87 Octane Regular. Can higher octane fuels give me more power? On modern engines with sophisticated engine management systems, the engine
can operate efficiently on fuels of a wider range of octane rating, but there
remains an optimum octane for the engine under specific driving conditions.
Older cars without such systems are more restricted in their choice of fuel,
as the engine can not automatically adjust to accommodate lower octane fuel.
Because knock is so destructive, owners of older cars must use fuel that will
not knock under the most demanding conditions they encounter, and must
continue to use that fuel, even if they only occasionally require the octane. If you are already using the proper octane fuel, you will not obtain more
power from higher octane fuels. The engine will be already operating at
optimum settings, and a higher octane should have no effect on the management
system. Your driveability and fuel economy will remain the same. The higher
octane fuel costs more, so you are just throwing money away. If you are
already using a fuel with an octane rating slightly below the optimum, then
using a higher octane fuel will cause the engine management system to move to
the optimum settings, possibly resulting in both increased power and improved
fuel economy. You may be able to change octanes between seasons ( reduce
octane in winter ) to obtain the most cost-effective fuel without loss of
driveability. Once you have identified the fuel that keeps the engine at optimum settings,
there is no advantage in moving to an even higher octane fuel. The
manufacturer's recommendation is conservative, so you may be able to
carefully reduce the fuel octane. The penalty for getting it badly wrong,
and not realising that you have, could be expensive engine damage. Does low octane fuel increase engine wear? Not if you are meeting the octane requirement of the engine. If you are not
meeting the octane requirement, the engine will rapidly suffer major damage
due to knock. You must not use fuels that produce sustained audible knock,
as engine damage will occur. If the octane is just sufficient, the engine
management system will move settings to a less optimal position, and the
only major penalty will be increased costs due to poor fuel economy.
Whenever possible, engines should be operated at the optimum position for
long-term reliability. Engine wear is mainly related to design,
manufacturing, maintenance and lubrication factors. Once the octane and
run-on requirements of the engine are satisfied, increased octane will have
no beneficial effect on the engine. Run-on is the tendency of an engine to
continue running after the ignition has been switched off, and is discussed
in more detail in Section 8.2. The quality of gasoline, and the additive
package used, would be more likely to affect the rate of engine wear, rather
than the octane rating. Can I mix different octane fuel grades? Yes, however attempts to blend in your fuel tank should be carefully
planned. You should not allow the tank to become empty, and then add 50% of
lower octane, followed by 50% of higher octane. The fuels may not completely
mix immediately, especially if there is a density difference. You may get a
slug of low octane that causes severe knock. You should refill when your
tank is half full. In general the octane response will be linear for most
hydrocarbon and oxygenated fuels eg 50:50 of 87 and 91 will give 89. Attempts to mix leaded high octane to unleaded high octane to obtain higher
octane are useless for most commercial gasolines. The lead response of the
unleaded fuel does not overcome the dilution effect, thus 50:50 of 96 leaded
and 91 unleaded will give 94. Some blends of oxygenated fuels with ordinary
gasoline can result in undesirable increases in volatility due to volatile
azeotropes, and some oxygenates can have negative lead responses. The octane
requirement of some engines is determined by the need to avoid run-on, not
to avoid knock. What happens if I use the wrong octane fuel?
If you use a fuel with an octane rating below the requirement of the engine,
the management system may move the engine settings into an area of less
efficient combustion, resulting in reduced power and reduced fuel economy.
You will be losing both money and driveability. If you use a fuel with an
octane rating higher than what the engine can use, you are just wasting
money by paying for octane that you can not utilise. The additive packages
are matched to the engines using the fuel, for example intake valve deposit
control additive concentrations may be increased in the premium octane grade.
If your vehicle does not have a knock sensor, then using a fuel with an
octane rating significantly below the octane requirement of the engine means
that the little men with hammers will gleefully pummel your engine to pieces. You should initially be guided by the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations,
however you can experiment, as the variations in vehicle tolerances can
mean that Octane Number Requirement for a given vehicle model can range
over 6 Octane Numbers. Caution should be used, and remember to compensate
if the conditions change, such as carrying more people or driving in
different ambient conditions. You can often reduce the octane of the fuel
you use in winter because the temperature decrease and possible humidity
changes may significantly reduce the octane requirement of the engine. Use the octane that provides cost-effective driveability and performance,
using anything more is waste of money, and anything less could result in
an unscheduled, expensive visit to your mechanic. Can I tune the engine to use another octane fuel? In general, modern engine management systems will compensate for fuel octane,
and once you have satisfied the optimum octane requirement, you are at the
optimum overall performance area of the engine map. Tuning changes to obtain
more power will probably adversely affect both fuel economy and emissions.
Unless you have access to good diagnostic equipment that can ensure
regulatory limits are complied with, it is likely that adjustments may be
regarded as illegal tampering by your local regulation enforcers. If you are
skilled, you will be able to legally wring slightly more performance from
your engine by using a dynamometer in conjunction with engine and exhaust gas
analyzers and a well-designed, retrofitted, performance engine management
chip.
5w30
the 6 cyl. will use 87 octane and the 5.7 and 6.1 hemi will use 92 or 93 octane.
DOT 3
Dodge Caravans have poor repair histories; you might do well to consider a different used vehicle.
The most likely place to find a Dodge Caravan is at a Dodge dealership where they will likely have both new and used models. You may also find a Dodge Caravan for sale by an individual advertised in the newspaper or online.
R134a
5w30
R134a
1998 Dodge Caravan Speedometer Has a second connector attached with a white pigtail. What is that used for and will it operate without it?
A 1999 Dodge Caravan uses DOT 3 brake fluid.
no only up to a 1990 model
Dodge Caravan parts can be purchased at a Dodge dealership. These parts can also be purchased online at Dodge Parts, Auto Anything and Used Auto Part Depot.