put wrong fuel in car - help

Robisere

No one has asked the most relevant question: what car/make/model?

OP, check your car's handbook. It should give you information regarding Octane Rating. If it states that your car can use 97 or 98 Octane fuel, the engine's computer will have a sensor that detects the higher octane and adjust accordingly. If this is not in your handbook, it really does not matter, no harm will be done.

An engine that can use a higher octane fuel will benefit from it. It has more effect than just "cleaning the engine". For an engine that can use it, there is an increase in performance. For an engine that cannot use it, it makes no difference, except to the higher price. The difference varies according to the car's rated performance.

Spaced Octane molecules? Really?

a.turner

Robisere wrote: »

No one has asked the most relevant question: what car/make/model?

OP, check your car's handbook. It should give you information regarding Octane Rating. If it states that your car can use 97 or 98 Octane fuel, the engine's computer will have a sensor that detects the higher octane and adjust accordingly. If this is not in your handbook, it really does not matter, no harm will be done.

An engine that can use a higher octane fuel will benefit from it. It has more effect than just "cleaning the engine". For an engine that can use it, there is an increase in performance. For an engine that cannot use it, it makes no difference, except to the higher price. The difference varies according to the car's rated performance.

Spaced Octane molecules? Really?

Is that a long winded way of saying it doesn't matter?

Scrapit

iammumtoone wrote: »

The wrong type of petrol. I don't know what the difference is (apart from cost). I think its reasonable to ask if you are not sure.

To the average driver the price is the only difference

Richard53

Scrapit wrote: »

Petrol in a petrol car. What's the problem here?

The OP accidentally filled with something other than her usual fuel and was wondering if it would cause a problem. That's not an unreasonable thing to do, and is what these forums are for.


Just because the answer is obvious to some of us, doesn't mean it's obvious to everyone. No one is born knowing this stuff. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

mattyprice4004

Totally reasonable to ask - a lot of my family members would panic too!
You'll do some good, if anything - lots more detergents and cleaning agents in super.

No need to treat it any different than another tank of fuel.

almillar

No one has asked the most relevant question: what car/make/model?

Don't need to, we've already got it covered. OP confirmed that the petrol cap says 95RON, and doesn't mention anything better. So she just wasted her money (possible effects of any additives aside), rather than break anything.

EdGasketTheSecond

Yeah nothing to see here; thought it was going to be an entertaining thread.

NBLondon

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Yeah nothing to see here; thought it was going to be an entertaining thread.

I thought the concept of Octane spacing out the petrol molecules was amusing