Is Premium Gas Bad For Older Cars?

A higher-octane gas, such as premium, helps prevent engine knock. In older cars that require premium, The Drive reported fueling with

87 octane would almost immediately cause the engine to start knocking

. But newer model cars are better equipped to handle it.

Do older cars need higher octane gas?

Unless you hear your car's, engine knocking,

there is no need to put a higher-octane gas

in your tank. … This is a common belief, probably based on the commercials selling gasoline. But if you look in your owner's manual, you'll find that the recommended gas for most vehicles is economy and standard, low octane.

What happens if you put premium gas in a regular gas car?

According to Fueleconomy.gov, the official U.S. government source for fuel economy information, using regular gas in older vehicles made for premium gasoline can

result in the engine making an audible knocking or pinging sound

. In some cases, it can also void your warranty.

Will premium gas mess up my engine?

Cars that require premium gasoline have high-compression engines, turbochargers, and other high-performance aspects.

Not using premium won't necessarily hurt your engine

, but you could lose some of the performance of that premium engine you paid for if you use regular or midgrade gas.

Is premium gas better for older cars?

Older engines can be more susceptible to pre-ignition, and using

premium fuel can help to prevent it

.

Does premium gas give better mileage?

Premium gives better gas mileage

Because premium gas has a higher octane rating than midgrade or regular gas, it produces a little more power when burnt. Designed for performance cars with large, powerful engines, premium also helps minimize the risk of preignition inside highly-stressed, hot engine cylinders.

Which gas is better 87 89 or 93?

What is the difference in octane levels? … Typically “regular” gas is 87 octane, “

midgrade” is 89 octane

and over 91 octane is “premium” gasoline. Some states label top-tier gasoline with 93 octane as “ultra” gas.

Do cars really need premium gas?

“Use premium unleaded gasoline with

a posted octane rating of 91 or higher

. If the octane rating is less than 91, you could damage the engine and may void your vehicle warranty. … Some manufacturers recommend premium gas but say that regular or mid-grade gas can be used instead.

Does premium gas last longer?

Sadly,

there's nothing in premium gasoline that would make it last longer than other fuels from the pump

. Since the distinguishing feature is the higher-octane levels, the only real benefit you gain is lowering the chance of engine knocking, which isn't much of a threat on most modern fuel systems.

Is premium gas really worth it?

In a consumer notice, the Federal Trade Commission, notes: “In most cases, using a higher-octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends

offers absolutely no benefit

. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.”

What happens if you put 93 octane in a 87 octane car?

If you usually fill your tank up with 87-octane gasoline and you accidentally put in a higher octane blend (say, 91, 92, or 93), don't worry. You're actually

filling your car or truck with a different blend of gas

, which means it will burn differently in your engine.

Do old cars use more gas?

This topic has been discussed a lot, but most experts

don't believe that age will affect fuel efficiency

. … One truth that is widely accepted is that cars will begin to experience a few issues the older they get simply due to wear and tear on the road, but that shouldn't affect fuel efficiency.

Is it OK to switch between regular and premium gas?

Can I mix premium and unleaded gas? Yes,

drivers can mix the two types of fuel

. The combined gas types will result in an octane level somewhere in the middle — something the vehicle “will survive,” according to The Drive.

Does premium gas clean your engine better?

No matter what you've heard, premium-grade gasoline

won't do more to clean deposits

from your fuel injectors or other parts of the fuel system because today's regular gas contains the same detergent additives. The main difference with premium is its octane rating — 91 or higher compared with 87 for regular octane.

What cars require premium gas?

• Buick Envision (with 2.0L turbo)
• Buick Regal (all models)
• Buick Regal TourX (all models)
• Chevrolet Equinox (with 2.0-L turbo)
• Chevrolet Malibu (with 2.0-L turbo)
• Fiat 500L (all models)
• GMC Terrain (with 2.0-L turbo)
• Honda Civic (with 1.5-L turbo)

Who sells the highest quality gasoline?

• Costco.
• Exxon.
• Holiday.
• Kwik Trip.
• Mobil.
• Shell.
• Sinclair.
• Texaco.