88 Octane

[Squatch79]

So they just opened up a new RaceWay gas station in my hometown and they offer 88 octane as fuel along with E15, 87, 89 & 93. I normally run 87 in my 2021 5.7 E-Torque and average around 16 - 17mpg. Just curious to know if anyone else runs 88 and if there are any benefits vs. running the 87.

 

[Willwork4truck]

I ran 88 when I found it, I figured that octane was octane.
89 was like 50-60 cents a gallon higher than 87, I could find 88 for the same price as 87. Never heard any knocking or had any issues but then I did not really get on the motor.

 

[oe542bob]

I gave it a try last year. Same trip everyday. 104 miles round trip. 40% 2-lane with 60% highway. I was able to get 1 mpg to 1 1/2 mpg improvement. Didn’t really notice any performance change.
Problem was the price difference did not make it any cheaper. So I just went back to 87.
I do buy the 88 ( no ethanol ) for my small engines I use around the home though.

 

[SpeedyV]

I gave it a try last year. Same trip everyday. 104 miles round trip. 40% 2-lane with 60% highway. I was able to get 1 mpg to 1 1/2 mpg improvement. Didn’t really notice any performance change.
Problem was the price difference did not make it any cheaper. So I just went back to 87.
I do buy the 88 ( no ethanol ) for my small engines I use around the home though.

E88 is 15% ethanol…higher than typical gasoline blends. Or are you not talking about that when you write, “…the 88…”?

I also buy ethanol-free 90 when I can get it for my lawn equipment, generator, old motorcycle, and boat.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Non ethanol for my genset but at $4.75 a gallon I don't store that much. 10 gallons max.

That didn't help much during the last hurricane. 4 gallons a day usage didn't get me through the 7 days out of power. Can't seem to get ahead.

As far as the hemi, 87 if not towing.
Does the hurricane SO use premium (recommended)? Surely the HO does.

 

[oe542bob]

E88 is 15% ethanol…higher than typical gasoline blends. Or are you not talking about that when you write, “…the 88…”?

I also buy ethanol-free 90 when I can get it for my lawn equipment, generator, old motorcycle, and boat.

Maybe I said it wrong. The non ethanol fuel is 88 octane

 

[1791]

jumping in....i run 89 that is what is recommended in the manual. the epa estimates take ethanol into account. now comes the rant
ethanol is subsidized by the government that means us! the government don't make money they take it from us. i drove a fuel tanker and saw tankers bringing it to the gas terminal nonstop and think about it we save nothing using eth. everything comes at a cost. the amount of diesel used to produce and transport it is crazy and far outweighs any benefits. really there never were any benefits it hurt's you mpg's it's hard on you vehicle and imagine how much pollution is made and diesel is burned in the process of production and transportation . we are the only country that has it mandated or even uses it. the subsidy was suppose to be temporary till it became profitable but clearly that never happened and never will. when was the last time you saw a subsidy go away???
American tax payers should put a stop to the special interest groups that lobby for eth. it's trash and we are forced to pay for it tax wise and at the pump.
okay i feel better i got that off my chest.

 

[fishslayer]

My 21 e torque hemi runs fine on 87 even towing..Tried 89 but saw 1mpg improvement..manual says 87 is fine..we have the 88 octane he's talking about but I never bothered to try it

 

[1791]

My 21 e torque hemi runs fine on 87 even towing..Tried 89 but saw 1mpg improvement..manual says 87 is fine..we have the 88 octane he's talking about but I never bothered to try it

i hate to admit to but i had a PT looser gt turbo HO it had the srt4 motor in it you could run 87 but the knock caused it to retard the timing so much ya lost about 30 hp according to that manual, i assume todays knock sensor is so sensitive you don't get knock because it is retarding the timing so fast.
if 87 works for you than go for it. in my area with a 33 gal tank 87 is $12.80 less a fill up and 22 dollars less than 93 up so i get it.
i do not tow and i have a Pulsar if i set it to performance and run 89 i can hear the knock if i have the windows down. so i'm 89-93.
this is in my manual.

5.7L Engine​

Do not use E-85 flex fuel or ethanol blends greater than 15% in this engine.

This engine is designed to meet all emissions regulations and provide satisfactory fuel economy and performance when using high-quality unleaded gasoline having an octane range of 87 to 89 as specified by the (R+M)/2 method. The use of 89 octane plus gasoline is recommended for optimum performance and fuel economy.

 

[RAL]

In the manual, 87 is acceptable for the V8 5.7, 89 is recommended. So 88 is likely a little better but whether it makes sense depends upon the cost comparison.

FWIW, I hear light pinging on my hemi, particularly in the summer, if it has 87 but with the 89 it is quiet so I typically go with 89.

I don’t see material fuel economy differences by octane. I do see slightly higher mpg in the warmer weather on average, but drive cycle is the biggest determinant.

