One of the things people commonly overlook when buying a car is checking which type of fuel it requires. People are so focused on the driving experience, how it looks, and how the seats feel that they never think to open the fuel door or read the owner’s manual. It’s important to take note of this kind of detail because using the wrong fuel type can damage your car.
Higher octane fuel has a higher ignition point, which is necessary to prevent pinging (or preignition) in high compression engines.Compressing the fuel air mixture at a higher pressure is what allows some engines to produce more power despite their size. These are called high-compression engines.
If you buy a car with a high-compression engine, you’ll have to use higher octane fuel, which costs 25-40 cents more per gallon.
If your manufacturer recommends 93 octane, that means the car is designed to run best on 93 octane fuel. The car may have slightly more power and better gas mileage when you use 93 octane, but it also means that the car has a knock sensor. This sensor will adjust the spark timing when you use lower octane fuel, to prevent the engine from pinging and overheating.
On the other hand, cars that “require” high octane fuel also have knock sensors, manufacturers make no guarantee that you won’t damage your engine if you run it on regular fuel. Even though there’s a higher chance of damaging your engine, many people choose to cheap out and go with the lower grade gas.
If a car requires high octane fuel, it means that the manufacturer doesn’t guarantee that your engine will be safe if you use regular fuel instead. So, if you see a car that says it “requires” 93 octane fuel, then you should be aware that you might damage the engine if you use cheaper fuel.
Keep this in mind when you’re car shopping, so you can decide whether you want a car that requires high octane fuel or not. And then you’ll know whether you have to choose between the Five Series and Fido.
Does higher octane clean your engine?
High octane gasoline will not clean your engine better than regular gasoline. In fact, high octane gasoline does not have any benefits in preventing engine deposits, removing them, or cleaning your car’s engine.
Does high octane fuel make a difference?
The octane rating is a measure of a fuel’s ability to resist “knocking” or “pinging” during combustion, caused by the air/fuel mixture detonating prematurely in the engine. … In order to prevent this knocking, higher octane fuels are used in high performance engines that run at higher compression ratios.
Does premium gas give better mileage?
Premium gas might give you a few more miles per gallon than regular gas, but you’re not getting as much of a difference as you might think. In fact, the fuel economy will vary more between different brands of regular gas than it will between the same manufacturer’s regular and premium gas.
What happens if you put 93 instead of 87?
If you accidentally put in a higher octane blend of gasoline than what you usually use (say, 91, 92, or 93), don’t fret. You’re not damaging your car or truck by filling it with a gas that burns differently in your engine. In fact, you might even see a slight improvement in your car’s performance!