Are there any issues with using regular gas vs premium gas in the Buick 3800 Supercharged engine?

Answer 1

Right. If it calls for Higher Octane, use it. :) Unfortunately yes. ...that is...if you FLOOR it... High boost, and load need a higher octane, so as not to "ping" which can cause damage over time.. good luck dave I have a 1996 Buick/Riviera _Supercharged Owners manual recommends using premium fuel, if supercharged. I put "regular gas" in by mistake & It wouldn't go over 55 MPH. Gil Raker

I haven't noticed any difference, at least as of yet. With the high price of gas now I am using regular in my 98 Riviera, and every once in a while I will fill it with Premium. I have been told by a friend who works at a Refinery, that in the winter, you can use the "winter gas" regular. They have to make it a higher octane, but they don't tell you that. It will not cause any ping. It has something to do with Government standards. However, he does recommend using the Premium in the summer as it is made with the lower octane, especially if you do notice it is pinging. This is a common misconception that ... However ... is simply not true. The compression of you engine determines what octane fuel you should run in the engine. Follow the recommendations in your owners manual. If it says to use 87 octane, then using a higher octane will not improve performance, MPG, or in any other way, help. If however your engine requires, 89 or 91 octane, then using a lower octane than recommended may cause pinging, and pinging can cause engine damage. The exception to this are some of the modern computer controlled engines of today. An engine requiring 91 octane may indeed be able to burn 87 octane but at a penalty in MPG & power. The reason for this is that the computer will readjust the fuel air mixture and the timing to compensate for the lower octane fuel. This will prevent pinging, but at a penalty. It is simple, burn what is recommended by the people who built the engine, no more and no less. Do not listen to people who tell you that high octane fuel will help performance or mileage in a engine designed for 87 octane. It is a myth that still persists today. Even some car guys who should know better believe this. A ll you are doing is wasting your hard earned money.

If the car recommends premium gas, you can get by using 87 octane, you will just lose a little performance and fuel economy. It's been proven though that your savings in gas costs when using the lower octane are greater than your savings when using the proper premium and paying more. Older cars didn't have the engine management to change the timing on the car to get rid of pinging (knock boxes), so it was bad on the engine. If the engine requires premium, use it. If it recommends it, use it if you want to.