Quote:
Originally Posted by lugwrench
I recently picked up a used 2013 F-150 with the 3.5L ecoboost engine and was wondering what others are using in terms of fuel octane. The manual says it's designed to run on 87 but you will notice a performance gain using premium. This is a highly debated topic over at the F150 site so I was wondering what any of your experiences are. Some recommended 87 as a daily driver and 91 when long distance towing. Any of you guys run this engine and notice a difference on different octanes?
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Turbocharged cars are very sensitive to detonation. Using higher octane fuel pushes off the chance of detontation, as higher octane fuel actually burns slower and therefore won’t flash off as fast. This allows the ECU to use more spark advance (as it listens to the knock sensor for signs of detonation and will advance spark until it can detect it) and make more power, than with regular lower octane fuel. This is why a lot of older turbocharged cars were only tuned to run on premium to maximize power. In your case you will probably see a bigger gain on premium than on a naturally aspirated car would. Also while towing the load on the engine is much higher and therefore the chance of detonation increases, therefore premium fuel use here is highly recommended.