Ok this is an 01 non-turbo S60. Will there be any noticeable difference between 87 and 91/93 gas or should I just save my money? what are your guys' experiences with this? I have heard that higher octane can actually boost milage, is that true?

Thanks

I think you will notice an improvement in the fuel economy and you will generally feel that the car is running better, just don't expect it to happen on the first tank :grin:, i think that the s60's shouldent run on any gas will less than 91 octane, correct me if im wrong :)

alright, i'll start running 93 from now on. Hopefully i will see some sort of improvement.

93 octane will do nothing for an engine with low compressin such as yours. There is a reason why Volvo states to use 87oct.

You will be throwing money out the window and if anything causing carbon build up on your exhaust valves from the unburnt gases your engine is now unable to ignite.

People believe for some reason that 93 octane will ignite better than 87oct., fact is 87 has alot lower flash point, thus the reason to use in lower compression engines.

Sorry maybe im wrong but in Australia Volvo recomends nothing less than 91 octane fuel for the S60 but from what im guessing it's different in the states, i always thought that higher octane fuels were better hence the difference in price :puzzled:

The turbo, but not the naturally aspirated engines.
Does australia use RON fuel?

yea they do :right:

Reason why I ask is cause I dont know what the difference between their ratings and ours are.

ahhh ok i wasn't aware there was a difference :thumbsup:

I have an 01 S60 and the owners manual clearly states to use nothing less than 91 octane (Canadian Model).

Yea thats exactly the same with the Australian models, nothing less than 91 octane :thumbsup:

It states that for a non turbo s60?

Says no less than 91 octane fuel for all models :)

that's pretty wild, i didnt know that.

Well my statement is geared more toward the cars that say 87oct. I figured the NA volvos would have a fuel requirement of 87 as well

The manual for my 2003 S60 2.5 T states using 91 is recommended to prevent damage to the knock sensor however it also states 87 fuel can be used as well....I am a brand new owner and I am wondering if anyone is fully schooled in this? I live in California btw..

Forget about turbo cars, they need 91+ in order to run nominal..anything lower and you're retarding timing. What do the naturally aspirated cars say?

Well... the manual for my 1994 non-turbo 850 calls for 91 RON or 87 AKI rated fuel.

This is for a car sold in the US.

Then I start reading about the Octane rating differences for the countries, and I"m not sure what I should buy.

I've only had the car about 1.5 months, and I've used all 3 ratings (87, 89, 91) and haven't noticed a difference.

I listened to an accredited report from a local radio station's financial expert who found an independent study for the state of Georgia with some interesting results concerning various octane gasolines.

Basically he found out that some 75% (if memory serves me correctly) of gas stations are illegally marketing lower octane gasolines as higher ones. The reason they can get away with it is because there is a very small number of inspectors who deal with this, and the only penalty in Georgia is a $100 fine - no matter how many times you get caught doing it.

Ever since I heard him say that I've been filling with 87 Octane every time - with my 01 LP Turbo being recommended with 91 octane use. I figure that either way I'm getting screwed.

In an effort to be somewhat precocious I throw in a bottle of STP every couple of tanks.

What it comes down to is that an engine is tuned and timed for a specific octane, higher octanes burn slower and resist pre-ignition, turbochargers, and high compression raise heat in the cylinders and running a higher octane prevents pre-detonation (very bad), and allows for more advanced timing (which typically yields more power, good!).

Running a higher octane in a car designed for lower is throwing away money. Octanes do differ by region, and country, and climates can also affect what octane you run and what is available, the mountains here in the states have different octane ratings than what you'd get a sea level typically because of air density, and average temperatures.

Just run what the manual says, and enjoy. If you run a higher octane the engine management should be changed to take advantage of it, or your just throwing away money.

In the northeast, generally your offered 87 (regular), 89 (plus), and 93 (premium). I bought a 04 S60 2.5T recently and was told by my Volvo dealer that it'll run just fine an dandy on regular. The engine might be made for 91+, but it's got enough computers to adjust to the regular stuff, albeit with less power and possibly less efficiency. So I decided to do some testing. I haven't had a lot of time with the car, but so far, putting in premium seems to get me around 50 extra miles over putting in the regular, and the performance boost is nice. There's definitely a difference when you press the pedal between the two at least in my short tests so far. I figure the price difference will make itself up in the MPG.