FUEL

Fuel Types and Your Car

October 19, 2018 by admin 2 Comments

Have you been to a service station lately? Unless you are part of the small cohort of electric vehicle devotees, then you are making regular visits to the fuel pump and shelling out a lot of cash in the process.

While visiting the pump, you will find several grades of gasoline and in some cases diesel and biofuel options. Choosing the right fuel for your car can help it run its best while enabling you to avoid costly repairs as you keep your vehicle in sound operating condition.

Your Owner’s Manual

If you are not sure what type of fuel your car takes, there are two places where that information is prominently posted within your vehicle.

fuel filler The first is printed on its fuel cap. The second is in your owner’s manual. Carefully read what is published and understand the distinction between “recommended” and “required” fuels.

Recommended fuels represent the grade of gasoline that your car is optimized to consume. Required fuels are those that you must use or risk damaging your engine and perhaps invalidating your new car warranty.

Many high-performance engines equipped with turbochargers and superchargers require premium-grade gasoline only. Understand the distinction between “recommended” and “required” to avoid making a costly mistake. Engine damage can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.

Gasoline Grades

Most fuel pumps offer two grades of gasoline, with others offering three or more.

Regular grade gasoline typically comes in at 87 octane, with octane representing a flammable hydrocarbon liquid. An octane rating measures a particular fuel’s propensity to ping or knock when mixed with air and burned within an engine’s cylinders.

To avoid knocking, especially in higher compression ratio engines, manufacturers may recommend or require that you use mid-grade gasoline (89 or 90 octane) or premium grade gasoline (usually 92 or 93 octane). There is, however, usually no performance advantage for fueling with a higher grade gasoline than for regular if your car is optimized to take lower octane rated fuel.

All About Diesel

Just as the octane rating measures gasoline’s quality of ignition, cetane measures diesel fuel.

However, the similarities end there as cetane measures ignition delay, the time between the start of fuel injection and the start of ignition. A higher cetane number means your diesel-powered vehicle will start faster, operate quieter, run more efficiently and emit lower levels of pollutants.

Unlike gasoline, motorists will typically find just one diesel choice at service stations. Cetane ratings typically range from 40 to 45 and in some cases as high as 55.

Biofuels and Alternative Fuel Choices

Many service stations around the country carry biofuels. In fact, if you fill your car with gasoline, there is a significant likelihood that your fuel contains up to 10 percent ethyl alcohol.

E85 fuel This should be of little concern for you as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles can run safely on a small blend of gasoline and ethanol, the latter typically derived from corn and other plant-based materials.

Some cars are known as flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which means they can take either straight gasoline or a combination of gasoline and ethyl alcohol up to 85 percent. So-called E85 fuel or ethanol consists of 85 percent ethyl alcohol and 15 percent gasoline.

(See Also — Rebates For Buying, Using An E85 Vehicle)

Similarly, many of today’s diesel engines can take biodiesel, representing a combination of animal fats, cooking oil or soybean oil and straight diesel, ranging from 5 to 20 percent. Thus, B20 fuel represents 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

A select number of vehicles can run on propane fuel or compressed natural gas (CNG), typically following aftermarket retrofits that make this possible. The advantage of both fuels is that they are cheaper and run cleaner than gasoline or diesel, but few service stations carry them. In areas where allowed, homeowners may install liquid petroleum (propane) tanks on their property. Homes equipped with a natural gas line can also install a compressor appliance to refuel their vehicles overnight.

Shopping for a Vehicle

Not all models offer one fuel type only. Some are able to take gasoline, other diesel, while still others run on natural gas or liquid petroleum.

When shopping for a new vehicle, consider the current costs for these fuels and plan your purchase accordingly.

See Also — Is My Car E85 Capable?

Photo Credit: “INL E85 Fueling” by Idaho National Laboratory is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Is My Car E85 Capable?

December 12, 2017 by admin 2 Comments

Ethanol-blended fuel is generally sold as E85, consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent straight gasoline. This particular fuel is usually derived from corn or some other grain, or by means of using other renewable or recyclable materials. E85 is relatively clean burning, provides more power to your car, but is less efficient than gasoline. Not all cars can run on E85, but yours might provided that at least one of the following three “clues” is in evidence.

Clue No. 1: Badging

The most obvious indication that your car is E85 compatible is badging or other visible signage affixed to your car. Car manufacturers will often attach a badge stating “Flex Fuel” or “E85 Ethanol” somewhere on the body’s surface, usually at the rear or on the sides of the car.

E85 Fueling Flex fuel means your car can run on straight gasoline or ethanol, signaling that the fuel system has upgraded plastic and rubber parts and a modified fuel sensor to detect the relative amount of ethanol to gasoline.

Clue No. 2: Placarding

With some flex-fuel vehicles, placarding is used to identify this capability. For instance, you may find a sticker affixed directly above the gas cap or inside the fuel door, indicating E85 compatibility.

