What octane gasoline is my 1996 2.4L Cavalier LS suppose to use? I ask because I could have swear I’d been hearing pinging on 87 gas, and I did a test and used 89 gas and I don’t hear it no more. I never thought it was pinging and was just normal 1996 cavalier engine noise but I don’t hear it any more on one step higher octane.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
it calls for 87 octane. 89 octane, like youve found out, will help with detonation.
something as simple as your intake could be causing the car to run leaner than before, and lead to the pinging. or it could have been where you were getting the 87 octane from, might have had more ethanol in it or something and could have caused it.
if you havent, try a better gas stations 87 octane. if it's still there, stick with the 89.
1997 Cavalier Z24
Bomz Short Ram Intake
Vibrant Cat-Back
KYB GR2 Struts
Goldline 1.75" Springs
RK Sport Upper Insert
RK Sport Lower Dogbone
Custom Tune by Shane @
innovativetuning@rogers.com
15.647 @ 88.02 MPH
yah i was always going to the cheapest 87 stations, since then i have now started to used SHELL as it was recommended to me by diablosport for my turbo pt cruiser. i will try 87 shell gas and report back.
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
"might have had more ethanol in it or something and could have caused it."
Ethanol has a higher octane rating than straight gasoline.
yeah, your right. it does. although it does have a higher octane rating there is debate on if it contains more energy than "normal" gas.
but im also a firm believer in using what the car is programmed to run on. if the car is designed for E85, Ethanol, Gasahol, unleaded fuel of various octane... just put in what it needs.
1997 Cavalier Z24
Bomz Short Ram Intake
Vibrant Cat-Back
KYB GR2 Struts
Goldline 1.75" Springs
RK Sport Upper Insert
RK Sport Lower Dogbone
Custom Tune by Shane @
innovativetuning@rogers.com
15.647 @ 88.02 MPH
Quote:
although it does have a higher octane rating there is debate on if it contains more energy than "normal" gas.
Octane and power do not go hand-in-hand. The higher octane you have, the slower the flame burns in the cylinder, resulting in less "power". All octane lets you do is to ramp up your timing tables to make more power, having a higher octane gas doesn't automatically mean more power (as people think).
And there is no debate about ethanol containing less "energy" then gas... Gas makes a complete burn when the A/F ratio is 14.7:1 (14.7 parts air, 1 part fuel). Ethanol makes the most complete burn around 10:1. Mixing gas and ethanol creates a more efficient burn and less emissions, which increases power to a point (because of the mixture), but when you get to about 25% ethanol your power rating actually goes down below that of gas. 15% is roughly the magic number... After that you need to inject more fuel and skew the timing tables to make the best power.
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well i learned something
1997 Cavalier Z24
Bomz Short Ram Intake
Vibrant Cat-Back
KYB GR2 Struts
Goldline 1.75" Springs
RK Sport Upper Insert
RK Sport Lower Dogbone
Custom Tune by Shane @
innovativetuning@rogers.com
15.647 @ 88.02 MPH
yeah so what else would cuz pinging besides some bad gas? dirty fuel injectors?
~1996 Cavalier LS 2.4L (auto)
This is normal for an older car. Typically this happens as a car, or more to the point... it's engine, ages. Sometimes they'll just start pinging and you need to use a bit higher octane. It's just normal for a car to do that. No big worry. So yeah, it's supposed to be run on 87, but with the age it may now need 89.
Carbon in the combustion chambers can cause hot spots. Try maybe a product like seafoam. Or you could spray some water into the engine.
