When you buy a new Land Rover SUV, you’re going to want to be sure that you do everything you can to keep it in prime condition. One thing that tends to confuse drivers near Winnetka, IL is whether they should fill their Land Rover SUVs with regular or premium gasoline. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about whether using regular gasoline in certain vehicle will damage the engine, or alternatively, if using premium gasoline can increase performance.
The simple way to state the difference between regular and premium gasoline is that premium has a higher octane level than regular (91 to 93 for premium versus 87 for regular). The gasoline’s octane rating determines how likely it is for engine combustion to occur at the wrong time. Using higher octane fuel makes it less likely that combustion will occur at any time other than when it was designed to occur. This mistimed explosion is called an engine knock because the sound resembles a knock or a ping. A few engine knocks are harmless, but repeated knocking can cause damage to your engine and necessitate expensive repairs.
The best way to find out if your car requires regular or premium gasoline is to look in the owner’s manual or behind the gas cap. Some Land Rover vehicles, such as the 2017 Range Rover Sport, will recommend premium fuel but not require it. If this is the case, using regular gasoline won’t cause any damage, but you can try out premium fuel to see if you notice any performance differences. Other SUVs will require premium fuel, in which you need to fill up with premium to avoid engine knocking.
To learn more about fuel types, talk to one of our expert Land Rover dealers at our Land Rover Northfield.