage, filled her up with 60 gals of the cheap stuff and it left a $128 hole in the wallet It was then that I realized how much I enjoy this fun

Darin · Guest

If we could throw freak enviromentalist in a blender, and refine *them* into gas, that'd work for me, especially since those freak wacko nut cases are the reason gas is so high anyway. LETS DRILL FOR OUR OWN DARN OIL ALREADY!!!! Man I hate those idiots. By the way, they drive BIG suvs anyway, and live in BIG houses. Go figure. GO BUSH!!!! Yeah baby.

prestige · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 133 City: Kelowna

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

Who can afford the premium gas... haha

JR · Soul Rider Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 473 City: ATX

PimpinD · Addict Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 785 City: Orlando, FL

Funny here in Miami, 87 is at $1.83, while 89 was at $1.89, so i filled up on premier just about every other time, or when i have a little extra cash. Does anyone use that Fuel Injector cleaning stuff, ive used it a couple times, iguess its ok.

MissJade · Soul Rider Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 486 City: Austin, TX

JR, up here in Pflugerville at the Randall's station with 3 cent discount Shocked

JR · Soul Rider Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 473 City: ATX

Damn. I am hittin the Randall's as well... Sad

Hyperryd · Addict Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 604 City: Central Cali

I run 89 octane on every third tank. Since I don't empty the 44 gallon tank every time, so it is a mix. No problems yet. This is a summer that we need boat buddies with gas money. I just bought a crew cab truck to haul more gas paying, walking ballast bags to the lake. j/k.

wakebrdgod1 · Newbie Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 22

I use 89. From what I understand, the ECM detects anything less than that and will automatically compensate in a myriad of ways that are all detrimental to fuel consumption, performance, and longevity (compression down the road). Not running an octane that you should is like putting 87 in a porsche turbo. What the hell is the point of the car if you're not putting the right gas in it to let it do its job!

finkle · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 4067

uhh, sorry but 89 isn't really "premium" fuel...now 91-92 is.

Beerman · Newbie Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 21 City: Austin

A$$ Grass or Cash, no one rides for free...

After having about 2200lbs in our VLX and the wedge this past weekend, I'm propping down. Hopefully that will help with the consumption and make the gas prices less of an issue.

oshensurfer · Posted: Mar 08, 2004 7:55 pm Post subject:

My Merc takes regular.. Thank God. Shocked

boardstiff · Soul Rider Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 264 City: Canada

Just a question, what are some of the signs if you are using the wrong gas? Does it just sacrafice preformance? Could it actually cause the engine to stall? I have a carb. engine(early 80's 427) I only run premium. Should I consider regular?

criminally_minded · Posted: Mar 09, 2004 2:38 am Post subject:

I buy premium, costs me 99c per LITRE Sad

Sometimes it goes up to $1.06.

Broccoli B · Posted: Mar 09, 2004 7:58 am Post subject:

I don't think some of you guys realize the difference between regular (87) and premium(93) gas. There are a lot of differences, but the biggest one is the difference in octane. First of all octane prevents gas from burning. When a company puts "89 fuel reccommened" in their manual that is because there boats are tested in the extreme conditions, so they reccommend a fuel to be used in those same conditions. If you are not in extreme condtions chances are you can use a lower fuel.

a little background first. detonation (knock & Ping) occurs when the gas in you combustion chamber ignites before it is supposed to (on the pistons upstroke).

If this happens, EFI motors computers will sense the problem and compensate by reducing engine timing, carb motors won't do anything. Meaning, if you get detonation in a carb motor, you have to move up to the next octane, or else take other steps to cool the engine to prevent the gas from blowing up to early. Most EFI motors are set to run full timing until something is detected where the engine needs to run less. In this case, if your motor runs fine on 87 octane gas, it will actually reduce performance if you run a higher octane. Hope this helps.

zekemule · Outlaw Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 130 City: Tennessee

When I was in high school in Memphis, Tennessee, gas was typically 0.24 to 0.25 per gallon and they ocassionally had a gas war back in those days .. where she would get down to 0.19 or so .. 1960 and 1961 . etc .. wow .. filler up with Ethel sir ?? you got it chief .. 95 octane .. huah ..