The summer months are usually one of the busiest times of the year on Spanish roads. The displacement of passenger cars to the holiday destination of many Spaniards also means an increase in fuel consumption during trips. A situation that happens especially on long-distance journeys.
Some owners of gasoline vehicles may choose to refuel with 95 gasoline and also 98 gasoline, although this action is not recommended in all cases. On certain high-end models, the use of 95 unleaded gasoline can damage the engine.
The main difference between 95 and 98 unleaded gasoline is in its octane rating and also in the color of the fuel.
The octane number is a measure that indicates the resistance to detonation of the fuel when it is compressed inside the cylinder of an engine.
“For the combustion process to take place inside the cylinder, the explosion of the mixture of gasoline and air must be such that it allows creating the thrust effect on the piston. Therefore, the higher the octane number, the greater the capacity of anti-knocking of gasoline and better engine performance”, highlights the Repsol website.
On the other hand, 95 gasoline has a pale blue color and is more discolored than 98 gasoline.
A European standard created in 2018 a new name that is used at gas stations to report each fuel. Hence, it is common to identify each fuel, both gasoline and diesel, as follows: E5 95, E5 98, B7 and B10.
98 gasoline is usually between 15 and 20 cents a liter more expensive than 95 gasoline. Currently, even filling a tank with 98 gasoline is more expensive than diesel.
To justify this price difference, the oil companies state that 98 gasoline offers greater cleanliness, that is, it emits less carbon on the piston and optimizes consumption more.
However, most vehicles built with a gasoline engine use 95 unleaded gasoline, although they can also use 98 unleaded gasoline. In the case of sports vehicles it is recommended to use only 98 unleaded gasoline.
The information on the fuel recommended by the manufacturer of a vehicle can be confirmed both in the official manual of the car and in the fuel tank itself, which will have an informative label inside.
If we refuel 95 unleaded gasoline in a vehicle manufactured exclusively to use 98 gasoline, the vehicle will drive much more sleepy when accelerating and its consumption will be higher. Over time, the engine could fail.
In the case of refueling an engine with 98 gasoline when it is prepared for 95 gasoline, it does not pose any problem except the economic one. It will not affect the operation of the car, nor will it have any noticeable improvements, but refilling each tank will cost you much more.
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