Jump to content

No need to use 93 Octane in Spark. Regular unleaded is more than enough. (US Sparks)


Recommended Posts

I had used 93 Octane (or Premium) gasoline in my car for a while thinking it would be cleaner for it and the car's power had diminished as far as accelerating power goes. Well low and behold, by switching back to regular gasoline, my Spark is back at fast acceleration (I have a CAI and custom catback installed), and just feels smooth overall.


The 93 Octane is mainly used to reduce knock (pre-combusting) in higher horse powered vehicles or vehicles with a high compression rate. Regular unleaded is more than enough to get the job done and as long as you're using a top tier gasoline (ex. Valero, Exxon, BP, Shell), you'll be running cleaner due to their detergent additives.


Hope this helps some. I'm not a mechanic or anything, just a guy who knows his way or two around cars and shares what he learns from experience :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

A common misconception is that power output or fuel efficiency can be improved by burning fuel of higher octane than that specified by the engine manufacturer (87 for Spark). The power output of an engine depends in part on the energy density of the fuel being burnt. Fuels of different octane ratings may have similar densities, but because switching to a higher octane fuel does not add more hydrocarbon content or oxygen, the engine cannot develop more power.

The Spark, as most car engines made since '96, has a knock sensor (a requirement of the OBD II system) that will retard the ignition sequence if a knock (early ignition) is detected by the knock sensor. Bottom line as for the best fuel for the Spark's engine design is 87 Octane rated fuel containing detergents and a few other additives found in most major brands of gasoline, sometimes referred to as 'Top-Tier'. Higher octane does not mean more energy or power to the engine. Higher Octane is only used to prevent pre-ignition in high performance, high compression (eg: 12:1) engines.

I have actually tried a few tanks of 93 octane in the Spark and found slightly less power under load like when passing at high speed, no real difference in mileage but a huge difference in price at the pump. If you want a bit more power under load, (as in passing at high speed or climbing a steep incline), try replacing the stock air filter with a 'high-flow' filter such as the K&N 33-2492 that I use on my Spark and most other vehicles and boats I have owned....OK, OK...TMI....Nuff said.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...