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We get asked every so often, is it really necessary to use premium fuel if you are using Bell Performance gas treatments?
Just why do some auto manufacturers insist that you use premium gasoline? Is it really
necessary? What if you are using MIX-I-GO or Ethanol Defense to protect your engine – can you save the extra money by using mid-grade or regular grade gasoline?
Some higher-end performance auto makers specify premium fuel because the car engine type may be designed to operate with a higher combustion ratio. The premium fuel with a higher octane rating is needed to ensure the fuel combusts at the correct time for the best vehicle performance.
Better Octane?
Both MIX-I-GO and Ethanol Defense are formulated with a combustion catalyst that provides a more complete burn in the combustion chamber for whatever grade of gasoline is being treated. While it's not a chemical octane improver, decades of product use have shown that the combustion improver mimics this effect. The old sales people at Bell from the 70s and 80s described it as "slowing the burn". We wouldn't necessarily describe it that way, though.
Cleaner Engine?
Some drivers are under the impression that premium fuels leave less carbon deposits in engines because they have better detergency. In actuality, one doesn't really have anything to do with the other. There are some fuels that are called 'top tier' fuels because they have extra detergency in them to a certain level that is certified by the makes of the fuel to be superior. But this doesn't relate to their octane level. You can have a regular gasoline with top-tier detergency and you can have a premium gas with the same.
For those people who don't use top-tier gas, MIX-I-GO and Ethanol Defense contain detergents to break down and burn off the engine deposits that build up over time.
Premium fuels may provide faster acceleration
This perception is similar to the octane issue for consumers - not necessarily true. But for those using regular gas, the combustion catalysts in MIX-I-GO and Ethanol Defense that give you a more complete burn also provide for more power from the combustion chamber, resulting in better acceleration.
Premium fuels may get better mileage?
Long time premium gas users sometimes swear that using it gives them better mileage, which helps defray the 20 or 30 cents extra per gallon that they pay. We're happy to report that the combined benefits of MIX-I-GO and Ethanol Defense which result from the extra lubricants, combustion enhancers and detergents to prevent deposits will make your engine run better and the better the engine runs, the better your mileage will be!
Do I have to use premium gas?
If your car manual states that you MUST use premium, then we will never recommend that you don’t. Bell Performance is not in the business of advising consumers to go against their owner's manuals.
If your car manual only RECOMMENDS that you use premium, well, we believe that you can count the extra 20 – 30 cents extra per gallon as savings against the small cost per gallon when you boost your mileage and run more efficiently using MIX-I-GO and Ethanol Defense!
You may be interested in this other article: Does premium gas have ethanol in it?
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