Please, if you're outside Canada, the United States, and Brazil, vote for the RON value(s) you use - the number to the right.
I drive a 95 850 turbo with about 100k miles on it and just recently switched to 93 after reading up on octanes. I have to say I've noticed a little bit smoother engine. Just wondering if I'm crazy or if other volvo enthusiasts are running 93 octane in the turbo models volvos, as well as N/A.......
POLL What octane gas is everyone using?
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chrisjm91
- Posts: 57
- Joined: 10 July 2014
- Year and Model: 95 Volvo 850T5
- Location: West Virginia-Lewisburg
POLL What octane gas is everyone using?
Last edited by matthew1 on 02 Jul 2019, 13:13, edited 1 time in total.
- erikv11
- Posts: 11800
- Joined: 25 July 2009
- Year and Model: 850, V70, S60R, XC70
- Location: Iowa
- Has thanked: 292 times
- Been thanked: 765 times
I run the standard high octane in my turbos (that's 92 around here) and 89 in the NAs.
'95 854 T-5R, Motronic 4.4, 185k
'98 V70, T5 tune-injectors-turbo, LPT engine, 304k, daily driver
'06 S60 R, 197k
'07 XC70, black, 205k
'07 XC70, willow green, 212k
'99 Camry V6
153k
gone: '96 NA 850 210k, '98 NA V70 182k, '98 S70 NA 225k, '96 855 NA 169k
'98 V70, T5 tune-injectors-turbo, LPT engine, 304k, daily driver
'06 S60 R, 197k
'07 XC70, black, 205k
'07 XC70, willow green, 212k
'99 Camry V6
gone: '96 NA 850 210k, '98 NA V70 182k, '98 S70 NA 225k, '96 855 NA 169k
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scot850
- Posts: 14864
- Joined: 5 April 2010
- Year and Model: 2000 V70 R
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Has thanked: 1834 times
- Been thanked: 1709 times
Called premium here in Canada and is 91/92 octane. I use this on Volvo turbos. On the 850NA I used 87 octane around town (Regular gas), but 91 for highway.
Neil.
Neil.
2006 V70 2.5T AWD Polestar tune
2000 V70 R - still being an endless PITA
2006 XC70 - Our son now has this and still parked in our garage
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 Limited
2015 Kia Sportage EX-L - Sold
1993 850 GLT -Sold
1998 V70 XC - Sold
1997 Volvo 850 SE NA - Went to niece in California - Sold
2000 V70 SE NA - Sold
2000 V70 R - still being an endless PITA
2006 XC70 - Our son now has this and still parked in our garage
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 Limited
2015 Kia Sportage EX-L - Sold
1993 850 GLT -Sold
1998 V70 XC - Sold
1997 Volvo 850 SE NA - Went to niece in California - Sold
2000 V70 SE NA - Sold
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precopster
- Posts: 7543
- Joined: 21 August 2010
- Year and Model: Lots
- Location: Melbourne Australia
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 128 times
Definitely no pinging noises on our 95 or 98 octane fuel in our turbo XC 2002. There's another story when running 91 or 94 octane with 10% ethanol in the same car.
Haven't noticed any difference in my 2000 V70 NA between fuels as I don't think that the fuel management system yields any more power or economy with better fuels.
Haven't noticed any difference in my 2000 V70 NA between fuels as I don't think that the fuel management system yields any more power or economy with better fuels.
Current cars VW Transporter 2.5TDI, 2010 XC90 D5 R Design
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draser
- Posts: 790
- Joined: 18 August 2011
- Year and Model: 2005 S60 2.5T
- Location: Detroit MI
- Been thanked: 2 times
It seems that the base gas coming from refineries is the same, then it gets anti knock and other additives that actually makes the 85, 87 and 92 octanes. The caloric power, or BTU is the same, hence no actual difference felt in NA engines. Curious though, why in a LP turbo that has a base CR of 8.6 :1 we still need to use premium gas? How much higher does compression get due to turbo?
2005 Volvo S60 2.5T, Zimmerman/Akebono brakes
2012 Honda Accord, EBC slotted rotors
2012 Honda Accord, EBC slotted rotors
- abscate
- MVS Moderator
- Posts: 35267
- Joined: 17 February 2013
- Year and Model: 99: V70s S70s,05 V70
- Location: Port Jefferson Long Island NY
- Has thanked: 1497 times
- Been thanked: 3809 times
My 1999 T5 is 8.5:1 compression ratio - I use regular gas in that, as I stay off the boost. In summer, when I tow boats, I go to 93
My 2005 is 10.5 compression ratio NA and gets 93 year round.
Turbos have lower compression so they don't blow up...

My 2005 is 10.5 compression ratio NA and gets 93 year round.
Turbos have lower compression so they don't blow up...
Empty Nester
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread
- misha
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: 7 December 2008
- Year and Model: '97 850 2.5 20v
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 152 times
- Been thanked: 402 times
I use premium bmb 95 all the time.
In the past...it was just bmb 95.
We don't have lower octane fuel than 95 on gas stations here in Serbia.
When i was a kid there was regular,super 95 & 98 and unleaded petrol available on all gas stations.
Now....super and regular are forbidden by our "gouverment" laws and there is only BMB (unleaded) available in 95 & 98 octanes.
In the past...it was just bmb 95.
We don't have lower octane fuel than 95 on gas stations here in Serbia.
When i was a kid there was regular,super 95 & 98 and unleaded petrol available on all gas stations.
Now....super and regular are forbidden by our "gouverment" laws and there is only BMB (unleaded) available in 95 & 98 octanes.
'97 850 2.5 20v / fully equipped / Motronic 4.4 from the factory / upgraded with S,V,C,XC70 instrument cluster / polar white wagon
History of Volvos in the family:
'71 144 S
'73 144 De Luxe
'78 244 DL
'78 244 DL
'79 244 GLE
'85 340 GLS
History of Volvos in the family:
'71 144 S
'73 144 De Luxe
'78 244 DL
'78 244 DL
'79 244 GLE
'85 340 GLS
- mnorris23
- Posts: 33
- Joined: 11 May 2015
- Year and Model: 2000 S70 2.4l GLT
- Location: North Carolina, United States
I ran 93 for a week in my s70 (turbo) and it did seem smoother. Being young and working a minimum wage job I had to drop back to unleaded because I couldn't afford it.chrisjm91 wrote:I drive a 95 850 turbo with about 100k miles on it and just recently switched to 93 after reading up on octanes. I have to say I've noticed a little bit smoother engine. Just wondering if I'm crazy or if other volvo enthusiasts are running 93 octane in the turbo models volvos, as well as N/A.......
Car I own: 2000 Volvo S70 GLT 130k Stock with OEM replaced parts.
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