A fuel pump. PHOTO/FILE
I drive a 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and have been wondering whether it truly makes a difference if I use regular or premium fuel. Some people tell me that premium is better for the engine and enhances performance, while others say it is merely a waste of money unless my car specifically requires it. I mainly drive on motorways and occasionally venture off-road. Could using regular fuel cause long-term damage to my engine? How do I ascertain the best type of fuel for my car without relying on hearsay? Paul Kato
Hello Mr. Kato, Premium petrol and Regular petrol are not the same because they are composed differently and work differently giving different performance and protection levels in your car’s engine fuel system. To understand the difference between Premium petrol and Regular petrol one must appreciate what the two different petrol fuels are. Regular is the common unleaded petrol or gasoline that you find at any petrol station. In Uganda it comes with an Octane number (Rate of Octane) 93 and for a long time has been retailed from refineries in Kenya. Today it’s centrally procured by the National Oil Company of Uganda. Different fuel dealers procure their stocks of Regular Unleaded petrol from the same source and deliver them in their supply chain to their fuel vending stations. Shell enhance their Regular Unleaded petrol with a blend of special cleaning and protection additives to enhance protection and fuel economy of your petrol engine. Premium petrol on the other hand is unleaded petrol that comes with a higher Octane number 95 in Uganda. On some other markets it ranges between 98 - 100. Rate of Octane is how controllably fuel burns in your engine. The higher the octane number the more controllably fuel burns to reduce harmful and efficiency reducing engine cylinder knock. In Uganda only Shell imports Premium petrol, Shell V-Power, which is designed differently and comes from abroad. Shell V-Power premium petrol is blended with cleaning and efficiency improving lubricant additives which work three times more than its counterpart Shell Fuel Save Unleaded. Regular petrol will not damage your Toyota engine, however it will not give your engine the performance or protection enhancements that Premium petrol would give it.
