How do I know what kind of gas cap I need?

You'll find the minimum octane rating in the owner's manual, and cars that require premium fuel will usually say so on or near the gas cap, and sometimes even by the fuel gauge. If your car specifies premium fuel, use the good stuff.

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Some people wonder, will premium gasoline make your car run better, or can regular gasoline damage your engine? What about midgrade gas and if it can give you better gas mileage? Motorists often ask these questions — and, unfortunately, often come up with the wrong answers. We’re here to help you decide what kind of fuel to put in your car.

How Do I Know What Fuel My Car Takes?

You’ll find the minimum octane rating in the owner’s manual, and cars that require premium fuel will usually say so on or near the gas cap, and sometimes even by the fuel gauge. If your car specifies premium fuel, use the good stuff. Otherwise, there’s usually no reason to buy anything but the lowest-priced regular fuel at the pump.

What Octane Gas Should I Use?

The best type of gas to put in your vehicle is whatever octane level your car’s owner’s manual specifies.

Generally, here’s what you need to know about octane gas types:

Regular fuel is 87 octane

Premium is 91 or 93

Midgrade falls somewhere in the middle, often 89.

To understand what octane means, we first have to look at the concept of preignition. Engines compress a mixture of air and fuel and ignite them with a spark. Under certain conditions, the fuel-air mixture can ignite early. This is called preignition, and it makes a knocking sound similar to a coffee percolator. Nowadays, most cars have knock sensors that prevent preignition, so you’ll rarely hear it. Octane measures the gasoline’s resistance to preignition; the higher the octane, the less likely it is to detonate. Contrary to what some believe, high-octane gasoline has the same energy content as low-octane gasoline.

Does My Car Need Premium Fuel?

If your car says “premium fuel required” and the owner’s manual specifies 91 or 93 octane, then you should always fuel up with the good stuff. Back in the day, using low-octane gasoline in a car that required premium would likely cause damage. In a modern vehicle, the knock sensor can retune the engine on the fly to avoid preignition, but this will most likely reduce power and fuel economy. Along with showing a false economy, engine damage is still possible.

Why Do Some Cars Need High-Octane Fuel?

It’s all about the compression ratio. Some high-output engines use a higher compression ratio to produce more power. They compress the fuel-air mixture to a smaller size, creating extra heat that can cause the fuel to pre-ignite. These high-compression engines need high-octane fuel to ensure the gasoline doesn’t ignite early. If your car has an engine that requires premium gas, it will say so in the owner’s manual. If it does not say so in the manual, there will usually be something written on or near the gas cap and sometimes the fuel gauge.

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When Can I Use Regular Gas?

If your car recommends regular 87 octane gas, you’re in luck. You can safely use the cheap stuff. Premium fuel won’t make the engine run better or produce more power. There’s simply no benefit to buying premium fuel unless there’s a difference in the ethanol content. It’s not uncommon for regular gas to be up to 15% ethanol (often called ‘E15’) and the premium option to be ethanol-free. Ethanol is a less efficient fuel than gasoline, which means ethanol-free gas will always be more efficient than gas with any ethanol in it. However, the extra cost of ethanol-free premium gas over regular E15 is often more than what you’ll save with the slight difference in fuel economy.

Can I Choose What Kind of Fuel I Use?

If your car says “premium fuel recommended,” you have a choice — you can run regular, midgrade, or premium. Although the difference may be slight, these engines generally develop more power and better fuel economy on higher-octane fuel. However, you won’t damage the engine or void your warranty by using regular gas. Our advice is to run a few tanks of both regular and premium and calculate your fuel economy. Decide for yourself if the differences in power and fuel economy, if they’re even noticeable, are worth the extra cost of premium fuel.

What If My Car Says RON 95 or RON 98?

Some European cars specify RON 95 or RON 98 — but don’t worry, you don’t have to look for 95 or 98 octane fuel. These are European octane numbers calculated using a different method than the one used in the United States. RON 95 is equivalent to 87 octane in the U.S., and RON 98 equals 94 octane; for the latter, 93 octane fuel should be sufficient. To put it simply, RON 95 means “regular,” and RON 98 means “premium.”

Buying Gas at High Altitude

When traveling at high elevations, you’re likely to see gas stations that sell lower-octane fuel — for example, 85 octane regular. The old-school reasoning behind this is that thinner air effectively lowers the engine’s compression ratio, so lower-octane fuel is suitable. That reasoning may work for old cars with carburetors and minimal emissions systems — and we’re talking old cars built before 1975. But modern fuel-injected engines detect the lower oxygen content of the air and adjust themselves accordingly. Therefore, they’ll be expecting fuel of the recommended octane. These engines can compensate for lower-octane gasoline, but only so much.

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So when driving at high altitudes, we recommend you go by the numbers. If your car requires 87 octane, use that, even if it means buying midgrade. If your vehicle requires premium fuel, you may not be able to find the high-octane fuel you need. Plan ahead. Fuel up at low altitudes. If you don’t think you can make it back to lower altitudes without gassing up, buy the minimum quantity you need of the closest octane you can find. Try to add fuel while there’s still some left in the tank; the higher-octane fuel will effectively dilute the lower-octane fuel, so the average octane in the tank will be closer to what the car needs. Fill the tank with high-octane gas as soon as it’s available.

Diesel and E85

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 fueling up with gasoline can result in expensive repairs. Most diesel vehicles say “diesel fuel only” on or near the fuel filler. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Some gasoline-powered vehicles, known as flex-fuel vehicles, can also run on E85; they usually have a bright-yellow fuel cap. A flex-fuel vehicle running on E85 pollutes less but will generally get around 30% worse fuel economy. Don’t put E85 in your car unless you’re sure that it’s E85 capable. The car may run, but you’ll likely void your warranty. TIP: Check the owner’s manual or check for labels by your gas cap to determine the fuel that the manufacturer recommends or requires and use that fuel.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published.

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