[DefiantVitreous]

I don't have the car, but just wondering. If I'm never going to track it. It's my daily driver. I don't care about absolutely best 0-60 times, does it really matter whether I put low, mid or high octane gas in? If I did high octane once every 3-4 fillups is that going to cause any damage?

And yeah, it's about cost mainly. Yes, I know it's an expensive car and I can afford high octane gas. However, it's a lot of money over the years and if I don't need to spend the money I'd rather not.

Thoughts?

[forcefed]

Oh boy, get your flame suit on...

First, bmw ista software can tell how many fill ups of low grade fuel you put in. So if the motor starts knocking due to 87 octane gas and something goes wrong I'm sure the dealer will question your choice of cheap gas and might not cover the damage if its detonation related, 91 octane is the minimum fuel grade you should use.

Second, how in the world can you afford this car and not afford the fuel? Seems to me you can't afford the whole package. Get an m340i instead.

Third... get your flame suit ready

[DefiantVitreous]

lol. thanks for the heads up.

[MJBO]

Flame suit indeed.

Thoughts? Questions like this feel like trolling.

Honestly, spending this sort of money on a high-performance car then trying to save a few dollars at the pump on crap gas just sounds stupid.

[DefiantVitreous]

b/c why?

[Diesel power]

Because if you don't care about peak performance why get an M3? Because there is no possible way that you can afford the car if a 10% difference in your gas bill affects your life. Because why would you buy anything and then expressly use it against the manufacturers instructions????

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by DefiantVitreous

b/c why?

Look up the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face".

Real reason: do you know much about how engines work? What pre-detonation is, what causes it, and what the results are? And how boost pressure and heat all play into that? Because if you did, you wouldn't be asking this question. When you say "putting in high octane every 3-4 tanks" tells me you don't understand much about engines. It's not like putting in that one tank will then have some "carry-over effect" for the next 3-4 tanks.

This is a 3 liter engine with two turbos putting out a peak of well over 500 HP. You think maybe the engine is slightly stressed? You see the size of the openings in the front end, how much BMW is working to get rid of heat? Putting in fuel that's prone to pre-detonation is not a good idea with this setup.

Second real reason: you're not just getting into these situations when you're flooring it.

Now...CAN you do it? Yes, you can. BMW specifically says in the owner's manual that:

"When using a minimum quality AKI 87 fuel, there may be knocking noises as well as driving and acoustic abnormalities. These have no effect on the engine service life".

But then they also say...

"Caution!

The use of poor-quality fuels may result in harmful engine deposits or damage. Additionally, problems relating to drivability, starting and stalling, especially under certain environmental conditions such as high ambient temperature and high altitude, may occur.

If drivability problems are encountered, we recommend switching to a high quality gasoline brand and a higher octane grade - AKI number - for a few tank fills. To avoid harmful engine deposits, it is highly recommended to purchase gasoline from Top Tier retailers.

Failure to comply with these recommendations may result in the need for additional maintenance."

So....is it worth it? Let's say you do 15,000 miles / year. And you average 20 MPG. That's 750 gallons of gas. MAX you're looking at $750 / year more in fuel. Likely closer to $500 or $600. That's $25-$35 / month.

So cancel your HULU subscription and treat your car right.

[86zccrx]

Another item to note is that typically if you use a lower octane than the car is rated for, your gas mileage will go down effectively canceling out any cost savings on the gas.

[chris3g]

i would love to know your logic behind running the correct fuel once every 3-4 fillups. what are you planning to accomplish with that one?

[GrannyShiftG80]

Originally Posted by DefiantVitreous

I don't have the car, but just wondering. If I'm never going to track it. It's my daily driver. I don't care about absolutely best 0-60 times, does it really matter whether I put low, mid or high octane gas in? If I did high octane once every 3-4 fillups is that going to cause any damage?

And yeah, it's about cost mainly. Yes, I know it's an expensive car and I can afford high octane gas. However, it's a lot of money over the years and if I don't need to spend the money I'd rather not.

Thoughts?

if you cant afford 20% more expensive gas bill for premium don't buy a 100k car

[samuraifuria]

DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!!!
Plain stupid even saying,: Dont care about car performance?
Then why tf did you choose the M3 for?
Get a Toyota Camry my friend~!

[eugenebmw]

You are buying a car with close to 500 hp and ask how to save gas money in the long team. Sorry for my language, something wrong with this picture.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by samuraifuria

DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!!!
Plain stupid even saying,: Dont care about car performance?
Then why tf did you choose the M3 for?
Get a Toyota Camry my friend~!

It's easy to slam people, but remember, everyone starts out ignorant. I prefer to educate, rather than simply call people a troll.

