It’s no secret that premium gas can be quite expensive. Have you ever considered going for the cheaper options instead? If your car requires a specific type of fuel, we absolutely advise against it. What could go wrong if you don’t use the right gas?
On the surface, regular and premium gas are actually pretty similar. They are both highly combustible solutions made from crude oil. The big difference between the two of them is their respective octane levels. Regular gas is rated at 87 octane whereas premium gas usually comes in at 90 or higher. The higher the octane level of gasoline, the less likely the gas is to ignite before it should (often resulting in engine knocking).
Does your manufacturer recommend filling your car with premium gas? This means that your vehicle is designed to be powered by either high-octane gas or regular gas. Bear in mind that when you opt for regular in this case, you are likely missing out on performance and fuel economy benefits. Additionally, if you notice engine knocking when running on regular fuel, you should consider upgrading to mid-tier or premium fuel.
Using a Lower Octane Than Required
If your vehicle requires premium fuel, you should be sure to always choose premium. Filling your premium only vehicle with regular gas can actually trigger engine knocking so significant that parts of your engine could suffer damage. In many cases, such damage is often not even covered by manufacturer warranties. While premium fuel is a little more expensive up front, it is much less expensive than covering costly engine repairs out of pocket.
Using a Higher Octane Than Required
If your car does not require premium gas and you elect to use it anyway, your car will not be harmed in any way. However, you will receive no notable mileage increases or performance boosts. Thus, the only notable difference is the price increase. For this reason, the best move for both your wallet and your vehicle is to stick with regular gas.
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If your vehicle requires premium fuel, you should be sure to always choose premium. Filling your premium only vehicle with regular gas can actually trigger engine knocking
engine knocking
Knock occurs when the peak of the combustion process no longer occurs at the optimum moment for the four-stroke cycle. The shock wave creates the characteristic metallic "pinging" sound, and cylinder pressure increases dramatically. Effects of engine knocking range from inconsequential to completely destructive.
If you do insert the wrong fuel into your car, truck, or SUV it can cause incidents including shutting down your car, damaging the engine, and more internal issues with your vehicle.
If you put lower-octane fuel into your high-octane vehicle, whether by mistake or to save money on gas, you'll probably notice the effects right away: things like poor fuel economy, reduced acceleration, and spark knock, which sounds like a high-pitched pinging or rattling noise.
Premium gas won't make your car more powerful but can improve fuel economy and even help clean your engine. Sometimes, paying extra for Top Tier gas is worthwhile. However, regular gas from a lesser-known brand is fine for the average car.
The combined gas types will result in an octane level somewhere in the middle — something the vehicle “will survive,” according to The Drive. “That said, if your vehicle requires premium fuel, it's a good idea to top it off with the good stuff as soon as you're able,” the website said.
If your vehicle requires premium fuel, you should be sure to always choose premium. Filling your premium only vehicle with regular gas can actually trigger engine knocking so significant that parts of your engine could suffer damage.
Lexus requires that the minimum gas octane rating be 91, which is premium gas. All Lexus coupes, which are high-performance cars, require high octane premium gas. The engines of these cars run with a high compression ratio to generate more power. Using regular gas will lead to knocking, which results in engine damages.
Using a lower octane fuel than required can cause the engine to run poorly and can damage the engine and emissions control system over time. It may also void your warranty. In older vehicles, the engine can make an audible "knocking" or "pinging" sound.
If you accidentally put premium fuel in your car, it doesn't harm the car or its engine. However, certain manufacturers recommend only premium gas as their engine demands it. Therefore, in such cases, if you fill it with lower-grade fuel, then it can damage the car's engine.
88-octane gas is better for the environment and costs less than 87-octane. While there is some debate out there on the positives with '88' it technically burns cooler than 87 when cars are equipped with the latest technology.
If you've put the wrong fuel in your car, you may experience a range of symptoms including, the engine misfiring, a loss of power, and the smell of fuel within the vehicle. You may also smell fuel coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle may also stutter when you pull away in lower gears.
There's nothing wrong with mixing premium and regular gas in the same tank. In fact, this is how midgrade gas is formulated at the station. Rather than drawing from a separate storage tank for each octane rating, gas pumps actively mix high-octane fuel with lower-octane fuel to create midgrade gas.
If your car isn't a flex-fuel vehicle and you mistakenly add E85 to your tank, you may notice reduced performance and gas mileage. Your check engine light may also appear, but the mishap likely won't damage the engine. They recommend topping the tank off with regular gasoline several times.
These impurities can clog the fuel filter and potentially reach the combustion chamber, where they disrupt the proper fuel-air mixture necessary for efficient engine performance. The consequences of bad gas may range from a decrease in fuel efficiency to more severe issues that can result in a hefty repair bill.
Mixing new gas with old gas adds back in the combustive chemicals that evaporated out of the old gas. Even when you dilute old gas with new, it won't be as powerful as fresh gas on its own. Your car might take a few tries to get started. If your car is full of old gas, drain its fuel tank with a siphon pump.
Symptoms of Bad Gas? If you have already checked out the gas cap, the problems you're having might be caused by contaminated gas. If your vehicle has difficulty starting, will not accelerate, or just isn't running smoothly, then it's entirely possible you just have contaminated gas.
Putting the wrong fuel in your car and starting up the engine can lead to some pretty nasty symptoms, such as: Your engine starts making lots of unusual noises. Your car starts shaking, shuddering and jumping while you're moving.
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