Pulp Free

Ugh. I hear about this all the time. My last 3 cars all needed higher octane… And I could tell the difference in performance… So please use this as a reference (you’re welcome, Buddy… Even though I did just give you another $52 at the pump…)

Myth: High Octane is better.

NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek knows this. “Believe me, I’ve pumped gas in about every gas station there’s been in my personal cars. Whether it’s around town or on vacation or wherever, you put the regular in there it keeps on running,” he said. The NASCAR drivers, mechanics, and car makers will tell you that for 90 percent of the cars sold today, high octane is no better than regular gas. It won’t give you better mileage, more power or a cleaner engine. NASCAR crew member Lisa Smokstad told us what every expert told us.

“It is a myth that cars run better on premium gas,” she said.

Some cars do need higher octane — older cars that knock, and cars with high-compression, high-revving engines like Ferraris, Bentleys, Jaguars, Acuras, Mercedes and Corvettes.

But 90 percent of new cars don’t need it — check your owner’s manual.

Source: ABC News 20/20

I just saw this on the National Severe Weather Alert:

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. LOUIS

• FROM LATE FRIDAY MORNING UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING MAY 16TH.
• AT 8 PM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 23.0 FEET.
• MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
• FLOOD STAGE IS 30.0 FEET.
• THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE FRIDAY
• MORNING AND CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 31.5 FEET BY MONDAY EVENING.
• THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO FALL THEREAFTER TO LEVELS BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING ON MAY 16TH.
• AT 30.0 FEET… FLOODWALL AT LACLEDES LANDING IS CLOSED.
• AT 31.0 FEET… WATER BEGINS ENTERING THE DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE.

We saw reports on the Monday morning news about the flooding starting to happen in St. Joe (near Kansas City) from all of the rain that has been going on. However, we haven’t really been having a whole lot of rain here in Saint Louis since it finally stopped late on Friday (yeah - right AFTER our wedding pictures were taken…)

So it just happens to be a little interesting to see the impact from something happening some 240 miles away and knowing about it almost 3 days in advance - being able to see something like the Weather Service knowing at some level that the downtown parking garage in Saint Louis is probably going to get a bit wet on Friday. Guess we’ll wait and see!

I felt like this just last week… First time over $50 for my poor Acura RL.