When you pull up to the pump, have you ever wondered what those other fuel grades are?

Maybe you’ve questioned whether or not you’re putting the correct gasoline in your car. The numbers written above each button at the pump indicate that particular grade’s octane rating.

Octane ratings measure a gasoline’s ability to resist engine knock (a rattling or pinging sound resulting from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders). Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (87 octane), mid-grade (89 octane), and premium (92 or 93).

To figure out what kind of gasoline your car needs, check your owner’s manual. If your manual says your car runs on regular, then there is no need to spend the extra money on premium or super. Putting premium gas in your car won’t give your car any benefits as higher octane provides no additional performance for cars that are designed to run on regular gas.

If your manual says to use premium, you still might be able to use regular a majority of the time. The key is to see whether premium gasoline is recommended or required.

Advances in engine technology mean that even if the manual recommends premium gasoline, the car will run on regular without issue and won’t damage the engine in any other way. The car’s performance might suffer slightly. For example, it might be a half-second slower from zero to 60 mph.

If premium is required, don’t take any chances. The engine was designed to run on premium, and not using it could be damaging.

When it comes to automobiles, it’s tempting to associate higher numbers with higher quality. For example, more horsepower and more miles per gallon are great, so higher octane must be great, too. That’s only the case if your car requires premium.

If your manual says your car runs on regular, save your money at the pump and stop using premium. You won’t see a power or fuel efficiency increase by running high octane fuel in an engine that has been designed for regular gas, nor will it perform any extra cleaning inside the motor.

If you’re concerned about running your car on regular when premium is recommended, ask your mechanic next time you stop by the shop. They’ll be able to give you some good advice.

Need an auto body professional? Call Great Plains Auto Body at 402.334.7100. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

—
photo credit: Pumping gas via photopin (license)