Using 86 octane versus 88 octane versus 90 octane in a 2.3 ford ranger ecoboost

[Ranger #1]

Hello ? friends, I have the 2.3 ecoboost in my 2024 ford ranger, I have read that I order to get over 200000 or more miles out of this engine you should burn at least 87 octane for the ecoboost turbocharge to last ,don't know about using octane booster with 86 octane, probably not a good idea ! What do you all use , your thoughts everyone!!

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[jeffers]

Yes, run 87 octane and up.

 

[Ranger #1]

Hello ? friends, I have the 2.3 ecoboost in my 2024 ford ranger, I have read that I order to get over 200000 or more miles out of this engine you should burn at least 87 octane for the ecoboost turbocharge to last ,don't know about using octane booster with 86 octane, probably not a good idea ! What do you all use , your thoughts everyone!!

Also wondering if anybody has over 200k on there ford ranger 2.3 ecoboost engine ,I know there not a lot of trucks out there with that many miles since they started using that engine in the ford ranger in 2019 ,but there has to be a few out there!!

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Hello ? friends, I have the 2.3 ecoboost in my 2024 ford ranger, I have read that I order to get over 200000 or more miles out of this engine you should burn at least 87 octane for the ecoboost turbocharge to last ,don't know about using octane booster with 86 octane, probably not a good idea ! What do you all use , your thoughts everyone!!

To be clear, whatever you read is some internet mythos. Type of gas is not going to extend the life of your engine, especially using octane over what your engine is rated for. Higher octane gas is used to help eliminate knock and detonation issues that lower octane fuels have at higher compression ratios. Since timings on higher horsepower and turbo engines are tight/lean you need the correctly rated fuel to obtain more horsepower and also appropriate detonation timing.

Running higher octane in a car that doesnt need it, will have no real effect on engine longevity. You are better off spending all the money saved on higher octane fuel on preventative maintenance on wear parts and such. Run what is rated by the manufacturer anything else you are just giving your self that placebo effect.

 

[Ranger #1]

To be clear, whatever you read is some internet mythos. Type of gas is not going to extend the life of your engine, especially using octane over what your engine is rated for. Higher octane gas is used to help eliminate knock and detonation issues that lower octane fuels have at higher compression ratios. Since timings on higher horsepower and turbo engines are tight/lean you need the correctly rated fuel to obtain more horsepower and also appropriate detonation timing.

Running higher octane in a car that doesnt need it, will have no real effect on engine longevity. You are better off spending all the money saved on higher octane fuel on preventative maintenance on wear parts and such. Run what is rated by the manufacturer anything else you are just giving your self that placebo effect.

Hey SubaruRapture thanks for your opinion, where I live in New we have 86 ,88, 90 octane I will fill up with 88 then at the halfway point I'll put 86 !! Not a hole of people buy the 90 octane, woried about stale gas !! I'm not going to buy that !!

 

[jeffers]

Also wondering if anybody has over 200k on there ford ranger 2.3 ecoboost engine ,I know there not a lot of trucks out there with that many miles since they started using that engine in the ford ranger in 2019 ,but there has to be a few out there!!

They've been in the Mustang the longest I believe.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Hey SubaruRapture thanks for your opinion, where I live in New we have 86 ,88, 90 octane I will fill up with 88 then at the halfway point I'll put 86 !! Not a hole of people buy the 90 octane, woried about stale gas !! I'm not going to buy that !!

Heres the thing. Mixing the fuels is worse for your engine then sticking with a single octane. The way your fuel system works is it vaporizes the fuel into the piston chamber. Gasoline is not like water, it doesnt necessarily homogenize together. Different fuels have different amounts of chemicals and different mixes of them. When you mix fuel and it is vaporized you are going to get an uneven explosion within the chamber. You are increasing your chances of knock, misfires, and other engine damage by mixing fuel.

Stale gas also takes a long time to develop. More people buy 90 then you think and generally the tank is smaller in general. Stale gas only really starts occurring at 3 to 6 months, and for it to really effect the engine you are probably looking at 9 months. Your fuel stations do not have 9 month old gas in them.

