Just bought a 2004 S60, nearing empty and can't find anywhere what octane rating fuel to use? If it's ok to use Regular Unleaded, how much benefit is there to switching to a higher octane rating?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Steve

 

C'mon guys, it's a simple question, you all drive S60's.. what kind of gas do you use?



Thanks

Steve

 

Use any fuel. Super-unleaded will net you some performance and mileage gains.

 

Can't afford high grade, so I use 87 oct

 

1. Be paitent this forum moves slowly.

2. Running Regular gas is fine.

3. Are you N/A or Turboed? If your N/A running Regular gas is fine so is running higher grades. If your turboed you should use higher octane gas but you don't have to. Running regular in a turboed car is fine.

4. By running higher octane gas your car runs smoother and you should see slightly better gas mileage.

 

If you're running any of the turbo's 2.5T, T5, or R I would recommend the premium, if you have the stock S60, you'll be fine for regular.

 

With my 2004 non-turbo I get some increase in mileage using the high octane. It's hard to tell exactly how much because the outside temperature has been so up and down in the last 4 months. But if the gain in MPG is even close to your price per mile --PPM-- go for the highest octane you can get.

For example, today I can buy regular at 3.25 and high octane at 3.55. My mileage w/ regular is 22.3, and with the high octane is 23.1. In one hundred miles I will spend $14.57. on Regular gas. With Premium I will spend $15.37. But then I drive less than three hundred miles per week, so it's about a cup of coffee per week for me.

Does the S60 run better with the good stuff?? Maybe. Will the better gas help in the long run ? I can only hope.

Do the math. But whatever, there is one thing we all know--the gas prices suck and are only going to get worse, so do whatever you can to get a grip on it.

 

i too just got an 04 S60 and have always run the 89 octane 10% Ethanol blend in my 9.5 Saab with no problems was considering it for my wifes Volvo. Any problems anybody has faced with the 10 % Ethanol blends? I can but it at the same price as the 87 at the Caseys here in Missouri. JH

 

Yes!!!

I fill up my tank all the way when i put gas and two times I fueled w/ 10 % eth. and didn't get my normal milage. Both times I was short by aproximatly 45 miles. So I stoped using it.

No wonder it is cheaper!

 

Here's a fun way to learn about which gas to use.

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/

 

Here in Ontario at$4.33 a US gallon for 87 octane w/10% ethanol and $4.73 a US gallon for 91 octane with 10% ethanol I use 87 octane and cut it with 50%whole milkto cut cost as it is only $3.99/gallon.....;-)
Just use regular. Works fine. I did the 2 tank comparison and got the exact same mileage with super or regular.

 

Premium vs regular gas:

Premium gas doesn't have anything extra that regular doesn't. It has the same level of Techron or what ever detergent that station offers as regular. What is does have is a higher octane. Octane is just how much the fuel can be compressed in the engine before it detonates. Obviously if a fuel prematurely detonates before the pistion is in the correct position and the spark plug fires you could blow your engine. 87 octane can compress 87% while 93 can compress 93%

So why does this matter?

Many high end and race motors have a high compression ratio to increase performance. The more you compress the fuel before you ignite it the more power it yeilds.But if you have a lower compression motor like most carsthen running a high ocatane fuel is just a waste of money. The N/A S60 however, has a compression ration of 10.3 which is actually rather high. I wouldn't run anything less than 91. You could run 87, but you'll wear your motor out quicker

Turbocharged motors have a lower compression ratio (8.5 in the T5) but that is to compensate for the compressed air which actually makes it quite higher. Running anything less than 91 in most turbocharged cars is just plain stupid. The volvo has a pretty smart computer though. Whereas most turbocharged cars would self destruct or throw a check engine light and turn into limp mode, the Volvos ECU adjusts the bar pressure and retards the engine when it detects detonation (which occurs when you run lower octane fuel). This is a safety measure to compensate for a cheap owner. In doing so it lowers the hp and probabally (although I'm not sure) lowers the gas mileage.

So in summary, if you're going to own a luxury vehicle, feed it the gas it deserves. Otherwise buy a hyundai where using premium fuels are just a waste of money.