Gas prices are soaring along with summer temperatures. You pull up to the gas pump and see three different types of gasoline, regular, plus and super unleaded. Each is a different price, and the price between the lowest and the highest at some pumps can be as much as .50 cents per gallon.
As Americans, we are generally conditioned to believe that the more something costs, the better it likely is. Where gasoline is concerned, is that necessarily true?
Not always.
Before we look at whether or not the more expensive, higher octane gas is actually a better choice, let’s look first at what exactly the octane rating of gasoline is.
The octane rating of gasoline indicates how much gasoline can be compressed before it spontaneously combusts. Typically, gasoline should ignite or fire from a spark from the spark plug and not from spontaneous combustion. When gasoline ignites or combusts due to compression, it will cause something known as engine ‘knocking’. Too much engine knocking and the engine can be damaged.
The lower the octane rating on gasoline, the lower the tolerance for compression combustion, and that means there is a greater chance of engine knocking. Therefore, it would seem logical that using a higher octane rated gasoline would be better for the engine, but that’s not necessarily true.
My car is a high performance vehicle, with a high performance engine. My owner’s manual clearly indicates that my vehicle has to use a higher octane gasoline to prevent engine knocking and provide best performance. The reason for this is that the engine has a higher compression ratio, because a higher compression ratio increases horsepower, and more horsepower means a higher performing engine.
All that said, what does this mean for your vehicle? If you have a high performance vehicle, chances are your owner’s manual or the fuel door or gas cap will indicate a required minimum octane rating you should use. The majority of vehicles on the road are designed to use 87 octane gasoline, or the lowest available at the pump, which is also the least expensive. Only if your vehicle indicates that you are required to use a higher octane should you have to use it.
Basically, using a lower octane rated gasoline on an engine that requires a higher octane rating can cause engine damage and knocking, so it is advisable to use the recommended octane for high performance engines. However, the opposite it not true. Using a higher octane rated gasoline in a vehicle that doesn’t require the higher octane rating has not been shown to provide any additional benefits, increased gas mileage, or better engine performance.
What this means for you at the pump is this: if you drive a vehicle that does not have a high performance engine (one that clearly indicates you should use a higher octane gasoline), there is really no reason to spend the extra money to buy the more expensive gasoline at the pump, which can really come in handy when gas prices continue to soar.
If you are unsure of whether your engine is a high performance engine that requires a higher octane gasoline, you can either check your owner’s manual or simply pick up your phone and call your local car dealership that sells the make of your vehicle and ask them. They should provide this information over the telephone, free of charge.
So there you have it, for most vehicles, higher octane gasoline is not necessary and there is no benefit to paying extra at the pump as gas prices at the pump soar. Those extra cents saved at the pump can really add up!
