Would My Car Benefit From Using A Higher Octane Fuel?
The blog this week is based around when to and when not to use a higher octane fuel. Some people do not understand what a higher octane fuel is and what it does. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising so if you are using a more expensive fuel unnecessarily you could be spending money you do not actually need to as this fuel is more expensive than standard fuel. Read on to find out more:
So – would your Volvo or Toyota benefit from using a higher octane fuel - In a nutshell - No. Why? Well the Sportier cars have higher compression engines which in turn generate much more power and
therefore require higher octane fuel to prevent detonation. Higher-octane fuels suit high-performance engines where the pressures and temperatures are far greater. Cars such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini for example. The higher octane fuels are used to up the amount of available horsepower and improve the engines performance. This is because these cars are designed to be driven hard on open roads. The higher octane fuels are used to help prevent engine knock, which occurs when unburned fuel pre-ignites in the engine which often leads to damage of the engine components. The higher the RON of a fuel, the more likely it will be to burn in a controlled manner in the engine, therefore ultimately leading to a reduction of engine knocking. Basically if your Volvo or Toyota handbook says to use regular
fuel then use regular fuel. Regular engines are not built with the same compression ratios and engine temperatures as turbocharged and supercharged engines, meaning they get a lot less out of the high-octane characteristics of these fuels. We do have some customers who say once a month they ‘treat’ their car to a tank of high octane fuel, however you would probably get more benefit from doing an oil and filter change. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!
Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.
