Is it alright that I just put Premium fuel in my 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn?

[thabiiighomie]

My other vehicle takes premium and I had a mind lapse. I always use mid-grade, although it’s very first take (from dealership) was regular.

 

[Edwards]

My other vehicle takes premium and I had a mind lapse. I always use mid-grade, although it’s very first take (from dealership) was regular.

No downside to using a higher octane fuel than required, other than spending more. It is just more knock resistant than mid-grade.

 

[Richard320]

The only thing it hurts is your wallet.

 

[SD Rebel]

Actually using premium helps my wallet because I go to Costco. You only have regular or premium options, no midgrade there, but even Tier 1 premium at Costco is usually cheaper than regular gas at other stations, so I'm saving money and using an octane level at or above the recommendation.

I honestly haven't noticed a difference with performance and mpg with either regular, mid or premium in this truck, but I'll probably continue to use premium for now.

 

[rrbhokies]

Actually using premium helps my wallet because I go to Costco. You only have regular or premium options, no midgrade there, but even Tier 1 premium at Costco is usually cheaper than regular gas at other stations, so I'm saving money and using an octane level at or above the recommendation.

I honestly haven't noticed a difference with performance and mpg with either regular, mid or premium in this truck, but I'll probably continue to use premium for now.

Still too early to tell, but first full tank with regular got me 10.6 mpg. 2nd full tank with premium (Costco 93 octane) got me 12.8 mpg. And I don't think that my driving habits or where I drove was very different. So, I'll keep using Premium for now and see if I continue to see improvement. I also have less than 700 miles on the truck, so that first full tank with regular was really the first miles on the truck, so it could have just been breaking in. We'll see.....

 

[thabiiighomie]

Thank you for the replies. I just remember being told that if I made that mistake with my Alfa Romeo, and put in low-grade, I should not start the engine and have the fuel siphoned lol
I about had a heat attack this morning. Makes logical sense it wouldn’t hurt, but I’m Polish and don’t always use sense. Plus the RAM dealer said to use regular (“as mid-grade would cause sputtering”). I did not take his word for it, and after the first full tank I switched to mid-grade. 1,500 miles or so on the odometer as of today.

 

[Edwards]

Thank you for the replies. I just remember being told that if I made that mistake with my Alfa Romeo, and put in low-grade, I should not start the engine and have the fuel siphoned lol
I about had a heat attack this morning. Makes logical sense it wouldn’t hurt, but I’m Polish and don’t always use sense. Plus the RAM dealer said to use regular (“as mid-grade would cause sputtering”). I did not take his word for it, and after the first full tank I switched to mid-grade. 1,500 miles or so on the odometer as of today.

Your dealer gave you awful advice that contradicts what Ram states. Ram recommends 89 Octane.

Now putting a lower octane than recommended is a very bad idea. Your Alfa and many other cars were tuned for the higher octane and using a lower octane fuel will cause pinging (pre-detonation) that cause cause early engine wear and outright failure.

Bottom line is to use what the manufacturer recommends and don't trust any dealer who verbally says otherwise. You could have some fun with them and ask them to put their recommendation in writing though. That will spin up the attorneys.

 

[zdeckich]

Higher octane is harder to burn and takes more energy to burn, some cases you can lose performance with a high octane fuel, but it wont hurt anything.

 

[thabiiighomie]

Your dealer gave you awful advice that contradicts what Ram states. Ram recommends 89 Octane.

Now putting a lower octane than recommended is a very bad idea. Your Alfa and many other cars were tuned for the higher octane and using a lower octane fuel will cause pinging (pre-detonation) that cause cause early engine wear and outright failure.

Bottom line is to use what the manufacturer recommends and don't trust any dealer who verbally says otherwise. You could have some fun with them and ask them to put their recommendation in writing though. That will spin up the attorneys.

I usually don’t let it go far beyond 1/4 left in the tank, for the sake of the fuel pump, but I let that first tank go to fuel light to get that low-grade out. Thought that was kinda crummy of them to give me a full tank to leave the lot with that was below the manufacturer’s recommendation.

 

[SD Rebel]

Your dealer gave you awful advice that contradicts what Ram states. Ram recommends 89 Octane.

