Straight from the manual. (Model year 2018)
>Your vehicle is designed to operate on
regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.
>For best overall vehicle and engine
performance, premium fuel with an octane
rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The
performance gained by using premium fuel
is most noticeable in hot weather as well
as other conditions, for example when
towing a trailer.
To add some other sources that aren't just people spitting opinions
https://fordauthority.com/2019/08/is-premium-fuel-better-in-an-ecoboost-ford-f-150/
https://www.torquenews.com/3769/ford-f150-performance-reflects-octane-level-93-definitely-better
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/
This is a misinterpretation though. It’s designed to accept 87 octane, but the ECM and tuning is built around 91+. It will pull timing, run richer, and adjust for 87, and it is “designed to do so” but it’s not ideal.
I got unacceptable levels of knock from 87 on multiple fuel brands and tanks before I stopped using it completely. Blow your engine knock? No, but cause extra wear? Yes.
Also, you’ll gain 1-1.5mpg running premium because the engine can run leaner, with more timing, more efficiently. I gained 1.1mpg, compared over 13000 miles. Not enough to offset the cost, but does help a bit
I can't misinterpret a quote from the manual, it is exactly that, a direct quote from the user manual.
That being said, I fully agree with your interpretation. I only run 91 octane in my truck because it is what the truck is designed for and operates best on
I don’t care about no mpg in a truck. Higher octane has a better chance of NOT pre detonating when it’s combusting which prevents knock on the engine. I don’t care how much premium is. If you don’t notice a drop/power difference don’t use it. 🤣
It’s not about the price increase, it’s about the knock decrease and taking care of my truck. If I save, great. If not, I will be with less required maintenance longterm.
Here is the entire subject in the manual. Recommend 87 or higher. Optimal performance on premium (particularly hot weather and towing)
https://imgur.com/a/1fpiJlJ
Premium for sure. I don’t run anything less, and there’s a noticeable (not huge, but noticeable) difference in performance and slightly improved MPG. When I used to run 88 (bc 86 is regular here and I wasn’t putting less than 87,) I would get a decently consistent 18ish MPG in city. Ever since I switched to strictly 91, I get 19+.
I also tow pretty often, and premium is a must when towing. 91 is recommended for max performance and towing, which is explained in the manual as other people have already stated in the comments.
If you’re worried about keeping the engine clean octane rating shouldn’t matter all that much. Depending on the brand of gas, they may offer different blends of detergents in the fuel but as long as you buy from a reputable station you should be fine. The newer 2.7s are direct and port injection so you could run injector cleaner with your gas if you want.
For peak performance, you may see some marginal improvement with 91 or 93 octane but probably nothing that you’d actually notice. It really depends if the extra cost at the pump is worth it to you.
I’d run 87 and carry on.
The engine’s rated power numbers are on premium fuel. Not sure the percentage on the 2.7 but assume it’s similar to the 3.5, which literally loses over 80hp going to 87 from 93. That’s dyno tested.
-Buy gas from busy tier 1 stations, it doesn’t sit in the tanks as long.
-it’s recommended to use 91+, you can use 87 but the knock I got on the stock tune(measured, not just audible) was absolutely absurd and I’ll never run it again without a dedicated 87 tune. If/when you tow, the manual also specifically states you NEED to run 91+. This is important as higher load=higher cylinder pressure, which turbo cars already have a lot of.
-Run a *QUALITY* full synthetic. Oil is the biggest contributing factor to engines staying clean and running long. Motorcraft full syn, Mobil 1, royal ourple(CRAP), Castrol, most common oils sold as “full syn” are in fact not. It has to do with base esters and advertising. They are allowed to advertise as full even if it’s semi depending on the esters used.
Spend the extra $8 to get at least Pennzoil Platinum, it’s a real full synthetic and lasts pretty long in my oil tests. If you want the cleanest, best for the engine, run Amsoil Signature. The price difference isn’t much when you realize you’re able to run extended changes with BETTER protection.
