So I bought a 96 Volvo 854 (N/A) a little over a month ago and I've been trying to work out the best fuel to fill it with.

I've been driving around with 87 in the tank since I bought it, but I'm wondering if this is a bad idea. The manual indicates My options where I live are 87, 89, and 93. With the price of gas being what it is, I've been putting in 87 to save some money. Is going with the minimum requirement going to be harmful in any way? Would it be worth the extra money to fill it with 89?

Opinions/suggestions appreciated.

(Not sure which section this should go under. Mods, feel free to move it)

No. Since 87 is the minimum you will not be damaging the motor.
Depends. I notice a little more 'pep' out of our S40 when we use 89 in it so that's usually what we'll use around town. For highway use I burn the cheap stuff.

My driving is typically about 70 city/30 hwy. Would the 89 be better for that? Or will 87 be ok?


Also, my car has an economy/sport mode button. I have it on economy 99% of the time, but I recently stumbled upon some (perhaps not-so-credible) info on the 'net saying that people have achieved improved city mpg in "sport" mode. Could there be any truth to this? Would the change in the transmission timing in sport mode yield any improvement over economy in city driving? Sport mode alters the transmission for earlier shifting (both up and down). I haven't had a large enough wallet girth to really try this out since I bought the car.

87 is fine in the 850. I use it in my s60 turbo (its also listed as the minimum ak rating) with no ill effects at all. I highly doubt that you will get improved mpgs in sport, since it holds the current gear longer, and is more likely to downshift during light acceleration.

So the consensus is that its not worth putting anything over 87 in the tank?

Does your engine ping? I haven't looked it up, but I'm sure my car is okay with 87, though it's been pinging quite loudly. I guess I'll try some higher octanes, but is it worth it just to make an annoying sound go away?

No, theres no pinging or knocking or anything. The car just says a minimum AKI of 87, which is what I've been putting in. I figured I wasn't doing any harm with 87, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the extra money to put 89 in. It recommends 91.

Pinging during driving isnt just an annoying noise. It can cause permanent engine damage if driven for a prolonged time. The "ping" you hear is from the fuel being ignited by the combustion pressure only. It begins the process before its supposed to happen so the mixture begins to expand and tries to push the piston down ( on its power stroke) while the piston is still on its way up ( compression stroke) . The ping is the sound of the connecting rod slamming into the crank effectively squishing the oil cushion it rides on out of the way and letting the rod bearing hit the crank. This can lead to serious bearing and or crank damage.

Just some food for thought.

the octane numbers that Volvo recommends aren't calculated using the america R+M/L measurement. I looked into this when i had my 854. You're fine running 87; i wouldn't if it was a T-5 but on a 2.4, 87 is fine when you convert their scale to ours.

AKI and R+M/2 are one and the same, b00st, so 87 AKI means 87 at your typical US pump (the equivalent to 87 AKI in RON would be about 91).

It's an N/A motor in a non-performance car. If 87 is ok with the manufacturer, it's ok with me.