Premium Gasoline Doesn't Always Mean Better Gasoline
Many new car owners see the differences in gas prices and think the more expensive premium gasoline must be better, just like a more expensive wine or the top-shelf products in the grocery store. However, if your owner's manual recommends regular unleaded gasoline, then save your money. If your owner's manual doesn't clearly specify higher octane fuel, then you’re just wasting precious pennies. Most of today’s cars, with the exception of high-performance engines, are tuned to run on regular unleaded fuel. And there’s no advantage to be gained by using premium.
Here’s the Science
Your engine’s cylinders hold a mixture of gas and air. The cylinder compresses that mixture very quickly and your spark plug ignites it. That small explosion (like a cannon firing) is the combustion in an “internal combustion engine,” and that's what creates the energy to propel your vehicle. The octane of a gasoline indicates how much compression it can stand before it ignites spontaneously. The higher the octane, the higher the compression it can take.
Most cars have an eight-to-one compression ratio, which is perfect for regular unleaded gas. That means the cylinder is compressing the gas/air mixture at just the right rate.
If the gas isn’t a high enough grade for the compression rate of the cylinder, it’ll ignite early, before the spark from the spark plug. And that’s bad for your engine. Those early explosions result in knocking and pinging. So, if you don’t hear any knocking and pinging, you’re using the right grade of gas. If you do hear those sounds, try upgrading to a premium gas. But, for most cars, using a premium gas doesn’t give you or your engine any advantage.
The bottom line? Consult your owner's manual. If you're still not sure or you have any more questions, feel free to contact us or head over to our Service Department. That's what we're here for.