Busting The Gas Grade Myths

At nearly every gas station throughout the lower mainland, you have the option to select “Regular”, “Premium”, and “Plus” gasoline when fuelling your vehicle (diesel obviously, not included). With the ever-climbing price of petrol these days, the majority of people choose regular or premium gas when filling their vehicles. But does your car really need premium fuel?

Often times people assume that “premium” or “plus” grade fuels are better for your car, but are they? You don’t want to risk engine damage to a beautiful BMW or Mercedes-Benz, especially if you are planning on selling your used car later on. So, let’s find out.

Don’t Damage Your Used Car’s Engine

Usually when you pull up to a pump, the first thing you’ll notice is that the three options for gasoline are typically “87”, “89”, and “91” octane. They are priced from lowest to highest based on its grade. But if all three were exactly the same price, would you still be filling up with 87?
Most people say no, they’d choose 91. However, 91 isn’t necessarily the “best” fuel for your vehicle because different vehicles have different needs and filling up consistently with the wrong grade of gas can have you ending up at Tremblay Motors Vancouver for some serious engine work.

Contrary to popular belief, higher octane gasoline isn’t better for your engine, it doesn’t give you better gas mileage, and it doesn’t make your vehicle run better, unless your car specifically states in the manual that it needs higher octane fuel to run at its best. The gas companies just want you to think that, hence naming their mid-grade gas “premium” which implies it is better. There is not benefit whatsoever to running high octane gasoline in a regular engine.

What Is Octane & What Does It Do For My Car?

The simplest answer is that octane is the measure of how much compression a fuel can withstand before exploding or igniting. So, when octane preemptively ignites, it causes damage to your engine. That’s why high-performance vehicles usually require higher octane fuel because they have higher combustion levels in their engines to improve performance. Regular everyday vehicles however, do not have the same engine, so therefore don’t require as much actual octane in their fuel to run them at their best. Regular gasoline, or the “87” grade gas, is what most engines are designed to run on.

How Do I Know Which Gas To Put In My Vehicle?

The best way to know exactly what kind of gasoline you should put in your vehicle is to consult your owner’s manual. Aside from that, it’s pretty safe to say that unless you drive a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or any other luxury and high-performance vehicle, regular gasoline is all your car needs, and no higher grade of octane will make a difference in how it performs.

Selling My Used Luxury Car

If you have a used sports car or luxury vehicle that you’re looking to sell for top dollar, you’ve come to the right place. Cash For Cars BC has been the Lower Mainland’s #1 used car buyer since 1998, because truly NOBODY pays more for used cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs. We come to you, we take care of all of the paperwork, we offer more money than most dealerships will give you for trade-in value, and our customer service is second to none.

Contact us today to see what we will buy your car for!