Rajan Wilcox
Choosing the right fuel for your car is essential for its smooth operation and can be intimidating for new drivers. The best type of fuel for your car is usually specified in the owner's manual. If you don't have the manual, you can check the fuel door, gas cap, or sticker by the fuel gauge, which will indicate the recommended fuel type and octane rating. The octane rating represents a fuel's resistance to engine knocking or pinging during combustion. In the UK, the standard unleaded octane rating is 95 RON, while in the US, the standard is 87. Using a higher octane fuel than recommended will not enhance your car's performance or make it faster or more powerful unless the engine is specifically designed for it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of fuel | Petrol, diesel, or flex-fuel |
| Petrol type | Unleaded, mixed with bioethanol |
| Diesel type | Regular (low sulphur) or premium |
| Flex-fuel | E85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) |
| Octane level | 87 (regular), 89 (mid-grade), 91 or 93 (premium) |
| Fuel efficiency | Higher octane fuel does not improve fuel efficiency unless the engine is designed for it |
| Engine performance | Higher octane fuel does not enhance engine performance unless the engine is designed for it |
| Engine damage | Using the wrong octane rating may damage the engine |
| Fuel requirements | Check the owner's manual, a sticker near the fuel cap, or the manufacturer's website |
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Octane levels
Octane is a chemical substance that exists in gasoline; higher octane fuel is of better quality. From regular to premium grades, octane ratings are crucial indicators of fuel stability and performance, potentially influencing your engine's efficiency, power, and longevity.
Octane measures the amount of compression fuel can withstand before ignition. Higher octane ratings indicate fuel that is less likely to pre-ignite when under pressure, which can cause engine damage. Performance cars require higher octane fuel to run their higher compression engines. Simply put, higher octane numbers indicate superior fuel stability and less engine knocking. The higher the octane rating of the fuel you pump into your car, the more stable the fuel itself.
Octane ratings range from 87 on the low end to 94 on the high end. In the US, unleaded gasoline typically has octane ratings of 87 (regular), 88–90 (midgrade), and 91–94 (premium). Gasoline with an octane rating of 85 is available in some high-elevation areas of the US. The octane rating is prominently displayed in large black numbers on a yellow background on gasoline pumps.
Using a lower octane fuel than required can cause the engine to run poorly and can damage the engine and emissions control system over time. It may also void your warranty. In older vehicles, the engine can make an audible "knocking" or "pinging" sound. Many newer vehicles can adjust the spark timing to reduce knock, but engine power and fuel economy will still suffer.
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Premium vs regular
When filling up a petrol car, you may be faced with the option of choosing between premium and regular fuel. The main difference between the two is their octane level, with premium fuel having a higher octane level than regular fuel. Octane measures the gasoline's resistance to pre-ignition, which is when the fuel-air mixture prematurely ignites, causing a knocking sound. A higher octane level means the fuel is better balanced and more stabilized against spontaneous combustion, reducing the likelihood of engine knocks.
The octane level you should go for depends on your vehicle. High-performance cars with high-end engines may require premium fuel to maximize their horsepower and torque. These cars typically have an octane level of 91 or higher. On the other hand, regular unleaded fuel usually has an octane level of around 87, and most cars on the road run on this type of fuel. If your car manufacturer recommends regular fuel, you can save money by sticking to it. Using premium fuel in a car designed for regular fuel will not improve its performance and may even cause issues.
You can find out which fuel type is recommended for your car by checking the owner's manual or looking for labels by the gas cap. Some cars that require premium fuel will also have an indication inside the fuel filler door. If your car specifies premium fuel, it is best to use the high-octane pump. However, if your car is designed for regular fuel or does not specifically require premium, regular fuel will generally be the more cost-effective option.
It is important to note that the definition of premium gas can vary from country to country and even from station to station. For example, in some countries like Australia, the standard unleaded petrol is 91 RON, while in the UK, it is 95 RON. Additionally, when travelling at high elevations, you may come across gas stations selling lower-octane fuel, which may be suitable for older cars but not for modern fuel-injected engines.
