[IP] final more on gasoline use
Begin forwarded message:
From: Suzanne Johnson <sjohnson@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: August 10, 2005 5:24:23 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: more on gasoline use
....more on use of low-octane gas instead of high...
from the car-talk folks:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1995/May/17.html
from WSJ:
Low-Octane Liability?
By JONATHAN WELSH
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
January 4, 2005; Page D6
Editor's Note: The first installment of a weekly column answering
readers' questions about automobiles. Questions can be e-mailed to
mecar@xxxxxxxx
Gasoline prices have been high – over $2 a gallon in some parts of
the U.S. – for over a year but most drivers still haven't been moved
to trade in their big, fuel-thirsty vehicles for more economical
models. But that doesn't mean the cost of filling up hasn't gotten
consumers' attention. A number of readers say they've been saving
money by using regular unleaded gas instead of the higher-octane fuel
specified in their owners' manuals. With the highest-octane premium
fuel often costing about 30 cents more per gallon than regular, the
savings can be significant. But motorists wonder whether there's any
danger in using lower than the recommended octane.
Martin Arnold of Trumbull, Conn., says his BMW 330i "runs great on
regular grade, no knocks no pings. But am I doing permanent damage to
the engine or shortening its life?"
The short answer is no. Even manufacturers like BMW and Volvo say low-
octane gasoline won't cause the harmful "knocking" that threatened
engines 20 or 30 years ago. Knocking occurs when fuel is burned or
"detonated" prematurely in the engine. On modern cars, electronic
engine controls include devices called knock sensors that constantly
adjust the vehicle's ignition to prevent knocking, regardless of the
fuel grade.
There is a downside, though. When car companies publish performance
data like acceleration and miles-per gallon, the figures are based on
how the car performs using the recommended fuel grade. Cars that are
designed to run on premium or "high test" may not perform as well on
lower octane. The difference probably won't be noticeable in everyday
driving, but a BMW spokesman recommends that drivers do a little
math: Compare the car's fuel economy with different fuel grades to
determine the cost per mile for each octane level. We've tried this a
few times, though not with any BMWs so far, and have found that using
regular fuel costs less per mile.
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