What does a gasoline octane of 93 mean?

Answer 1

The 93 in the gasoline octane rating is the speed at which the fuel burns in the combustion chamber of the engine. The higher the octane rating, the slower the fuel burns. Now at first this may sound like a bad thing, and many ask "Shouldn't a higher octane burn faster and be better for my car?" The answer is no. If you've ever heard a "ping" in your engine and someone has told you to get a higher octane fuel, that is because the ping is acutally from the explosion of gasoline in the engine. Gasoline should not explode, but rather it should burn as quickly as possible. A lower octane rating will burn faster, and under the right conditions actually explode, causing that undesireable ping. Upgrading to a higher will allow the fuel to burn slower, therefore not exploding. All in all, the higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. Some people will insist on upgrading to a more "premium" fuel because it must be "better" for their car, when in all actuallity, the manufacturer of each car or truck has determined a specific octane recommendation for each car or truck based on the specifications of the engine in order to obtain the best possible fuel efficiency and performance. Straying from the recommendation can then potentially alter or lower efficiency or performance. A little lengthly of an explanation, but I find that the additional information helps explain the octane rating. Hope this helps!