Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Don’t spend money you don’t have to spend when getting gas
By Product Expert | Posted in FAQs, News on Monday, November 2nd, 2020 at 12:44 pm
Should I be using premium gas in my car?
When you’ve worked so hard to put the money together to buy a car, truck or SUV, it’s only natural that you’ll want it to perform as advertised and last as long as possible. If you’re wondering, ‘Should I be using premium gas in my car,’ you are, one, not alone; and two, you possibly might have been given some bad information. Broadly speaking, automakers split the fuel that should be used by a vehicle into two categories, recommended and required. High-performance vehicles may require premium fuel to obtain stated power and efficiency figures, while most will do just fine using regular grade. Our team sees people struggle with this choice all the time and we thought it would help to answer a few questions.
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What does octane rating mean?
The story of different grades of gasoline is one of octane-rating. A fuel’s octane rating measures that gasoline’s ability to resist or prevent engine knocking – a pinging or rattling sound that comes from the engine that is caused by the fuel/air mixture igniting out of sequence. The higher a gasoline’s octane rating, the more able it is to stop engine knocking. Most gas stations will offer three grades of gas, regular (87-octane), mid-grade (89-octane) and premium (92- or 93-octane).
Your best bet to get the best possible performance and efficiency scores from your vehicle is to follow the recommendations laid out in the owner’s manual.
Is it bad if I use the wrong grade of gasoline?
Some mistakes can be very costly when it comes to owning and maintaining an automobile. However, using the wrong grade of gasoline isn’t really one of them. If your vehicle calls for regular and you mistakenly fill the tank with premium, no damage will be done beyond overspending at the pump. In the reverse scenario, you might notice a drop in power output and efficiency, however, once the right fuel is used and it cycles through the engine, everything will be fine.
If you have any questions about the best way to get the most from your vehicle or how a new (to you) car, truck or SUV would benefit your life, make an appointment with a Third Coast Auto Group product expert today.
