Octane gasoline preference

Discussion in 'Dodge Challenger General Discussions' started by Duck Johnson, Jan 11, 2022.

  1. Duck Johnson

    Duck Johnson Full Access Member

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    I just joined this site and I’m wondering about octane preference. I have a 2018 sxt, that I recently bought and was told to at least put 91 octane in the tank. I found a gasoline station on my way home from work and that has Exxon 93. So that is what I put in it. Is the extra money really worth it? Any input would be greatly appreciated
     
  2. NC20RT

    NC20RT Full Access Member

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    No, it's not worth it except to the gas station making extra $$$.
    Go by your owner's manual. No one knows better than the people who built the car. My R/T Hemi takes mid-grade 89 and performs flawlessly, exactly what the owner's manual states.
     
  3. Farmer Fran

    Farmer Fran Full Access Member

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    Agreed, follow the owners manual.
     
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  4. SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    Some car owners also buy higher octane gasoline because they think they are getting more cleaning and lubricating additives than regular gasoline. This was true years ago. Modern fuel injection systems require more detergent to keep them cleaner for optimum efficiency. So, recently, the same amount of additive is now used for all grades of gasoline.

    You can be sure you are getting the right amount of additives by buying Top Tier gasoline. Top Tier is a performance standard for gasoline, backed by major automakers. Since the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency has required a minimum level of detergent for all gas sold in the United States. But some automakers say the EPA standards are not good enough. To be considered Top Tier, the gasoline must have a higher concentration of detergent added to it.

    Top Tier has analyzed the different brands, and these are the ones that they recommend:

    76 Stations
    Aloha Petroleum
    CountryMark
    Entec Stations
    Exxon
    Hawaii Fueling Network (HFN)
    Holiday Stationstores, Inc.
    Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
    MFA Oil Co.
    Mileage Stations
    Mobil
    Ohana Fuels
    Phillips 66
    Quik Trip
    Rebel Oil
    Road Ranger
    Severson Oil
    Shell
    Texaco
    Tri-Par Oil Co.
    U.S. Oil

    The following articles are suggested for reading:

    Top Tier Gasoline | Dodge Challenger Forum

    What is Octane? | Dodge Challenger Forum
     
  5. Duck Johnson

    Duck Johnson Full Access Member

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    Thanks guys for the good information. Its really appreciated
     
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  6. oldgeezer

    oldgeezer Member

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    Feeling a little suspicious as to how old this info is...Exon and Mobil are listed separately....Ummm! Also, where is The Nascar recommended, Sunoco ?
     
  7. SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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  8. mikeT

    mikeT Full Access Member

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    The question then is, do all of these companies have their own refineries?

    76 Stations
    Aloha Petroleum
    CountryMark
    Entec Stations
    Exxon
    Hawaii Fueling Network (HFN)
    Holiday Stationstores, Inc.
    Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
    MFA Oil Co.
    Mileage Stations
    Mobil
    Ohana Fuels
    Phillips 66
    Quik Trip
    Rebel Oil
    Road Ranger
    Severson Oil
    Shell
    Texaco
    Tri-Par Oil Co.
    U.S. O
     
  9. NC20RT

    NC20RT Full Access Member

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    This is a much better list. :waytogo:

    MikeT, not all those companies listed own their own refineries. Only the majors do such as Chevron and Exxon-Mobil. Another big refinery is Motiva Enterprises, an American company that operates as a fully-owned affiliate of Saudi Aramco. They are based in Houston, Texas. Motiva operates as a distributor of Shell and 76 branded gasolines within its operating territory.

    Marathon has the largest producing refinery in the US, followed by Valero (big ethanol producer), Phillips 66 (which spun off from Conoco). The smaller companies do not even buy crude oil, just the gas in bulk from the refineries. Each company then makes the decision whether to sell Top Tier gasoline. As an example, QT (Quick Trip) made it known in a statement that all their stations would sell Top Tier gasoline from the refineries it buys from.

    I have no idea why Exxon and Mobil are listed separately in some lists when they merged way back in 1999 under XOM on the New York Stock Exchange.

    Why do I know this stuff? It stems from my hobby of collecting petroliana items. Always had an interest in the companies, from the old filling stations to the modern ones.
     
  10. Wizard of Iz

    Wizard of Iz Full Access Member

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    The 2018 Challenger Owner's Manual recommends 87 Octane for your Challenger SXT. Using anything else is a waste of money.

    As others have said ... stick to a Top Tier approved gasoline.

    Story time ...

    Back in 1996 we bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.0L straight-six-cylinder engine. I wanted to start it out right and was using Premium (93 octane) gasoline. When I took the Jeep in for them to fulfill on a "We Owe" item I mentioned that the vehicle frequently had a hesitation.

    The Service Manager asked me what kind of gas I was using and I proudly told him, "Only name-brand premium."

    And he quickly said, "That's your problem. Run a tank of regular through it and let me know what happens. The computer expects 87 octane."

    Well ... within a quarter of a tank the Jeep ran perfectly.

    Moral is ... don't overthink it. The Dodge engineers are smarter than most of us and have done the thinking for us.
     
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