|
|
|
|
|
|
BMW Garage | BMW Meets | Register | Today's Posts | Search |
|
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
>
Low octane - 89
|
|
03-25-2016, 09:18 PM | #1 |
Private
17
Rep 75
Posts |
Low octane - 89
Question.
Can low octane (89 for example) cause the car to shudder a bit when accelerating. I have a 2011 328i. I think I might have put in lower octane on my last fill up. Not use to putting in premium as I am a new BMW owner. All my previous cars used regular gas. Thanks. |
03-25-2016, 09:51 PM | #3 |
First Lieutenant
87
Rep 319
Posts |
It'll be fine just a little less power. It's a 328 though so you shouldn't feel the difference.
__________________
07' 335i Monaco Blue - Cobb V3 / vrsf 7" fmic / vrsf cp / bms dci
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-25-2016, 11:07 PM | #4 |
Lieutenant
164
Rep 598
Posts |
I don't use straight 89, but sometimes I'll fill up with 93, and when I have half a tank left I'll fill with 89. That gives me an entire tank of 91, which is what BMW recommends to be the minimum.
But to answer your question, 89 shouldn't make too much of a difference. At least not in the short term. Also a little secret is that the station just guarantees that it is at least 89. It could be 93. Or 91. |
Appreciate
0
|
03-26-2016, 02:07 AM | #6 |
///Project Aura
392
Rep 889
Posts |
Sounds like a coil/spark plug issue. Either way, you'd want to start with those first as those are your cheapest alternatives to fix and usually tend to be the culprit for your described issue.
|
Appreciate
1
|
03-26-2016, 08:21 AM | #7 |
Private
17
Rep 75
Posts |
I should also mention I had the car for only a month and purchased as a CPO. It only has 49,000 km ( 30,000 miles). It's still under warranty and of course I will take it back to the dealer but it's Easter weekend and they are closed. In the meantime I'm dying to find out what it can be.
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-26-2016, 08:46 AM | #9 |
Second Lieutenant
38
Rep 254
Posts |
It shouldn't be causing issues on a modern car with closed loop fuel injection using an O2 sensor. At full throttle, the mixture is conservative enough, and there's anti knock logic, that again it shouldn't be an issue.
What's possible is that the 89 is high in ethanol and was "old stock" and has picked up a fair amount of moisture. But more likely there's some misfires due to coil going bad. |
Appreciate
0
|
03-26-2016, 10:58 AM | #10 |
Major
331
Rep 1,029
Posts |
Yup, sounds like spark plug or ignition coil. Dealer should investigate and replace no problem.
If this is the first fillup with non-93, the higher octane could have been masking the problem, hence the connection between the start of the issue and you filling up with 89. It's still a problem though, since the car should run just fine on 89.
__________________
2001 e36/7 M Roadster 5spd
2008 e90 335i 6spd 2011 e90 335xi 6spd 2011 e70 x5 diesel 2010 Ducati Monster 696 |
Appreciate
0
|
03-26-2016, 11:02 AM | #11 | |
Apprentice
87
Rep 492
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-27-2016, 08:02 AM | #13 |
Lieutenant
153
Rep 545
Posts |
Do you have shudder constantly or only at certain rpm's? If constantly - then it's spark plugs/coils - as it would shudder constantly, not only under acceleration and it would be at all rpm's. If only at certain rpm's - then it sounds more like a drive-train/drive-shaft issue. Most common failure is flex-disk and central support bearing. They could be worn out and some wiggle room is created for shaft and let the shaft vibrate/resonate under certain rpm's. They are relatively cheap to replace.
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-27-2016, 08:09 AM | #14 |
Lieutenant General
1719
Rep 14,825
Posts |
No....supposedly 89 is the minimum for a N54...but can you imagine what people did with loaners over the years?