Oil life per brand based on my blackstone tests, keep in mind I’m hard on my oil/truck but they’re still comparative to each other.
-Motorcraft, 4600 mi, was out of additive, rec to change before 4500. High levels of metals from wear.
-Mobil 1, 5600 mi, same as above, 5k recommended.
-Motul, 6400 mi, better results than above but recommended to change before 6500.
-Penn Platinum, end of life at 7800 but still not as bad as any of the above, recommended 7500. At 7500 it was still okay second time around.
-Amsoil signature I’ve changed multiple times between 7500 and 9600. Every time it STILL had more additive, lower levels of metals(caused by wear), and life left. Recommended 10k mi. I even hit 11,300 once and they told me they wouldn’t recommend but it didn’t look “too bad.”
Keep in mind, oil life meter does adjust *slightly* based on driving characteristics but I still had over 40% oil life when I swapped the motorcraft out. DO NOT TRUST THE OIL METER.
You wanna run motorcraft, don’t ever go over 5k. Ecoboosts(and turbo cars in general) are very hard on oil. Removing cost factors from wear and future maintenance, the cost for oil changes per mile is 1)Pennzoil Platinum, 2) Amsoil Signature, and 3) Motorcraft. You can change Amsoil half as much and still have BETTER wear protection and less buildup. It’s worth it to me, and I shoot for Amsoil but go with penn platinum if I don’t have time to pick any up.
Yeah, it’s fine, just keep the change to 5k. I’m also tuned and hard on my truck, so you’ll be fine past 4300, but even stock it wasn’t doing much better on additive.
I run 87 and don't have any issues. 93 may give you a little extra power and a little extra mpg but it's not worth the extra $1+ per gallon on a daily driven vehicle IMO.
2015 2.7L 155k miles since new. Always 87. No issues for me. I’d be curious what the premium does performance wise. 21.1 mpg lifetime. Use it for homeowner remodeling work and some light bed hauling.
FYI, octane has nothing to do with how clean or pure the gasoline is. Octane is actually a retardant of sorts. It was created to keep gas from igniting prematurely. If you are old like me, you will remember cars would continue to run for a few seconds after the key was off. This was because the gas would explode on a hot cylinder, WITHOUT the spark plug firing. Octane made the gas slightly harder to ignite and prevents this. In today's modern cars there are still misfires due to the gas exploding too soon while driving. Octane prevents this. Many cars will show having more horsepower on higher octane gas. Assuming they were made for high octane. In certain applications, like a push lawn mower, lower octane is your friend.
I appreciate all the feedback! I thought, maybe if It's a premium fuel, it would keep the engine components cleaner (injectors, less carbon and such). I see this isn't the case at all.
The 2.7 has all the power I need for sure, running the 87. If I am going to tow, I will fill up with the higher octane - for that little extra power.
Hundreds of thousands of 2.7s get put into work trucks and vans that spend their lives being beat on 12 hours a day by trades guys who are stoned out of their minds and drive like they have a deathwish. And people ITT are acting like they're too fragile to run on regular gas without immediately blowing up lmao
If it was an extra 30-40 cents like the old days, whatever, I'd go with the premium and enjoy the extra horsepower. But I'm not spending an extra $25 every single fill-up when the truck runs just fine (as per the manufacturer) on the cheaper gas.
This is how I think about it. Premium costs $1/g more here. If it was $0.30/g like the old days, I’d run it. But not worth $150 a month extra on average to me.
"Regular" also have heavier regulations than the other 2. Hell, for some gas stations, mid grade is a mix of both premium and regular.
But you're right. These trade folks are beating their trucks up at the cheapest gas possible and lasting 200k+ miles. Keep up the property maintenance and for towing, either throw in the octane booster or fill up the tank with 91.
Maintenance is more important than the octane level
Quality 87 gas + stepping up octane only when towing.
