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What grade fuel for PowerBoost?

Madman

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Around the metro Detroit area the difference is $0.66 to $0.70 per gallon up charge for 93 over 87.. Not even close to your $0.20 you say. So $20.00 +/- extra cost per 30 gallon fill up. The little mpg increase won't come close to cover the extra cost.
Now we're talking about a difference of 3-4 IPA's. Too high of a price! ;)
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wayfarer556

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I've played with filling with 87, 91, 93, and even 90E0. There is no doubt in my mind that the truck responds the best to 91+ octane fuel.

The truck feels a lot more "lively" on the pedal. It's hard to describe. It's especially noticeable in city driving. Once you get to highway speeds the difference isn't all that pronounced. Also, the milage is definitely better by at least 1 to 2 MPGs.
 

currybob

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The best thing you can do is use a Top Tier Fuel.

TT fuels have more cleaner for your injectors and that is what manufactures recommend also. Different area's of the country have different emission fuel requirements at different times of the year also. Some really effect you fuel MPGs.

To get the TT fuel designation, All gasoline grades must be treated with an approved TOP TIER™ Detergent Gasoline additive at the correct concentration.

This is a list of TT fuels, I've played with both also but always TT fuel. I run 87 with no issues, the cost is not worth the squeeze for me because it's 60 cents more per gallon.

https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
 

kenpitt

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Getting close to an empty tank on the regular the dealer put in. I’m going to try premium for the next fill up as a comparison. I don’t drive a ton, getting close to a month with the truck and still on my first tank. So 20 cents more per gallon, filling up the entire tank is $6. I spend more on beer, if the premium is a fraction better for performance or MPG then I’ll cut out an IPA a month and it’s a wash.
Wow, not in my area, if you go from 87 to 91 you are looking at 50 to 60 cent difference.
 

Snakebitten

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The software that manages a 3.5 Ecoboost is incredibly sophisticated. Even daunting, by automotive standards. If you could have an off-the-record conversation with one of the reputable aftermarket tuning gurus they would tell you it's simply amazing.

You can run 87. Or 91. Or 93.
And that's because these trucks, especially 2018+, have amazing ability to "adjust" a whole host of parameters based on the OAR (learned octane) of the fuel onboard.

Those who say they don't notice any difference running 93 VS 87 aren't being dishonest. I don't mean that at all. But that's probably indicative that they aren't asking the truck to do anything that would leverage the additional potential of 93.

The Raptor is the only 3.5EB that Ford states (in fine print) that it's power ratings were based on tests while running 93. All other 3.5EB power ratings do not have that fine print. It's very easy to find information from multiple sources claiming that the majority of the spread between the power claims between the non-HO 3.5EB and the the HO 3.5EB is made up by simply running 93.

Again, if you don't need, desire, or ever going to use more than 400HP, then you won't really benefit from the software throwing more timing/boost at the amazing motor. But if you get a little WOT itch? ??

By the way, the Powerboost, with its additional 60ftlbs of INSTANT torque over the HO 3.5EB is already official. Ford admitted it publicly. And most believe that is on 87 since Ford had no small print to say otherwise.
 

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PeteRit

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I hate where I live. Colorado. 87 is "mid grade" so that means 3.54-3.69 a gal. And since Ford recommends not using 85 I won't and didn't with my 5.0 either. 100 bucks to fill up here.
 

jeffcrum

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STP Octane booster 12 pack on Amazon is 55.49 (4.62 each). That is 15 cents per gallon @ 30 gallons.

Yeah, it treats 20 gallons. Is that good enough? Is the product good enough? Does your gas station actually have different octanes?

I watched a tanker driver at a gas station use the same connection to fill all three tanks at a station once.
 

ATLalien

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Trying my first half tank of 87 now. Was running premium before. As others have indicated, it does seem slightly more lively on premium, but the difference is very, very slight in my experience.
 

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If you like Sport Mode, you'll like it more with high-octane fuel!

And then your MPG's will drop (compared to Normal Mode) because your right foot will take charge
 

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We're 'bout ready to rollover 5,000 miles on our '21 F150 Powerboost. Our overall gas mileage shows 20.6 mpg for the total miles since delivery. On inner city/rural short trips we've shown as much as 26 mpg! Switched from 87 octane to E-15 gas & the overall mpg seems to be improving over a tenth of a mpg per week with no knocking & keep'n the truck in the default mode. Previously with our F250 Super Duty we were use'n E-85 which gave up mpg but was 60 cents less per gallon in corn-ethanol friendly IL. We will NOT use E-85 in our Powerboost & the E-15 is about 5 cents/gallon cheaper than 87 octane whereas 92 octane is 30 cents more per gallon.
 

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KSB7503

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91-93 All the way, more power and more MPG-period!!!! The turbos love the Premium gas--Fact!
[/QUOTE
91-93 All the way, more power and more MPG-period!!!! The turbos love the Premium gas--Fact!
It may give a slight difference in power but it won't give you better fuel mileage ! Do your homework !
 

Snakebitten

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Technically there are circumstances that if the ecu can throw more timing, and thus make more power on the more resistant to knock fuel, then you could demand less fuel to get the job done. Hypothetically on cruise control the requested torque could be met pouring less fuel into the combustion chamber because the motor could run more advanced timing than otherwise.

Unless I'm missing something.

One thing that now has more than a decade of data to back it is the Ford F150 3.5 Ecoboost and its amazing Octane learning logic absolutely leverages that octane for making more power.
 

Sentinel1201

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90% of my fillups are at Costco - they are "top tier" rated and 93 is $2.99 (I live in DFW). If I am travelling, I'll pump whatever gas but typically 91 or even 87. On a 30 gallon tank, a 60-80 cent difference per gallon per fillup adds up real FAST when you clock 3k miles a month.

Speaking of Colorado, I was in Breckenridge a week ago and filled up 89 gas for $4.59 per gallon. What the heck!
 
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jofo

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Nothing but 93 top tier for me. Unless I am too far from a Costco when I need to fill. Their 93 is about the same cost as most 87 in the gas stations in western Mass.
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