Is it bad if you have ever put 87 gas in a wrx besides 91?

 

Depends where you live. Higher altitudes like my hometown of Denver, CO require less octane gas. The highest most places sell is 91 here. 87 is what I would use in my WRX if I lived at 5287 feet.

If you live lower, I.E. CA, you need a higher octane to compensate. BUT, regardless of where you live, one tank of 87 instead of 91 won't make a huge difference.

 

Some kid tried to tell me that it will damage my turbo... true?

 

It can possibly cause damage to your whole engine. A lower octane gas will be more prone to detonation, and will likely cause your car to knock or ping. Luckily, the WRX ECU will be able to minimize the ammount of damage done by pinging.

Best case scenario, your car will drive like ****. It will be slow and have more wear on it. Worst case scenario, you will damage your engine to the point where it will have to be rebuilt.

 

a little note- our employee subie training manuals had one neat little info on the turbocharged engine- it states that 93 octane is required for optimum performance but 91 is acceptable. but it clearly states that 93 or higher is recommended.....



aloha from the summit of *-^-Mauna Kea-^-*