On Sep 17, 2009, at 12:47 PM, Jake de Villiers wrote:

> 'The West' is a mighty big place.
>
> In my sub-region of 'The West', from Alberta to British Columbia to
> Washington and Oregon, regular gas is 87 Octane - alcohol is optional.

I believe the minimum octane rating depends on the altitude.  Here in
high desert Utah we have 85, but in elevations lower than about
2000-2500' 87 is the minimum.  I run 85 in my westy just fine, but at
lower elevations, I can't even buy it or would want it?  If you are on
the coast where you can be at sea level & over 2000', they probably
don't sell 85?

YMMV,

Mr. BZ-Rocky Mtn low octane

>
> Jake
>
> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Well, that sounds definitive.  I was hoping for a reply that would
>> enlighten me a little more, however.  VW clearly recommends minimum
>> octane 87.  Gasoline in the West is clearly lower octane than that
>> (on
>> reasonable theoretical, and I suppose data driven, grounds).
>> Numerous
>> folks, including some with claimed technical expertise, state that
>> the
>> waterboxer is subject to detonation knock (ping) and that the octane
>> value of the gasoline used is iffy in that regard.  Consequently
>> these
>> folks recommend higher octane gasoline.  If they are wrong, I'd
>> like to
>> know how we know that.  If they are right, I definitely don't want to
>> waste my money.  I'd just like to understand it a little better.  I
>> certainly believe that pinging would be less noticeable in a vanagon
>> than in a vehicle with the engine right in front of the driver.  For
>> driving in Oklahoma, I pay the extra for alcohol free gasoline.  Is
>> that
>> a waste of money also?  Actually, for my other cars, I concluded
>> that I
>> would pay up to but not more than $0.06 per gallon more.  That was
>> arbitrary.  Given the alleged propensity of the waterboxer to be
>> sensitive to gasoline quality (and VW's admonition in the manual to
>> use
>> alcohol free gasoline if possible), for that vehicle, I always pay
>> whatever extra I have to to get alcohol free fuel, where it is
>> available.
>>
>> Any explanation will be considered helpful.
>>
>> David McNeely
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 12:18 PM , Richard A Jones wrote:
>>
>> And, am I just wasting my
>>>> money, as most auto manufacturers state, when I pay extra for the
>>>> higher
>>>> octane stuff when out west?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yes.
>>>
>>> Richard
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27