No matter your model, BMW recommends using
only premium-unleaded fuel
. That's not to say your BMW won't run on lower-grade fuel, but premium-unleaded fuel will maintain its quality in the long run, letting you drive at peak performance consistently.
“
There generally isn't any harm done to the engine by using lower-octane fuel
,” said a BMW spokesman, Thomas Plucinsky. “Because our engines do have very good forms of knock sensing and are able to deal with lower-octane fuels, you will not have any drivability issues. You will, however, lose some of the performance.”
Premium is higher octane, typically 91-93. Regular gas is lower octane, usually 87 or 88. … Putting low octane fuel in a car with a high-compression
engine could cause the engine to knock or ping
, which could cause major damage if it goes on for a long time.
General Motors warns in their owners manual, using regular grade gas in an engine that requires premium, could also
void your warranty
as well. “If the octane is less than 91, the engine could be damaged and the repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
What happens if you 87 instead of 91?
If you usually fill your tank up with 87-octane gasoline and you accidentally put in a higher octane blend (say, 91, 92, or 93), don't worry. … You may feel a difference in the way the vehicle runs and may notice an
improvement in
gas mileage, but that's about all that will happen.
Do BMWs break down a lot?
The breakdown rate is actually
4.4% of the 16% total faults reported
, meaning that, in reality, less than 1% of the total number of new BMW i3 owners are affected. … Though many older vehicles take considerably longer to repair than their newer counterparts, this is not the case with the i3.
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/consumer_tips/regular_vs_premium.html BMW says
it is all right to burn 87 octane in the 128i
but 89 is the lowest acceptable for the 135i. Using a higher Octane for the car than it can make use of is throwing away money.
Some manufacturers recommend premium gas but say that
regular or mid-grade gas can be used
instead. They usually warn that using lower-octane gas could reduce performance and fuel economy. When that happens noticeably, or if engine knock occurs, they advise to start using premium.
What gas station is best for BMW?
Worth gas stations that comply with Top Tier requirements are
Chevron
, Conoco, Exxon, Mobil, Phillips 66, Quik Trip, Shell, and Texaco.
Can you use 89 octane in a BMW?
You can run with 89 with no issues
, but the ECU will retard the spark timing to avoid detonation. You'll lose some power and some fuel economy. If you want to approach the rated HP/torque/MPG, run with higher octane.
Premium
gas gives you more miles per gallon than regular gas
. … In actual fact, you'll get a greater range of fuel economy between different brands of regular gas, than you will between the same manufacturer's regular and premium gasses.
Sadly,
there's nothing in premium gasoline that would make it last longer than other fuels from the pump
. Since the distinguishing feature is the higher-octane levels, the only real benefit you gain is lowering the chance of engine knocking, which isn't much of a threat on most modern fuel systems.
Can I mix premium and unleaded gas?
Yes, drivers can mix the two types of fuel
. The combined gas types will result in an octane level somewhere in the middle — something the vehicle “will survive,” according to The Drive.
The main difference with premium is
its octane rating
— 91 or higher compared with 87 for regular octane. The higher octane gives premium gas greater resistance to early fuel ignition, which can result in potential damage, sometimes accompanied by audible engine knocking or pinging. … Premium gas is not “stronger” gas.
Does 87 octane damage engine?
Higher octane gasoline is designed to
help prevent engine knock
. This phenomenon isn't typically harmful to your engine if it happens occasionally, but repeated engine knock can speed up wear and tear.
In a consumer notice, the Federal Trade Commission, notes: “In most cases, using a higher-octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends
offers absolutely no benefit
. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.”
