Premium Gas or Regular Gas?

Which one do you prefer for your 4runner?
I've heard mixed reviews on why you should use premium gas over regular 87 gas. Thoughts?

 

https://www.4runners.com/threads/what-type-of-gas-do-you-use.13972/

https://www.4runners.com/threads/survey-on-gas-octane.8278/

https://www.4runners.com/threads/what-type-of-gas-to-use.4690/

https://www.4runners.com/threads/what-gas-grade-do-you-use.16920/

https://www.4runners.com/threads/premium-fuel.11677/

 

Welcome! good advice above.

 

@PVT Pablo easy with the search button my guy.


I dont use gas, I just run my garden hose into the gas input and my 4runner runs fine. MPG sucks, but water is basically free. SUCKAS

 

https://youtu.be/1OFV8gpxAxI

 

Life saver. Thanks

 

Fortunate to have Ethanol Free 90 at my local station, nearly the same price as 93 Octane.

 

never used anything but regular in any of our vehicles for the past 30 something years. don't know what the scientists say but based on real world experience, never had an issue and we keep vehicles for anywhere from 5-15 years,

 

87 top tier only, no cheapo stations

 

87.

 

JP-7

 

There's dyno charts floating around here where a fellow member tested 87 vs 91. It makes a decent improvement running premium.

But both will get you from point a to point b.

 

so chevron? Costco?

 

I believe top tier stations are listed somewhere on the web. A Google search should get some results.

Edit:

https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

 

I use 87 since 2010 when I bought my first 4Runner. So far so good.

 

85 all day every day for the last 5 years with no issue. In Colorado 85=87, generally I try to go to Costco and get top tier, but not always. The 4.0 is a 20 year old motor, it isn't top of the line, most advanced motor of its time. Regular is all it needs.

 

87 Top tier Costco. Occasional cheap non top tier gas in a rural town I work in. Chevron Techron complete fuel system cleaner every 3-5k miles. 5k mile oil changes.

 

Regarding this recurring topic, it doesn't help that Toyota published increased HP and torque values for 91 vs. 87 in recent user's manuals only to remove those references from current documentation without any change to the power plant.

 

No they didn’t.

 

87 octane is what a 4runner takes for fuel

 

Words like "regular", "mid-grade" and "premium" means nothing. You have to buy gasoline by its octane rating. The manufacture will indicate the minimum octane required for a vehicle.

85 octane is only sold at higher elevations in America and is fine if you stay at the altitude you bought it at. If you travel through elevations that sell 85 octane, you should skip it and get the 88 instead. Your modern vehicle engine will thank you.

Modern vehicles are considered to be 1987+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJyd6C99_3g&t=7s

 

Are you referring to this:



"Research" octane is not the same as "motor" octane. IDK why we need 2 different types of ratings, but it certainly leads to plenty of confusion.

 

If you get a tune like OTT, it will be able to advance ignition timing and take advantage of higher octane fuel for more power.

Welcome to the rabbit hole

 

Sadly here in CO we only have 85 octane and 91 octane. Many argue that 85 is equal to 87 in higher elevation. I'm yet to see a reputable scientific research paper show that for X number of feet elevation drops x number of octane. Until I see that I'm pumping 91octane when 87 is not available.

BTW, these days I have Sams club which is not Top Tier gas. Hope its not too bad.

EDIT -

"Sadly here in CO we only have 85 octane and 91 octane." - I mean at Costco. Other gas stations have 85/87/91.

 

Ya. Never thought about 91 octane. After reading all these articles I may try it out after a few fill ups with 87 and see if I notice anything.

 

25 lb-ft torque increase at 2200 rpm. What's a cheaper way to get that than the ~$500 cost of a tune?



The tune also quickens the gas pedal response (taking the place of a Sprint Booster or Pedal Commander). That'll be very noticeable once you put 35" tires on.

 

Which tune? I've been considering it.

Are you running 35's? A regear seems like an absolute necessity at that size. But, a tune + regear would be really nice!

 

The Overland Torque Tune is the tune shown. More dyno info showing stock 87 octane vs stock 91 vs tuned 91. Runs done at elevation here in SLC, UT on my 2021 T4R ORP.
https://www.4runners.com/threads/overland-torque-tune-ott-by-overland-tailor.27827/#post-386895

I run 91 in it based on what I saw on the dyno and what I feel from the drivers seat, especially below 3000 rpm, the torque boost is very noticeable.

We are in the planning stages of getting my T4R back on the rollers on 87 to see what the tune does on 87. My bet is we will be close to stock on 91, but with all the other shift schedule and throttle improvements from the tune.

 

They’ve got a thread going explaining their tune. https://www.4runners.com/threads/overland-torque-tune-ott-by-overland-tailor.27827/#post-418940

I was a bit surprised, but their dyno runs on a stock ECU (no tune) showed that 91 octane actually did make more power than 87 octane.

Once they added their tune (which requires 91) there was further improvement.

edit: boris beat me to the punch lol

 

Awesome, thank you!

I'd like to see what the benefits look like on 87. I'd love to gain a little more usable torque, but really don't want to have to run 91. I drive way too much to pay that much for fuel.