2015 Lincoln EcoBoost vs the Ike Gauntlet
The EcoBoost performance was pretty impressive and I couldn't help notice how relatively low the RPM's were too. Link
Forum Discussion
ib516 wrote:We'retheRussos wrote:Home Skillet wrote:
You use premium fuel for max horsepower.
With the lower octane fuel, the power is reduced.
Incorrect. The Octane level determines the amount of pressure the fuel can withstand before it detonates. Higher performance / turbo charged engines like the EcoBoost have high compression ratios and therefore require a high octane fuel to prevent knocking. Using a low octane fuel can cause knocking and possibly damage to the engine.
On engines that require 87, they have lower compression ratios and therefore its not beneficial to put in a higher Octane. People read "Premium" and go for the marketing when it does absolutely nothing - if anything there are tests that show your MPG will go down slightly by using a higher octane fuel than recommended because your engine is not able to ignite the fuel at the opportune time.
In a non-direct injected engine, the above theory is correct. Not sure the same applies to DI engines. That is the reason DI exists. Check out the compression ratio on a Mazda Skyactiv engine. 13:1 on 87 octane, because it has DI.
Also with today's variable timing and knock sensors the tuning can adjust for quality of fuel. So the old school of tuning for one specific octane or quality of fuel does not apply.
