FTC Article on Octane
(4/9/99)
Even with higher gas prices, there's a way to save a lot of money at the
pump you may not know about.
News Specialist Scott Light found out a lot of us might be wasting money
when we fill up.
At $1.25 for regular unleaded to WHOA.. $1.45 for high
octane, the way to save money is to make sure you're choosing the right gas.
So we conducted our own informal quiz.
"You think supreme would make this thing run better?"
"Not."
"Do you think you might get better gas mileage out of high octane gas?"
"Possibly."
"Do you think high octane makes your engine run better?"
"Not for the vehicle I have."
But Roland Wosu thinks it does.
His sport utility vehicle gets the highest octane fuel at every fill-up.
Roland says, "It's a choice between paying a little more at the pump and the
changing of some parts on the engine."
So who's right and who's wrong in all this?
The government has weighed in on this octane issue.
It says there are no apparent benefits from high octane.
No better engine performance. No better gas mileage either.
The Federal Trade Commission says high-octane gas doesn't burn any cleaner
than low-octane.
What do the people who sell high-octane gas have to say?
BP-Amoco told us it hasn't studied high-octane fuels.
Chevron has and actually agrees with most of the government findings.
The company does argue that some cars can have improved performance with
high-octane gas.
Chevron and the government also agree there's one way to know what kind of
gas your engine needs.
Do what Roland Wosu had never done until we asked him--check the owner's
manual.
"Octane rating 87 or higher."
That means he can stop paying extra for the 91-octane he's always used.
"That will save me some money. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thanks a lot," he
says.
In a high-price gas world, that's a couple of bucks saved at every fill-up.
There is one specific time when high-octane gas may help.
If your engine 'pings' or 'knocks', try a tank full of high-octane before
paying even more money for a mechanic to look it over.
