2022 Owners Manual says use 87 Octane!

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rob4092xx

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Your vehicle operates on regular unleaded
gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87.

Some fuel stations, particularly those in
high altitude areas, offer fuels posted as
regular unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating below 87. The use of these fuels
could result in engine damage that will not
be covered by the vehicle Warranty.

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
 

LokiWolf

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87 is NOT the recommended fuel, it is the minimum required.

"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"

91+ is the recommended.

What you posted actually says that!!!
 
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aggiegrad05

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87 is NOT the recommended fuel, it is the minimum required.

"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"

91+ is the recommended.

What you posted actually says that!!!
Exactly. I can survive on wings, pizza, and beer...but I wont be my best self.

I spent $70k+ on the vehicle, I'm happy to spring for the extra clams to give it the good stuff. I also believe it'll be better for long-term reliability even if there is no tangible performance benefit in the short-term. whether or not that's true...who knows for sure.
 

Tocapet

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My '09 did just fine in Texas on 87 octane and also just fine in Colorado on 85. The altitude makes a difference in the combustion of the fuel and the ECM computer can compensate for any other differences
 

LokiWolf

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My '09 did just fine in Texas on 87 octane and also just fine in Colorado on 85. The altitude makes a difference in the combustion of the fuel and the ECM computer can compensate for any other differences
You are talking an 09 with the 5.4. It has almost ZERO bearing on this conversation. Turbo motors are NOT the same.
 

purevw

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My '09 did just fine in Texas on 87 octane and also just fine in Colorado on 85. The altitude makes a difference in the combustion of the fuel and the ECM computer can compensate for any other differences
The ECM can compensate up to a point, with the extreme point being cheap fuel. With proper fuel, there is no need to compensate and the engine works efficiently and as designed, with no "special needs". With fuel, like everything else, you get what you pay for. 91 octane using the R+M/2 formula is roughly equivalent to 87 honest motor octane, which was used before unleaded fuel was required. R+M/2 was substituted for true octane as a way to keep people from complaining over low grade unleaded fuel. The R stands for research octane, which is derived under ideal lab conditions and not under real world testing.
 

drbr0b0tnik

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I know this is 4th gen, but my 2015 manual says “Regular unleaded gasoline with a pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87 is recommended.” That same paragraph ends with “Premium fuel will provide improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such as trailer tow.” Pg. 186

Does the 18+ EB state 87 is the minimum recommended?
 

LokiWolf

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I know this is 4th gen, but my 2015 manual says “Regular unleaded gasoline with a pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87 is recommended.” That same paragraph ends with “Premium fuel will provide improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such as trailer tow.” Pg. 186

Does the 18+ EB state 87 is the minimum recommended?
What Rob posted earlier in this thread is what the manual says.

Let me sum it up in one statement, "87 required, 91+ recommended."
 

drbr0b0tnik

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That’s good to know then. I had been looking at 2018+, I’ll have to consider that before making the jump.
 

Pete Costanza

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That’s good to know then. I had been looking at 2018+, I’ll have to consider that before making the jump.
Don’t let premium fuel be the deciding factor in getting an 18+ Expedition. We bought a 2020 new and it’s never seen anything but regular fuel and has never had an issue. I know when I lived in California, mid-grade was 10 cents more than regular, and premium was 20 cents more than regular. I now live in Tennessee where mid-grade is 30 cents more and premium is 60 cents more per gallon than regular. The cost is fairly significant over time at that differential. I’ll put it this way, knowing the Expy runs completely fine on regular, I’m not paying 60 cents more per gallon. If I still lived in CA and it was only 20 cents more, it would be worth it to me to at least experiment with it.
 
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LokiWolf

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Don’t let premium fuel be the deciding factor in getting an 18+ Expedition. We bought a 2020 new and it’s never seen anything but regular fuel and has never had an issue. I know when I lived in California, mid-grade was 10 cents more than regular, and premium was 20 cents more than regular. I now live in Tennessee where mid-grade is 30 cents more and premium is 60 cents more per gallon than regular. The cost is fairly significant over time at that differential. I’ll put it this way, knowing the Expy runs completely fine on regular, I’m not paying 60 cents more per gallon. If I still lived in CA and it was only 20 cents more, it would be worth it to me to at least experiment with it.
100% it is a financial decision for everybody. I want full rated power, and the best performance. I actually take it further, and our Expedition is tuned most of the time. Currently on E85, and spends about 9-10 months out of the year tuned on 93.

The clarity is what is Minimum vs Recommended. Minimum is 87, recommended is 91+. Those are the facts.

87 will do fine. Again, it is the minimum.
 
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