i used 94 here but that was only at a sunoco gas station and that was the highest around here. but i have been heard that there is a gas station with 100 but never went there.

 

Thank you for your input. I have put in mid-grade fuel from the first day I bought my car brand new. I don't recall seeing 89 octane where I live in California, so it's a toss-up between mid (87 octane) or supreme (91 octane). I just relocated back to Calif from Kentucky and I know the fuel is formulated differently for different parts of the country. I made the mistake of stopping at a 'generic' gas station a few days ago and will never do that again...I will stick with Chevron 91 octane from now on here in Calif!

 

Oh, and I did suspect the EGR valve at first, but then remembered I had put the off brand gas in. The plug and wires are only 2 years old (less than 24000 miles on them), but if the cleaner I put in last night doesn't solve the problem, then I was going to do as Sang and paintballproam suggested and check the plugs. Trying to take the least expensive route for now......hey, I'm a poor hard working single woman now!!! As soon as I can though, I would like to have my engine thoroughly looked over and cleaned. I really appreciate y'all helping me....I need to learn these things anyway.

Deedee

 

Well see you moved to the wrong coast. Seems MOST of the guys here are fromt he East Coast. culda personally come looked at it then LOL. but yeah first pull a spark plug out and look at the electrode. If it's black (Rich running engine) or looks chewed (Old and worn) then time to replace it, if it's white and powdery time to replace them (That would be a lean running engine's main mark). I don't know how many times you've had the plugs changed but if you look at the plug and it has a paint dot on the top of it (The top being the part you see when it's screwed into the engine and usually the paint dot is white, pink, blue, or yellow) then the plug is the original plug installed when the car was built DEFINATELY replace them. And replace them all at once. (That's probably a little known fact that painted plugs are the OEM installed at the factory plugs).

 

we get 103 leaded at the airport.. aviation fuel but they wont pump it into the car so we have to buy it and put it in down the road.

 

lucky you. how much is it for a gallon?

 

cheapest I got it was $3.95..then when the prices were high it went up to $4.35 I think, But it should be alot less now

 

LOL Sang....how would I ever learn if y'all came and looked at it personally for me? Thank you very much though!!! The set of wires and plugs that are in there are fairly new. A guy I was dating at the time replaced them for me about 2 years ago, so they aren't the originals. I will definitely have to look at them just to be on the safe side. Can't hurt, right? Is it possible the 'bad' gas needs to be run out and another fuel system cleaner used before it stops misfiring? Just wondering....

 

"Bad" gas would cause intermittent stuttering and if it's really contaminated, it would be more constant or even cause hard start situations.
So my question to you DeeDee, is your car stuttering/sputtering or is it actually misfiring? Misfires will sound more sever than stuttering/sputtering from bad gas. Misfires sound like popping through the exhaust, stuttering/sputtering is very mild.

 

how low are you because you can try to add the higher octane and try and dilute it but it wont be at the highest. i would just try looking at the plugs.