If a car dealer suggest to use octane or premium gasoline, can I use regular? Does it damage your engine?

Answer 1

Regardless of what the dealership says, read the owner's manual. It will guide you to the correct grade of fuel for your vehicle.

Answer 2

The owner's manual will tell you the minimum octane fuel you can use. Most vehicles are made to run on 87 octane or higher. The octane rating is the number used to determine the "anti-knock" characteristics of the gasoline. Detonation or "knock" is produced when the fuel ignites prematurely in the engine and then the spark plug ignites the rest of the fuel causing 2 flame fronts to collide inside the cylinder. This can cause damage to the engine. If you hear "pinging", an irratic rattling noise, when you accelerate then the octane might be too low. The low octane lets the fuel burn too fast increasing the temperatures and pressures in the combustion chamber.

There are other causes of detonantion including a malfunction of one or more of the emission control systems or the cooling system.

Answer 3

If it is a new car, and a new car dealership, go with the car manual, dealers are salesmen and not particularly mechanics.

If it is a used car, and a used car dealership, use your best judgment, the car may need help, may have high miles, and not run very well on poor gas, and may need all the help it can get. The used car salesman would want you to not have a car drive 100 miles and quit, so will tell you anything to make it last as long as possible past a lemonlaw time period.

I have found with some used cars, it's cheaper to run on the cheapest gas and add a bit of fuel additive when the running gets rough. It really helps, especially after you gas up at some station that had bad gas, or if your tank got very low in wet weather and condensation formed inside the gas tank, adding too much water to the gas.

Answer 4

Octane simply measures a gasolines ability to resist knock. High performance or high compression engines require it to keep the cylinders from being damaged by detonation. Use what the owners manual or gas door tells you. If you think you can get away with it listen for knocking or pinging on acceleration. If there is any you need better gas. Newer cars have a knock sensor that will retard the timing for you, preventing damage, but it will not be as fast and may get worse mileage.

Diesel fuels use a cetane rating, which works the opposite way.

Answer 5

Almost all cars and gas trucks can run just perfectly fine on regular octane fuel....some sports cars need premium to run their best though..you didn't say what type of car so I don't know. It doesn't damage the engine but a car that is high performance will run a little rougher on regular instead of premium. I have two 2007 vehicles a dodge truck and a pontiac van and both get regular fuel and run perfectly fine.

Answer 6

According to the car experts at Car Talk on NPR radio, the quick answer is NO. It wont do any damage - unless you drive a Ferrari.

For a more detailed and professional answer, check out their website:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/myths.html#myth3

Answer 7

What he said.....