[Racineur]

Hi, there are so many schools of thinking on the matter that I cannot make my mind. Does someone know by experience if there are real and proven advantages of fueling with Super? I've have filled up my Rio six times with regular as of now but the last time, I treated her with Super. Am I dreaming or is it a placebo effect, I find the engine a little less raucous let's say. Checking the AVG fuel, it reported for the very first time 5.6L/100km Eco On on highway. City driving marks at 6.8L/100km. Before I was all the time between 7.2 and 8.1. Are there some Rio owners here that treat their baby with Premium gas? OK, manual says fill with regular. I'd prefer in a way since it's cheaper. Can Premium hurt the engine ore make it so fussy that I could not revert back to regular gas? Thanks for helping and sharing.

 

[Metragnome]

Have had my car for just under 2 weeks and since collecting the car with a full tank I have filled up just the once...with premium 98 grade....after talking to a few people who do the same I am hoping for better performance and increased fuel economy.

Time will tell....will report back in a few weeks

 

[conwelpic]

this was also brought up on the Soul forum and this was a response from someone one knows quite a bit about that stuff:

Can we clear up some common misconceptions about octane PLEASE????

1. "higher octane is a 'treat' for my engine."
2. "it's more expensive, so it much be higher quality"
3. "I will get better MPGs with higher octane fuel."
4. "my minimum octane rating is 87, if I put a higher octane in, it will be better because I'm higher than the minimum rating."

All of these myths can be debunked and wrapped up with a simple statement. A higher ocean means that the fuel will resist 'pre-detonation' or pinging.

Higher performance engines require higher octane fuel because of pressure and temperature differences in the cylinders. If you put a low octane fuel in a car like this, the fuel will detonate before the spark plug fires resulting in pinging and possibly burning holes in your pistons.

OUR cars however, do not need this. That means that if you put a higher octane fuel in our cars, it does nothing special except waste money and actually get LOWER fuel mileage (unless there is a lack of alcohol).

The ONLY time you need higher octane is if you have a problem with pre-detonation, or pinging under high load situations like driving up a steep mountain pass with a lot of cargo. If you don't hear pinging you're fine. If you DO hear pinging, simply upgrade the octane on your next fill-up and it will go away.

Higher octane is not a 'treat' for your car, and it's not required.

Makes a lot of sense to me, I stick to whats recommended - 87

 

[dazekiel]

Theoretically, unless the ECU has fuel mapping to allow the engine to advance the timing in such manner as to deal with the different combustion characteristics of a higher octane value there should be no benefit to using such fuels. In fact, if it is really dialed in to low octane fuel, higher octane fuel will not be ignited at the optimal time. Some people will even claim that it can be harmful, though I don't put much stock in that.

That being said, there are some cars that are programmed to have a broad range of fuel support. Some BMWs, for example, are designed to use high octane, but will accept low octane as well with reduced performance. My Rabbit was designed for 87 (R+M)/2 (91 RON) fuel but in the manual it stated that higher octane would provide better performance, though I couldn't tell the difference. The programming I had installed took true advantage of premium fuels with a 15% increase in power numbers, at the expense of not being able to run regular unleaded at all without lighting up the CEL. There was only so much room in the table for mapping the timing trims.

Having said all that...the whole low vs high octane fuel debate is one that will never have an easy one-statement-fits-all answer. It is asked on every car forum I have ever been on. It all depends on the engine and ECU. Even such things as atmospheric conditions can affect it.

The only real way to learn is to put your Rio on a dyno with a knowledgeable tuner with both types of fuel and see how the car responds. (That knowledgeable tuner might also be able to tell something with a sophisticated data logger plugged into OBDII port. I can tell you I wouldn't have a clue what to look at if presented with such data.)

 

[KCOPE316]

This is a timely thread for me, I was just about to start one because in the last few days, I have noticed pinging under heavy load.

I have filled up at the same two or three stations since I purchased my Rio and this has just started. I filled up again today with the same 87 octane and was still noticing it after fill up.

Do I need to switch to a higher octane, switch stations or assume that since I have not had this before, that the station got a batch of bad fuel and hope the next tank will be ok?

 

[LordHelmet]

Using higher octane fuel in the Kia Rio won't do squat, except empty out your wallet faster...

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

 

[Racineur]

Using higher octane fuel in the Kia Rio won't do squat, except empty out your wallet faster...

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

Hi, that's what I tend to believe. Well...Before last fill up, I called service at my dealer and here are his hints for better fuel economy and best treatment for the engine of my Rio EX Sedan 2012.

Fill up with Super when you plan a long trip on highway otherwise stary with regular. Let the engine run for one minute at full throttle before leaving at the first start up like in the morning. Let the engine run for one minute before turning it off like for the night. So many versions of "using Premium gas". That's it: next fill up, going back to regular.

 

[KCOPE316]

Let the engine run for one minute at full throttle before leaving at the first start up like in the morning. Let the engine run for one minute before turning it off like for the night.

Wait.....what......why??????

 

[LordHelmet]

Wait.....what......why??????

That sounds like a way to use WAY more gas to me.... full throttle, like as in redline it for a minute???
Older cars with carbs needed a warm up period, modern day cars only need a few seconds before hitting the road....

 

[dazekiel]

This is a timely thread for me, I was just about to start one because in the last few days, I have noticed pinging under heavy load.

I have filled up at the same two or three stations since I purchased my Rio and this has just started. I filled up again today with the same 87 octane and was still noticing it after fill up.

Do I need to switch to a higher octane, switch stations or assume that since I have not had this before, that the station got a batch of bad fuel and hope the next tank will be ok?

You can try it, but I don't think that will fix it. I would be more inclined to think along the lines of an dirty injector. I've had a car do what you are talking of and premium fuel didn't help. But a bottle of injector cleaner did.

