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Bad Gas: Myths and Truths

The myths and facts of gasoline and how it effects your car….

Myth or Fact:
Cheap Gas = Bad Gas
Sometimes: Most of the time, a really good price break is not due to the suppliers demand or ability to buy bulk at a better price, but because they choose to add less dispersant-detergent additives to their product. Recommended levels of dispersant additives are around 1000 ppm, some companies are able to reduce their costs by putting at little as 100ppm of additives in your gasoline. This leads to higher corrosion and buildup over time in fuel systems and engine components.

Myth or Fact:
One tank of bad gas can prevent my car from running

Yes, but not as often as you might think. The two most likely scenarios are either filling with the wrong fuel or having water in your fuel. A normal gasoline car will not run well or at all on diesel fuel or E85, and a diesel engine will not run on gasoline. Only cars designed to be used with E85(Flex fuel)  can run efficiently on such high concentrations of ethanol. Pumping fuel contaminated with water is always a possibility, but can usually be avoided. Use reputable filling stations, avoid filling directly after a large (2+ inches) rainstorm, or while the station tanks are being refilled as it can stir up any water or contaminates in the tanks.

Filling with lower quality gasoline will cause buildup and corrosion on key engine components, resulting in lost power and fuel economy and earlier engine failure. High levels of contaminates may cause a plugged fuel filter. Symptoms of a partial plugged fuel filter are a loss of power, most noticeable while accelerating and at highway speeds and a plugged fuel filter can prevent an engine from running at all.

3 Responses so far.

  1. mp3juice says:

    I could not resist commenting. Very well written!

  2. mp3juice says:


    Extremely useful information specifically the last part :
    Thank you and best of luck.


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