Many of our customers believe that using premium gasoline will mean more longevity for the engine, and they even tell others about premium gasoline having better detergents than regular gasoline. It’s a false idea spread by the oil industry. Start with your manual. If premium fuel isn’t listed specifically, you will never need it. If the requirement isn’t there, avoid premium and save money.

When automobile engines aren’t made for premium gas, it means they never have a use for the higher-octane fuel. It has to do with engine combustion. Premium gas ignites at a higher temperature, so it can deal with more compression without reigniting. Premium gas also has less heptanes, which also makes it less likely to ignite at low temperatures. Even the government regulators agree – there’s no reason for it in the average tank.

Even if the owner’s manual does list a need for premium gasoline, you may not always want it. This is especially true for automobiles built since 1996 because of technology that adjusts timing based on ignition rates. With premium-designed engines that are intended to use premium gas, the low-temperature can mean better performance. The premium fuel also prevents pinging or knocking noise. But the difference is usually unnoticeable, and the price difference is serious. If your engine preignites fuel with normal driving, it’s a different situation. For these vehicles, experiment or ask our ACE-certified technicians about using the right gas.

Can I Use Diesel?

While it’s not usually smart to use premium gas over regular if you don’t need to, it is imperative that you don’t switch between gasoline and diesel. You could stall the engine completely. Then, you’ll have to pay the high costs of flushing the system of gas. Diesel is thick and oily compared to unleaded, and the engines are different in many ways. These don’t use spark plugs. Instead, the fuel is ignited by the heat of compressed air, which is compressed before the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber. With gasoline, air and fuel are mixed first and then the spark plugs do their work.

Call Christian Brothers in Maumelle, AR Anytime

If you have questions about how to fuel your engine or if you’re having any problems with your fuel system, give our trusted auto experts in Maumelle, AR a call. We do maintenance, pre-pruchase checks and repairs.