Does Premium Gasoline Really Reduce Engine Wear?

New research indicates that buying cheaper gasoline is actually causing your engine to wear out sooner than it should. In fact, when it come to your car’s fluids, you should be concerned about not just the quality of the motor oil in your engine but also the quality of the gasoline you are filling your tank with to get the most protection possible from normal engine wear.

Related article: Top Tier Gas Recommended by AAA Automotive Experts for These Cars

In other words, motor oil matching with gasoline can significantly reduce wear.

It's All About Where Wear Occurs and What Additives Can Do

That was the message in a recent The Motor Oil Geek YouTube channel episode where the host explains that for too long, engine wear has been overly focused on just motor oil quality when it comes to engine wear.

It is a well-known fact that motor oil's greatest enemy is gasoline, which enters the combustion chamber of an engine's cylinders and actually dilutes the oil by degrading it into a thinner viscosity than what it started with when poured into an engine.

Less viscosity means less protection as the piston rings rub against the cylinder wall. The rubbing eventually leads to more fuel getting past the rings and into your engine oil, worsening over time and leading to a shortened engine life.

"The piston ring rubbing against the cylinder wall is the number one source of wear in your engine," states the host as he explains that the oil in the piston ring groove is chemically different than the oil in the sump. This is due to the high temperatures near the head of the piston and the fuel dilution in the grooves of the piston ring that together act negatively on the motor oil.

"There's tons more fuel in the piston ring groove oil than there is in the sump," added the host.

Researchers found that the answer to this problem is concocting fuel with wear additives called "friction modifiers" to lessen the effects of high temperature and fuel dilution on your motor oil within the piston rings.

Not All Fuels Are The Same

While it is true that all fuels come from the same pipeline source, it is not true that gasoline is gasoline regardless of what brand you buy and put into your car. After fuels are processed and pumped into a tanker, differences in the additives and modifiers poured into the tankers afterward change the performance qualities between brands and types of gasoline.

How do scientists know which gasoline "friction modifiers" provide the best protection for piston ring wear? To find out about the tech that determines the best gasoline additives to use, follow along with the host beginning at timepoint 6:38 in the video, where he explains how the science was done and why it is so convincing.

If you do not want to know how the tests were done and just want to find out what gasoline brands your car will benefit most from, skip to the spoiler alert immediately below the video.

Can Premium Fuel Reduce Engine Wear?

Gasoline Spoiler Alert

In short, research shows that premium fuel offers not just higher octane but also additives such as gasoline friction modifiers that are shown to markedly reduce the wear at the piston ring/cylinder wall region within your engine.

Which brand of gasoline does the host refer to in his video that provides these friction modifiers? While other brands offering Premium gasoline might have the same or similar additives, the Shell V-Power Nitro+ Premium gasoline is referenced at the beginning of the video.

However, a search reveals that Exxon Mobil also claims reduced engine wear with friction modifiers in its Synergy Supreme+ Premium gasoline.

Will My Car Last Longer Using Premium Gasoline?

It is important to note the research only shows that friction modifiers protecting the oil in the piston ring grooves do appear to reduce wear in the pistons and cylinder walls compared to basic gasoline without the friction modifiers. However, a convincing study has yet to be done showing that buying Premium gas alone will make your engine last longer. Brand marketing being what it is, their claims infer that this is why you should buy their gasoline brand and type. However, engine longevity is multifactorial, and the inference that Premium fuel will make your car last longer is not entirely accurate.

In fact, using higher-octane Premium fuel when the manufacturer recommends lower octane regular unleaded gas for your car model could cause poorer performance and even affect engine life. This is because all engines are designed for a specific fuel and why it is recommended that you should stick to the recommended fuel for your car.

Plus, there is the added problem of paying close to a dollar more per gallon for Premium. A complex calculation of the years owned, fuel efficiency, mileage reached, projected future fuel prices, etc., will likely show that the final cost of spending more for Premium gasoline outweighs the possible benefit of a longer-lasting engine.

How to Make Your Car Last

The proven rule of thumb for getting the most (and best) life out of your car is continual maintenance and good driving habits, with an emphasis on fluid changes more often than manufacturer recommendations and driving like you own a non-turbocharged Hybrid and are trying to squeeze the most miles per gallon possible.

For additional articles related to making your car last, here are a few for your consideration:

• Increase Your Aging Toyota's Fuel Efficiency with These Easy Steps
• Silent Engine Killer Revealed by Oil Experts
• Least Reliable Cars That Don't Make It Past Their Warranty

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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