astronut1885
Founding Member
The 4.6L 3V can also adjust timing based on octane. God I love people spreading misinformation like fact.
What type of gas do you use?
- Thread starter Will3212
- Start date
-
Sponsors (?)
2008 owner's manual:
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
“Regular” unleaded gasoline with
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.
We do not recommend the use of
gasolines labeled as “Regular” that
are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high altitude areas.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if
it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel
with the recommended octane rating, see your authorized dealer to
prevent any engine damage.
Octane recommendations (Bullitt™* Mustang only)
Your vehicle will run normally on 87 octane regular fuel without
damaging the engine, but premium fuel with an octane rating of 91
(R+M)/2 or higher is recommended for best overall performance.
* ™ & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s07)
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
“Regular” unleaded gasoline with
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.
We do not recommend the use of
gasolines labeled as “Regular” that
are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high altitude areas.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if
it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel
with the recommended octane rating, see your authorized dealer to
prevent any engine damage.
Octane recommendations (Bullitt™* Mustang only)
Your vehicle will run normally on 87 octane regular fuel without
damaging the engine, but premium fuel with an octane rating of 91
(R+M)/2 or higher is recommended for best overall performance.
* ™ & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s07)
mustangford289
Founding Member
mustangford289
Founding Member
mustangford289
Founding Member
knock
I know that 4.6 GT's have knock sensors that maintain timing and my slightly advance timing when it detects a lack of knock due to the use of higher octane but I have never seen any marked increase in HP with the use of higher octane fuel...Has anyone?
The difference is that 2011 and up 5.0 have adaptive spark advance timing allowing the engine to increase hp output with higher octane levels.
I have also heard that Bullits were tuned differently, giving then 15 xtra HP, i think the same as the 2010 GT...They also came with a FFRP CAI....
I know that 4.6 GT's have knock sensors that maintain timing and my slightly advance timing when it detects a lack of knock due to the use of higher octane but I have never seen any marked increase in HP with the use of higher octane fuel...Has anyone?
The difference is that 2011 and up 5.0 have adaptive spark advance timing allowing the engine to increase hp output with higher octane levels.
I have also heard that Bullits were tuned differently, giving then 15 xtra HP, i think the same as the 2010 GT...They also came with a FFRP CAI....
astronut1885
Founding Member
OK, maybe it's just the 2010 4.6l 3V then after looking at that manual, because the 2010 is for all intents and purposes a re-skinned 2008 Bullitt.
mustangford289
Founding Member
Sorry
So, I was was not spreading misinfo like it was fact? I thought that u knew something that I did not.
So, I was was not spreading misinfo like it was fact? I thought that u knew something that I did not.
astronut1885
Founding Member
The older motors still see some degree of benefit, but not to the extent stated in that manual. I knew my car had the ability to adapt to the octanes, but I forgot that it had Bullitt brains and not 05-09 GT brains despite being the same motor. I know mine could gain 10hp or so I read by running the premium gas, but I retuned the car 2 weeks after buying it anyway. I think the truth was somewhere in the middle of what we were both saying. I forget sometimes that my 2010 GT is almost a one-off combination of Mustang parts that can fall on either side of the discussion.
mustangford289
Founding Member
prae_21
Member
I ran 87 octane in my 2010 GT for the first six (6) months of ownership. After that inital period, I filled my car with premium on an almost empty tank and could feel the bump from 315 HP to 330 HP with my 4.6L Bullitt tuned motor.
I have NEVER looked back and continue to run my 2010 GT on 93 octane aka premium. I am conservative with spending my money in this bad economy, BUT for in town driving, I love the extra HP and can noticeably feel the difference.
I have NEVER looked back and continue to run my 2010 GT on 93 octane aka premium. I am conservative with spending my money in this bad economy, BUT for in town driving, I love the extra HP and can noticeably feel the difference.
astronut1885
Founding Member
, except I don't know about the 330 part...I don't think the motor jumps 15hp with an octane increase. IIRC, it's more in the 5 department despite claims of 10...
streethorse
15 Year Member
prae_21
Member
the placebo effect is always good for 10 or 20 hp...
If by placebo effect, you mean multipe valid sources, then you are correct
"...the Mustang GT boasts a 4.6-liter V8 with 315 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque (335 lb-ft on premium fuel, which is not required). "
Source: 2010 Ford Mustang
2013 Owners Guide states:
Fuel tank capacity/fuel info:
Your vehicle has a 16 gallon (60.6L) fuel tank capacity.
Use only “Regular” unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 or higher. Do not use E85 fuels because your
vehicle was not designed to run on fuels with more than
15% ethanol.
Note: For all V8 engines including BOSS 302 vehicles,
premium fuel is recommended. Shelby Mustang vehicles
require premium fuel. See the respective supplements
for more fuel information on these vehicles.
Fuel tank capacity/fuel info:
Your vehicle has a 16 gallon (60.6L) fuel tank capacity.
Use only “Regular” unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 or higher. Do not use E85 fuels because your
vehicle was not designed to run on fuels with more than
15% ethanol.
Note: For all V8 engines including BOSS 302 vehicles,
premium fuel is recommended. Shelby Mustang vehicles
require premium fuel. See the respective supplements
for more fuel information on these vehicles.
Ok, call me crazy and by reading this tread most of you will. I have 20k miles on my 2013 5.o Mustang. For most of it's life I have put in 87 octane because it's my daily driver. On occasion I have added in Sunoco 93 and have felt a difference. However for the past 1000 miles I have only put in Sunoco 93. (Now here's where you call me crazy.) Not only have a seen an increased in performance, but by continually adding in 93 I have felt the shift patterns change to be more aggressive (it's an auto) and have also noticed the exhaust tone sound deeper as well. (Let the name calling begin.) 
Premium in my new Mustang only. I don't know what type of Oil they use in it, but my first oil change I will be switching to full synthetic, just like I did with my Focus. -- The oil is for peace of mind and added protection during cold starts, not HP gains. lol.
My only problem is that there are no top tier suppliers around where I live. We used to have a bunch of BP's but whoever owned them all up and switched on me. I'd kill for a Chevron or Texaco near my house.
Which leaves me having to buy bottles of Techron to run through the tank every so often.
My only problem is that there are no top tier suppliers around where I live. We used to have a bunch of BP's but whoever owned them all up and switched on me. I'd kill for a Chevron or Texaco near my house.
Which leaves me having to buy bottles of Techron to run through the tank every so often.
Last edited:
Saying something like: "Fuel gives you no HP. Octane is just a rating system of how easily the fuel will predetonate." as a blanket statement is wrong.
The timing for the 5.0 is expecting a certain octane of fuel. If you use anything less than that the computer will compensate but you will lose performance... aka: HP/TQ.
The timing for the 5.0 is expecting a certain octane of fuel. If you use anything less than that the computer will compensate but you will lose performance... aka: HP/TQ.
Similar threads
