• grue@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    6 months ago

    Presumably, you buy a grade other than the E15 that doesn’t have the “minimum 4 gallons” restriction.

    • tal@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      6 months ago

      So, I don’t know what the deal is with E15 – what’s unusual there is the ethanol content – but insofar as high-octane blends go, and if that’s the factor here…I mean, while I realize that there’s a certain contingent of people who buy them because they think that they’re just better for their car, and for all I know that may dominate the actual market, in theory you’re supposed to only use high-octane fuels in cars with engines that require it.

      I guess they’d probably function without it, but…

      • gramathy@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        Generally higher octane works fine in most cars but high performance engines not configured to handle either type may knock with lower octane fuel (due to premature ignition with the higher compression ratio), and will generally put out (slightly) less power regardless due to timing adjustments the engine will make to accommodate the change.

        Putting premium in a regular car that isn’t designed with higher compression ratios in mind is really just a waste of money.