
Fuel System
FAQ
Carage would like to welcome you to our website’s page dedicated to questions our automotive technicians get from our customers in the greater Jupiter area about the repair and service of their vehicles’ fuel systems.
Here are some common questions about Fuel System.
Carage is occasionally asked by our customers in the greater Jupiter area about what octane ratings in gasoline mean. Carage tells them that the octane rating in gasoline is a measure by which that gasoline is capable of helping to prevent engine knock, also known as rattling or a pinging noise resulting from the premature ignition of the compressed air-fuel mixture in one or more of an engine’s cylinders. The majority of gas stations around the greater Jupiter area sell three grades of octane, 87 octane (regular), 89 octane (mid-grade), and 92 or 93 octane (premium). Octane ratings are located on each gas pump, usually as a bright yellow sticker. If you live in the Jupiter area and have any other questions about the fuel you use in your vehicle please feel free to contact Carage and let one of our auto repair mechanics be of help!
Carage tells our customers that are driving around the roads of greater Jupiter that generally as a rule high octane gasoline will not perform better than regular octane gasoline insofar as the prevention of keeping engine deposits from forming, removing engine deposits, or cleaning their cars’ engines. As a matter of fact, all octane grades in all brands of gasoline are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to include cleaning detergent additives that assist in the protection of the build-up of levels of engine deposits that are considered harmful during the life of a vehicle. If you live in the greater Jupiter area and have other questions about the automotive fuel please do not hesitate to contact Carage and let one of our skilled automotive repair technicians be at your service!

Carage always welcomes the opportunity to share our automotive expertise with our customers when asked about the different ways they can drive around the Jupiter area more efficiently. Listed below are several tips for more efficient driving the technicians of Carage hope are useful in saving gas.
Sensible Driving
Carage tells all of our customers in Jupiter that driving aggressively around the streets and highways of the Jupiter area, to include speeding, braking, and rapidly accelerating, can waste gas! Gas mileage can be decreased by as much as 33 percent on the highway and about 5% when driving the streets of the Jupiter area. Driving sensibly is not only an overall safer practice for you, but for other residents in the Jupiter area as well, meaning more than gas money can be saved!
Observing Speed Limits
Carage tells our customers that while every car and truck on the roads of the greater Jupiter area will reach optimal fuel economy at varying speeds when traveling above 50-mph. can rapidly decrease a vehicle’s gas mileage. It can be assumed that for every 5 mph. above 50 mph., an additional .23 cents is paid for in gasoline. Additionally, observing the speed limit in and around the Jupiter area is also much safer.
Removing Excessive Weight
Carage is quick to tell all of our customers in the Jupiter that want to know how they can drive their vehicles more efficiently that they should avoid keeping heavy items in the vehicle. The MPG for a vehicle can be reduced by up to 2% for every extra 100 pounds. The reduced MPG is calculated on the percentage of extra weight in relation to the weight of the vehicle. Smaller vehicles are affected more than larger vehicles.
Minimize Excessive Idling
Carage tells our customers that one of the best ways to drive the streets of the greater Jupiter area is to minimize excessive idling. Leaving a vehicle to idle can result in the usage of a quarter to a half gallon of gasoline per hour, dependent on the size of the engine and the air conditioner being in use or not. Carage suggests our customers turn off their vehicles when parked as it only takes a few seconds’ worths of gasoline to restart an engine. It is worth mentioning though that turning a vehicle on and off excessively can however increase starter wear so it is advised to use your best judgment when using this advice.
Cruise Control
Carage suggests to all of our customers that when driving the highways and freeways around the Jupiter area it is best practice to use cruise control if a vehicle is equipped with this feature. Cruise control helps maintain a constant speed which in most situations results in better gas mileage.
Not really but try to buy your gas at stations that are always busy to avoid getting gas that has been sitting in the storage tank too long. Also avoid buying gas at a station where you see a fuel truck unloading gas into the tanks as this tends to stir up impurities.
Carage tells our customers in the Jupiter area that unless the engine in their car or truck is pinging or knocking, purchasing higher octane gasoline is wasting their money. In fact, the extra cost paid for high octane gasoline can add up to $100 a year — or more! Carage has learned that some government studies indicate that all combined, drivers across the United States may be paying millions of dollars every year for gasoline with higher octane gas than needed.
Carage tells our customers that purchasing “premium” (high octane) gasoline is similar to giving your car or truck a “treat”, or increasing performance. But Carage tells our customers that are driving around the Jupiter area that most cars and trucks only require regular octane. Government studies in fact support that in most cases using higher octane gasoline than recommended by an owner’s manual offer no benefit at all to a vehicle’s performance! In other words, high octane gasoline will not make a vehicle run cleaner, go faster, or get better gas mileage.
In conclusion the best advice Jupiter can offer anyone driving around the Jupiter area insofar as whether purchasing high octane gas is the best option for their vehicle is to read the vehicle’s owner manual.
Switching to and using a high octane fuel for a vehicle is usually only recommended when a car engine is knocking when using the recommended fuel. It should also be noted that this happens only to a smaller percentage of vehicles.