The American Automobile Association has some advice and warnings to drivers….watch what kind of gasoline you’re putting in your car. AAA found that many drivers are clogging their car engines by not using gasoline with enough added detergents.
By federal law, all gasoline has to have some engine-cleaning additives but many major brands have extra detergents. A study by AAA found that lesser gasolines left 19 times more deposits on engine intake valves than the so-called top-tier fuels after the equivalent of 4,000 miles of driving. As a result, the carbon deposits reduce a vehicle’s mileage. It also increases emissions and hurt the general performance of the vehicle.
The auto club says gasolines with the extra detergents cost about 3 cents more a gallon and that’s likely why consumers aren’t buying them.
AAA found that three fourths of the consumers it surveyed admitted they buy gasoline based on the price or the service station’s location. Only one in 8 said they picked a brand because it has the extra detergents.
A quick solution exists, according to AAA’s director of automotive engineer, Greg Brannon. He said car owners can reverse some of the deposits by simply switching gasoline for a few thousand miles.
