Gas Facts: Yikes! How can I afford to drive?

How much per gallon?

Here in Southern California, killer bees aren't the only thing to be afraid of. Keep your eyes on the gas pumps, as they seem to be increasing as much as twice a day! How can we continue to drive our cars? Anyone recently buy a SUV or truck? Upsizing suddenly doesn't seem to be way such a great idea anymore. It's going to be a bumpy road ahead, and potholes have nothing to do with it.

What grade of gas should you buy? 87 Octane? 91 Octane? What do I need?

Rule of thumb here is to buy the lowest octane gas that your car doesn't ping on. Today's very sophisticated electronics constantly adjust the timing of the engine to prevent pinging (detonation). If you buy too low of an octane fuel, the electronics detect the pinging and retard the timing. Retarded timing equals less power, and less available power equals more pedal. It's a viscous circle. Pay more per gallon or pay by buying more gallons - you decide.

By the way, detonation means just that - the fuel is literally exploding before the engine ignites it. This can have serious effects on your engine such as high pollution levels, destroyed catalytic converters, destroyed engine internal parts, and, need I say, puts a really BIG dent in your wallet. Consult your owner's manual to see what was recommended from the manufacturer.

Often the recommendations are higher than you can find. In that case, go by the "no ping" method. Contrary to popular belief, the lower the octane number, the more explosive power it has. High-octane fuels burn slower, thus allowing a cooler burn. Cooler burning fuels mean less pinging and fewer emissions.

Using high-octane fuel in a vehicle that doesn't need it is just a waste of money No performance gain there!

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