In addition, some manufacturers use bright yellow gas caps and inscribe E85/Gasoline on the cover of the cap to denote its flex-fuel capabilities.

Clue No. 3: Owner’s Manual

Your owner’s manual provides a wealth of information about your car. Turn to the section about fuel to learn what types of fuel are recommended for your car.

If your car can take E85 fuel, that information will be clearly outlined in the manual.

American Lung Association

The most comprehensive list of flexible fuel vehicles listed online is tracked by the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest’s “Clean Air Choice” website.

This list is updated regularly and includes all models produced since 1995 when select Ford Taurus models were built with flex-fuel capabilities. Moreover, the ALA doesn’t identify affected sub-models, but they do indicate which vehicles offer an FFV option.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Your vehicle’s 17-digit vehicle identification number may indicate its flex-fuel capability if no evidence can be found on the exterior of your car or in the owner’s manual. The VIN can usually be found on the driver’s side of the dashboard at the base of the windshield and viewed from the outside of your vehicle.

Each letter or digit also represents something about your vehicle including the year it was made, engine type, body style, country of origin and other factors. The eighth placement is reserved by some manufacturers, including Chrysler, to identify its flex-fuel capability.

Jot down your entire VIN and contact your dealer to determine whether your car is flex-fuel ready.

E85 Order: No Specific Rules

The federal government hasn’t instituted rules to identify E85 vehicles, leaving that responsibility to automotive manufacturers. Flex-fuel vehicles began entering the market in the mid-1990s, which means that the aged sedan you bought for your son or daughter may be flex-fuel capable without your knowledge.

If in doubt about your car’s ethanol readiness, never use E85 as it can damage engine seals. E85 is also harder to find at service stations outside of the upper midwest and is up to 30 percent less fuel efficient than straight gasoline.

Photo Credit: “INL E85 Fueling” by Idaho National Laboratory is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Gasoline Fuel Choices for Today’s Cars

November 26, 2014 by admin 3 Comments

Buy a new car, especially one that requires gasoline, and you may soon find that the grade of gasoline you thought it should take is not the correct one.

Most service station pumps offer three grades of gasoline with octane ratings of 86 to 87 (regular), 89 (mid grade) and 91 to 93 for premium. The price spread between the lowest and highest grades is as much as 50 cents, making for quite a price difference if you have a gas tank of 15 to 20 gallons or more.

What grade gasoline should you use? Only what the owner’s manual tells you to use. The car manufacturer is the only source for determining the right grade, what must be followed if you want to avoid engine damage and voiding your warranty.

Like all gasoline-powered Jaguars, this one requires premium grade gasoline.

What is Octane?

Octane indicates a fuel’s ability to resist engine knock. If the octane is not high enough, then the engine will not be able to handle the heat and pressure.

When driving, this problem becomes apparent if you hear the engine pinging, rattling or knocking. Constant engine knock can damage the engine’s pistons, bearings and head gaskets, causing engine damage. Are you prepared to pay thousands of dollars in repairs?

6.2-liter Supercharged LSA engine — Supercharged or turbocharged, premium fuel is required.

Recommended Versus Required Grades

The manufacturer’s language for the octane or gasoline grade used will typically state words such as “recommended” or “required.”

If a certain grade of gasoline is recommended, that means you can use whatever grade you want. A recommended higher grade gasoline may deliver slightly improved performance, but the lower grade is still safe to use.

When a certain grade is required, then you must use it. Typically, this requirement is for turbocharged or supercharged vehicles that must take premium grade gasoline as these engines operate at higher compression ratios.

Other vehicles that take a lower grade under normal circumstances may require a higher grade when towing. Again, consult your owner’s manual.

Knock Protection

Cars built today are outfitted with a knock sensor, what retards ignition that causes knocking. This sensor prevents engine damage, but it also reduces performance and fuel economy slightly.

When the knock sensor fails you will know it — your car will run poorly and the check engine light will activate. Service your car immediately, do not drive it.

Fuel Considerations

Even with the lower recommended gasoline grade some drivers insist on filling their vehicles up with a higher grade, thinking that their cars will perform better. Generally, that is not the case and what you end up with is paying more at the pump than you need to.

Count the Subaru WRX among those models needing a premium boost.

List of Vehicles Requiring Premium Grade Gasoline

Auto Trends regularly evaluates new models, testing at least one new vehicle each week. The following is a sample list of current 2015 vehicles that require premium grade gasoline, including some that we’ve tested:

Acura — all models.

Audi — all models powered by gasoline engines.

BMW — all models.

Cadillac CTS — 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

Cadillac ELR

Chevrolet Camaro — 6.2- and 7.0-liter V-8 engines only.
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Volt

Chrysler 300C — equipped with 6.4-liter V-8 engine.

Dodge Challenger — equipped with V-8 engines.
Dodge Dart Aero

Ford Mustang — Equipped with 5.8-liter V-8 engine.

