Is premium gas equal to plus gas?
I went to fill my car today but when i got to the gas station they didn't have premium, which is required for my car, all they had was extra and plus, so i filled plus.
Are they both equivalent to each other?
This is the first time i did this so will it damage my engine?
Comments
They aren't the same thing... Cars that are supercharged or have a turbo require premium fuel for a reason - it burns hotter and more efficiently. I'd advise not doing that again.. Save yourself some trouble in the long run and fill up with the suggested gasoline at a station that has 93 or higher. My suggestion is Chevron if it's available in your area. It won't damage your car this time, but it wont run as efficiently.
Most cars now allow regular gas of at least 87 octane but some do not recommend use of 85.5 octane found in some Rocky Mountain states. This differs from some cars, like the early 1990's Mercedes which required premium. Now, some cars recommend it but few require it.
Plus usually has 89 octane. Premium has 91-93 octane usually, depending on the state. California is 91, Florida is 93.
If you usually use 93 octane and you filled up half of 89, then you are driving on 91. Most cars that require premium set it at 91 because that's the highest you can get in California and some other states. In that case, no damage at all.
If you are cautious, wait until you are 3/4 full and fill it with premium.
I suspect that the gas station uses big words as a gimmick. Extra = regular??? Plus is midgrade??? Or is extra premium and plus is midgrade. Next time, look at the octane ratings. 91 or higher is premium.
First, no damage will be suffered. You might notice a slight drop in performance as the computer makes changes to how the engine runs.
All unleaded gas is the same, only diff is octane rating. Feel free to experiment with lower octane gas to see how your engine performs with it. If you notice sluggish performance or hear pinging or knocking, go back to the higher octane fuel.
In other words, if your car runs fine on Plus, you can use it without worry.
It all depend on what you drive. You should look in your owner's manual for the type of fuel required for you vehicle. If it recommends 91 octane, you can get by with regular 87. If your vehicle requires 91 octane, then you put 91 octane in the gas tank.