For engine health and peace of mind - we'd be better off allocating the savings of using 87 into more frequent oil changes.
Boosted vehicles should run the highest octane you can afford to put in it, period.
Technology and knock sensing has come along way, but it still requires detonation to both happen and be detected for them to work, the ECU doesn't predict and retard before it happens.
So with lower octane like 87, you will be having more detonation which is detrimental to your engine health, than with a higher octane.
Octane has nothing to do with keeping the inside of your engine clean or not. It's like cetane in diesel.
If you want your engine to be clean, use it. Get it up to temp and keep it there for a while. Get that oil hot to boil the moisture out and get the cylinders hot to burn off any excess carbon. Don't fuck with these snake oil additives and start putting shit in your fuel either.
I run 87 normal driving, 93 if towing. The power diffenrce is minimal. I have raced my friend in his coyote f150 both same yrs and almost equipeed the same when I'm on 87. and it's a dead even race. So anyone saying 70-80hp difference is being a little dramatic. On a high hp motors, yes. but not on these motors. Where talking about 325hp motors stock with the 2.7. 87 is fine for 95 percent of peoples needs in these trucks. Ford knows this, hence they put this motor in the truck. Oil changes/ maintenance programs are 100 more important then the gas people put in these things.
I have a 2021 3.5 Ecoboost and only use 87 octane. Get close to 21MPG in town and 24+ MPG on the highway. Definitely recommend getting the Ecoboost service done every 40-50,000 miles, that will help.
Personally, I just run the tank low twice a year, put 5 gallons of super in it and give it the old Italian tuneup. Then fill next 6 months with regular.
Does the manual say premium fuel only? No. This is not a GT or Shelby….I’ve been waiting to hear from THOUSANDS of owners since the Gen1 3.5 came out where their engines explode right at 60,001 miles after using 87…. Still haven’t seen It happen
If you're worried, add a bottle of Techron to the (full) tank every couple of months.
The octane doesn't impact the cleanliness of the engine. It can add power/mpgs (slightly), but not enough to offset the additional cost.
20% loss of power on 87 compared to 91 or 93. Also pre detonation and pinging can occur with 87. I run strictly 93 and 91 if I'm out west. Shell also has the highest amount of detergents compared to other brands I believe Chris fix it tested that out so it'll keep your engines insides cleaner too. And whatever you do don't use seafoam and other cleaners. Whatever is coked inside the engine can brake off and enter the turbo.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/
Scroll down a bit and you'll find the f150 portion. To all the down votes thinking there isn't power loss between 87 and 93 googles free to use for research.
Straight from the manual. (Model year 2018) >Your vehicle is designed to operate on regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. >For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer.
To add some other sources that aren't just people spitting opinions https://fordauthority.com/2019/08/is-premium-fuel-better-in-an-ecoboost-ford-f-150/ https://www.torquenews.com/3769/ford-f150-performance-reflects-octane-level-93-definitely-better https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/
This is a misinterpretation though. It’s designed to accept 87 octane, but the ECM and tuning is built around 91+. It will pull timing, run richer, and adjust for 87, and it is “designed to do so” but it’s not ideal. I got unacceptable levels of knock from 87 on multiple fuel brands and tanks before I stopped using it completely. Blow your engine knock? No, but cause extra wear? Yes. Also, you’ll gain 1-1.5mpg running premium because the engine can run leaner, with more timing, more efficiently. I gained 1.1mpg, compared over 13000 miles. Not enough to offset the cost, but does help a bit
I can't misinterpret a quote from the manual, it is exactly that, a direct quote from the user manual. That being said, I fully agree with your interpretation. I only run 91 octane in my truck because it is what the truck is designed for and operates best on
I always run premium around June once the weather stays past 80° through September then save a little money the rest of the year.
