Anyone with the 2.0 at high elevation - what grade gas are you using?

[RTW Colorado]

Here in Colorado we have 85 as low grade where most of the country has 87. SO we have 85-87-91. Anyone out here driving the 2.0 using other than 91 with good results? And, second question, what specifically does your owner's manual say about gas requiement - some manuals have wiggle room written in there.

Thanks! Rick.

Sponsored

 

[SecondTJ]

What specifically does your owner's manual say about gas requiement - some manuals have wiggle room written in there.

Here you go

 

[RTW Colorado]

Here you go

Thanks very much, just what I was looking for

 

[basinite]

I'm in Utah, so same choices as you. I only use 91 octane and average around 27-28 MPG. The computer is off and always shows around 28-29 MPG, but when I test manually I get around 27-28, which is still amazing!!!

I have tested using the following gas stations: Chevron, Exon and Sinclair. I get the best mileage with Chevron and worst with Sinclair.

My wife's family lives in Colorado and she drives a Ford Eco Sport. She would always have problems with power going over Douglas, Monarch and the other passes. She started using 91, instead of 85 and now she has no problems with power.

If I was you, I would only use 91. It doesn't cost that much more and Turbo Engines seem to perform better with higher octanes. Your engine with thank you for it

 

[basinite]

A little clarification for those of you outside the Rocky Mountain States.....

All of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and certain sections of of Idaho, New Mexico and Arizona have the following Octane choices; 85, 87 and 91. We are not on the same system as the rest of the Country; 87, 89 and 93.

It all goes back to when vehicles were carbureted and the refineries got away with suppling us with lower Octane fuels, due to our higher elevation. Higher elevation = thinner air, thinner air = lower octane requirement, or so the theory went. This way they could sell us mid-grade 91 and charge us "premium price, or same price as 93 in the rest of the Country. Basically we get screwed and still do to this day.

This no longer applies to modern vehicles (fuel injected), so vehicle manuals have removed the language stating "at higher elevations, lower octane is required and etc". You would find this in different manuals, especially truck manuals back in the day.

Colorado, realizing we are getting screwed, attempted to pass legislation a few years back requiring service stations/ refineries to only supply standard octane ratings to customers in Colorado; 87, 89 and 93. Unfortunately, the lobbyist got involved (I'm assuming) and the bill never made it anywhere.

It's important you keep this in mind when considering octane choices. 85 octane is very low and when engineers are designing modern engines they are basing their calculations on the customer using 87 octane as a minimum octane.

Again, treat your engine nice and use 91, which is really just the "Mid-Grade" for the rest of the Country.

 

[Iggy]

My 2021 JLR 2.0T only gets 91 octane. I live in Carson City, NV at 4,650’. We have regular mountain passes at 7,000’+, though nothing like the Rockies. I love the turbo for high altitude torque. The fuel comes from refineries in CA where the 87, 89 and 91 octane is run through gasoline pipelines for CA, NV, AZ, NM, CO, UT, WY tank farms (in easements along the railroad tracks). I believe the Texas refineries send 89, 90, 93 octane through the rest of the country in more railroad pipelines.

Sponsored