I didn’t know this before and it adds credence to my feeling that it’s better to let my tank get below 1/4 full before filling it up, rather than continually topping it up.
Lower octane that puts in higher octane aren’t burning the fuel because higher octane needs a hotter spark to burn it all so you’re essentially wasting money or slowly killing your catalytic converter by putting in a higher octane than what your car is meant to use.
On the flip side, lower octane in a car that requires higher means the gas ignites quicker which will cause knocking and can damage the engine.
There’s probably more to it than this, but that is what I was always taught.
I fill up when I hit 1/4 tank as well. Don’t wait for it to go below though, as it can be bad for the engine with deposits and other stuff in the tank.
I would hope your car has a fuel filter installed that would never let deposits get to the injectors. (Or carb on the off chance you drive one of the last ones on the road.)
You should be filling up closer to a third. The fuel pump is cooled by the fuel and letting the fuel run too low can cause more wear and tear on the pump, causing it to fail.
I didn’t know this before and it adds credence to my feeling that it’s better to let my tank get below 1/4 full before filling it up, rather than continually topping it up.
The vast majority of cars run fine on 87 octane. If that’s what you’re using, then it really doesn’t matter if there is some 89 or 92 in the hose.
True, but my car needs 92 octane
Depends how much, but you’re right.
Lower octane that puts in higher octane aren’t burning the fuel because higher octane needs a hotter spark to burn it all so you’re essentially wasting money or slowly killing your catalytic converter by putting in a higher octane than what your car is meant to use.
On the flip side, lower octane in a car that requires higher means the gas ignites quicker which will cause knocking and can damage the engine.
There’s probably more to it than this, but that is what I was always taught.
I fill up when I hit 1/4 tank as well. Don’t wait for it to go below though, as it can be bad for the engine with deposits and other stuff in the tank.
I would hope your car has a fuel filter installed that would never let deposits get to the injectors. (Or carb on the off chance you drive one of the last ones on the road.)
So with modern fuel filters, there’s no “watch out for the crud at the bottom of the tank” phenomenon to worry about [anymore]?
You should be filling up closer to a third. The fuel pump is cooled by the fuel and letting the fuel run too low can cause more wear and tear on the pump, causing it to fail.