 

[USMUSL]

Around me in Northern VA, most of the Sheetz have 88 octane that is E15 and 10 to 40 cents cheaper than 87. I have run it for years in all my vehicles that require 87 or higher. It advertises its good for all vehicles 2001 and later requiring 87. I noticed my 2025 Ram now even says E15 and lower is okay, versus the traditional direction of E10 and lower ethanol percentage. The biggest downside is that Sheetz is not “top tier” fuel, but that could be because of a number of factors not relating to quality.

Gas mileage does suffer a tad with the higher E content. As such, I go back to E10 87 if the 88 is only 10 cents cheaper. But, when 30 or 40 cents cheaper, it’s a good move, IMO.

I don’t have the Hemi. But if the owner’s manual says 89 is preferred but 87 is acceptable, I wouldn’t hesitate to run 88 when economical to do so. My SO Hurricane says 91 preferred but 87 is acceptable, and I plan to continue to run the E15 88 ….

 

[1791]

Around me in Northern VA, most of the Sheetz have 88 octane that is E15 and 10 to 40 cents cheaper than 87. I have run it for years in all my vehicles that require 87 or higher. It advertises its good for all vehicles 2001 and later requiring 87. I noticed my 2025 Ram now even says E15 and lower is okay, versus the traditional direction of E10 and lower ethanol percentage. The biggest downside is that Sheetz is not “top tier” fuel, but that could be because of a number of factors not relating to quality.

Gas mileage does suffer a tad with the higher E content. As such, I go back to E10 87 if the 88 is only 10 cents cheaper. But, when 30 or 40 cents cheaper, it’s a good move, IMO.

I don’t have the Hemi. But if the owner’s manual says 89 is preferred but 87 is acceptable, I wouldn’t hesitate to run 88 when economical to do so. My SO Hurricane says 91 preferred but 87 is acceptable, and I plan to continue to run the E15 88 ….

i don't know what "top tear" is. i don't think it's a thing. i actually drove a fuel tanker and delivered to many gas stations. some no-brand name stations got BP and sometimes the same station got shell. all gasoline comes in on a pipeline it's fungible. i can tell you that BP and Shell were the most common brands that went to sams club, cosco, Giant and so on. they don't advertise the brand, the main thing is the octane rating. additives are kind of BS no gasoline brand is better than the other. gasoline is regulated by the department of agriculture in most states, 87 is 87 no matter where it comes from. eth is added or not when it loaded on the tanker automatically.
what does kind of matter how the station and how it's been maintained as far as trash in the tank but it gets filtered before it goes in to your gas tank.

 

[USMUSL]

i don't know what "top tear" is. i don't think it's a thing. i actually drove a fuel tanker and delivered to many gas stations. some no-brand name stations got BP and sometimes the same station got shell. all gasoline comes in on a pipeline it's fungible. i can tell you that BP and Shell were the most common brands that went to sams club, cosco, Giant and so on. they don't advertise the brand, the main thing is the octane rating. additives are kind of BS no gasoline brand is better than the other. gasoline is regulated by the department of agriculture in most states, 87 is 87 no matter where it comes from. eth is added or not when it loaded on the tanker automatically.
what does kind of matter how the station and how it's been maintained as far as trash in the tank but it gets filtered before it goes in to your gas tank.

Whether you think it credible or not . . . there is a rating for top tier based on the cleaning agents. Google it. I understand your point (and respect your experience) though that it might be BS. The reason I hedged by saying there might be a number of other factors involved with the rating was my way of noting it could be marketing, could be something the retailer simply hasn't paid for, could be quality control processes . . . or it could be they are coming from the same stock (as you noted).

 

[1791]

Whether you think it credible or not . . . there is a rating for top tier based on the cleaning agents. Google it. I understand your point (and respect your experience) though that it might be BS. The reason I hedged by saying there might be a number of other factors involved with the rating was my way of noting it could be marketing, could be something the retailer simply hasn't paid for, could be quality control processes . . . or it could be they are coming from the same stock (as you noted).

you are correct on marketing and not being franchised. really the best thing to do is get fuel from a station you trust with clean in ground tanks or one that sells alot of fuel like pilot or loves when you travel.

 

[Andymax]

I I am now at 162,000 miles on my hemi. And I’ve never put a drop of anything but 87 octane in it. Runs like a champ. I pay close attention, particularly in the summertime listening for pinging, but I’ve never heard any. But this makes me really curious about 88 octane so I will be watching for results.

 

[mikeru82]

I’ve never even seen 88 octane gas where I live. We run 87 in our 2020 Limited with no “noticeable” issues. But I would go with 89 if it was ever used for towing.

 

[Skater]

I put 100k miles on a 2020 Limited and never put any octane other than 87 in it. The engine ran like new driving it to the dealer 400 miles away to trade-in for my 2025, and although mostly flat driving, I averaged 21 MPG over the 400 miles with the 5.7 Hemi; however, I do drive like Ms. Daisey was in the back seat sipping on coffee from a fine china set.