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In a consumer notice, the Federal Trade Commission, notes: “In most cases, using a higher-octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.”
What are the benefits of running premium gas?
For the majority of vehicles, using higher octane fuel may improve performance and mileage and even reduce CO2 emissions when the vehicle is working hard, such as when towing a trailer or carrying heavier than normal cargo, especially in hotter weather.
So is Higher Octane Fuel More Efficient? In a word, no. On its own paying for premium gasoline does not make your car run better or get greater gas mileage. Giving your car the fuel it requires to run smoothly and efficiently, without damage to the engine, does make a difference in your fuel mileage.
Will using premium gas hurt my engine?
A higher-octane gas, such as premium, helps prevent engine knock. In older cars that require premium, The Drive reported fueling with 87 octane would almost immediately cause the engine to start knocking. But newer model cars are better equipped to handle it.
Will higher octane gas hurt my engine?
The higher octane gives premium gas greater resistance to early fuel ignition, which can result in potential damage, sometimes accompanied by audible engine knocking or pinging. It’s the fuel’s ability to be compressed more without pre-igniting that results in more power when used in the appropriate engine.
What happens if you put premium gas in a regular gas car?
Know what happens when you put premium gas in a regular gas car. A mistimed explosion, also said as “pre-ignition” or engine knock is known by these names because it simply sounds like knock or ping. A high gasoline resists the engine knock. When mistimed combustion takes place, the vehicle emits lower-level pings.
If your car requires premium gas: Then you need premium gas. Your car has a high compression ratio and, moving to a lower grade will likely cause knocking, which you really don’t want. If your car recommends premium gas: This is trickier.
What happens if you use regular gas instead of premium?
Some manufacturers recommend premium gas but say that regular or mid-grade gas can be used instead. They usually warn that using lower-octane gas could reduce performance and fuel economy. When that happens noticeably, or if engine knock occurs, they advise to start using premium.
Is 93 octane better for your car?
Because it depends on whether your owner’s manual says “Requires 93 octane” or “93 octane recommended.” If your manufacturer recommends 93 octane, that means the car is designed to perform optimally on 93 octane fuel. It may have an iota more power and possibly a hair better gas mileage when you fill it with 93.