Poor Teen w/MCS can't Afford Premium
 

Hey guys my parents bought be a car:) , but I can't afford to fill it up. Can I fill up my car with 87 octane with out any damage to the engine. I have a crappy Wal-Mart job, and my parents won't pay for maintenance (free maintanence is almost up). I'd rather just save up for oil changes. Am I hurting my MINI?

Wow, sucks to be you.
Lower octane gas will result in reduced performance and lower gas mileage. If you don't have the $$ to fill up, can you get by with 1/2 tank? 3/4? 1/4? How far do you have to drive between paydays?
If it were me, I'd still buy premium and adjust my driving habits to fit my budget. If that still doesn't work for you, you could try buying 87 octane and see how much a bottle of octane booster would cost - depending on the cost, it may be cheaper than buying premium gas.
Whatever you do, love your parents - Mine didn't buy me Jack.

That's hilarious. :lol:

The MINI has an approximate 13 gal tank right?

Usually the difference in cost between 87 and 93 octane is $.20 right? That works out to about $2.60 cents a difference per tank. By not using 93 on fillup your car pulls timing and (probably... I don't own an MCS I just surf NAM for SWMBO) boost. That means that you aren't making optimal power and probably end up getting worse gas mileage which offsets the cheaper cost of the 87 octane fuel. Not to mention the possible damage you are doing to your force induction engine by surfing at the edge of pre-detonation and knock.

Cut something else out of your budget. If you think you can't afford the proper fuel my guess is you really can't afford to deal with the possible consequences of not using it.

i would have to agree with mpdawg. you can try and run 87 then go with a fuel additive like BG 44K. strong fuel system cleaner and lasts for up to about 3-5k miles. i run 92 octane and still use 44K in my mcsa. its good stuff:thumbsup: . it costs about $20.00 a can but is well worth it. if you can afford to, continue with premium, if not try the above and see if that helps.

you're not saving that much money by going to a lower octane.

dont chince on the car's necessary fluids, save money elsewhere like your budget for clothes or eat in more often.

Go ahead and use the regular stuff if you like check engine lights that aren't covered under warranty.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Check the length of time each answerer of this post has owned or been a member of NAM. Go with the most experienced answer every time.

I also think your parents are trying to teach you something by having you spend your own money on maintenance. Learn something from it, and sacrifice a bit. There are probably other guys you know that would give their eye teeth to have the opportunity to own such a nice car. Yeah it sucks to be you, but heck, the gig aint as bad as others. Okay, I'll stop talking like a mom of teenagers... :nod:

Yea at least you arent paying for an apartment, the car, college and gas all on a college budget. It cost me two days pay to fill up my tank today....:sad:

Don't hurt your MINI.:eek2::sad::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry ::cry::cry::cry:

Premium only. You live in a civilized world.:grin:

Ride the bus or a bike or walk.:thumbsup:

Be responsible.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Carpool or catch a ride when you can.:thumbsup:

Don't smoke or eat junk food.:thumbsup:

Find a job closer to home or school.:thumbsup:

Do the oil changes yourself. don't forget the Fully Synthetic oil- walmart sells them- thankgoodness!:eek::nod::lol:

Get a higher paying job- valet parking at a ritzy resort is nice.:wink:

BG 44K ain't cheap either. Costs about $17 per can at the garage I go to. I don't think that's gonna fit in the budget.

seriously i get 8 an hour im paying for my car and insurace.
If i can do it You can too.
I wont ever put regular in my car.
I just love it too much.
Course i wash it twice a week and i scrub the wheels with a tooth brush.
Is it love, I think so.
See your car wont ditch you like a girlfriend.
Treat it right and you will have it forever
My dad still has his first car and hes 56.

mtunofun - if you can't afford to fuel or maintain the car you got for free, maybe you should consider selling it and buying a much less expensive used car that also runs on regular, and using the extra cash to run that car. Insurance would be cheaper, too, if you're the one paying it.

Or Or or you could get a better job. Im sure your not stupid.... You picked a mini cooper after all...
You can make it work.
Go get'em

You could also move to DC and work on K street. But that would require a really short skirt:lol:

The difference between 92 octane and 87 is only about .20 cents per gallon, on a full tank of gas you're only talking like $3.00 difference. You can't afford $3.00 more per tank? Give me a break!

Just what I was about to say. The difference in the prices is minimal

Hmmm....here is my honest-to-god, want to help answer...paying for gas for your Mini is not the issue....charting a successful course for the future is the issue, IMHO.

I'm nearly 47 and have had an AWESOME life...but you're the "lucky" one-- you still have a "blank canvas" to work with-- go kick some b*tt in life...and I promise you, the gas will take care of itself!

Kent :thumbsup:

Man, your parents really suck if they just bought you the car but won't pay for maintenance or fuel. If I was you, I'd refuse to drive the thing, and just walk

johnny rockets+highschool+monthly payments+gas+social life=me(i'm lucky my parents cover my insurance) you definitely can afford premium. It's like the others have said, its only costing you 3 dollars more max for every fill up (which probably comes everyweek and a half?) you can do it! the real challenge is saving up for mods!! :-)

You're a lucky dude, my friend. Do your best...that's all you can do...and I'm guessing if you REALLY get stuck, your parents will help you out.

There is a British expression that is appropriate for the practice of running 87 octane in an MCS:

Penny wise, pound foolish.

You will not be saving money.

yeah....... i call BS on the OP. i bet you the OP is a troll. ain't no person stupid enough to put 87 in a turbocharger. its just a couple more bucks a tank. and in another thread the person is trying to make homemade wiper fluid.

so i'm quoting JCWGrover from another thread:

You stated in your other posts that you have a '07 MCS Cabrio yet here you claim that maintenance is almost up and you wont be able to afford to maintain the car.:sly:http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h...o_********.jpg

And he's also averaging 35 MPG (40+ at highway speeds)