Premium vs Regular - 93 or 87 Octane - For Your Tow Vehicle (Toyota Trucks?)

[swatski]

on 87 the truck will NOT maintain 60mph without a downshift. Once it downshifts it picks up speed, then upshifts and loses speed. This cycle repeats until I'm to the top of the hill. With 93, it has just enough more grunt to stay in 6th all the way up the hill and not downshift.

This is more or less exactly what my experience dictates, as well.

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[swatski]

An $80 scan tool has this capability. Don't need anything expensive.

Damn, this is so tempting! I'm not against data logging, but still fighting the idea - not sure I want to go down that rabbit hole...

I would say the discussion is consistent (if not downright substantiating) to me with regard to some positive aspects of using premium gas in a Toyota.

In a case of a 5.7 engine vehicle, used as a daily driver or to tow our light weight boats, it is most definitely an "elective". But for a lesser truck/engine combo, like our 4.0 4Runner, I would consider using premium when towing/trips almost obligatory at this point.

For example, I wish I had thought of this aspect of towing with the 4Runner at the time we used it with the 190.

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[2kwik4u]

An $80 scan tool has this capability. Don't need anything expensive.

$80? I have $15 in my OBD2 adapter and $5 in the app.

Only downside is the data refresh rate across bluetooth isn't nearly what it is across USB. I'm debating on moving to a USB OBD2 adapter for the phone for just that reason. Hard to catch some transient responses at a slow refresh rate.......Slow is around 10 frames a second here. Fast is on the order of 100 frames a second. I'm unsure what the bus runs at on the newer PCM's, although I suspect there is a relative maximum in here somewhere.

 

[Betik]

That's the beauty of scanning/logging your daily driver. Even trips to the grocery store, daycare, school, or dinner can provide valuable data

I like the idea. Keep track of my wife's whereabouts

 

[Betik]

An $80 scan tool has this capability. Don't need anything expensive.

it is @swatski we are talking about here. Everybody thinks a Fulton tongue jack is an upgrade but he had to go with $400 one...... I rest my case

 

[2kwik4u]

it is @swatski we are talking about here. Everybody thinks a Fulton tongue jack is an upgrade but he had to go with $400 one...... I rest my case

You're not wrong. The man doesn't 1/2 way do anything that I've seen.

 

[swatski]

it is @swatski we are talking about here. Everybody thinks a Fulton tongue jack is an upgrade but he had to go with $400 one...... I rest my case

That was @gmtech16450yz !
He’s to blame.
But let me tell you - that freaking trailer jack is a thing of beauty. Lol

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[Betik]

That was @gmtech16450yz !
He’s to blame.
But let me tell you - that freaking trailer jack is a thing of beauty. Lol
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yes I am sure he put a gun to your head ... all the way from California

 

[PPKap]

Ok, so I didn’t read this topic fully as much of it is way over my head. I have a 2013 Tundra 5.7, bought it in 2015 with 14k on it. It now has 60k, runs great and I love it. I’m using 87 in it at all times. I get approx 14 mpg and about 9.5 mpg when I pull the boat (242). If bumping up to 93 would do something substantial I would. Am I inline with everyone else on mileage?

 

[Betik]

Depending on the speed I guess. My first Dallas to Orlando with the boat was 12mpg, but we averaged 60mph.
Subsequent trips have been more like 9 to 10mpg, but on those trips I have driven as fast as I felt safe ( ie 80mph on I-10 in Florida ).

 

[meaningreen]

I have a 14 Tundra with the 5.7, I run 91 when I'm towing and 89 around town. Like you, I have seen it run quieter and smoother on 91 around town. I did notice a difference in towing my 7x14 V Nose trailer to OK when I used 87 and then 91. Nothing substantial just butt in the seat feel and less downshifting and noise when going up hills and overtaking. I use an APP on my old android tied to the ODB port to monitor items but never bothered to pay that close of attention to see if I'm getting different readings based on octane. Would be interested to see what data you get if you log.

 

[AJack]

Neither, diesel.

Interesting that boat owners that consistently tow, albeit not a large load, would have a gas burning engine.

I'm still impressed that a Tundra has a 38 gallon tank. My 1-ton long-bed, crew cab, dually only has 36 gallons.

 

[2kwik4u]

Interesting that boat owners that consistently tow, albeit not a large load, would have a gas burning engine.

I think it was exceptionally hard to find a middle weight vehicle with a diesel engine in the past. The options are quickly growing, but diesel has a bad wrap in this country and that momentum will be hard to shift.

If the 1500 class pickups/SUV's had a diesel years ago, the I would've had one by now. The unibody platforms typically don't tow great, and a 2500 pickup is hard to justify as a daily driver that tows in the summer.

 

[robert cabrerea]

I had the same questions...so I use medium grade.

 

[swatski]

Interesting that boat owners that consistently tow, albeit not a large load, would have a gas burning engine.

I lost my beloved tow rig, Q7 3.0TDI, to diesel gate... (along with a Passat 2.0TDI).
The whole experience was not great, we decided long term reliability had its merits, we became a Toyota family, and unfortunately there are no diesels in their lineup in the US.

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[Betik]

@swatski I know about the beast but what is the other Toyota ? Kate got a Lexus ?

 

[swatski]

@swatski I know about the beast but what is the other Toyota ? Kate got a Lexus ?

4Runner. It's a 2016 or 15 - great truck, she loves it.
And then our son drives my MIL hand-me-down 2007 Highlander with almost 400k on it (!), and she got a new Highlander more recently. These things just tend to not break much.

YEah, that's how we roll these days, lol (Filip's HL not in picture)


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