What to Do If the Wrong Gasoline Grade Is Added to the Vehicle?
2 Answers
Solution for adding the wrong gasoline grade: If you need to use a higher-grade gasoline but have added a lower-grade one, you can add a gasoline additive that increases the octane rating to the fuel tank. If you need to add a lower-grade gasoline but have added a higher-grade one, it will not affect the engine at all. Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings, with higher-grade gasoline having higher octane ratings. Gasoline with higher octane ratings has better anti-knock properties. Some car engines require high-octane gasoline, and generally, turbocharged engines need to use 95-grade gasoline. Turbocharged engines have higher pressure and temperature inside the cylinders during operation. If lower-grade gasoline is added, it may cause knocking in the engine.
Once I accidentally filled up with the wrong gasoline grade. My car requires 95 octane, but I mistakenly added 92 octane instead. I panicked and immediately turned off the engine at the gas station, not daring to restart it, as lower-grade fuel could cause engine knocking or internal damage. I then called the local automotive service hotline, and they recommended towing the car to a professional repair shop. There, technicians drained the fuel tank, cleaned the system, and added some higher-grade gasoline to dilute the remaining low-grade fuel. The whole process took over half a day but prevented more serious issues. Since then, I've developed a habit of double-checking the pump labels before refueling, and now I even use a mobile app to record each fuel grade I use. New drivers should pay attention to this detail—don't think it's trivial. One mistake could cost you thousands in repairs. The key is to address it promptly; don't wait for it to worsen.
