Does it matter which grade of gas goes into my car?

Answer 1

I wish you would have included your car specifically. In general if your handbook says to use a certain octane you can get away with their suggestion. If you don't mind spending a little more cash for 89 or 93 a couple of things may benifit any new car. We'll talk about them later.
Not too long ago all automobile car companies installed knock sensors which automaticly reduce ignition timing if spark knock or ping occurs. Spark knock is not always the result of ignition timing. As fuel / air is compressed inside combustion chambers fuel can ignite anywhere inside the cumbustion chamber. Usually the furthest point from the intake valves and sparkplug. It's called a secondary point of ignition. Some people call it a secondary flame front. When this happens we hear what sounds like glass bottles banging together. I call it "the death rattle." Aluminum cast and forged pistons take a terrible beating not to mention exhaust valves.
It may happen for just an instant. When it happens horsepower suffers because the actual programed ingnition timing has been redused by the knock sensor.
The natural reaction of the driver ts to squeeze the throttle a little more to make-up for the power loss.
Higher octane fuel actually runs cooler as there are no secondary ignition shocks inside the combustion chamber.
If you hear no wierd clanking or hollow rattling sound I'd say your safe and sound using the lowest octane fuel the manufacturer recommends. If in doubt the glove compartment handbook in the specifications pages has the answer. Usually the correct octane fuel is on a sticker inside the fuel fill door.

Answer 2

Just use the grade of gas that the owner's manual require. If it says 87 octane, then that's good enough. Why waste your money on higher octane if the engine doesn't require it. Some engines do require certain grade but that doesn't really mean you have to use it. Alot say "recommends" a certain grade of gas but you don't have to use it. If for example your engine recommends 92 octane and mistakenly put 87 or 89. The ECU will compensate for the lower octane gas but you will not have the performance that the engine is capable of.

Answer 3

It could matter. If you have a high performance care, it might require premium gas. My owners manual calls for the mid range octane for optimum engine performance.
You should check your owners manual, or with a dealer to see what grade is recommended. Use that grade. It won't do any better if you use a higher grade than recommended. You will just be throwing money away. If you use a lower grade than recommended, you won't get the expected power from the engine and it could knock and ping on you.

Answer 4

yes it does Using a fuel with a higher octane lets an engine run at a higher compression without having problems with knock.
Using high octane fuel for an engine makes a difference when the engine is producing its maximum power. Octane ratings can vary greatly from region to region. For example, the minimum octane rating available in much of the United States is 87 AKI and the highest is 93. In the Rocky Mountain (high altitude) states, 85 octane is the minimum octane and 91 is the maximum octane available in fuel. The reason for this is that in higher-altitude areas, a typical combustion engine draws in less air per cycle due to the reduced density of the atmosphere. This directly translates to reduced absolute compression in the cylinder, therefore deterring knock. It is safe to fill up a car with a carburetor that normally takes 87 AKI fuel at sea level with 85 AKI fuel in the mountains, but at sea level the fuel may cause damage to the engine.

Answer 5

Yes, and no. Most cars are designed to run on regular gas. You can run premium, however there will be no noticable difference, other than when you get the credit card bill. Certain cars require premium, Caddys, Vettes, Ferrari, most high performance cars. Running regular in them will cause misfires and rough running. Octane is a resistance to burning and high octane fuel requires hotter ignition to burn properly. Most car computers today are calibrated to run on 87 octane, so if your owner's manual says 87 octane, use it.

Answer 6

Depends, if your cars owners Manuel calls for it then yes. But if your car doesn't call for it no. If you have a engine that is a high compression engine or has a turbocharger on it then odds are you need it. The higher octane rating retards detonation, and is needed on certain engines.

Answer 7

It matters if your owners manual says that it needs premium gas and you use regular.

Answer 8

you'll get no additional benifits if your car does not require it.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApeqkSlUUO8lbGVdo7wUPp3ty6IX?qid=20070804113808AAmch6g&show=7#profile-info-cc56f5b7184cf43324e5229e6a4e0532aa

That is one of my extended answers on octane ratings and neccesity.

Answer 9

regular is fine...been using that for both my cars and they do just fine