OV 93 Octane (1 Viewer)

[Oliver West]

I’m looking to purchase a 2016 TRD off-road that has an OV 93 Octane tune—I know very little about engines and tunes but I understand this gives the truck additional power.

From what I’m reading, tuning to a 93 octane requires you run that level of gas. In other words, I can’t run an 87 octane in a 93 tune.

1) is the statement above true?
2) can I easily untune the truck?

I want to use regular unleaded gas and not be forced to use premium.


Thanks in advance!

 

[gnob]

That is correct. For the tune to work properly it needs the octane.
You risk serious damage running lower octane fuel.
It will detonate (ping)

 

[RickC5]

To answer your second question: An OV tuner "may" be able to tune that truck back to its factory tune, or tune it to a different tune that doesn't require 93 octane. You'll need to make some phone calls to tuners to get the answer. A KDMAX tuner may also be able to de-tune the truck.

GNOB is correct. You cannot run a lower octane gas with that tune.

 

[URJ150L]

Here are your options:

1. Leave the tune in place and run 93
2. Contact OV and see if they can give you a new license key for the software and you put it back to stock yourself (I think they allow for a few free transfers, but that may be only for the original owner to switch computers)
3. Pay a local tuner or the dealer to put you back to stock using tech stream
4. Use tech stream yourself to go back to stock

 

[retrofive]

Still learning the lingo and tunes but the kdmax I believe corrects for octane.

 

[chap79]

Still learning the lingo and tunes but the kdmax I believe corrects for octane.

The KDMax Pro auto adjusts for 87-91, so no need to retune for changing grades. I can say the admission price is high (tuner software, adapter, tune) if you want to be able to install the tunes yourself.

But it’s worth it.

 

[URJ150L]

Makes you wonder how many of these trucks were traded in or sold with a tune and the new owner had no idea…

 

[gnob]

Makes you wonder if people really think theyre saving money running low octane in hi comp engines.....

 

[KliersLC]

Makes you wonder if people really think theyre saving money running low octane in hi comp engines.....

Your point is valid, but is far from the whole story. The way you drive saves or costs way more money than the fuel you run. My 2000 LX requires premium and I rarely give it premium. On a recent run to the mountains towing a trailer, I was not terribly happy with the way it was pulling, so I put a tank of premium in and proceeded to get the exact same mileage, and felt no discernable difference in driving--i.e. couldn't hold 75 mph in overdrive on flat ground and couldn't pull a typical 3rd gear/75 mph hill without dropping to 2nd and 50mph.

on my old 95 LS400, the best mileage I ever got(27 mpg) was running regular on a long, low elevation, 60 mph run. I never replicated that drive on premium, but the best I ever got on premium was 24--I'll fully admit that a 60 mph run with the cruise on was not the norm for me, but the conditions at the time warranted it.

And yes, I am tracking that it takes the ECU a little while to adjust to the higher octane fuel. Right now, premium is 12% more expensive than regular--a 12% increase over 15 mpg is 1.8, and that is just to break even. I understand that maybe the UZ family of engines isn't representative of "performance engines" but I'd have to see 17 mpg under regular use before I'd say that I was saving money by using premium. YMMV

 

[gnob]

My point is primarily based around the fact that when Toyota dropped the fjc w/1gr they modified the required octane rating because people cried.

This is also based on the fact that my RE dropped several mpg running 87 vs 92.

Yes driving style is relevant but most people don't understand what timing and knock are really doing.