Eli5: What does premium gasoline actually do?

1.23K views

In the United States at least there are 3 grades of unleaded gasoline at most pumps. Does it really matter what grade of gas you use? Can I use the lowest grade one week and the next week get premium if I can afford it? Does it help with milage or does it keep your engine clean? What is the difference?

In: Engineering

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The quality of fuel has nothing to do with the energy contained in the fuel (it’s all essentially the same), but on your engine’s ability to extract that energy without unwanted and possibly destructive side effects. Higher-performance engines need fuel that can put up with higher compression ratios.

In terms of what you should use; use whatever fuel your manufacturer recommends. If the car is getting older and knocking more often, consider moving up to the next highest grade of fuel. In addition, if you throw an aftermarket turbocharger on, you’ll probably also have to move up a grade or two.

You are viewing 1 out of 13 answers, click here to view all answers.