What is considered premium gas varies from state to state, however, premium gas always has higher octane level usually between 90 to 93 but mostly 91 and 93. However, since premium gas has a higher octane level, does premium gas clean your engine?
Premium gas does not clean your engine because it does not contain any secret component that can clean the engine. However, premium gas only allows an engine to have a high compression ratio, resistance to early ignition as well as advanced ignition timing.
Does Premium Gas Clean Your Engine?
No, premium gas will not clean your engine. Some people are of the opinion that using premium gas instead of regular will help to clean out the engine because it contains some extra cleaning components, but this is far from the truth.
The same detergent additive can be found in both regular and premium gas, so if you’re using premium gas with the hope of it cleaning your engine, you can as well stick with regular gas.
What premium gas does is allow an engine has a high compression ratio, resistance to early ignition as well as advanced ignition timing not clean an engine.
If you think your engine needs cleaning, don’t depend on premium gas to do that for you, rather take it to a mechanic or use other cleaning methods like the fuel injector cleaner or other gas treatment.
What Does Premium Gas Do to your Engine?
In determining what premium gas will do to an engine, we should first consider whether it is used in an engine that requires it or in an engine that doesn’t.
If premium gas is used in an engine that recommends regular gas, it wouldn’t make much difference to the engine but the same can’t be said for the car owner. The car owner’s pocket will feel it without getting the desired result from the engine.
- Reduce Spontaneous: Using premium gas in an engine that requires it on the other hand will do it a lot of good. It helps to reduce or stop spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous combustion in an engine over time will cause it to knock and eventually damages the engine.
- Premium Gas Reduces Emissions: Emissions are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons that are harmful when released into the air through a vehicle’s exhaust pipe.
New vehicles do not produce as many emissions compared to older vehicles. When premium gas is used in a vehicle, there is a reduction in emission even if it is an older vehicle.
Does Premium Gas Clean Carbon Buildups?
No, premium gas does not clean carbon buildups, rather, it reduces carbon buildups.
Carbon buildups are usually the aftermath result of incomplete fuel combustion and are always in form of black soot.
The longer carbon stays in an engine before cleaning the more wear and reduced performance the engine is likely to experience.
Putting premium gas in an engine with existing carbon buildups will do nothing to clean it, but if you have been using it from the onset or after a major cleaning or servicing then it can help reduce carbon buildups.
Premium and regular gas alike have detergent as part of their composition that can help the reduction of carbon deposits.
If your main reason for getting premium gas is so it can clean your engine’s carbon buildup, you are simply wasting money.
If you really think there is a need to clean carbon buildup, take the car for servicing. One easy way to prevent carbon buildup is regular maintenance.
During routine maintenance, all the important parts of the engine are cleaned and the oil changed. You should also only supply the engine with quality fuel.
Benefits of Using Premium Gas?
Is using premium gas really worth it? Or is it a waste of money? Here are the benefits of using premium gas as opposed to other types of gasoline:
1. Increased Life Span for the Engine
Using premium gas in an engine, especially one that recommends its usage will increase the engine’s life span.
Due to the high-octane level of premium gas, it runs smoothly in an engine and ensures combustion happens at the right time.
It limits the damage that can be done to an engine as a result of combustion.
2. Improved Performance
In using premium gas, a vehicle will most likely experience improvement in its performance.
One of the rare times a regular gas vehicle benefits from premium gas are in hot weather or when it’s carrying heavy objects because it helps to improve its performance.
Premium gas also helps a vehicle reach the desired horsepower and maintain it. Nobody wants to drive a car with reduced engine power.
3. Better Fuel Economy
One benefit you can be sure of getting with premium gas is better fuel efficiency. Premium gas in vehicles with a high compression ratio will see it reach its full capacity in gas mileage.
4. No Engine Knocking
Premium gas prevents your engine from knocking. Using regular gas in a vehicle designed for premium gas is a recipe for engine knock, don’t do it. When an engine knocks it can cause more damage to the engine.
It is important to note that most of these benefits are seen when premium gas is used in vehicles that require it.
Conclusion
Rather than going with how you feel and putting whatever gas you are in the mood for inside the engine, check the owner’s manual for the gas the manufacturers recommend. Premium gas will not clean your engine nor will it clean carbon buildups, if you need the engine cleaned take the car to a mechanic to be serviced.