I was wondering if anyone out here uses regular octane instead of premium, in particularly on a 1990 190e, or if anyone knows that doing this would be severely detrimental. I have read that doing so only decreases the performance . . . but I don't want to be wrong. I am looking at buying one used. . . and fuel costs are a major factor for me.
Thanks for your help!
I was wondering if anyone out here uses regular octane instead of premium, in particularly on a 1990 190e, or if anyone knows that doing this would be severely detrimental. I have read that doing so only decreases the performance . . . but I don't want to be wrong. I am looking at buying one used. . . and fuel costs are a major factor for me.
Thanks for your help!
If you are leary of paying 10 to 20 cents/gallon more for premium gas on a Mercedes-Benz, then maybe you are looking at the wrong vehicle. Perhaps a Japanese import?? I've always used premium because the manual recommends it, and I want the best performance for my cars.
The result of using a lower octane fuel than the engine was designed for leads to detonation, also known as 'pinging'. Most of the time you can hear it, but not always. Over the long term, pinging causes little craters on the piston crown and they eventually fail. I have torn apart a few engines that have gone through this, and it looks like someone took a chipping hammer to the piston crown.
I guess what I am trying to say is that the bad effects are long term, and you may not know that it is happening. I really enjoy driving my car and feel that the extra cost of the fuel is worth it.
The decision is yours. Good luck.
Last edited by shingleback : 09-23-2006 at 11:58 AM.
I was wondering if anyone out here uses regular octane instead of premium, in particularly on a 1990 190e, or if anyone knows that doing this would be severely detrimental. I have read that doing so only decreases the performance . . . but I don't want to be wrong. I am looking at buying one used. . . and fuel costs are a major factor for me.
Thanks for your help!
A 190E, while it's the lowest gas sipper in the MB line, consumes around the 25mpg (city for a 2.6 engine). There are a lot of other cars that get better mileage than this. If gas is an issue, why not just buy a car that will give you more gas mileage. A 190E is not it!
You also have to factor in the cost of your maintenance. MB maintenace is not the same as maintaining a Honda or a Toyota.
Hey thanks for your replies. . . in reference to that last post, how much do you estimate maintenance costs to be on a 92 190 sportline or a 90 190?? And what do you all feel would be the acceptable range of price for these vehicles? (be specific if you are referring to US or CDN dollars please).
Thanks again!
Hey thanks for your replies. . . in reference to that last post, how much do you estimate maintenance costs to be on a 92 190 sportline or a 90 190?? And what do you all feel would be the acceptable range of price for these vehicles? (be specific if you are referring to US or CDN dollars please).
Thanks again!
Your maintenance cost on a used car will depend on several variables.
Among these are mileage, how the previous owner used/took car of it, what add ons you'd like to add to your car and if you know how to DIY as contrastred to going to a shop for repairs. If you can DIY, maybe a minimum ballpark figure of US$250 per month will be a good starting number. If you cannot DIY, allocate a bigger amount because the labor cost per hour of Mercedes techs is usually much higher. Parts per se are also much higher than Japanese imports.
What I suggest if you can DIY is to put the $250 monthly into a bank account and withdraw from it when needed. Adjust the amount accordingly if needed.
I think it's okay to use regular gas on the NA version because the ignition timing has been retarded to compensate for the low octane sold here. Nevertheless, this car is not designed for low octane fuel. So please do feed it with premium if you're going to buy one.
All I put in mine is 91. I put 87 once just to see if I noticed anything and it burned thru the gas like a fat kid eats cake and my car smelled. Im not BSing this really happened. Although 91 is more expensive, you don't really feel the hit unless you are filling up, then you are tacked with an extra $1.60USD. I'd rather pay that every single time I fill up, then having one big bill for repairing any messed up parts.
I want to do that mod you guys did with the resistor and it says I need 92 octane. I dont know a place around me with 92. If I keep using 91 what will happen if I replace the resistor to get the better power?
Linear Mode
