When both school and the sun are out, it can only mean one thing: it’s summer road trip time. While you’re planning your great American road trip this summer, don’t forget to plan for the right fuel for your car. When you’re spending hours on the road, you want to make you’re using the fuel meant to help your car run its best.
Unfortunately, not everyone knows which type of fuel they need. Every gas station has multiple grades of fuel from which to choose. You’ll see things like regular, plus, and premium, each described by their octane rating. Since you absolutely want to have the right fuel in your car this summer, it’s worth exploring what an octane rating really means.
How Engines Use Fuel
All gasoline engines work by igniting a mixture of air and fuel at the right time via a spark plug. Before the fuel-air combination is ignited, it is first compressed. This compression ensures that your engine gets the most energy possible. Of course, compression also creates heat, so the fuel must be able to withstand the temperatures, or it may misfire.
The term “octane rating” is used to measure how heat-resistant a fuel is under pressure. Contrary to some beliefs, higher octanes don’t produce better combustions. Instead, it prevents the fuel-air mixture from igniting before it is supposed to.
The higher a fuel’s octane rating, the more resistant it is to heat and premature ignition. If you’ve ever heard your engine make knocking sounds, you might not be using the correct octane level. Some vehicles, like those with turbocharged or supercharged engines, may require a higher octane rating to operate correctly.
Which Octane Rating Is Right For Your Car?
You always want to use at least the minimum octane recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. You can typically find this information in your car’s owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website. If you use a lower than recommended octane rating, you may experience misfires (that knocking sound) and prevent your car from achieving its best fuel efficiency rating. Even worse, using the wrong fuel could eventually lead to critical damage to your engine and emission control system.
You really can’t harm your engine by using a higher octane fuel. Under normal conditions, using higher octane fuels won’t improve your engine’s performance. You will pay more for the fuel, so that’s something to consider. On the other hand, if you are towing heavy loads or doing lots of driving in hot climates, higher octane ratings can help.
If you’re ever unsure about which fuel is best for your car or when using higher octane fuel is more appropriate, check with your owner’s manual, manufacturer, or trusted mechanic. Getting the most out of your engine this summer will help make your upcoming road trips the best ones yet.
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