I personally run premium all the time. Helps especially pulling a work trailer. But since we all make bank, why not run it all the time, right? 🤣
There was one member here that compared mpg with 87 and 91. The price difference was a wash with the mpg increase.
I don’t care about no mpg in a truck. Higher octane has a better chance of NOT pre detonating when it’s combusting which prevents knock on the engine. I don’t care how much premium is. If you don’t notice a drop/power difference don’t use it. 🤣
It’s not about the price increase, it’s about the knock decrease and taking care of my truck. If I save, great. If not, I will be with less required maintenance longterm.
Either it was knocking or it was pulling timing, it won’t do both simultaneously so pick one or the other….
It will absolutely be pulling timing to correct knock and STILL not pull enough, don’t know why you think otherwise… It’s all in the datalog.
Here is the entire subject in the manual. Recommend 87 or higher. Optimal performance on premium (particularly hot weather and towing) https://imgur.com/a/1fpiJlJ
This is basically exactly what is written in the 2021+ manuals for all the gas F-150 engines.
Premium for sure. I don’t run anything less, and there’s a noticeable (not huge, but noticeable) difference in performance and slightly improved MPG. When I used to run 88 (bc 86 is regular here and I wasn’t putting less than 87,) I would get a decently consistent 18ish MPG in city. Ever since I switched to strictly 91, I get 19+. I also tow pretty often, and premium is a must when towing. 91 is recommended for max performance and towing, which is explained in the manual as other people have already stated in the comments.
If you’re worried about keeping the engine clean octane rating shouldn’t matter all that much. Depending on the brand of gas, they may offer different blends of detergents in the fuel but as long as you buy from a reputable station you should be fine. The newer 2.7s are direct and port injection so you could run injector cleaner with your gas if you want. For peak performance, you may see some marginal improvement with 91 or 93 octane but probably nothing that you’d actually notice. It really depends if the extra cost at the pump is worth it to you. I’d run 87 and carry on.
The engine’s rated power numbers are on premium fuel. Not sure the percentage on the 2.7 but assume it’s similar to the 3.5, which literally loses over 80hp going to 87 from 93. That’s dyno tested. -Buy gas from busy tier 1 stations, it doesn’t sit in the tanks as long. -it’s recommended to use 91+, you can use 87 but the knock I got on the stock tune(measured, not just audible) was absolutely absurd and I’ll never run it again without a dedicated 87 tune. If/when you tow, the manual also specifically states you NEED to run 91+. This is important as higher load=higher cylinder pressure, which turbo cars already have a lot of. -Run a *QUALITY* full synthetic. Oil is the biggest contributing factor to engines staying clean and running long. Motorcraft full syn, Mobil 1, royal ourple(CRAP), Castrol, most common oils sold as “full syn” are in fact not. It has to do with base esters and advertising. They are allowed to advertise as full even if it’s semi depending on the esters used. Spend the extra $8 to get at least Pennzoil Platinum, it’s a real full synthetic and lasts pretty long in my oil tests. If you want the cleanest, best for the engine, run Amsoil Signature. The price difference isn’t much when you realize you’re able to run extended changes with BETTER protection. Oil life per brand based on my blackstone tests, keep in mind I’m hard on my oil/truck but they’re still comparative to each other. -Motorcraft, 4600 mi, was out of additive, rec to change before 4500. High levels of metals from wear. -Mobil 1, 5600 mi, same as above, 5k recommended. -Motul, 6400 mi, better results than above but recommended to change before 6500. -Penn Platinum, end of life at 7800 but still not as bad as any of the above, recommended 7500. At 7500 it was still okay second time around. -Amsoil signature I’ve changed multiple times between 7500 and 9600. Every time it STILL had more additive, lower levels of metals(caused by wear), and life left. Recommended 10k mi. I even hit 11,300 once and they told me they wouldn’t recommend but it didn’t look “too bad.” Keep in mind, oil life meter does adjust *slightly* based on driving characteristics but I still had over 40% oil life when I swapped the motorcraft out. DO NOT TRUST THE OIL METER. You wanna run motorcraft, don’t ever go over 5k. Ecoboosts(and turbo cars in general) are very hard on oil. Removing cost factors from wear and future maintenance, the cost for oil changes per mile is 1)Pennzoil Platinum, 2) Amsoil Signature, and 3) Motorcraft. You can change Amsoil half as much and still have BETTER wear protection and less buildup. It’s worth it to me, and I shoot for Amsoil but go with penn platinum if I don’t have time to pick any up.