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Diesel engines
If your car has a diesel engine, you must use diesel fuel. Diesel engines use a different process to ignite and burn fuel. They won't run on gasoline, and fuelling a diesel engine with gasoline can result in expensive repairs. Most diesel vehicles say "diesel fuel only" on or near the fuel filler.
There are three types of diesel engines currently used in car engines: indirect injection, direct injection, and common rail direct injection (CRDI). Indirect injection diesel engines have been widely used in diesel car engines with low capacities of below 3,000 ccs, such as small trucks, SUVs, or medium commercial cars. This type of engine has two combustion chambers: the "main combustion chamber" and the "pre-combustion chamber". Both are connected by a channel. However, this type of diesel engine is no longer used in the latest production diesel engines as its efficiency and emissions are not very good.
Direct injection diesel engines offer better power and more efficient emissions. The difference with other types of diesel engines is the location of the injector, which is located in the centre of the cylinder head. Common rail direct injection (CRDI) diesel engines are the latest technology used in the latest SUVs. The work system of CRDI engines is similar to the EFI system on a gasoline car, using computer-based technology to determine the volume of diesel from the injector. Similar to Direct Injection, the CRDI engine uses one combustion chamber with the injector located directly above the piston.
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E10 compatibility
If you own a petrol car, you can use unleaded petrol, which is mixed with bioethanol to make it more environmentally friendly. However, the specific type of fuel your car requires depends on its make and model.
Since 2011, all new cars sold in the UK have been E10 compatible. E10 is a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Most petrol vehicles can use E10, but not all. Diesel and electric vehicles, for example, cannot use E10 petrol. If your car was registered before 2002, it is advised that you do not use E10 in your vehicle as problems can occur.
You can check online if your car is E10 compatible. You will need to know the vehicle manufacturer, model, engine size, and manufacturing year. This information can be found in your vehicle's logbook (V5C). If you put E10 in an incompatible car, it will still run, but certain components may be damaged over time due to bioethanol's corrosive properties. As a hygroscopic substance, bioethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere, leading to condensation in fuel tanks if the car is left unused for extended periods.
If you accidentally put E10 in an incompatible vehicle, the consequences will depend on the vehicle type, engine, and the amount of fuel used. You may experience some pre-detonation, rough running, and/or cold starting. However, there are solutions to this problem, and you should not panic, as around 150,000 people in the UK make the same mistake every year.
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Flex-fuel vehicles
If you own a petrol car, you should be using unleaded petrol, which is mixed with bioethanol to make it more environmentally friendly. However, if you own a flex-fuel vehicle (FFV), you can use a combination of fuels.
A flex-fuel vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one type of fuel. Modern flex-fuel engines are capable of burning any proportion of the resulting blend in the combustion chamber as fuel injection and spark timing are adjusted automatically according to the actual blend detected by a fuel composition sensor. The most common commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol flex-fuel vehicle.
While fuel economy (miles per gallon) is generally lower with increased levels of ethanol, many FFVs have improved acceleration performance when operating on higher ethanol blends. One of the greatest advantages of a flex-fuel vehicle is that it can burn whatever proportion of fuel mixture is in the combustion chamber. The car is equipped with electronic sensors that gauge the blend, and its microprocessors adjust the fuel injection and timing.
As of 2022, there were more than 20.9 million FFVs in the United States, with around 30.5 million light-duty vehicles and over 6 million motorcycles in Brazil.
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Frequently asked questions
The best type of fuel for your car is the one specified in the owner's manual. If you don't have the manual, you can check the label near the gas cap or inside the fuel door, which will indicate the recommended fuel type and octane rating.
Octane rating represents a fuel's resistance to preignition, or "knocking", during combustion. The higher the octane rating, the more resistant the fuel is to preignition.
Using a higher octane fuel than recommended does not inherently improve fuel efficiency or make your car faster or more powerful. It is only beneficial if your car's engine is specifically designed to require a higher octane level.
The standard unleaded petrol in the UK is 95 RON, which is equivalent to 87 octane in the US.
Don't turn on the ignition. If you haven't done that yet, then the most serious damage caused in this scenario can be avoided.
