Gas Prices Too High?
In today's economy, you can easily spend 20 dollars or more just to fill the average fuel tank! You might wonder, what is so special
about this golden colored tonic called gasonline that makes it so expensive? If most consumers knew of the complicated development,
the expensive manufacturing process, and the extent of the technology involved, the question would be - why is this stuff so cheap?
The whole process of sucking crude oil from the ground and refining it into a usable product is not like milking a cow! And at the price
of a gallon of milk these days, it's a good thing cars don't run on that stuff! Recent environmental concerns have caused the EPA to place
very demanding and restrictive limits on gasolines. In the end, somebody has to pay for all this, and guess who that is?
To better understand what the future holds for consumers of gasoline, we must look at where we have been. There has never been such a
thing as pure gasoline. Even fuels from decades ago used many types of additives to make it usable. Many common problems have plagued
fuels since the invention of the gas powered engine including water, dirt, acids, chemical breakdown, and unpredictable burn rates.
Due to the simplicity of car engines 30 years ago, not much was required of gasolines. However, engines today don't even resemble those
dinosaurs of yesteryear! With computerized fuel delivery systems, catalytic converters and even electronic mufflers, all it takes is a
spoonful of dirt to ruin your day! Not to mention the recent EPA standards and emission standards that cars must comply with! The bad
news is, it's only getting more complicated.
What about Octane?
The octane rating on gasolines is the most widely misunderstood part of the whole gasoline story. And, it's usually the oil companies
fault we are confused. Most of the advertisements we see on TV are misleading. The oil companies would have us believe that higher
octane is where it's all at! They use phrases like "put a tiger in your tank" and "nothing will do but 92" It's no surprise we all want
the good stuff. But is the good stuff really all that good? In most cars today, using higher octane fuel is not good, especially as your
engine gets more miles on it.
It's actually very simple. Octane is a measurement of a gasolines ability to resist knocking and pinging. Nothing more, nothing less!
A gas with a low octane (87) burns very quickly, which gives good power to normal everyday cars. Higher octane burns slower with less heat
and is more controlled. An engine designed for normal to low power will not benefit from high octane, there simply is not enough 'power'
in the gas. |
However, a high performance engine (like a Corvette or other "muscle" cars) that have been
designed to produce power need this slower, controlled burn. Putting low octane gas in a high octane engine produces poor performance and
pinging, which is very damaging!
Filling your low octane car with high octane or premium gasoline can, over time, be just as bad! Higher octane fuel, with it's slow,
cool burn causes carbon build-up. You don't want that! That carbon buildup, which takes place in the engine's combustion chamber, will
raise the compression ratio of the engine. As the compression ratio increases, so do the combustion chamber temperatures. The end result?
A gradual loss of power and a propensity for your engine to have 'spark knock' or detonation, a symptom that is very damaging to the
internal parts of an engine.
The bottom line is that filling your tank with high octane fuel not only may be wasting your money, with no increased power, but may also
be creating a headache for you down the road.
To find out if it's necessary for you to use a higher octane fuel, you will have to find the owners manual for your car. This may require
opening the glove box where you will also find several other things you've been looking for and hopefully coffee money for tomorrow! Find
the section titled 'Fuel Requirements'. This section will tell you the minimum octane requirement for your engine and that is what you
should be using! If your engine does not perform as it should with the fuel the manufacturer suggests, there may be something else wrong
that needs correcting.
What is 'oxygenated' fuel?
In recent years, automotive fuel refineries have been required to oxygenate fuel. Oxygenated fuel burns more quickly and easily resulting
in lower emissions, which is less harmful to our environment. But there is a downside with fuel being oxygenated. In extremely low
temperatures some engines may be harder to start; and in some cases flooding can occur. Cold weather starting difficulties have become
such a common problem that most vehicle manufacturers have issued technical service bulletins warning technicians of such problems.
All this technical 'stuff' about gasoline today - octane, detonation, oxygenation, and 'emmision-ation' - it's mind-boggling! We all take
fuel technology for granted and complain at the rising prices. Come to think of it, maybe it would be easier if cars just ran on milk!
|
