1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

[PmDavis300]

under the gas gauge it says "premium unleaded only" does this means you can ONLY put premium in it?? i would think they just put that so you put the best gas in it. personally i would put regular in it anyways, but i dont want to mess anything up. anyone know if it can take reuglar?

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

It is there because regular or mid-grade will cause detonation and destroy your engine.

It has a high compression engine. It requires high octane gas. Don't put anything else in it.

 

[PmDavis300]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

why does it have a high compression engine? its a continental... not exactly a racecar

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

My Mercedes has at least 3 labels on it saying "Premium Only". Every now and then, I forget and pump 87 in. She runs just fine on it with no pinging.........Is this a testimonial saying "Use regular. It will be fine. The manufacturers don't know crap"?....No, just sayin' what I've done and experienced.

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Some cars with high compression engines have computers that detect detonation and retard the ignition to compensate. While this will probably save your engine it reduces power and efficiency and causes other problems with emissions. My Mercedes has labels that say "Use 91 octane or greater." The OBD remembers if you use regular and voids the warranty.

High compression allows engines to make more power with less gas. It is common in high quality cars, very heavy cars (like Lincolns), and most high performance cars.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

All the newer vehicles have that ability. all its going to do is pull the timing back a tad. depending on the difference in price between regular and premium and if there is any change in MPG I wouldnt feel bad about running mid grade or regular in 99% of vehicles that say premium only.

now if this was an old engine with a carburator, it would be a whole different story.....

 

[WizeOne]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Try the regular and see, but be very sensitive to pinging in the slightest amount.

I'm not sure what motor your lincoln has in it but my wifes 2005 will tolerate nothing less than a 50/50 mix of midgrade and premium.

 

[JC1933]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Wh

at engine do you have in your Lincoln? I have a 1998 mercury grand marque
with a 4.6 and a 1998

ford 3/4tonewith a 5.4 they both run on regular gas.

regards.

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Use only Premium. They didn't put that sign on your dash for fun.

 

[timdan94]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

I had a 2006 nissan sentra ser spec v that required premium. I tried regular and even mid grade I lost 4-6 mpg and it didn't have the get up and go. I tested it many times using different types of gas. When i used the cheaper stuff I had do downshift on hills that when I ran good stuff I could go up in 6th gear. I was in 4th to 5 with cheap junk. So I ran the good stuff then decided it wasn't worth it. I got rid of the car even though I liked it. It usually only cost about $3 to $4 extra a fill up but with driving about 20000 miles a year it did add up.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

I would think that the main purpose for the higher grade fuel is that it's a front wheel drive car and that motor makes a lot of heat, which could induce detonation, which in turn would cause the knock sensor to retard the timing a bit, reducing performance.
I'd have to say that it should be fine so long as you don't notice any big performance change.

If it's not pinging, its fine.
If it pings when it gets hot, then run the better gas.
As a ruler of thumb, lower octane gas is more volatile, therefore you can get more heat energy out of it, provided that the engine doesn't preignite when running on it.

My 2003 Grand Marquis runs the same on regular as on the higher grades, and gets a few mpg better on the cheap stuff.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

The 32V DOHC 4.6 litre V8 in that continental is prit near 300hp, as close to a race car as a Continental ever got.

Use the premium, melted pistons are no fun.

 

[sportsmanphil]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Good lord, Im not going to post my resume but some of these replies were comic.

The 4.6 in the Lincoln (aka Colon) Continental has a 90.2 mm bore and 90mm stroke giving it a 9.8:1 comp ratio. This isnt low nor high. A standard V8 comp ratio is around 8.5:1; high starts around 10.0:1.

The same engine in other Ford vehicles do not require 'premium unleaded fuel'. There is also a BIG difference between the terms 'premium unleaded' and 'high octane'.

Some auto makers consider "premium unleaded" to be top quality fuel stations (ie. Shell, BP, etc) and not "Mammy May Gas and Git, bait, tackle, ammo, discount cigerette, check cashing, part time daycare, truck stop"

So why does the Continental have "premium fuel' and the mustang doesnt? Simple, because other makers higher end cars request it, like the benz.

Oh.. and No, and OBD 1 or 2 system will not be able to store data on what octane fuel is in the tank. There is no "wrong octane code"

Run 87 and see if you hear any pinging/spark knocking under load. If so, bump it to 89 octane. Anything over 89 will be a waste of $$$ becaue the compression ratio isnt high enough to properly burn 93/94 octane.

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Compression ratio is not a bore/stroke ratio. Your calculation and your conclusion are wrong. The "cammer" in the Continental has over 10:1 CR. It is a high performance engine.

Any Ford vehicle that uses the 4.6L, 4 cam, 32 valve V8 requires 91 octane or greater fuel. That includes some model Mustangs. That is always sold as Premium unleaded and Premium unleaded is always 91 octane or greater.

That is because of the compression ratio and has nothing to do with what other makers require in their engines.

I sure hope Mr. Davis is going to follow the recommendations of the maker and not such idiotic claims.

 

[sportsmanphil]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Compression ratio is not a bore/stroke ratio. Your calculation and your conclusion are wrong. The "cammer" in the Continental has over 10:1 CR. It is a high performance engine.

Any Ford vehicle that uses the 4.6L, 4 cam, 32 valve V8 requires 91 octane or greater fuel. That includes some model Mustangs. That is always sold as Premium unleaded and Premium unleaded is always 91 octane or greater.