Honda Civic — Equipped with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine.

Hyundai Equus
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Hyundai Genesis Sedan —5.0-liter V-8 engine only.

Infiniti — all models except for the Q60 hybrid.

Jaguar — all models.

Kia K900

Lexus GS 350
Lexus GS 450h
Lexus GX 460
Lexus IS 250
Lexus IS 350
Lexus LX 570
Lexus RC 350
Lexus RX 450h

Mazda MX-5

Mercedes-Benz — all models powered by gasoline engines.

Nissan 370Z
Nissan GT-R

Smart Fortwo

Subaru BRZ
Subaru Forester — with 2.0-liter engine only.
Subaru WRX — all models.

Again, this is not a complete list. Consult your owner’s manual and take notice of the placard next to your gas tank filler neck.

How Can I Tell If My Car is Flex-Fuel Capable?

October 31, 2012 by admin 2 Comments

Cars that are flex fuel capable are vehicles that can run on either straight gasoline or an ethanol blend. An ethanol blend is fuel that consists of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, or what most of us know as E85 fuel. Not all cars are flex fuel capable and some owners may be surprised to know that they own such a vehicle. If you are not sure whether you drive an FFV, there are five ways to confirm this.

1. Inspect you gas cap. Most car manufacturers of flex-fuel vehicles use yellow gas caps on FFV models. GM initiated this practice in 2006 and other manufacturers have been following suit since 2008. In addition to the yellow cap, you may see E85 / Gasoline printed on the surface of the cap.

2. Check out the fuel door. Pop open the fuel door of your vehicle and you may seen a label identifying what types of fuel your car can take. If you see “E85,” then your car is flex-fuel capable. With some cars the label may be on the outside surface of the door.

3. Look at the body. Manufacturers typically like to boast that a car is flex-fuel capable. You may find various badges on the side and rear of the vehicle with designations such as “FFV,” “FlexFuel,” and “E85 Ethanol” present. FFVs have been around since the early 1990s — some older vehicles may not have badges present.

4. Open your owner’s manual. If you are not familiar with your owner’s manual, then sit down and open it up. Find the section that talks about fuel. If your car is an FFV it will note this as it mentions the different types of fuel your car takes such as regular grade gasoline and E85.

5. Check the Vehicle Identification Number. Yes, that 17-character alphanumeric sequence found on your dashboard and other areas of your car can tell you whether you own an FFV or not. Thanks to the great work of the North Carolina Solar Center, that information can be deciphered. Most FFVs have a special 8th VIN character designation that confirms this information, but sometimes another character is used. Check out the NC page to learn about your car.

FFV Facts

Cars that are fueled with E85 enjoy a slight boost in performance. However, your fuel mileage will drop by about 25 to 30 percent, a reduction that is not always offset by a similar lower price. E85 pumps are sometimes difficult to find too with greater concentrations in the midwest and other corn-growing regions of the country.

(See Also — Fuel Types and Your Car)

Decoding Motor Oil Weights

October 13, 2011 by admin 3 Comments

If you’re getting ready to change your car’s engine oil yourself, you need to choose the right motor oil weight based on its viscosity. Viscosity represents the internal friction of a fluid or a gas — thick fluids have a higher viscosity and thin fluids have a lower viscosity.

API Labeling

Thanks to standards put in place by the American Petroleum Institute and endorsed by America’s automakers, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and the Engine Manufacturers Association, there is a great deal of uniformity when it comes to choosing motor oil. You can find API engine oil quality marks on every can of motor oil featuring both a service symbol “donut” and a certification market “starburst” to help consumers decode motor oil weights. [1]

The starburst simply tells consumers what the oil is used for. It will either state “for gasoline engines” or “for diesel engines” leaving the “donut” information for decoding.

Motor Oil Weights

Motor oil weights are published with two numbers separated by a dash. The first number is always followed by a “W” to represent winter. At lower temperatures, motor oil must resist thickening otherwise it will not be able to flow properly to coat all the moving parts. For example, thick oil will make it harder to start your engine at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the first number, the thinner oil it is at lower temperatures. [2] Thus, if the number is 5, then its viscosity is better designed to handle cold weather then one with a 10 rating. For winter driving, many cars use 5W-20 or 5W-30 motor oil.

The second number defines oil’s viscosity at temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the boiling point for water. The higher the second number, the thicker the motor oil is, which is ideal for summer driving. Most summer oils are rated at “40” or “50” and sold as 10W-40 or 20W-50.

Manufacturer Recommendations

So, which motor oil should you choose for your car? That answer is easy: whatever the manufacturer recommends. Manufacturers will typically provide a range of motor oils to use including one that may be recommended for hot weather and another that is recommended for cold weather. By following manufacturer recommendations you can ensure that your engine is properly lubricated to limit engine wear, to perform optimally and to consume less fuel.

References

[1] American Petroleum Institute: About Engine Oil