What Are the Effects of Low-Quality Gasoline on Cars?
2 Answers
Low-quality gasoline can cause fuel line blockages and lead to engine carbon deposits. Fuel line blockages: Low-quality gasoline often contains excessive impurities. During use, these impurities can spread throughout the entire fuel supply system. Components with porous structures or filtering functions, such as the fuel pump filter, fuel filter, and fuel injectors, are particularly susceptible to clogging by these impurities. After the fuel supply system becomes blocked, the most common consequences are poor fuel delivery, failure to start, sudden stalling while driving, or severe engine vibrations. Engine carbon deposits: Low-quality gasoline contains a high amount of gummy impurities. While some of these can be filtered out by the fuel line's filter screen, a significant portion remains unfiltered and adheres to internal parts like fuel lines and cylinders, forming what is known as carbon deposits. Additionally, substandard gasoline lacks cleaning properties and only increases the burden on the car's engine. If low-quality gasoline is accidentally used, it is advisable to completely drain the remaining fuel from the tank and refill with high-quality gasoline. At the same time, clean the throttle body, fuel injectors, and combustion chamber. Depending on the severity, replace spark plugs and ignition coils as needed.
I personally experienced using low-quality fuel once, and as a result, the engine kept knocking and occasionally shaking while driving, which was really scary. I asked a mechanic, and he said this was caused by the low octane number leading to detonation, which over time could damage the pistons and spark plugs. The fuel also had a lot of impurities that clogged the fuel injectors, causing uneven fuel supply, slower acceleration, and a significant increase in fuel consumption—I ended up spending nearly 100 yuan more on fuel each month. What's even more annoying is that the engine warning light kept coming on, and each time I had to scan and clear the code, which cost 50 yuan. Now, I only refuel at reputable gas stations. I recommend checking the fuel specifications—don't try to save small amounts of money only to invite bigger troubles, as repairing a damaged car is much more expensive. Regularly cleaning the fuel injectors can also prevent issues and keep the car running smoothly.
