Gas stations offer different octane ratings on their gasoline. Diesel, 87, 89 and 92 octanes are most common at standard American gas stations, but not everyone knows which fuel is right for their car. You are able to read the owner’s manual for vehicle, but do you know why one octane is best for car? About.com has some ideas, and here’s a brief summary for your convenience.
Article resource: Know which octane rating puts a tiger in your tank by Car Deal Expert
Is the octane rating right for car?
A gasoline’s octane rating measures the degree of resistance to knocking. The infamous knocking sound comes from inefficient burning of the gasoline-air mixture. The octane rating is determined after a gasoline is compared to isooctane and heptane. Isooctane has a “perfect” 100 octane rating, while heptane sits at the low end, namely zero. About.com says that untreated gasoline is 70 octane (which means it’s a mixture of 70 percent isooctane and 30 percent heptane). Lead used to be the way that fuel companies cut down knocking and pinging, but current environmental standards have barred that practice, so more expensive methods of bumping the octane on unleaded gasoline have changed the practice.
Is higher octane always better?
Older car engines depended upon the carburetor to control the air/gasoline mix, so higher octane rating gas was helpful. More advanced engines became common within the mid-1980s, and fuel injectors took over the carburetor role. The standard unleaded fuel in the U.S. became 87 octane. This worked well with the new engines and didn’t risk damaging the emissions system.
89 octane rating gasoline – How about that?
A little information about U.S. octane ratings is in order here. Depending upon the state, the matching grade designation for the octane number varies. One state might require that premium gasoline have a 92 octane rating, but an adjacent state may set the bar at 90 octane. Thus, checking the owner’s manual and the yellow sticker on the gasoline pump is essential.
What if your car demands premium?
You no doubt have a high-performance engine on your hands. High-performance engines are highly efficient, in contrast to lower grade engines that waste more fuel. On a related note, some big cities with air pollution problems might require that automobiles use special reformulated gasoline. Clean-burning comes from oxygen infusion with this special formulation. Just don’t drive with too little fuel in the tank; that’s muck up the valves and filters. It’ll ruin your car’s day.
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