Date: 9 May 2006 07:35:35 -0700 From: "Michael Hudson" <mahnospamotcommunications.com> Subject: Re: Regular gas in a 9.5?
Fred W wrote: > Michael Hudson wrote: > > I recently purchased a '02 9.5 Linear with 80K on it. I'm friends with > > the previous owner and know for a fact that she's never put anything > > but regular (87 octane) gas in it and experienced no performance > > problems save one time when it surged momentarily in 5th gear (it's a > > standard). In the two weeks that I've had the car, the surging, or > > hiccupping, or whatever you might call it has come on strong. It's > > always had regular maintenance, oil changes every 3K, and I just > > changed the oil myself last week. I know - now that I looked at the > > damned thing! - that the book says to use at least 90 octane gas, > > which I will if I absolutely have to, but does the condition described > > above sound like it was caused, all of a sudden, by improper gas usage? > > I just put my first tank of 89 octane gas - hoping for the best - > > in this morning and see no changes. Yet. > > > > Opine, please. > > > > Michael > > > > To resolve your problem, which is definitely not related to the grade of > gasoline you are using, try swapping in some new spark plugs. Don't use > anything except the proper NGK plain jane plugs called for in the owners > manual. > > From there on out, you should probably use 89 octane in a linear. > There is no such thing as "90" octane in the US SPUTTER! > -- > -Fred W Thanks, Fred. What you say makes sense. I'll give the spark plug swap a go - couldn't hurt, surely - and continue with the 89 octane. FWIW, on this morning's 35 mile commute, I noticed none of the problems that I bitched about earlier. Cheers, M