Octane rating affects car costs
SAVE MONEY BY FUELING YOUR CAR WITH THE RIGHT GASOLINE
Avariety of factors come into play when a person is deciding which new or previously-owned vehicle to purchase. While body type, model year and make all are considered, shoppers should also look into what type of fuel the vehicle needs.
octane levels
Many drivers are aware of the different grades of gasoline available at the pump. Unleaded versions come in regular, plus and premium varieties, which coordinates to the octane of the gasoline. The octane rating of gasoline tells a driver how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites, rather than igniting normally from a spark plug in the vehicle engine. Lower-octane gasoline can withstand less compression than higheroctane gasoline. Gas that ignites on its own rather than from a spark from the spark plug causes knocking and pinging, which can damage the engine. Therefore it is important to use the right octane level of gasoline for a vehicle, based on the car’s compression ratio for the engine. Car engines that are rated in a particular way will benefit from the correct octane in gasoline. Higher-performance engines commonly found in race cars and sporty, luxury vehicles will generally require a premium, high-octane gasoline to run at their optimal performance. Most cars on the market are built to take regular 87-octane gasoline.
significant factor over time
A visit to the gas station clearly indicates that higher-octane fuel costs more per gallon than the lowest octane. Over time, filling up with premium gas can be a significant factor in how much it costs to own a particular vehicle. If you are looking to save money, it is important to consider just how much of your budget will be devoted to fuel costs. A vehicle that requires premium gasoline instead of regular gasoline may end up costing a few hundred dollars more per year based on the size of the fuel tank. It is important to note that using a higher octane fuel in a vehicle that is not rated for it will not increase performance – it only will end up costing you more. That’s because the octane rating refers to how much energy it takes to ignite the gasoline and at what point in the compression cycle, not how much power the gasoline will put out. Premium gas will not improve gas mileage or give the vehicle more “oomph” if the engine is not designed to accommodate a higher-octane fuel. In fact, engines that are not designed for high-octane gas may actually lose power because it burns so much slower and the ignition timing is not tuned for it. It is always wise to consult with the owner’s manual to determine the type of fuel that will offer the best performance in the car. Those shopping for a new vehicle should pay attention to octane ratings and not assume that every car they test drive is best when running on regular octane.