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If you remember back to the 1980s, leaded regular gas had an octane rating of 89. That used to be the minimum octane requirement for cars before catalytic converters came along. 98 octane leaded gas used to be readily available thru the early 1970s for the muscle car owners.
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98 octane leaded gas used to be readily available thru the early 1970s for the muscle car owners.
Keep in mind that the AKI (anti knock index) posted on pumps in North America is the average of RON and MON octane ratings, not the actual octane that was used for years in the past. AKI will have a lower number than a single RON measurement.
The Chrysler Hemi calls for 89 octane for maximum performance, as did the Chrysler 4.0 liter V6 that recently went out of production.
The manual for the 2013 Charger states that for the 5.7L (Hemi) Charger, 89 is recommended, but you can use 87. For the SRT8, 6.4L Hemi, you should use minimum 91 Octane.
We just purchased the Charger R/T, with the 5.7L. Sweet car! New color for the R/T in 2013. Copperhead Pearl Coat. It's also available in the SXT model, with the 3.6L V6. That uses 87 Octane.
The manual for the 2013 Charger states that for the 5.7L (Hemi) Charger, 89 is recommended, but you can use 87. For the SRT8, 6.4L Hemi, you should use minimum 91 Octane.
We just purchased the Charger R/T, with the 5.7L. Sweet car! New color for the R/T in 2013. Copperhead Pearl Coat. It's also available in the SXT model, with the 3.6L V6. That uses 87 Octane.
Thanks for the info on the octane requirements of these Chrysler vehicles!
I have a question about gasoline thats offered in the USA mainly. I know that Sunoco ultra 94 has practically disappeared, but is still offered in parts of Ohio. 91 is mainly found in California...but with 89, what cars mainly use 89?
For the most part I think newer cars sold today require either regular 87, or Premium 91-93.... then why do we need 89?
89 octane is around for a few reasons. There are some vehicles that do require mid-grade gasoline, namely several of Chrysler's products such as many Hemi V8 vehicles and some of the 2000s 3.5 L SOHC cars. But mostly it is because many new vehicles are really optimized to run on 91+ octane premium but can cut power in low-load situations to run acceptably on 87 octane regular. Putting 89 in a newer vehicle often results in better operation especially if it's a truck or a car that you drive with a heavy foot. Guys with the EcoBoost F-150s notice this quite a bit as the truck is really tuned to run on 91+ octane premium. Tow a load up a hill in the summer with 87 in the tank and the engine sometimes cuts boost and timing to prevent detonation. Swap that 87 out for 89 and it does a lot better in those situations. The rise of turbocharged vehicles will make higher-octane gasoline much more important than 20 years ago when we all ran large-displacement pushrod engines where a 9:1 compression ratio and 200 hp were both "a lot."
Usually it's 87, 89, and 91 here in northern Minnesota. I'd buy 85 if it was available and cheaper. As you can see, I'm all about costs when driving. I've also seen 93 before. I believe one gas station even sells 98-octane (or something like that) racing fuel for something like $10 / gallon.
^Starving Mavins and the Holiday on 53 by Pike lake has 101 octane.
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