[woan]

I see in the specs they recommend premium unleaded. Is that because of the turbo? How important is the recommendation?

Ron

 

[Violet West]

yes, I'm sure it's because of the turbo. Don't know, but if you want to keep your engine running smoothly and prevent pinging, it's probably best to follow Nissan's recommendations.

Maybe the "car guys" on here will have a different opinion.

 

[Juke-guy]

Not really a different opinion but a more detailed one. Yes it is 100% because of the turbo. The premium gas has a higher octane rating which in turn reduces the chances of detonation happening in your motor. You can still run regular unleaded if you really needed to but the chances for detonation are increased greatly. I have seen engines blow due to detonation. It is never pretty.

 

[wls]

But what premium grade do they mean. I use 89 octane in my turbo which is called a midgrade and don't have a problem. I don't as a rule floor the gas though. If you have to use 92 octane that is going to be an added expense. I would prefer to be able to use 89 or 90. On reflection I did think the power output from that 1.4l gas turbo was a bit high. They must be really boosting that engine to get the hp out of it that they do. It probably does really need 92 or better octane gas.

 

[Violet West]

I was wondering about that too, since I've never had a car that required premium fuel. Is it okay to use the medium grade? How about alternating medium and premium every other fillup? As long as it's not knocking or pinging, would that be okay?

 

[mafnissan]

Don't do it!!

Do not alternate fuels.The computer learns what octane you are feeding it,over several tankfulls, and will make the car respond like it is being fed.
More octane, better performance,less octane, less performance.
Also detergent packages, and additives are greater in premium fuels, and with only a 13.2 gallon tank, it does not cost much to get the best.
Most of all, if you alternate, the car will be unsure what you want, or what it should do, it will be constantly guessing what you are going to give it.Like your kids, consistency is the best thing.

 

[Violet West]

okay; makes sense

 

[wls]

If the car engine is controlled by computer like my PT is then you may get by with midgrade since the computer will sense when pinging happens and will dial back the engine. You won't get the advertised power but it will keep the engine in a safe range. Of course the extra 10 cents per gallon for 92 isn't that much when you are paying almost $3 per gallon . on a 13gallon tank you are paying just another $1.30. the better fuel mileage of the direct injection should give you an overall lower cost. I guess it isn't worth griping about.

 

[Pilgrim]

Here in Spain, the two grades of gas are 95 and 98.

Although my car can run OK on 95, the difference is quite marked when 98 is introduced.

So for the last six years, my car has enjoyed 98 octane and paid me back in more ways than just money. Rapid accleration, no pinking, ever, loves peak revs. when needed and immediate response. You cannot beat that with a stick!!!

 

[marzipan]

the owner's manual says that 87 is okay but that you may notice reduced performance. By the way Pilgrim, the octane rating in North America is different than in Europe, what we call 87 you call 95 and what we call 91 you call 98. We use the AKI numbers whereas you use the RON system. See more here:

Octane rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[GRey1]

My friends Mazdaspeed 6 has a turbo/AWD and also requires premium. The Speed 3 is the same way. If you have a turbo, expect to run premium gas. Running less than premium will decrease your cars performance. Most cars computers will adapt to handle any pre-detonation, but at the expense of performance. You are getting 25-30mpg on premium gas, spend the extra .20/gal and make your car happy.

 

[Lord_Kelvin]

wow I didn't expect that premium gas was a must for the Juke. good info.
btw does anyone know what's the capacity on Juke's gas tank?

 

[Violet West]

13.2 gallons

 

[Lord_Kelvin]

Thanks Violet. so..doing a quick math, premiumaround $2.6 per gallon in my town x 13.2 gallon tank = $34.32..woo!

 

[GRey1]

My current vehicle holds 19 gallons. Filled up yesterday when the little idiot light came on. 17.926 gal x $2.869 (89 octane) = $51.43. I normally get about 300 miles to a tank. That means I'm getting about 16.667 mpg.

With the Juke at let's say 25 MPG, a full tank (let's say 12.5 gal, won't be completely empty when I fill up) of premium (normally about a dime more than I am paying now) $2.969 = $37.11. And I should actually get almost 20 extra miles per fillup. So, about $14 less per fillup and I will get about an extra 15 to 20 miles. That is a nice bonus.

 

[mkaresh]

When people say that they don't notice a problem running lower than the recommended octane, I wonder if there really isn't a problem, or they're ignoring the signs. Probably the former--knock sensors and ignition systems have gotten much more sophisticated. A magazine should perform some testing at different octanes.

 

[Juke-guy]

I have driven and owned a lot of turbo cars and most of them were Nissan cars. The nice thing with most Nissan ECU's is that they are smarter than the average ecu and can relearn different fuel maps based on the octane of the gas as well as the atmospheric conditions in your area. However in some cases its best to reset the ecu when using a different grade of fuel. This is done by unhooking the battery and pumping your brake pedal several times to completely drain the system of any residual power. Than reconnect your battery and viola your ecu is reset. This is not a requirement but I highly suggest it when changing grades in fuel. I had to do it on 2 of my cars as they came over from Japan and they use a completely different level of octane there compared to here in Canada.

I should mention though that while it is "safe" to use a lower grade of fuel for the Juke. Using premium not only gives better performance but also helps reduce carbon deposits in your engine also depending on how much psi the engine is boosting using a lower grade of gas can lead to catastrophic engine failure. The few cents extra it cost to use premium gas far outweighs the potential maintenance cost and repairs that might be needed from using regular grade fuel.

 

[DanTheMan]

Premium Gas, really?

Hey,

I have read mixed information on this...personally, if I need to fill Jukey with Premium, it's a no-go for me...gas prices are insane, and if the fill-up is more expensive then my mazda 3 that takes cheap gas, it's a no go.

I read the thread on here, but on the net, still inconclusive..any ideas?

 

[flyers85]

I don't know how much gas is where you are, but I calculated it for me and it wasn't that big of a difference to be honest.

Letsay regular is $2.60
Premium is $2.80
-thats a 20 cent difference

If you drive 10000 miles per year and get 25 mpg
that's 400 gallons

400 gallons * 20 cents = $80 difference per year....

Even if it was a 50 cent difference in price
it would still only be $200 difference per year

 

[RubxQub]

The owners manual states that it's recommended you use 91+ octane gas, otherwise you may deteriorate your engine overtime...or something like that.

If spending something like $80-$120 extra dollars a year saves me thousands of dollars of repairs later, I'm for it.