If you own a car, it needs to be fed with fuel from time to time. You drive to a fuel station that has a myriad of options for filling. How to know which will work best for your vehicle? Depending on the fuel pump, you are likely to have 4-5 options to choose from. Terms like ‘supreme’ or ‘super unleaded’ or numbers such as 85 or 93 may leave you utterly confused. Let us explore the available options and guide you in this regard.
Ratings refer to the pressure at which spontaneous combustion of fuel happens in a testing engine. The octane rating is calculated by taking an average of two rating methods – research octane rating and motor octane rating. The higher rating refers to more stable fuel. The number on the Gilbarco gas pumps’ octane label refers to the lowest octane rating. The label explains the math: the sum of research octane rating and motor octane rating, divided by two.
To the retailers, the grades of gasoline at their gas stations are based on the octane levels. The lowest octane level, which is usually 87, is regular whereas 89-90 is considered midgrade and the 91-94 refers to the premium range with the highest octane level. Other terms like super premium, super or unleaded can also be used instead.
At the end of the day, it always depends on the fuel retailer and the type of addictive they use. The amount of ethanol in use makes the key difference. Higher-grade gases in the 90s have additional additives that are beneficial for certain engines. In reality, different gas stations use different proprietary additives and blends, especially if you look at the higher levels for premium-quality gasoline. These additives are expensive.
Many fuel stations perform the illegal practices of mixing different fuels, such as filling up with midgrade when your car uses premium. Remember, this may cause huge problems. Experts suggest that drivers should always focus on what their vehicles need because every car is unique. It’s usually uniform at the lower grades but tends to vary if different compounds are blended, which can heavily impact your car’s performance.
When it comes to choosing the fuel grade for your vehicle, Dresser Wayne recommends that you must check your car manual. Choosing the wrong fuel type or grade will adversely affect your car’s performance and lifespan. So, be wise with your choice.