[Miata] Octane booster / high test gasoline

[Larry Alster]

Not sure which years but in the early 00's the cars were rated for high test 
and then they went back down to regular.  The MSM is rated for high test. 
Before that they were all okay with regular.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ian at codrus.com>
To: "Chris Klein" <cjklein67 at yahoo.com>
Cc: "Miata.net Newslist" <miata at realbig.com>; "Bonni Weatherwax" 
<bonni at weatherwax.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Miata] Octane booster / high test gasoline


> On Apr 3, 2007 Chris Klein wrote:
>> If I remember correctly the higher octane is use in higher compression
>> motors so they won't detonate...  Actually has a slower burn rate...
>
> There's no correlation between octane and flame speed or energy
> content.  Many people think there is, and while it may be true of
> some specific methods of increasing octane, it cannot be applied in
> general.  You won't get *less* power from 100 octane.
>
> The 91 octane we get here in California is pretty crappy.  Most cars
> have knock sensors these days, and will auto-adapt to octane lower
> than that for which they were designed.  Thus, if you have a car with
> a knock sensor that was designed to use 91 or 92, adding a couple
> gallons of 100 per tank (enough to bump the octane up to 93 or 94) may
> get back some of the power the car is supposed to have.
>
> I dunno if there are any Miatas that were spec'd to use 91 or 92
> octane -- maybe the MSM?  AFAIK all NAs and the 99/00 models were
> spec'd at 87.
>
> --Ian
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