Now putting a lower octane than recommended is a very bad idea. Your Alfa and many other cars were tuned for the higher octane and using a lower octane fuel will cause pinging (pre-detonation) that cause cause early engine wear and outright failure.

Bottom line is to use what the manufacturer recommends and don't trust any dealer who verbally says otherwise. You could have some fun with them and ask them to put their recommendation in writing though. That will spin up the attorneys.

RAM also states that 87 is acceptable. But if you want more power and mpg, you should go with 89.

 

[Diamondback]

Higher octane is harder to burn and takes more energy to burn, some cases you can lose performance with a high octane fuel, but it wont hurt anything.

Tiz why the Hemi's have 16 plugs to help burn the fuel .. keep it under 10% Eth or Premium.

 

[zdeckich]

Tiz why the Hemi's have 16 plugs to help burn the fuel .. keep it under 10% Eth or Premium.

Really more about compression, but i get what you are saying.

 

[Camper]

Higher octane is harder to burn and takes more energy to burn, some cases you can lose performance with a high octane fuel, but it wont hurt anything.

This is not though, higher octane is burn more easy and more cleaner. This is because higher octane gas do not contained so match paraffin in it, it lighter fractions from Oil,when gas is produced. It should give you 2 miles extra per gallon,if you using cruse control and stay 100-110 km per hour. I used before on my previous cars and always get better mileage, then on regular gas.
Regular gas is the lower end of the productions and contained more paraffin then mid-range and high end gas.

 

[Snakes709]

Wont matter. I have been using 87 since day one. Recently did a 6000km trip and used 89 to see if my fuel economy changed (it didnt, nor did power). Once i got into the US i wasnt paying attention and filled up with 91 and 93 octane a few times (our pumps are 87, 89 and 91 left to right). Didnt notice the pumps in the US where i stopped at were 91/93, 89 and 87. Again, no difference in fuel economy or power. Anyone that says it does is full of ****. Pretty much a placebo effect.

 

[SpeedyV]

This is not though, higher octane is burn more easy and more cleaner. This is because higher octane gas do not contained so match paraffin in it, it lighter fractions from Oil,when gas is produced. It should give you 2 miles extra per gallon,if you using cruse control and stay 100-110 km per hour. I used before on my previous cars and always get better mileage, then on regular gas.
Regular gas is the lower end of the productions and contained more paraffin then mid-range and high end gas.

Octane is a measure of resistance to detonation. It would be fair to say that the higher the octane rating, the “harder” a fuel is to burn. It certainly doesn’t burn “easier”. The whole point of higher octane is to support higher compression ratios without premature detonation (i.e. “knocking”).

Octane rating - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[devildodge]

 

[Camper]

Octane is a measure of resistance to detonation. It would be fair to say that the higher the octane rating, the “harder” a fuel is to burn. It certainly doesn’t burn “easier”. The whole point of higher octane is to support higher compression ratios without premature detonation (i.e. “knocking”).

Octane rating - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

That is correct sentence, however,when company produce gas, the lither fractions from oil is evaporate the first and it high octane gas the reason why it evaporate first, because it contained less heavy fractions of paraffin and other resins, then rest of the oil continue to warm up and get mid range gas (contained more paraffin and more resins) and after that it gets 87 octane (regular) , and contained more resins and more paraffin than previous two. Conclusion, cleaner gas, burn more easy, more sufficient and more cleaner.

 

[SD Rebel]

This is not though, higher octane is burn more easy and more cleaner. This is because higher octane gas do not contained so match paraffin in it, it lighter fractions from Oil,when gas is produced. It should give you 2 miles extra per gallon,if you using cruse control and stay 100-110 km per hour. I used before on my previous cars and always get better mileage, then on regular gas.
Regular gas is the lower end of the productions and contained more paraffin then mid-range and high end gas.

I don't thinks this is the case, the only difference is octane rating which is actually harder to burn.

 

[Neurobit]

My octane is better than yours...

 

[thabiiighomie]

Octane is a measure of resistance to detonation. It would be fair to say that the higher the octane rating, the “harder” a fuel is to burn. It certainly doesn’t burn “easier”. The whole point of higher octane is to support higher compression ratios without premature detonation (i.e. “knocking”).

Octane rating - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

So stick with mid-grade? Is it a big deal that my first 33 gallons were regular?