Understandeing Gas
speed3freak
12-12-2012, 11:41 AM
WHATS THE DIFFRENCE?
AND
IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA CASH ?
This blog is about the different types of gas that are commonly available to you and me as consumers and how they affect our vehicles and our pocket books. There are a couple myths out there that need to be put to rest. Such as… A higher octane gas will make my car get better gas mileage. But before we get into these myths I feel it’s appropriate to educate my fellow consumers on how octane ratings are acquired and the differences between them. To start you might have the question “What is octane?”. There are actually two definitions. One is chemical: Octane is a flammable hydrocarbon liquid that along with other hydrocarbons pentane, hexane, heptane, and many others is refined from crude oil and makes up the blend of chemical components called gasoline. A second definition: Octane is a measure of a fuel’s tendency to knock or ping when it is mixed with air and burned in the cylinder of an engine. This octane rating is not based on the amount of chemical octane in the gasoline. The rating is called octane because the gasoline’s ability to prevent engine knock has been rated against the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane, which has a rating of 100.Gasoline, which is made from a blend of many other hydrocarbons, may have a higher or lower rating, depending on how its anti-knock performance compares to the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane. So with this being said the octane rating of gasoline is determined by average of two methods. The First one is “the Motor Method or (MON)” basically what this is; is gasoline is run through and engine under load to determine knock hesitance. The second being “Research Method or (RON)” which is running the fuel in a test engine with a variable compression ratio under controlled conditions, and comparing the results of different mixtures. Then they take the results of the test and average those to get the AKI (Anti-Knock Index) Otherwise known as Octane or the number you see on the pump. The differences between the octanes are simple the higher the octane the higher the bigger the combustion or fire. Thus the higher the octane the higher compression in your engine. Now on to the myths of gasoline we have all heard. The first myth “A higher octane gas will make my car get better gas mileage?” No this is not true. In general, if your car is designed to run on 87 octane gasoline, high octane gasoline will not improve mileage. If switching to high octane gasoline does improve mileage, you might find that your engine, or its control systems, need repair. “Will I get more horsepower?” You will not get more noticeable horsepower from higher octane gas. Your engine is designed by the manufacture to run at optimum levels and the manufacture has determined the best gas for their motor design. Third… “Higher octane gas is better!” Additional refining steps are used to increase the octane; however, these additional steps do not necessarily make the gasoline a “better” product for all engines. They just mix a different blend of additives that burn more slowly. The additional steps also increase the price. Last “If I put higher octane gas in my car will it clean my motor?” No this is not true. Pretty much all gas is the same when it comes to the amount of detergents that are added to gas. The amount of detergents in gasoline is controlled by the government to help keep carbon levels down and keep our fuels clean. So in closing there is no need to put “SUPER PRIEMUM” in your vehicles if it is not recommended by the manufacture. If you don’t know what is recommended see your owner’s manual and it will guide you. At the end of the day save your money and just use what is recommended by the manufacture.
The writer of this article works at Durrett Motor Company in Houston Texas. http://www.durrettmotorcompany.com (https://mail.durrettmotor.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=cd809544acdb4e9c8ea6ebbf270a8e02&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.durrettmotorcompany.com)
AND
IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA CASH ?
This blog is about the different types of gas that are commonly available to you and me as consumers and how they affect our vehicles and our pocket books. There are a couple myths out there that need to be put to rest. Such as… A higher octane gas will make my car get better gas mileage. But before we get into these myths I feel it’s appropriate to educate my fellow consumers on how octane ratings are acquired and the differences between them. To start you might have the question “What is octane?”. There are actually two definitions. One is chemical: Octane is a flammable hydrocarbon liquid that along with other hydrocarbons pentane, hexane, heptane, and many others is refined from crude oil and makes up the blend of chemical components called gasoline. A second definition: Octane is a measure of a fuel’s tendency to knock or ping when it is mixed with air and burned in the cylinder of an engine. This octane rating is not based on the amount of chemical octane in the gasoline. The rating is called octane because the gasoline’s ability to prevent engine knock has been rated against the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane, which has a rating of 100.Gasoline, which is made from a blend of many other hydrocarbons, may have a higher or lower rating, depending on how its anti-knock performance compares to the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane. So with this being said the octane rating of gasoline is determined by average of two methods. The First one is “the Motor Method or (MON)” basically what this is; is gasoline is run through and engine under load to determine knock hesitance. The second being “Research Method or (RON)” which is running the fuel in a test engine with a variable compression ratio under controlled conditions, and comparing the results of different mixtures. Then they take the results of the test and average those to get the AKI (Anti-Knock Index) Otherwise known as Octane or the number you see on the pump. The differences between the octanes are simple the higher the octane the higher the bigger the combustion or fire. Thus the higher the octane the higher compression in your engine. Now on to the myths of gasoline we have all heard. The first myth “A higher octane gas will make my car get better gas mileage?” No this is not true. In general, if your car is designed to run on 87 octane gasoline, high octane gasoline will not improve mileage. If switching to high octane gasoline does improve mileage, you might find that your engine, or its control systems, need repair. “Will I get more horsepower?” You will not get more noticeable horsepower from higher octane gas. Your engine is designed by the manufacture to run at optimum levels and the manufacture has determined the best gas for their motor design. Third… “Higher octane gas is better!” Additional refining steps are used to increase the octane; however, these additional steps do not necessarily make the gasoline a “better” product for all engines. They just mix a different blend of additives that burn more slowly. The additional steps also increase the price. Last “If I put higher octane gas in my car will it clean my motor?” No this is not true. Pretty much all gas is the same when it comes to the amount of detergents that are added to gas. The amount of detergents in gasoline is controlled by the government to help keep carbon levels down and keep our fuels clean. So in closing there is no need to put “SUPER PRIEMUM” in your vehicles if it is not recommended by the manufacture. If you don’t know what is recommended see your owner’s manual and it will guide you. At the end of the day save your money and just use what is recommended by the manufacture.
The writer of this article works at Durrett Motor Company in Houston Texas. http://www.durrettmotorcompany.com (https://mail.durrettmotor.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=cd809544acdb4e9c8ea6ebbf270a8e02&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.durrettmotorcompany.com)
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026