Car owners should try to save money and sustain the performance of their car by choosing the right type of fuel. It is important for us to get the most out of our car. It means that we need to properly maintain our car and avoid spending too much on excessive repair costs. Many people want to improve the performance of their car and they tend to choose fuel with higher octane rating. It is assumed that the car should perform much better and we will benefit from the improved gas mileage. It is important for us to understand the concept of fuel octane and the way it affects our engine.
We should know that fuel with higher octane rating may not provide us with benefits that we previously thought. It is possible to save more at the pump by using the type of gas that our car requires. It is commonly believed that using gasoline with higher octane rating that’s recommended by the Owner’s Manual will provide absolutely no benefit. Even if we use fuel with the highest octane rating, our car won’t go faster, perform better, run cleaner and get better mileage. Octane rating is essentially a measure of the fuel’s ability to prevent engine knocks. Gas stations typically offer different grades of octane rating. Regular is approximately 87 octane, mid-range is approximately 89 and premium is approximately 92.
Rating of the fuel is usually shown using the bright yellow stickers. In essence, fuel burns slower when it has higher octane rating. Internal combustion engines compress the fuel-air mixture and it is ignited by spark plugs. However, when we use fuel with higher octane rating, the engine needs to deliver more pressure to get the proper ignition. Other than specially-designed engines and some high performance cars, most consumers’ cars are designed to work well regular fuel. In general, luxury car models work well with mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent engine knocks.
Regardless of the type of our car, it is highly recommended to read the Owner’s Manual to know the type of fuel that we need to use. It is also a good practice to listen to the rattling noise when we drive the car and it is also known as engine knocks. Engine knocks are essentially pinging or rattling noises that result from premature ignition in one of the engines. This happens when the fuel ignites too soon and the engine delivers more than the necessary pressure to ensure proper ignition. This happens when we use regular grade fuel on luxury cars that need higher octane fuel.
It is commonly believed that buying higher octane rating will benefit our engine and this isn’t always the case. Choosing fuel with higher octane rating will not affect gas mileage or performance of our car. Regular fuel is similar in premium fuel in terms of “cleanliness”. All kinds of gas contain engine cleaning additives that prevent the accumulation of deposits in the engine.