Just this past weekend I drove my Rio with 4 adults and a child in it and I got nary a knock even when accelerating up hills in hot weather. All with regular 87.

I personally would invest in a decent injector cleaner additive. Also consider your oil, when was the last oil change and is the level correct. Maybe you are hearing valve train noise.

 

[Racineur]

Wait.....what......why??????

I know. I know. It sounded as strange to me as to you. So I didn't buy that and still turn the engine on and move the car right away. As for the night, I turn the engine off as soon as I'm done parking the car. To me, it's this mechanic's own way of driving his car. Nothing scientific for sure. But I read that many people have in fact a better mileage with Super. I did some calculations: so if the car gives 500 km with regular gas and 525 with super, it's two sides of the same coin regarding the money spent. But why would an engine give better mileage with Super gas. That's the mystery to me.

 

[duran²]

This is a timely thread for me, I was just about to start one because in the last few days, I have noticed pinging under heavy load.

I have filled up at the same two or three stations since I purchased my Rio and this has just started. I filled up again today with the same 87 octane and was still noticing it after fill up.

Do I need to switch to a higher octane, switch stations or assume that since I have not had this before, that the station got a batch of bad fuel and hope the next tank will be ok?

Have you been getting your gas from a Top Tier station? I've been getting most of my gas from the same Shell station with no issues.

Top Tier Gasoline

 

[LordHelmet]

I know. I know. It sounded as strange to me as to you. So I didn't buy that and still turn the engine on and move the car right away. As for the night, I turn the engine off as soon as I'm done parking the car. To me, it's this mechanic's own way of driving his car. Nothing scientific for sure. But I read that many people have in fact a better mileage with Super. I did some calculations: so if the car gives 500 km with regular gas and 525 with super, it's two sides of the same coin regarding the money spent. But why would an engine give better mileage with Super gas. That's the mystery to me.

25 kms more on a tank is considered "noise", you would need to have a statement like that backed up by over 50 tanks each of regular vs. super, averaged out, for it to be statistically significant. Also, every singe tank you use would have to be the exact same trips, same speeds, same traffic, same wind, same traffic lights, same acceleration, same weather etc....

 

[Wry 'Cuda]

25 kms more on a tank is considered "noise", you would need to have a statement like that backed up by over 50 tanks each of regular vs. super, averaged out, for it to be statistically significant. Also, every single tank you use would have to be the exact same trips, same speeds, same traffic, same wind, same traffic lights, same acceleration, same weather etc....

You underestimate the care that some drivers take with their fuel consumption calculations; it's no mystery, just do the test. There are many reports on this and other motoring sites about extra MPG from higher octane fuel. I can get an extra couple of MPG on the highway, but it's not enough to cover the extra cost of the high octane.

There have been some discussions on fuel for the Rio, but some of these have been from owners who have filled with bad fuel to start with.

Modern engines can adapt to the higher octane, and some high octane fuels have a slightly higher density than standard fuel. And no, you may not see the difference on the dyno; we're talking about fuel consumption at low throttle settings, not power output.

 

[rroyce46]

I am 100% with Lordhelmet's comments.If you want to help your car us Shell gas.They have a better additive mix than generic or "Off Brand" gas.Additives might help with carbon buildup on the valves but Premium fuel is totally wasting your money.Rio is designed to run on regular so premium won't improve anything.

 

[Racineur]

I am 100% with Lordhelmet's comments.If you want to help your car us Shell gas.They have a better additive mix than generic or "Off Brand" gas.Additives might help with carbon buildup on the valves but Premium fuel is totally wasting your money.Rio is designed to run on regular so premium won't improve anything.

I've heard and read that statement about Shell gas but I guess I'm stuck on 2000-2001-2002 trauma when I put Shell gas in my Neon 2000 and it just scrapped the fuel pump with varnish that was in he Shell gas at that time. Chrysler product, was I told, were the most affected by this additive in the Shell regular gas. Actually, Chrysler changed my fuel pump but they were told after a short period of time of my fixing, they would not do it from now on cause this was not a mechanical defect or failure from their part. After that, I never put Shell gas again in my Neon which I kept until the Rio. I'd go for Shell but I'm a bit anxious. Hint: if not Shell, Esso? Ultramar? Petro Canada? Not many choices in Canada.

 

[Wry 'Cuda]

I am 100% with Lordhelmet's comments. If you want to help your car us Shell gas. They have a better additive mix than generic or "Off Brand" gas. Additives might help with carbon buildup on the valves but Premium fuel is totally wasting your money. Rio is designed to run on regular so premium won't improve anything.

I am with you on a preference for Shell fuels; I've never had a problem with their fuel in nearly 50 years of motoring.

I've always checked the fuel consumption at every fill, and occasionally have used 98 RON (Shell V-Power) and have found an improvement of about 5% in fuel economy. -Sure, not enough to compensate for the extra cost (about 10%), but certainly an interesting result. Yes, of course it's under the same conditions (highway at speed limit), and the economy results are the best ever obtained with the particular vehicles. On the car with instantaneous economy read-out, the km/l reading was consistently higher with V-Power.

I don't know why contributors are so conservative on this issue; what you need to do is test it for yourself. You might as well argue that diesel cars shouldn't get better fuel economy, after all, diesel is roughly the same as petrol in energy terms - it's what happens at combustion time that matters.

 

[LordHelmet]

http://www.torquecars.com/articles/fuel-octane-ratings.php

 

[atreffilet]

Your Answer is a Very Accurate, Honest One. Thank You. When a Buyer tries to out think the Manufacturer Recommendation, Not too Many Good things can Happen...thank You.

 

[sblake5]

Who's answer are you referring to? There are about 17 of them all of which are over 2 1/2 years old...........