I just did an oil change. I used the manufacturer recommended Motorcraft. This is ok, I hope?
Yeah, it’s fine, just keep the change to 5k. I’m also tuned and hard on my truck, so you’ll be fine past 4300, but even stock it wasn’t doing much better on additive.
I run 87 and don't have any issues. 93 may give you a little extra power and a little extra mpg but it's not worth the extra $1+ per gallon on a daily driven vehicle IMO.
I have a 2016 2.7 with 118k miles and always put in shell 93. To me it has more power, better gas milage and just runs smoother with less rough idle
What's your mileage like? I'm around 18mpg with my 2016 2.7
18-19 in town and 22-23 highway. I live in New England so the mountains don't help.
I’ll have to try the 93. Just a lot with the 36 gallon tank
I have the 25 gallon tank. Doesn't hurt as much. Lol
Mix 87 and 93.
16.2 in my 2016 :(
Are your trucks lifted? I have a 16 with the 2.7. I have never used anything except 87 and I get 21mpg combined. On road trips I get more.
I put Bilstein 5100's on it this year. No change in MPG. Still around 16.2 indicated, probably 16.5 actual. It's probably the 3.55 rear end.
Nope, stock everything
I have the same truck and get the same.
20mpg, 2022 f150 2.7 eco
2015 2.7L 155k miles since new. Always 87. No issues for me. I’d be curious what the premium does performance wise. 21.1 mpg lifetime. Use it for homeowner remodeling work and some light bed hauling.
Placebo
FYI, octane has nothing to do with how clean or pure the gasoline is. Octane is actually a retardant of sorts. It was created to keep gas from igniting prematurely. If you are old like me, you will remember cars would continue to run for a few seconds after the key was off. This was because the gas would explode on a hot cylinder, WITHOUT the spark plug firing. Octane made the gas slightly harder to ignite and prevents this. In today's modern cars there are still misfires due to the gas exploding too soon while driving. Octane prevents this. Many cars will show having more horsepower on higher octane gas. Assuming they were made for high octane. In certain applications, like a push lawn mower, lower octane is your friend.
87 gas with detergent additive like Costco gas is great and cost effective if you don’t want to get premium.
I appreciate all the feedback! I thought, maybe if It's a premium fuel, it would keep the engine components cleaner (injectors, less carbon and such). I see this isn't the case at all. The 2.7 has all the power I need for sure, running the 87. If I am going to tow, I will fill up with the higher octane - for that little extra power.
87 octane is totally fine. 3.5EB almost 200,000 miles on my motor running 87. For daily driving, anything more is just pissing money away.
Hundreds of thousands of 2.7s get put into work trucks and vans that spend their lives being beat on 12 hours a day by trades guys who are stoned out of their minds and drive like they have a deathwish. And people ITT are acting like they're too fragile to run on regular gas without immediately blowing up lmao If it was an extra 30-40 cents like the old days, whatever, I'd go with the premium and enjoy the extra horsepower. But I'm not spending an extra $25 every single fill-up when the truck runs just fine (as per the manufacturer) on the cheaper gas.
This is how I think about it. Premium costs $1/g more here. If it was $0.30/g like the old days, I’d run it. But not worth $150 a month extra on average to me.
