Whether you’ve bought a new Nissan Maxima from Mentor Nissan or you’ve been driving the same Nissan vehicle for the last decade, you may stop to wonder whether you’ve been giving it the right gas. Well, choosing fuel is easier than you think, and our Nissan dealers can explain.
Gasoline Tiers
If you’ve ever gotten fuel from an off-brand gas station and noticed your car running funny afterward, it wasn’t all in your head. Not all gasoline is the same. There are actually two tiers of gasoline.
Tier one gasoline has to meet standards for additives and detergents that are designed to keep your car running better by keeping your fuel injectors and other components clean. Tier 2 gasoline is a mixed bag; some brands have no additives, while others will contain some but not others, or may not use the same quality of additives.
You can use Tier 2 gas in a pinch, but if you notice a drop in performance, add injector cleaner to your tank ASAP.
What Is Octane, Anyway?
Engines use a certain amount of compression to ignite gasoline properly. Octane is a rating of how much pressure a given type of gasoline can take and still ignite properly. 87 octane (“regular”) is fine for many engines. However, higher-compression engines require a higher octane rating to prevent irregular ignition, which you’ll recognize as an engine knock.
To find out which gasoline is best for your car, consult your owner’s manual. Remember that it can vary by year, as well. Older versions of the Nissan Murano required high-octane gasoline, but the most recent models will run fine on regular. The V6-equipped Nissan Maxima, on the other hand, needs high octane.
Do you have questions about your Nissan vehicle? Come to Mentor Nissan for Nissan service, parts, and new or pre-owned models. We’re conveniently located at 6960 Center St. in Mentor, OH. See you soon!
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