Required octane?

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mazurekd

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Got my 2016 PW a few weeks ago. Laramie, very nice! It was my understanding that the 6.4 was fine on regular grade gas (87 octane). I was perusing the online manual, and it stated that both the 5.7 and the 6.4 recommended 89, though 87 was acceptable. I filled it a few times already with 87 octane, sounds fine, no knocking. So, I guess it is 'acceptable', but wonder if my performance and/or mileage may improve with the recommended 89 octane gas.

So, wondering what others are using, and if I can continue with regular grade. I understand the bigger 6.4 is a detuned 5.7, though obviously bigger. That being, regular should be fine in the 6.4.

Thanks. :favorites13:
 

MADDOG

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The manual wording changed in 2015. My manual says 87 is recommended.

Your manual says 89 is recommended.

So what I did was for the first 5K miles or so I ran on 87. Now I am running 89. I will continue to run 89 until after the winter blend fuels are not being dispensed and see if 89 gives me any better mileage. I suspect it won't.

The truck seems to run pretty much the same on 89 as it does on 87.
 

1500ram12

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I originally ran 87 and late this summer switched to 89. No noticeable mpg gain. Only thing I've noticed is the engine sounds quieter.
 

38SPCEL

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89 is just fine!

I've ran all the different octane grades and kept a close track on my mileage and see no real advantage on premium vs. mid-grade, that is unless you're towing a boat or some kind of trailer. My Ram was designed to run on mid-grade and so far it's been happy with it. So it's 89 octane for me.
 

Rlaf75

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If it runs fine and theres no spark knock (pinging) on 87 then there's no need to spend the extra money for the higher octane gases. The only time you might notice a difference is if the engine is under heavy loads like towing or hauling.
 

RodRam

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I never ran the cheap stuff, book says its not the recommended fuel to use and that's good enough for me, but dealing with race cars for many years taught me about motors. you will loose power using 87, reason is your motor will detonate like crazy on it but it will compensate for it by dialing back your timing which reduces power, you can't have it both ways, either run 89 and get peak performance as your truck was programed for or degrade your power and save a few pennies. I did try 93 but I could not tell any difference so went back to 89, if you have a tuner that's dialed in to run 93 then that could make a difference but my truck is stock.
 

THETANK

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89 here but I only put a few thousand miles on a year so price is not an issue.
 

RJL1

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89 for me since new. Never a problem. I figured if the manual recommends a certain octane who am I to switch things up?
 

Blbjs2

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That video is eye opener. Thanks for sharing. I have a Dodge Challenger and it recommends premium. Guy on the video has a vet and uses regular. Maybe I am wasting my money.
 

walc

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I agree that engines that don't have a manufacturer's recommendation for more than 87 octane don't benefit from a higher grade. However, I don't believe Ram would recommend 89 octane, for the 6.4L, if it wasn't better than regular 87. So, I'll keep paying around 25 cents more per gallon to fuel my $60,000 truck.
 

Shady

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^^^what he said.. I don't think the video endorsed the idea of not following the manufacturer's recommendation. If you choose not to, you do so at your own peril, if some fuel related problem crops up.


2016 Ram 3500 CTD 4x4 Crew Cab SB SRW Delmonico Red Pearl Coat.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9L (Kept at our place in Mexico)
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD 2wd Quad Cab SB SRW Silver (Sold)
 

Dave1968

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Mine's a 2016 and the manual says 89 octane.
 

monteholic

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if you are working the engine hard and need it's full potential, then 89 would be a better choice, but for just everyday driving, 87 is fine

if you ready the manual, it says 87 is acceptable

copy/paste from the '16 manual for the 6.4

6.4L Engine
This engines is designed to meet all emissions
regulations and provide satisfactory
fuel economy and performance when using
high quality unleaded gasoline having
a posted octane number range of 87 to 89
 
Last edited:

Dave1968

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87 is acceptable, yes, but the computer will pull timing to make it work. If you needed 91 or 93 and you used 87, same thing - yes it will work, but the system will pull as much timing as it needs to make it work resulting in down graded performance.
 

Rev9fan1

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You guys aren't going to "hear" or feel that much of a difference, the technology in engines these days will retard or advance timing as the engine detects minor knock you can't hear or feel and adjusts accordingly...so just use what the manufacturer recommends, because if you go with too low of a rating the truck COULD run a lean condition and melt pistons. But this usually won't happen in a factory N/A motor, octane ratings are sensitive to cars that push the limits of air fuel ratio to gain more HP.
 
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