For additional information on vehicle gasoline standards and much more, simply call the customer service line of your vehicle's manufacturer. Attendants are on hand to answer any questions you might have about the vehicle and its performance.
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2Evaluate diesel or unleaded fuel options. Most vehicles on the market accept either diesel fuel or conventional unleaded gasoline. What's tricky is that some consumer vehicles, including compact cars and sedans from the Volkswagen brand, take diesel fuel. Understand which one your vehicle runs on before filling up, since making the wrong choice can be dangerous.
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3Understand the need for specialty or high-performance cars. Most vehicles simply take the lowest grade and lowest octane gasoline at the pumps, the 87 octane. The exceptions are usually either specialty cars with high-class construction and engines, or high-performance cars that need a higher octane fuel to help resist engine knocking because of a hotter combustion chamber. Figure out your car or truck's engineering, and you'll know which type of gas it should use.
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4Consider the age and condition of your vehicle. Mechanics will sometimes recommend that the drivers of older, ailing vehicles switch to higher octane as a possible way to keep the car running longer. This is not a general recommendation, and it only applies in specific cases, so don't do it unless you have solid evidence that it will improve how your engine runs.
