octane rating and engine performance
In Texas, the minimum octane rating is 87. On a recent trip to Glacier, I noticed a lot of the fuel in states like CO, WY and MT, the octane was 85, and you had to buy the mid-grade to get 87 and abov...
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For clarification's sake, I did buy the 85 octane. I could tell a difference but it's hard to differentiate exactly how much of a power loss because of the altitude vs fuel. I did do a considerable amount of driving without the trailer and I really couldn't tell much of a difference in either fuel economy or performance that couldn't be attributed to the elevation.
However, once I got back to Texas and out of the mountains and 87 fuel in Amarillo, I could tell a significant improvement in performance. I've made multiple trips to the mountains of CO and SD in the past and always bought the cheapest gas available without paying much attention. I honestly don't know why I noticed it this time, but I've got over 100K miles on my truck and have had no issues what's so ever based on my fuel.
I guess for my own peace of mind, next year, I'll try the 87 in the mountains to see if I can tell a difference.
However, once I got back to Texas and out of the mountains and 87 fuel in Amarillo, I could tell a significant improvement in performance. I've made multiple trips to the mountains of CO and SD in the past and always bought the cheapest gas available without paying much attention. I honestly don't know why I noticed it this time, but I've got over 100K miles on my truck and have had no issues what's so ever based on my fuel.
I guess for my own peace of mind, next year, I'll try the 87 in the mountains to see if I can tell a difference.
