If my car says not to use Eco 85, Can I use Eco 88?

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My car has the red circle “don’t” sign printed on the gas filler. I was at a gas station the other day that had very cheap 88 octane “Eco” gas. I had never seen it before, and certainly haven;t seen gas below $3 in several years.
I thought about throwing some in the tank, but realized saving a few dollars on gas was not worth potentially damaging my car or aspects of the vehicle that I might not be aware of.
I presume Eco gas has methanol added to it, but why is it a problem for my car and is 88 just as bad as 85 for my vehicle/why?

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3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Your car’s manufacturer recommends a specific fuel type for your car based on its engine design. The recommended fuel type is usually based on the engine’s compression ratio, which is the ratio of the volume of the combustion chamber when the piston is at the bottom of its stroke to the volume of the combustion chamber when the piston is at the top of its stroke.

Using a fuel with a lower octane rating than recommended can cause engine knocking, which is a condition where the air/fuel mixture in the engine ignites prematurely. This can cause damage to the engine over time.

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