That is because of the compression ratio and has nothing to do with what other makers require in their engines.

I sure hope Mr. Davis is going to follow the recommendations of the maker and not such idiotic claims.

What kind of claims? Idiotic? Well here ya go buddy, I was RIGHT on the money. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/1995/lincoln/continental/specifications/index.html

Like I said. 9.8:1 compression ratio. Even had the bore and stroke down, sorry if I didnt list the cc of the combustion chamber.

There is a big difference between "premium fuel" and "high octane".

 

[xtraham]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

what's funny about this thread is that most people giving answers would be asking this question if their vehicle said "premium fuel only"
When a vehicle says premium fuel it DOES mean use high test fuel.

As a mechanic and race engine builder for 35 years I can tell you that pre-ignition can not always be heard, if you hear it, it's at a dangerous level. That noise we hear that we call "spark knock" is the cylinder heads vibrating so much they are rattling.

A computerized engine can and will compensate 'some' by retarding the timing via knock sensor but that sacrifices performance and fuel mileage. Pre-ignition from low octane fuel will not only melt a piston (that's the worst case scenario) it will eat at the head gaskets, it will stress or break head bolts, it will heat valves to a point they pull into the seat, it will loosen or crack valve seats, pit the heads, crack the heads, cause hot spots on heads and cylinder walls etc. etc. it will, over time destroy an engine.

If the manufacture warns to use "premium fuel" the engine AND the computer has been designed to use premium fuel, that is what it needs.

It cost between 2-4 bucks xtra to fill the tank with premium, it cost the manufacture much more then that to print that on the dash, in the owners manual, and on the fuel door, it's there for a reason.

remember the old saying, "pay me now or pay me later"?

use premimum or high-test and don't look back, your engine and wallet will be happy you did.

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Compression ratio point conceded. I was thinking of the 300HP version of that engine, which is over 10:1. That was in the Mark VIII coupe.

Where does it say "make up your own mind on fuel"?? Oh, right above where it says "Premium unleaded fuel"??

Now, as to the "difference" between "Premium unleaded" and "high octane".

"Premium unleaded" is the marketing term for gasoline that tests between 91 and 93 octane. That is what FoMoCo requires in that vehicle.

Your statement seems to be that "Premium" refers to particular brands and has nothing to do with octane. That is not correct.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

what's funny about this thread is that most people giving answers would be asking this question if their vehicle said "premium fuel only"
When a vehicle says premium fuel it DOES mean use high test fuel.
.......
If the manufacture warns to use "premium fuel" the engine AND the computer has been designed to use premium fuel, that is what it needs.
...........
It cost between 2-4 bucks xtra to fill the tank with premium, it cost the manufacture much more then that to print that on the dash, in the owners manual, and on the fuel door, it's there for a reason.

remember the old saying, "pay me now or pay me later"?

use premimum or high-test and don't look back, your engine and wallet will be happy you did.

That really summarises this entire thread quite well.

The best was the guy who suggested using regular, even though he went on to admit that regular did not work in his car....great advice!

Will the armchair experts who are lining up to bash the car-makers and suggesting that premium unleaded is a waste of money be as quick to line up to contribute to any repair cost that result from their suggestions to ignore the owners manual?

Didn't think so....

Some good info in : Facts for Consumers - "The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline"
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut12.shtm

 

[sportsmanphil]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

Great FTC link ^^

Octane ratings are not for performance. Its more of a dumbing down effect for pre-ignition.

Octane ratings are set with a test engine, and unless they tested the engine in the enviroment (altitude, pressure, temperature) that you live in then its a good rule of tumb and not the rule itself.

We are talking about a 13 year old car here. In the shops I have spun wrenches (from GM to Roles Royce/Bentley) If a customer with a 13 year old car happened in saying that its spark knocking, I am not going to tell them to go up their fuel octane just yet. Way too many other more common variables to cause the pinging at that age/mileage of the vehicle.

Also, as I said earlier, this car doesnt have a 'high' compression ratio, more of a middle ground.

You never mentioned the mileage of the engine but guessing 10-15K a year average, your engine isnt new and mechanical ware can cause timing issues.

Also, does your county/state use oxygenated fuel in the winter months? This also can cause or help pinging.

ALSO, there is a thing called carbon knock. With the estimated mileage on your engine, thats also a big contender for your engine noise. Only a well trained ear can tell the difference between carbon knock and pre-ignition.

There are a few variables to consider here. I would run a tank of 89 and see if that changes anything. 93 is a waste of $$ considering the compression ratio and the extended list of other variables considering the age of the vehicle.

Octane standards are the same in US, Canada and even Europe. If a manufacturer requested 93 octane, then it would be printed just the same. Hell, the books still say "use unleaded fuel only" assuming leaded fuel is an option; something that hasnt been available in 50 years.

Toss us some more info on the history of this car, including milage and how long you have owned it. Have there been any "wonder spark plugs" installed? does your county/state use oxygenated fuel?

Run a tank of 89 and stay away from the various "snake oils' that clutter the counter at your local parts store.

 

[JB]

Re: 1995 Lincoln continental gas type?

This thread is going nowhere. Phil insists he knows more about it than Ford Motor Company and others (including JB) insist that Ford knows what they are doing.

I am going to close this before tempers (including mine) get out of hand.