My 93 Octane Experiment! 2.0L EcoBoost Maverick

[SusieQ]

I seem to recall 2 gallons or so when the light comes on and I also think there is a further reserve but not sure how much. I doubt it is a lot.

Thank you. That will get me to the nearest gas station 12 miles away.

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[Gonzo chris]

Great post. The mapping was news to me. After reading the manual yesterday I wasn't sure whether to routinely use 87 or 91 octane. I'm still on the first tank the dealer filled. Difference for 91 at the pump will be about 3-4 dollars a fill. I can live with that.

"Your vehicle operates 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. See Towing a Trailer (page 267)."

I don't own one yet but it seems to me then. It's clear, it will run on 87 but it will run better on 91 or up to 93. 93. The hot weather part makes sense because when the engine is hotter, you're more likely to get pre ignition and preventing that is the only real benefit of higher octane. So the engine mapping for the fuel curves, ignition, etc is probably more aggressive when it senses a higher octane. I agree for the amount of money. It's worth getting 91

 

[SusieQ]

I don't own one yet but it seems to me then. It's clear, it will run on 87 but it will run better on 91 or up to 93. 93. The hot weather part makes sense because when the engine is hotter, you're more likely to get pre ignition and preventing that is the only real benefit of higher octane. So the engine mapping for the fuel curves, ignition, etc is probably more aggressive when it senses a higher octane. I agree for the amount of money. It's worth getting 91

I'll definitely go with 91. I hear "pre-ignition" and think "engine failure."

 

[colinl]

I'll definitely go with 91. I hear "pre-ignition" and think "engine failure."

depending on the knock sensor to save your engine is a really foolish gamble to take. people have no idea that's what they are doing, though.

I get why Ford bothered tuning for 87. it's a lot cheaper, and it's a huge competitive issue to make a vehicle that requires premium fuel, especially if that vehicle isn't marketed and intended as a high performance model.

 

[Bob The Builder]

Filled up with 91 octane ethanol free gas $3.99/Gal versus E-10 87 $3.25 this morning. Truck was not sucking fumes so it cost me roughly about 10 bucks extra today. Worth it for the smoother low RPM ride & extra power.

Not holding my breath for any appreciable extra mileage as that is not why I am going to 91 but if I could skank an extra couple mpg it would be nice to help offset some of the extra $$$$$.

I am not made of money (who is) but I see all this as a win, win, win.

 

[rlhdweman]

Filled up with 91 octane ethanol free gas $3.99/Gal versus E-10 87 $3.25 this morning. Truck was not sucking fumes so it cost me roughly about 10 bucks extra today. Worth it for the smoother low RPM ride & extra power.

Not holding my breath for any appreciable extra mileage as that is not why I am going to 91 but if I could skank an extra couple mpg it would be nice to help offset some of the extra $$$$$.

I am not made of money (who is) but I see all this as a win, win, win.

You will see mpg, I get 3 more mpg with 91 no E vs 87E10

 

[deckmt]

How much was the tune and will you pass emissions in your state?

If emissions are a concern, may want to consult with VW for a work-around

 

[FordDiehard]

I hate spending money. I am cheapish as hell. OK, got that out of the way right off.

Prolly the one thing and really only thing that has bugged me about my Maverick has been the low RPM vibration we have noticed with the truck. Cruising around 30 or so there are times the RPM will drop to around 1200 or so and a slight vibration and or engine lugging will be evident. Even Consumer Reports mentioned it in one of their reviews of the 2.0 EcoBoost so not just me.

"The nonhybrid Maverick pickup trucks use an optional 250-hp turbo four-cylinder mated to an eight-speed automatic, with front- or all-wheel drive. This powertrain gives robust acceleration, can tow up to 4,000 pounds, and gets 23 mpg overall, but its tendency to lug along at low revs sends annoying vibrations into the cabin.

Someone here mentioned using a higher octane gas to help alleviate the situation, so I waited until the low fuel light came on an filled the truck with 93 octane gas. Ouch!! $1.40 more a gallon for that over 87. Expensive fill up, but will it be worth it or did I just blow 20 bucks extra for gas I do not need?

After burning through 3/4 of a tank I am very pleased with the results. The so called vibration is, I would say, 90% gone if not more. Power has increased noticeably. Still monitoring gas mileage but I would guess that will increase a bit too.

Next tankful, 91 Octane to see if I get similar results and save 40 cents a gallon as well. Given how little I drive, even the 93 octane will be worth the extra money given the results I have seen so far.

I've found many Wawa locations that are in or near rural counties also offer non-ethanol 89 octane gas, which I normally run. There is an oil company near me that also offers non-ethanol 87 & 93 octane fuel, although the 93 is over $5.00 per gallon.

 

[Charles T.]

87 here, no lugging

 

[colinl]

I went to Costco today and for once actually paid attention to the prices compared to QT which I have to drive right past to get to Costco.

87 at QT $3.19. 91 at Costco $3.23. No reason not to use premium.

 

[Gonzo chris]

I've found many Wawa locations that are in or near rural counties also offer non-ethanol 89 octane gas, which I normally run. There is an oil company near me that also offers non-ethanol 87 & 93 octane fuel, although the 93 is over $5.00 per gallon.

Wow that's pretty high. The Wawa near me has 93 for $3.89 a gallon. More importantly, they had a fresh pot of Colombian coffee ready to go when I got there....

 

[mikebass57]

I currently have a 2016 VW golf with the 1.8T and I've been thinking about getting a Maverick ( deciding between hybrid and EB). . I was wondering how much different the Ford 4 cylinder feels. Thanks

I have a 2022 hybrid and I get great results both driving and mileage.

 

[FordDiehard]

Wow that's pretty high. The Wawa near me has 93 for $3.89 a gallon. More importantly, they had a fresh pot of Colombian coffee ready to go when I got there....

The Wawa has 93 octane for $3.74 but it's 10% ethanol.

 

[Robber's Roost]

Switched to 92 in the EB 4K today after running out the first tank of dealer 87. I was experiencing mild lugging and could feel engine pulses during suburban driving around 30-35 mph as reported by many others. After running through about 1/2 a tank of premium I must say it is considerably improved as others have also found. It's not really all that bad in the first place running 87 but good to know driveability can be improved upon. I'll continue to run premium when available from here on out.

 

[rmay635703]

26k miles driven over 30 months with only 87 Octane and I have never had a issue with reduced engine power at any RPM. I even towed a light utility trailer ( 500 lbs ) to Florida and back ( 3k miles ) with no issues.
I only use Top-Tier gas, specifically Exxon or Sunoco. If I tow anything heavier I would use 93.

I only use 88e15, it’s 30 cents a gallon cheaper and I’ve found that I actually get lower knock counts on it then on 89e0

Some people even run 90e20 if you have a pump with cheap e85 or a blender pump you can blend your own octane, saves tons of money and no notable loss in fuel economy on e15

True.
I don't really understand not running premium in the EB. If you want to save money on fuel get the hybrid. If you want to tow why would you use regular fuel?

In my area the cost to drive a Maverick on Premium gas is the same as driving my 2001 Dodge Ram crewcab v8 on regular, why would anyone in their right mind spend 50%-60% more on fuel?

If I had an ecobust it would be running on a $2/gal e-blend of fuel and I would adjust octane up when I’m towing or in hot weather

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