Fuel diet: how not to damage a car with a different kind of fuel
Despite measures to stabilize the situation with petroleum products, the situation at gas stations remains difficult in a number of regions. Under these conditions, drivers are forced to fill their cars with whatever fuel is available, even if such gasoline does not match the engine's octane rating. Izvestia found out what such refueling is fraught with, how to minimize the consequences of operating a car on unsuitable fuel, and whether there is any benefit from using special fuel additives.
"There are enough fuel volumes"
The capacities of the largest oil refineries are now being used to the maximum, and the potential of medium and small enterprises is being used. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on providing fuel to the domestic market. He noted that at the moment gasoline reserves practically correspond to the level for the same period last year, and in July the production of basic fuels should exceed the June figures.
According to Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the demand for fuel has increased by 20-30% due to consumer hype. However, the country has formed "enough volumes of fuel for the domestic market," he stressed.
— The system's logistics links are currently being restructured to meet the needs. Balancing the market will take some time," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Currently, according to the Ministry of Energy, gasoline reserves amount to 1.7 million tons, which is almost the same as in the same period last year.
Nevertheless, problems remain for both motorists and businesses, the head of state acknowledged.
"Unfortunately, there are queues at gas stations too, and you can't always find the right brand of gasoline," Vladimir Putin said.
Do not lower the "degree"
As the Izvestia correspondent found out last weekend, some gas stations near Moscow have only low-octane Ai—92 gasoline, while others have only 98 or 100 gasoline. At the same time, despite the fact that most modern cars are designed to run on A-95 gasoline, car owners have to fill the tank with fuel of a different brand.
The most "painless" option is to use gasoline with an octane rating higher than prescribed by the operating instructions, Maxim Kadakov, editor—in-chief of Za Rulem magazine, notes. For example, refueling a car designed to run on Ai-95, 98-m, or 100-m gasoline. In this case, any problems and potential engine failures are practically excluded, the expert notes.
— The claim that the "hundredth" gives a higher temperature when burned in a cylinder is nothing more than a myth: the combustion temperature of high- and low-octane gasoline is about the same. The main difference between them is that the first one is less susceptible to detonation," said Maxim Kadakov.
It is much worse if you have to fill up the car with fuel with an octane rating lower than prescribed by the instructions. In this case, detonation occurs in the engine, which leads to increased loads on the engine parts, said the editor-in-chief of Za Rudder.
Highly-accelerated turbocharged engines with a high compression ratio are the most sensitive to the octane number of gasoline, Sergey Shabunin, master receptionist at the Veshnyaki-Avto technical center, told Izvestia. If fuel with lower characteristics is poured into the tank of a car with such an engine designed for high-octane gasoline, it will ignite not from a spark, but from increased pressure in the cylinder, he explained.
— Roughly speaking, the engine will work according to the diesel principle. Moreover, the flare of the fuel-air mixture will not occur smoothly and evenly, as it should, but will actually "explode" in the cylinder and burn up with detonation. In this case, the ignition of the working mixture will occur until the piston reaches the upper dead center," he said.
Because of this, the piston rings, as well as the pistons themselves, especially the partitions around their circumference, are seriously affected, the specialist noted. In addition, due to an incorrect fuel combustion process, the temperature in the cylinders will be higher than normal, which can lead to a "burnout" of the valve plates. In the most unfavorable development of events, prolonged operation of the engine with constant detonation can even lead to a breakage of the connecting rods, Sergei Shabunin said.
He also said that the engines of some modern cars are able to partially withstand detonation. Sensors detect that the fuel combustion process differs from the set parameters and the engine control unit adjusts the ignition timing angle so that the ignition of the working mixture in the cylinders occurs precisely from a spark, and not from high pressure. However, the possibilities of electronics are not unlimited, and the serious detonation caused by the large difference between the recommended and actual octane number of the fuel used cannot be completely eliminated by the "brains" of the engine, noted Sergey Shabunin.
You can drive, but carefully
If the situation forces you to fill up your car with gasoline with an octane rating below the recommended one, experts advise changing your driving style during such a forced "diet." In this case, it is necessary to exclude sudden acceleration and movement at high speeds, advises Sergey Shabunin.
— It is necessary to avoid running the engine at high speeds when the compression ratio inherent in its design reaches its maximum values. Then the detonation due to an incorrect fuel combustion process will be less pronounced," he recommends.
In a situation where there is no fuel grade prescribed by the car's instructions, but you still need to drive, you should not fill up the car "under the traffic jam," Maxim Kadakov believes. In this case, it is necessary to fill in a small amount of "wrong" gasoline so that there is not "pure 92nd" in the tank, but, taking into account the remnants in the tank, there is actually "93rd" or "94th" gasoline, he advises. And at the first opportunity, the car must be filled to the maximum with fuel of the recommended brand, the expert reminds.
— What is absolutely unacceptable is the use of diesel fuel instead of gasoline or vice versa. In either case, it will no longer be possible to drive far from the gas station, and the engine will have to be overhauled," warned the editor—in-chief of Za Rulem.
And if you "cheat"?
Against the background of fuel shortages in a number of regions, the demand for various additives and additives to increase the octane rating of gasoline has increased among drivers. Their use can cause even more damage to the engine than detonation, experts warn.
According to Maxim Slezkin, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, who for a long time held the position of process engineer at a large international company for the production of auto chemicals and automotive cosmetics, a significant part of such additives on the Russian market are old-generation products. They are based on the so—called ferrocenes, metallogenic chemical compounds, he said.
Such additives, known as "fuel pills", are indeed capable of significantly increasing the octane number of gasoline, but they are extremely harmful to modern engines, said the technical director of LN Distribution LLC (Lynx, NGN, Ichiro brands) Andrey Babushkin.
— Metal-based chemical elements can briefly increase the detonation resistance and calorific value of fuel. However, you have to pay for this with colossal side effects, which ultimately lead to extensive breakdowns," he said.
According to the expert, solid deposits formed during the combustion of such additives destroy spark plugs, "clog" the fuel system elements and quickly disable the catalysts in the exhaust system of the car. In addition, the fireproof metal microparticles in the cylinders act as an abrasive, causing increased wear of the piston group.
At the same time, Maxim Slezkin notes, there are modern additives that are harmless to the engine, similar to those used at refineries in the production of gasoline. However, they are noticeably more expensive than so-called fuel pellets and at the same time cannot dramatically increase the octane number of fuel. According to the expert, their use will increase this indicator by a maximum of two or three units.
— It will definitely not be possible to turn the "92nd" into the "98th" with their help. However, since they are based only on "organic matter" without metallic impurities, they do not cause damage to the motor. Such drugs can be recognized by the composition indicated on the package. The list of ingredients should include methyltretbutyl ether or its abbreviated name, MTBE," Maxim Slezkin, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, told Izvestia.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
