High Octane or Not? Car Engine Diagnostics in Lincoln Park05.20.2022 | Okan Sengullu

When buying a new car, or even a new used car, most of us follow a standard ritual. In addition to the proverbial tire kicking, we’ll take the vehicle for a test drive. We’ll also listen to the sales person’s explanation of all the bells and whistles, and if the overall impression is good, and the price fits our budget, we’ll probably buy.

Something most of us never bother to do, however, is to ask about the fuel the vehicle needs, and with today’s gas prices, that’s something we should know. In other words, does the vehicle run on regular gas, or will you need to fill the tank with premium, high octane fuel.

What’s the Difference Between the Two?

So, what exactly is the difference between regular and premium gas? Stated simply, regular has a lower octane rating than premium. And if you’re not exactly clear on what octane is, it’s the measure of gasoline’s ability to resist the knocking or pinging noises you hear coming from your engine when the fuel/air mixture detonates prematurely in the engine.

When the gasoline and air mixture in the engine ignites before it should, that leads to an explosion in the engine known as pre-ignition, and pre-ignition causes that knocking or pinging sound. So, octane refers to how well the fuel in your vehicle can resist pre-ignition, and the higher the octane, the less prone the gas is to pre-ignition.

To explain a bit more, without getting too technical, many of today’s vehicle engines produce a lot of power for their size because they compress the fuel/air mixture at a much higher pressure. To avoid that pinging noise, these high compression engines need fuel having a higher ignition point, in other words, gasoline having a higher-octane rating.

So, Which Gas Should I Use?

The answer to that question is that it depends on what the manufacturer of your vehicle says in your owner’s manual. Does the manual say high octane gas is recommended, or does it say high octane fuel is required?

If it says higher octane fuel is recommended, that means the engine has a knock sensor that prevents knocking if you use lower octane fuel. Therefore, you can use lower octane gas from time to time, but to get the maximum power and fuel efficiency, you should normally use high octane gas.

On the other hand, if the manufacturer says high octane gas is required, you run the risk of damaging your engine if you run it on regular gas. And for good measure, using regular gasoline in an engine designed for premium may also void your vehicle’s warranty.

So the next time you’re car shopping, in addition to kicking those tires, it’s also a good idea to find out what kind of gasoline you’ll be buying. And that will give you some idea of how much you’ll likely spend on fuel each month if you purchase the vehicle.

Bucaro Brothers at Your Service

Also, the next time you need car engine service in Lincoln Park and surrounding areas, we hope you’ll bring your vehicle to Bucaro Brothers Auto Care. We employ only ASE certified technicians, and we can provide a variety of services on all makes and models. And that includes both domestic and foreign vehicles.

So, when the check engine light goes on and you need auto repair and maintenance in the Lincoln Park area of Chicagoland, come and see us at Bucaro Brothers. We can’t wait to get to know you!