There is often more than one option when you pull up to the petrol station. But you may be better off choosing the most expensive one.
One driver who accidentally filled their car with 'premium' petrol was surprised the learn the real reason why you should be putting the pricier stuff in your tanks.
With the cost of living crisis upon us, the price of fuel is through the roof - rising from 99p a litre in 2016 to over £1.60 for petrol and £1.80 for diesel on average at the moment. However, the driver shared why you shouldn't be skimping on fuel. One car owner took to Reddit for comfort after accidentally filling their car with 'premium' brand petrol at a supermarket instead of the regular unleaded.
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Taking to Reddit after accidentally using the more expensive of the unleaded options, the car owner was met with lots of responses. And according to one driving expert, every driver should be opting for the premium fuels, at least every now and again, reports Yorkshire Live.
The user posting on r/CasualUK, said: "Premium is different in three ways. It has a higher octane rating. If your car's ECU can adapt to it (most modern cars will) it will produce more power. A lot of high performance cars have to run on super. It basically means the fuel is less likely to spontaneously combust under compression, so the spark can be fired later when the mixture is more compressed.
"They often have more detergents and additives to keep the fuel system clean, than regular fuels. This can keep the car running better and improve economy/emissions.
"It's E5 rather than E10. This means it has 5 per cent ethanol in it rather than 10 per cent. Some cars HAVE to be run on 5 per cent forcing you to buy premium. The reason some cars can't run on E10 is because of the materials used in the sealant and pipes - high ethanol content can deteriorate those parts on older cars.
"If it was diesel, the answer is #2 only but the difference can be much more significant there due to how much diesel fuel systems get clogged up. Incidentally it's also the difference between supermarket diesel and brands. People will tell you it's the same fuel because it comes from the same refinery - it does, but it's not the same fuel due to the additives!
"I personally won't run a diesel car on supermarket diesel if I can avoid it, the sooting it causes is a nightmare for EGR valves and diesel particulate filters."
He then goes on to make a recommendation to every driver, adding: "Generally a full tank of premium fuel every now and again is a good thing to keep the car running well, think of it as a festive treat for it."
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