Levin with a compression ratio of 10 is not suitable for using 95 octane gasoline; it should use 92 octane gasoline, as recommended in the vehicle's official user manual. For Levin with a compression ratio of 10, besides checking the appropriate gasoline grade in the user manual, you can also find it on the fuel tank cap, which will indicate the recommended grade. Typically, 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 use 92 octane gasoline, those between 10.0-11.5 should use 95 octane gasoline, and if the compression ratio is higher, 98 octane gasoline is recommended. However, with the application of new technologies, the gasoline grade cannot be solely determined by the compression ratio. High compression ratio engines can also be tuned to use lower-grade gasoline because, apart from the compression ratio, other factors such as ignition timing, turbocharging technology, and Atkinson cycle technology also play a role. Generally, the higher the gasoline grade, the higher the octane number and the better the anti-knock performance. 92 octane gasoline contains 92% isooctane and 8% n-heptane, while 95 octane gasoline contains 95% isooctane and 5% n-heptane. If Levin with a compression ratio of 10 occasionally uses the wrong gasoline grade, simply switch back to the correct grade after consumption. However, long-term use of the wrong gasoline grade can have the following effects: For vehicles recommended to use lower-grade gasoline, using higher-grade gasoline 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, resulting in poorer performance. For vehicles recommended to use higher-grade gasoline, using lower-grade gasoline can cause engine knocking. Because the octane number is too low, the gasoline's ignition point decreases, causing it to ignite prematurely during the compression stroke. If combustion occurs before the spark plug fires during the compression stroke, resistance will appear in the upward stroke. This resistance makes the engine run very unstably. If the knocking is imperceptible, it only increases noise without significant damage to the engine. However, noticeable knocking indicates severe engine conditions, affecting not only driving stability but also causing abnormal wear on pistons and cylinders, and in severe cases, cylinder scoring.
