We all know that gasoline has risen in price a lot over the last few years. But is cheap gas the same as expensive gas? Why the difference in price? Will cheap gas damage my engine? Will expensive gas prolong the life of my engine? These are all questions that I have a heard a lot and there never seems to be a black and white answer for consumers, unlike a lot issues that we face mechanically with our cars such as oil changes, car batteries and sunroof repair.
Many experts within engineering, gasoline manufacturers and major car brands have come up with the following response, “You do not need to worry about putting cheap gas in the tank, you’re unlikely to damage the engine in your car.”
The big difference in modern vehicles and indeed modern technology is that your car’s computer can differentiate between any variations in fuel and adjust accordingly. This ranges from high performance high-octane fuel, to the super cheap gas from your Walmart gas station.
Some experts still believe though that it is worth spending slightly extra on fuel to provide peace of mind to people who want to keep their car for the long-term. Whereas if you have an old car that only cost you a $1000 then you are less likely to be worried about it.
The fact is at source all gas starts off the same, but once it is distributed to the manufacturers they add their own additives to add cleaning and help with the vehicle’s performance. The main difference is that the main brands add their own ‘secret’ mix of additives to their fuel, which they claim helps further with performance and cleaning your car’s engine. Experts fundamentally agree that all fuel’s available on the market offer protection for your car, more additives equals more protection, which also equals higher cost.
The bottom line is major oil companies spend bucket loads of money on marketing and advertising to convince the public that we should buy their brand. Think Coca-Cola versus normal Cola for instance, you know its not the same as there is and added ‘extra’ ingredient. If you are concerned about what fuel to buy, then the best route is to follow the advice laid out in your car owners manual to see their recommendation and where possible follow their advice, after all they built your engine so they will know.