93 Octane

[Wld87GN]

For the guys here that have been wrenching on these cars for years, this is will be no suprise, but for anyone else it just may be an eye opener.

So I got my scanmaster and hooked it up yesterday to my GN which is mostly stock except for a HW kit, FP, and a few other minor mods.

Anyway, I had noticed that I was not able to push my boost much and was actually concerned that there was something amiss. So, I went to the gas station and filled the tank with 93 octane (remember I just got this car a couple months ago and have only been able to drive it a couple of times).

So upon filling up with 93 octane, I can immediately tell the car is running differently. The idle is different, the pedal response feels different. So I leave the station and find a road that is slightly off the beaten path and open it up.. How else can I describe this other than to say... DAMN! for .20 a gallon more than regular that is the smartest power maker. My boost gage had previously only come close to about 13-14, I was able to see 17 on the first pedla smash with 93 octane.

Well to make a fun situation even better, I also received my TT chip yesterday and my new injectors. Which will be getting installed this weekend (hopefully), I am actually waiting for the new FPR. I know that many of us yearn for more power and want to go faster, but there is something to be said about basic parts and doing a shitload of reading to understand how these cars respond to simple mods.

If you are new to the GN scene and you have not or are not running 93 octane... give it a shot (but try to fill up from an almost empty tank to ensure you are not diluting the 93 with whatever you had in the tank. Does anyone really use regular 87 in these cars? If it is mostly stock.... I am thinking this is crazy.

 

[Ttype6]

Does anyone really use regular 87 in these cars?

No,never. The reason your car was running so poorly is because the knock sensor was seeing spark knock and retarding the spark timing in an attempt to save the motor from the operator. Never do this again! It can hurt the motor.

 

[Nick Micale]

If anyone is running regular grade gas in their turbo Regal, they should not own one as it states on the dash under the fuel gauge, "PREMIUM FUEL"!

 

[bison]

Wait till you try 116 octane and run as much boost as it will make.

 

[Wld87GN]

Just so everyone understands, I got the car with fuel in it. Yesterday was my first real chance to drive the car to get fuel in it. I have a feeling that when I get new injectors, the FPR and the new TT chip, it will run even better.

 

[Pronto]

Don't know who you got the car from but they are an assclown. I have gone to look at cars at dealers that required premium fuel and the sales guy would throw in a couple gallons of 87 for the test drive. I'm looking at them like OK you're and idiot. So cheap it's silly.

 

[Ttype6]

I have a feeling that when I get new injectors, the FPR and the new TT chip, it will run even better.

Probably not.

 

[robzombie]

Wld87GN said: ↑

I have a feeling that when I get new injectors, the FPR and the new TT chip, it will run even better.​

Probably not.

Hey leave him alone he's living the dream!!!!!

 

[earlbrown]

I have a feeling that when I get new injectors, the FPR and the new TT chip, it will run even better.

If the car has a stock chip, I have a feeling it will run better too.

 

[robzombie]

If the car has a stock chip, I have a feeling it will run better too.

Yea leave it all Stooock.. NOT!!!

Most days I'm just happy mines running, when it runs like ten good men I have a three mile smile!!

AHHHH, the curse of the GN and the sweet nectar of misery and pleasure that you are about to embark on.

Enjoy the journey young grasshopper!!!

 

[williamsGN]

I also believe it will run better... funny, Pronto mentions 'assclown' and next post Tada !!

 

[Ttype6]

Just so everyone understands, I got the car with fuel in it. Yesterday was my first real chance to drive the car to get fuel in it. I have a feeling that when I get new injectors, the FPR and the new TT chip, it will run even better.

You say that you are able to make 17 lbs of boost. The stock set up doesn't do this. What has been done to your car that enables it to produce this much boost? Did the Scanmaster show any spark retard when the motor was making 17 lbs of boost?

 

[earlbrown]

leaky wastegate hoses will let it make 17 pounds.


and sometimes more

 

[Ttype6]

leaky wastegate hoses will let it make 17 pounds.


and sometimes more

An adjustable wastegate or aftermarket chip will also. Let's see if we can find out what the facts are. If his turbo is currently producing 17 lbs of boost and his motor is getting enough fuel and running an optimal amount of spark advance for 93 octane gasoline and not detonating,his motor won't make any more power,on 93,with another chip and/or injectors.

 

[Pronto]

If you don't have an aftermarket boost gauge don't believe the stock gauge. It's not accurate. He might not make "more power" with a modern chip but it will certainly run better.

 

[Ttype6]

If you don't have an aftermarket boost gauge don't believe the stock gauge. It's not accurate.

If all of the LEDs of the stock boost gauge light up,the motor is seeing significantly more boost than the factory program and non adjustable wastegate was designed to create.

 

[Wld87GN]

Guys, first of all. I have an aftermarket boost gauge, in addition I was able to light up all of the lights on the factory boost gauge. I am not sure why it seems so impossible, but will not argue either... I will update my signature with what I know has been done... the rest is "in the air". Also, I didn't intend to create a debate as to whether or not the car made 17# of boost, but simply pointed out that it did and the 93 octane was a huge difference over what it had previously done.

With all of that said, I will say that I do not think that bigger injectors, an FPR, and a new chip will make it faster or powerful, but I think it will run a better.

 

[bison]

Guys, first of all. I have an aftermarket boost gauge, in addition I was able to light up all of the lights on the factory boost gauge. I am not sure why it seems so impossible, but will not argue either... I will update my signature with what I know has been done... the rest is "in the air". Also, I didn't intend to create a debate as to whether or not the car made 17# of boost, but simply pointed out that it did and the 93 octane was a huge difference over what it had previously done.

With all of that said, I will say that I do not think that bigger injectors, an FPR, and a new chip will make it faster or powerful, but I think it will run a better.

You could be at 17-18psi in good air. You won't feel much with chip, injector, and FPR. You might get a little more out of it with a revised tming table and a little more boost. Nothing you will feel though. The cold start and drivability will be better with a new chip

 

[Pronto]

My first chip was a Thrasher 93 octane. It would go to 21psi in first gear with no knock and settle to 18 so it can be done.

 

[Ttype6]

Also, I didn't intend to create a debate as to whether or not the car made 17# of boost.

A properly working stock nonadjustable wastegate and stock chip won't make this amount of boost. I never doubted that yours does. I was only trying to find out why it does and if your Scanmaster recorded any spark retard when the motor was at 17 lbs of boost. The two most likely reasons your turbo is making 17 lbs of boost are that you have an adjustable wastegate and/or an aftermarket chip. Any properly running GN will run very well at 17 lbs with 93 octane. The fact that it makes 17 lbs makes me first think that your car has an aftermarket chip because this is the amount of boost that a typical aftermarket 93 octane chip is designed to run at. Again,if everything is working in harmony,and it sounds like it is,you're maxed out at the 93 octane level and a different chip won't make more power. Your comments about the different feel in the idle and throttle response departments also leads me to believe that your car already runs good. My impression,from your earlier post led me to believe that you where expecting another noticeable power surge from the chip and injectors. If you have an adjustable wastegate and want another noticeable boost in performance,use a mixture of one gallon of xylene to three gallons of 93 and adjust the wastegate for 21 lbs of boost. A mixture of E85 and 93 will accomplish the same thing. The E85 mixture will be more doable with the new chip and injectors.

Have you looked to see if you have an aftermarket chip and/or an adjustable wastegate?