Now, I think at this point the pros and cons have been well documented. I don't know why people tend to be penny wise and pound foolish. Maybe they just like the idea of an M3 more than the actual performance. But yeah, if you're trying to save $750 a YEAR, max, then just buy a different car. Or drive less and ride your bike more often.

[samuraifuria]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

It's easy to slam people, but remember, everyone starts out ignorant. I prefer to educate, rather than simply call people a troll.

Now, I think at this point the pros and cons have been well documented. I don't know why people tend to be penny wise and pound foolish. Maybe they just like the idea of an M3 more than the actual performance. But yeah, if you're trying to save $750 a YEAR, max, then just buy a different car. Or drive less and ride your bike more often.

Weird.
So you quote me on slamming his post, and then continue to do the exact same thing but just with nicely words... GOOD!

[pateke]

Cheap gas is an excellent idea, make sure to match it with crappy cast wheels and rubber to save even more. 😇

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by samuraifuria

Weird.
So you quote me on slamming his post, and then continue to do the exact same thing but just with nicely words... GOOD!

It's called subtlety. I didn't call him a "troll" or "plain stupid", ask him why he bought the car or told him to get a Camry. I did give my opinion, which is different than what you wrote, which was simply to insult him with little reasoning, or give any point / counterpoint. So no, not exact same thing with nicer words in the least.

[samuraifuria]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

It's called subtlety. I didn't call him a "troll" or "plain stupid", ask him why he bought the car or told him to get a Camry. I did give my opinion, which is different than what you wrote, which was simply to insult him with little reasoning, or give any point / counterpoint. So no, not exact same thing with nicer words in the least.

Sure,...
Weird.'
Okay.

[TopJimmy]

The stock tune has engine timing that expects a minimum of 91 octane or you might get knocks. There’s a reason for the sticker on the gas door.

Nowadays most gasoline is the same quality as long as the gas station does good volume. Premium brands with additives don’t give much benefit.

[eugenebmw]

My suggestion is not going for any M cars. If you think gas is expensive, wait until you need to change the brake. Easy $3000 for the front and another $3000 for the rear brakes. Then another $4000 for the tires.......It add up very quick. If you are saying I only drive 5000 or less miles a year and my tires and brake will last forever, then why you need a M car?

[DefiantVitreous]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Look up the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face".

Real reason: do you know much about how engines work? What pre-detonation is, what causes it, and what the results are? And how boost pressure and heat all play into that? Because if you did, you wouldn't be asking this question. When you say "putting in high octane every 3-4 tanks" tells me you don't understand much about engines. It's not like putting in that one tank will then have some "carry-over effect" for the next 3-4 tanks.

This is a 3 liter engine with two turbos putting out a peak of well over 500 HP. You think maybe the engine is slightly stressed? You see the size of the openings in the front end, how much BMW is working to get rid of heat? Putting in fuel that's prone to pre-detonation is not a good idea with this setup.

Second real reason: you're not just getting into these situations when you're flooring it.

Now...CAN you do it? Yes, you can. BMW specifically says in the owner's manual that:

"When using a minimum quality AKI 87 fuel, there may be knocking noises as well as driving and acoustic abnormalities. These have no effect on the engine service life".

But then they also say...

"Caution!

The use of poor-quality fuels may result in harmful engine deposits or damage. Additionally, problems relating to drivability, starting and stalling, especially under certain environmental conditions such as high ambient temperature and high altitude, may occur.

If drivability problems are encountered, we recommend switching to a high quality gasoline brand and a higher octane grade - AKI number - for a few tank fills. To avoid harmful engine deposits, it is highly recommended to purchase gasoline from Top Tier retailers.

Failure to comply with these recommendations may result in the need for additional maintenance."

So....is it worth it? Let's say you do 15,000 miles / year. And you average 20 MPG. That's 750 gallons of gas. MAX you're looking at $750 / year more in fuel. Likely closer to $500 or $600. That's $25-$35 / month.

So cancel your HULU subscription and treat your car right.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Poor OP, just getting torched here.

[Seanhfx]

Originally Posted by DefiantVitreous

I don't have the car, but just wondering. If I'm never going to track it. It's my daily driver. I don't care about absolutely best 0-60 times, does it really matter whether I put low, mid or high octane gas in? If I did high octane once every 3-4 fillups is that going to cause any damage?

And yeah, it's about cost mainly. Yes, I know it's an expensive car and I can afford high octane gas. However, it's a lot of money over the years and if I don't need to spend the money I'd rather not.

Thoughts?

Don't buy a car from this guy.

You want to put in 87 instead of 91 or 93 because of cost? Then get a car that doesn't require 91+. Problem solved and it saves you alot of $$$$.