Gasoline is rated by a measurement called octane. Octane is a measurement of fuel performance. The higher the octane, the more power can be achieved from the fuel. The engine in your car is designed for a specific octane rating. Cars that are designed for performance will typically required higher octane ratings, usually 90 or higher. Putting a lower rated octane in these vehicles may cause the engine to knock, which may eventually cause engine damage. Most cars today run on regular grade octane, 87 to 89.

So, if regular grade octane is good, would a higher octane be better for my car? While a higher octane fuel will perform better for those engine specifically designed for the higher octane, there is no real benefit using a higher grade octane if your car was not designed to use it. Plus, higher octane gas cost more money. The engineers did their homework when they designed your car’s engine, fill up the tank with the gas it was designed to use.

If you are not sure what octane fuel your car uses, give us a call, we can help.    I am interested to hear your feedback and comments on this article or any automotive-related issues that may concern you.  Thank you,

Joe Marconi