High prices of gasoline have made people look around for cost effective options. They want to save money at the gas pump. Though you know that abstinence from premium fuel does not harm your car but there would be a lingering fear every time you visit an off brand gas station. But as par the leading gasoline manufacturers, carmakers and automobile engineers you do not have any reason to worry after filling your tank with cheap gas. The change of gas will not hurt your car. The latest development in engine technology has meant that the cars are able to adapt to fuel variations without any drop in performance when using different brands of fuel. Whether you use the priciest gas or the cheap stuff from the local gas station, your car will keep performing as it used to. But if you own a brand new car then it is wise to opt for high end gasoline as it keeps the engine moving smoothly. For used car owners, this is should not be an issue. They can easily opt for cheap gas. But this does not mean that all the gasoline is of same quality. There are some differentiators between best brands and off brands.
Fuel for all the gas stations is received from the same refinery. After receiving the gas, the workers at the gas station mix certain additives into the fuel that is necessary as per the Environmental Protection Agency’s norms. These additives are put into the base gas to clean your car’s engine and reduce its emissions. Both major brands and off brands put their secret additives to boost the performance of car engines. The major difference between branded and off brand gas is that major brands use better quality and more in quantity additives. More additives provide a better level of cleaning and protect your car engine in the long run. Does this mean that: if these additives are not put into the car your car’s performance will suffer? The automobile engineers feel that all the gas contains some amount of additives that can help the car perform well. On the other hand the leading gasoline manufacturers opine that the level of additive mandated by the Governmental authorities is not enough to care for a car’s engine. It is however not advisable to change the brand of oil regularly. You should stick with a specific brand for certain while before making a move.
There are so many gasoline companies and all of them are creating marketing campaigns to prove their superiority over others. Some of the advertisements claim that once you use a specific brand of gasoline there will be no gunk buildup. Is this a marketing gimmick? The automobile experts feel that gasoline with low additive content can lead to foul fuel injectors which trigger Check Engine light after every 10,000 miles. But there is another school of thought who feels that additives have no role to play in this. A leading automobile company ran a test on two branded gasoline and one off brand. The company reported that there were no drastic differences in the engine state. It is further stated that about twenty years ago, only branded gasoline had additives and the unbranded ones provided raw fuel. But the environmental regulations have meant that everyone providing gasoline has to mix some additive in the fuel. A group of engineer’s further state that the claims made by leading gas brands in their commercials are marketing gimmicks and there is not much truth in their claims.
The only difference between gas of leading brands and off branded gas is the quality and quantity of additives. Though, how much effect this additive has on the performance of engines is still under question. For the time being you can definitely use cheap gas without worrying.