 

[Ranger #1]

Heres the thing. Mixing the fuels is worse for your engine then sticking with a single octane. The way your fuel system works is it vaporizes the fuel into the piston chamber. Gasoline is not like water, it doesnt necessarily homogenize together. Different fuels have different amounts of chemicals and different mixes of them. When you mix fuel and it is vaporized you are going to get an uneven explosion within the chamber. You are increasing your chances of knock, misfires, and other engine damage by mixing fuel.

Stale gas also takes a long time to develop. More people buy 90 then you think and generally the tank is smaller in general. Stale gas only really starts occurring at 3 to 6 months, and for it to really effect the engine you are probably looking at 9 months. Your fuel stations do not have 9 month old gas in them.

Thanks for your reply lol I forgot to mention where I live I live in New Mexico, and the octane that are available are 86 88 90

 

[AugPal]

I always use mid grade 88.

 

[olefordguy]

Thanks for your reply lol I forgot to mention where I live I live in New Mexico, and the octane that are available are 86 88 90

Then I would suggest at least the 88 octane grade available in your area. Also, info from the owners manual below:

FUEL QUALITY

Your vehicle operates on regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87. Some fuel stations, particularly those in high altitude areas, offer fuels posted as regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating below 87. The use of these fuels could result in engine damage that will not be covered by the vehicle Warranty.

Fuel and Refueling

For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer.

Do not be concerned if the engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if the engine knocks heavily while using fuel with the recommended octane rating, contact an authorized dealer to prevent any engine damage.

We recommend Top Tier detergent gasolines, where available to help minimize engine deposits and maintain optimal vehicle and engine performance.

 

[Blowndodge]

Heres the thing. Mixing the fuels is worse for your engine then sticking with a single octane. The way your fuel system works is it vaporizes the fuel into the piston chamber. Gasoline is not like water, it doesnt necessarily homogenize together. Different fuels have different amounts of chemicals and different mixes of them. When you mix fuel and it is vaporized you are going to get an uneven explosion within the chamber. You are increasing your chances of knock, misfires, and other engine damage by mixing fuel.
If that were true then gas stations wouldn't have a mid grade of fuel that is essentially pumping gas from the regular and premium tanks. Here is a feedback on the issue.

"mid grade gasoline can be considered a blend of premium and regular gas, as it falls between the two in terms of octane rating and is essentially a mixture of the two fuels, with most gas stations offering a mid grade option that is roughly equivalent to a 50/50 mix of regular and premium gas; meaning you could technically achieve a similar result by mixing equal parts of each at the pump."

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Thats not how gasoline works.

 

[AugPal]

I have no idea if this is true or not

.....First the myth: Most refiners don't really make midgrade gas. They make regular and premium and that's what's stocked underground at the gas station. When you squeeze the midgrade handle you get a cocktail of the two fuels, "splash blended" as you pump. Thank the EPA, because it tightened underground storage tank rules in 1988 and again in 2015, causing a lot of service stations to dig up and replace their old gas storage tanks. When they put new ones in they often installed just two and started to blend on the fly....

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-myth-of-midgrade-gas/

 

[Blowndodge]

I have no idea if this is true or not

.....First the myth: Most refiners don't really make midgrade gas. They make regular and premium and that's what's stocked underground at the gas station. When you squeeze the midgrade handle you get a cocktail of the two fuels, "splash blended" as you pump. Thank the EPA, because it tightened underground storage tank rules in 1988 and again in 2015, causing a lot of service stations to dig up and replace their old gas storage tanks. When they put new ones in they often installed just two and started to blend on the fly....

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-myth-of-midgrade-gas/

I worked in a refinery in San Pedro. You are exactly correct as I pointed out. There are no "special" blends. Only mixes. They are all compatible.

 

[Ranger #1]

I worked in a refinery in San Pedro. You are exactly correct as I pointed out. There are no "special" blends. Only mixes. They are all compatible.

Hey Blowndodge thanks for your opinion, so if I filled my tank half way with 86 and half of 88 is that's ok correct, to achieve 87 octane! right??? Or do I need to burn all of one or the other and have a full tank of the same octane, he'll gas prices here in New Mexico is 2.59 for 86 and 3.05 for 88 that's alot of coun out of your pocket!!

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