Case in point.....2015 GTI's say premium on the fuel doors, and 2016's say regular, as do the marketing materials and web. It's the same car!!! Today, premium is a very dirty word in marketing, because it's not 20 cents more anymore, usually 40 and up.... |
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 12:47 PM | #15 | |
Private
17
Rep 75
Posts |
Quote:
If that is the case I should using lower octane all the time of problems are detected but this will of course sacrifice performance. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 05:02 PM | #16 |
Captain
142
Rep 726
Posts |
I recommend you buy a logger or an obd2 reader. I use the ELM327 got it on ebay for i think 7 dollars and download an app to scan for codes. It'll come in handy at all times! and no the gas octane level should not make your car shake. Easiest thing to do is scan for codes.
__________________
2006 Bmw 325xi VMR V715/OE lip/Redlines/Zsp Springs
1999 Eclipse Spyder Gst 16g/264cams/550cc/255lph/corbeau seats/Comp Stage 4 Clutch/ECUflash etc... |
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:04 PM | #17 | |
Private First Class
46
Rep 112
Posts |
Quote:
Bakersfield Buttonwillow Raceway (road track) located 28 miles northwest of Bakersfield off I-5) Inyokern Buttermilk Acres VP Racing Gas Station 3565 W Inyokern Rd Ridgecrest, Ca. 93555 Los Altos VP Gas Station Los Altos Rancho Shopping center 660 Fremont Ave Los Altos, CA 94024 Los Banos DB Corp 76 1963 Pacheco Blvd Los Banos, Ca. 93635 Madera Country Club 76 17017 Road 26 Madera, Ca 93638 Manteca Frank's One Stop 2072 W. Yosemite Manteca, Ca. 95337 McFarland Famoso Raceway 33559 Famoso Rd. Mc Farland, Ca. 93250 Modesto Modesto Gas 1401 Coffee Road Modesto, Ca. 95355 Patterson Fred Frias 76 226 N. 2nd Street Patterson, Ca 95363 Rancho Cordova Valley Motorwerks 11401 White Rock Rd. Rancho Cordova, Ca 95742 Rancho Cordova Midnight Performance 3282 Luyung Dr Rancho Cordova, Ca. 95742 Redwood City Kings 76 Station 975 Woodside Road, Redwood City, Ca. 94061-3610 Sacramento Watt Tosco 76 2847 Watt Ave Sacramento, Ca. 95821 Salinas Laguna Seca Raceway 1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway Salinas, CA 93908 San Jose Damar Petroleum 1201 Almaden Expwy San Jose, CA San Jose Goodies Speed Shop 345 Lincoln Avenue San Jose, CA 95126 San Jose Almaden Racing Fuel 76 Station at Almaden and Foxworthy 3010 Almaden Expressway San Leandro VP Gas Station 1495 Hays Street San Leandro,CA 94577 Selma Exxon Gas Tiger Mart VP Racing fuel behind main station 10610 E Mountain View Ave Selma, Ca. 93662 Sonoma Infineon Raceway 29355 Arnold Dr Sonoma Ca. 95476 South San Francisco Gotelli Speed Shop 321 El Camino Real, 94080 Stockton VP Racing Gas 1033 W Charter Way Stockton, Ca 95206 Sunol Sunol Super Stop 3004 Andrade Sunol, Ca 94586 Tracy VP Racing Gasoline 2375 N Tracy Blvd Tracy, CA, 95376 Turlock Golden State 76 881 N. Golden State Blvd Turlock, Ca. 95380 Waterford JK Service 12405 Yosemite Blvd Waterford, Ca 95386 |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:04 PM | #18 | |
Major General
951
Rep 5,552
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:08 PM | #19 |
Private First Class
46
Rep 112
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:11 PM | #20 | ||
Apprentice
87
Rep 492
Posts |
Quote:
But thanks!! It's still valuable list |
||
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:26 PM | #21 | ||
Lieutenant
164
Rep 598
Posts |
Quote:
Remember that higher octane doesn't mean better. It just means it's different. 87, 89, 91, 93... no grade is better than another. They just have different burning characteristics. When a manufacturer recommends "at least 91 octane" then the car is designed to run optimally on 91 or above, and anything over 91 gives no benefit. Any difference is negligible. |
||
Appreciate
0
|
03-28-2016, 08:47 PM | #22 | |
Major General
951
Rep 5,552
Posts |
Quote:
Don't know about 328, but octane does matter in 335 and in M3. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
Bookmarks |
|
|