What is fuel technology? Is high octane good or bad? Does my car need premium? All of these are excellent questions to consider when filling up at the pump. When trying to decide what the best gas is to put into your car, you should have an idea about the difference between the different gas types, and what that means to the performance of your vehicle. Gas doesn’t have to be confusing, with a little understanding you’ll be fueling up like a pro!

The obvious difference between different fuel types is the cost. A tank full of premium fuel will hurt your wallet much more than regular gasoline. So why is that? The difference in price is due to the different octane levels in gasoline. The more expensive the gas type, the higher the octane levels. But what even is octane? Octane level is how much compression a fuel can withstand before it ignites, the higher the octane level the more pressure it can withstand. 

So when do you need high octane Premium Gas? Vehicles with high compression engines require premium fuel to run optimally. These are generally your high-performance sports cars, but there are some surprising models you might not expect, so always check with the car manufacturer before filling up a new vehicle.

If you’re going on a long trip and know your car is going to go through some stress, is it worth filling up with Premium? It won’t actually provide your vehicle with any measurable benefit. Cars that are designed to run at regular octane levels will not receive a boost from the high octane fuel. However, if you are regularly filling up your high compression engine with regular fuel you are likely doing your car some damage. Don’t worry though, a slip-up is not going to ruin your car, but fuels are optimized for different engines with different needs so you should be aware of what fuel type your car needs.

If you have any questions or concerns about your car, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the professionals at Warrenton Auto.