Separate Fuel Facts
From Fiction
(NC)—In today’s economic times, it’s
more important than ever to protect the
investment in your vehicle – whether it’s a
vintage collector, luxury car or an everyday
car. Yet, according to a new Angus Reid
survey, over one-third of Canadians asked
don’t realize the benefits to their engine
just by selecting a high-quality gasoline
and over half aren’t taking any proactive
measures to protect their vehicle engine
from the build-up of performance-robbing
carbon deposits.
There are many misconceptions about
car maintenance that make it difficult to
know how to best keep your car in good
running condition. Here are a few useful tips that separate fuel fact
from fiction:
Regular maintenance will
help keep your vehicle
running longer and can help
save money at the pump:
Fact
Keeping up on regular
car care services, such as
changing the engine air filter,
oil changes and transmission
check-ups, can help your
vehicle run more efficiently
and avoid major expenses in
the future – no matter how old
your car is. However, nearly
one-third of Canadians asked
admit they don’t keep up with
the maintenance schedule
as recommended by their
vehicle’s manufacturer.
Keeping your engine
properly tuned can improve
gas mileage by an average of
four per cent* and using the
recommended motor oil can
improve gasoline mileage by
one to two per cent*.
All gasolines are the same:
Myth
Gasoline choice plays a vital
role in the cleanliness and
performance of an engine. If
you’ve been using a lowerquality
gasoline, it’s important
to clean out the carbon
deposits, called “engine
gunk”, which can build-up in
as little as 80 kilometres.
Audi, BMW, General
Motors, Honda, Toyota and
Volkswagen believe that Top
Tier detergent gasolines will
help keep engines cleaner than
gasolines containing only the
lowest additive concentration
(LAC) set by government
standards. Using high-quality,
Top Tier-certified gasolines
like Shell nitrogen enriched
gasolines can help protect your
engine against gunk and keep
it performing at its best.
Octane levels in fuel don’t
really make a difference:
Myth
You probably associate octane
with the numbers you see at
the pump, but the technical
explanation for octane is a
fuel’s ability to resist engine
knock. If you use a lower
octane fuel in an engine
designed to use higher octane,
engine knocking may occur,
causing the car to shudder and
lose performance.
Check your owner’s manual
to confirm if you have a
performance vehicle that
requires premium fuel (octane
level 91-93, depending on
the region). The higher
octane helps control the
gasoline burn rate for high
compression engines. So
using the right octane for your
engine’s design helps ensure
maximum fuel economy and
cleaner emissions.
A higher octane level
indicates the very best fuel
for my vehicle:
Myth
It’s important to remember
that “premium octane grade”
doesn’t always equal “premium
quality”. Using a high-quality
premium gasoline, like Shell
V-Power gasoline, can provide
benefits that go beyond octane.
Shell V-Power gasoline
contains a nitrogen enriched
cleaning system with five
times the amount of cleaning
agents required by Canadian
government standards, helping
your vehicle achieve optimum
performance.