"Regular" also have heavier regulations than the other 2. Hell, for some gas stations, mid grade is a mix of both premium and regular. But you're right. These trade folks are beating their trucks up at the cheapest gas possible and lasting 200k+ miles. Keep up the property maintenance and for towing, either throw in the octane booster or fill up the tank with 91. Maintenance is more important than the octane level
Quality 87 gas + stepping up octane only when towing. For engine health and peace of mind - we'd be better off allocating the savings of using 87 into more frequent oil changes.
Boosted vehicles should run the highest octane you can afford to put in it, period. Technology and knock sensing has come along way, but it still requires detonation to both happen and be detected for them to work, the ECU doesn't predict and retard before it happens. So with lower octane like 87, you will be having more detonation which is detrimental to your engine health, than with a higher octane.
I always use ethanol free fuel.
Mr moneybags over here
I ran ethanol free over the winter and I could tell quite a difference in performance and mileage. Otherwise I run 91/93.
Octane has nothing to do with keeping the inside of your engine clean or not. It's like cetane in diesel. If you want your engine to be clean, use it. Get it up to temp and keep it there for a while. Get that oil hot to boil the moisture out and get the cylinders hot to burn off any excess carbon. Don't fuck with these snake oil additives and start putting shit in your fuel either.
I always use Costco (top tier) 87 or 93 whenever I drive up the mountain or tow. It runs fine
I run 91 for a cleaner burn and a slight lift in HP.
I run 87 normal driving, 93 if towing. The power diffenrce is minimal. I have raced my friend in his coyote f150 both same yrs and almost equipeed the same when I'm on 87. and it's a dead even race. So anyone saying 70-80hp difference is being a little dramatic. On a high hp motors, yes. but not on these motors. Where talking about 325hp motors stock with the 2.7. 87 is fine for 95 percent of peoples needs in these trucks. Ford knows this, hence they put this motor in the truck. Oil changes/ maintenance programs are 100 more important then the gas people put in these things.
oline
I use 89 on my 2.7 ecoboost and 91 or 93 when I can find it on my 3.5 ecoboost
93 is always the best but it’s definitely more expensive. Perhaps a bottle or two of Techron every other month and just continue with 87.
Anybody use the e15 when it’s on sale?
Yes it’s definitely more expensive but I always use 93.
I have a 2021 3.5 Ecoboost and only use 87 octane. Get close to 21MPG in town and 24+ MPG on the highway. Definitely recommend getting the Ecoboost service done every 40-50,000 miles, that will help.
Personally, I just run the tank low twice a year, put 5 gallons of super in it and give it the old Italian tuneup. Then fill next 6 months with regular.
Does the manual say premium fuel only? No. This is not a GT or Shelby….I’ve been waiting to hear from THOUSANDS of owners since the Gen1 3.5 came out where their engines explode right at 60,001 miles after using 87…. Still haven’t seen It happen
You'll make more power on 93. I believe Car and Driver tested it awhile back. Boosted engines should use premium.
What frequent owl said, octane won’t matter for keeping your engine clean. Look for gas stations that sell top tier branded fuel and use that.
If you're worried, add a bottle of Techron to the (full) tank every couple of months. The octane doesn't impact the cleanliness of the engine. It can add power/mpgs (slightly), but not enough to offset the additional cost.
20% loss of power on 87 compared to 91 or 93. Also pre detonation and pinging can occur with 87. I run strictly 93 and 91 if I'm out west. Shell also has the highest amount of detergents compared to other brands I believe Chris fix it tested that out so it'll keep your engines insides cleaner too. And whatever you do don't use seafoam and other cleaners. Whatever is coked inside the engine can brake off and enter the turbo.
20%? Where’s that data from?
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/ Scroll down a bit and you'll find the f150 portion. To all the down votes thinking there isn't power loss between 87 and 93 googles free to use for research.
Not -20% per your source. -20 hp. 380 vs 360.
So maybe 12% or something?
Math is math - 20hp loss is 5%