Can the Middle East version of Patrol use 92 gasoline?
2 Answers
According to the official vehicle manual recommendation, the Middle East version of Patrol should use 95 gasoline. For the Middle East version of Patrol, besides checking the appropriate gasoline grade in the vehicle manual, you can also check it on the fuel tank cap, which will also be marked. Usually, the gasoline grade can also be determined based on the engine's compression ratio. Vehicles with an engine compression ratio between 8.6-9.9 should choose 92 gasoline, while those with a compression ratio between 10.0-11.5 should choose 95 gasoline. However, with the application of some new technologies nowadays, the gasoline grade cannot be solely determined by the compression ratio. A high compression ratio can also be tuned to use lower-grade gasoline because, apart from the compression ratio, there are other influencing factors such as ignition timing, turbocharging technology, and Atkinson cycle technology. Generally speaking, the higher the gasoline grade, the higher the octane number, and the better the anti-knock performance. 92 gasoline contains 92% isooctane and 8% n-heptane, while 95 gasoline contains 95% isooctane and 5% n-heptane. If the Middle East version of Patrol occasionally uses the wrong gasoline grade, simply switch back to the correct grade after using it up. However, long-term use of the wrong gasoline grade may have the following effects: For vehicles recommended to use lower-grade gasoline, using higher-grade gasoline by mistake will not cause damage, but the increase in octane number will change the fuel's ignition point, leading to delayed combustion in the engine. This means both the engine's power output and thermal efficiency will decrease, and the actual feedback experience is reduced power. For vehicles recommended to use higher-grade gasoline, using lower-grade gasoline will cause engine knocking. Because the octane number is too low, the lowered ignition point of the gasoline will cause it to ignite prematurely during the compression stroke. If combustion occurs before the spark plug ignites during the compression stroke, resistance will arise during the upward stroke. This resistance will make the engine run very unstably. If it's only mild knocking, it will just increase noise without obvious damage to the engine. But if there is noticeable knocking, it indicates the engine's working condition is already very severe. The vibration not only affects driving stability but also causes abnormal wear of the piston and cylinder, and in severe cases, cylinder scoring.
I'm so familiar with driving this car. The V8 engine in the Middle East version of the Nissan Patrol is indeed powerful, and the fuel cap indicates a minimum requirement of 95 octane. But honestly, in an emergency, you can occasionally use 92 octane - the ECU will automatically adjust the ignition timing to prevent knocking. However, don't make it a habit! This high-revving engine with 11:1 compression ratio will trigger the check engine light if you consistently use lower-grade fuel. Once when I couldn't find 95 octane at a gas station in northwest China, I mixed half a tank of 92 and immediately cleaned the fuel system afterwards. Veteran car owners especially need to worry about injector clogging from carbon buildup. If you really want to save money, installing a fuel additive system would be more practical.
