Hurry does lead to worry when it comes to situations like this. This mishap can trigger a string of events which is as simple as fretting over whether it can damage the engine to the financial strain it might cause to fix the damage it will damage the engine. However, while a fuel mix-up can cause trouble to your engine, putting premium gas in your car that runs on regular fuel is not a situation you need to switch to panic mode. Here is everything you need to know if you have accidentally put premium gas in your car.
What happens when you put premium gas in your car?
Firstly, it must be noted that vehicles run on both regular and premium gas. If you accidentally put premium fuel in your car, it doesn’t harm the car or its engine. However, certain manufacturers recommend only premium gas as their engine demands it. Therefore, in such cases, if you fill it with lower-grade fuel, then it can damage the car’s engine.
What is the difference between regular and premium gas?
The major difference between regular and premium gas is their octane rating. In other words, the octane rating determines the pre-ignition resistance of a car. The higher the octane rating better is the pre-ignition resistance. For example, fuel with 91 or above octane is premium fuel, while 87 octane is regular fuel.
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What are the benefits of premium gas?
The major advantage of premium gas is its ability to prevent engine knocks. In other words, constant engine knocks can strain the engine. This can be bad for your car in the long run. With premium gas, the mistimed combustions are minimized, which can safeguard your car engine’s life.
However, in contrast to popular belief, premium gas doesn’t improve the mileage of your car. In addition, it doesn’t automatically clean your engine either. However, premium gas does contain additives that bring out the best in your engine in terms of cleanliness.
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What happens when you put the wrong fuel in your car?
Meanwhile, putting the wrong fuel in your engine, for example, diesel in a gas engine, can be bad for your car. However, if you realize your mistake soon, it is better to park it and turn off the engine. Consequently, drain the gas tank and fuel lines to prevent further damage. In other words, fuel filter clogging or fuel injector pump damage can result in an engine misfire.
However, if you haven’t realized the mix-up, then too there will be an engine shut down once it runs out of gasoline. This is because the engine cannot burn the diesel.
Does insurance cover draining the wrong fuel from your car?
If you misfuel your car, your car insurance won’t cover the cost of getting rid of it. This is because the fuel mishap was a preventable event. If a gas station agent caused this, you could sue for necessary compensation if there have been major damages to your car due to this error.
How can I detect a fuel mix-up in my car?
If you have accidentally put premium gas in your car, which runs on regular fuel, then there won’t be any benefits or damage to the engine. However, if there is a fuel mix-up the other way around, you could hear rattling noises and a decrease in fuel economy. Meanwhile, if you have mixed Ethanol in a gas engine, you will see the check engine light flickering. Early detection is the key to avoiding accidents in the long run in this case.
However, gasoline in a diesel engine can lead to immediate engine damage. This occurs due to the following reasons.
- The difference in flash point temperature between gas and diesel.
- Decreased lubrication.
- Incomplete combustion.
- Overheating
Similarly, diesel in gasoline engines can also have serious implications.
- Fuel deposits on the engine parts due to partial burning.
- Rapid wear and tear of the engine.
- Igniting the catalytic convertor.
Therefore, misfuelling can be a serious issue when a gasoline engine gets a dose of diesel or vice versa. However, putting premium gas in your car, which runs on regular fuel, can be a cakewalk since the engine does not have any impact if it is filled with high-grade fuel.
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