What happens when a car runs on UNI Premium fuel
Drivers face an important choice: to fuel their car with cheaper gasoline to spend less, or to reduce fuel and maintenance costs by using improved gasoline or diesel. Manufacturers claim that such fuel keeps the fuel system clean and protects the engine from wear. A logical question for car owners is: how does constant use of improved gasoline affect the car? The Unigaz gas station network invited auto experts to look under the hood of a car that runs on UNI Premium and assess the engine condition.
In 2021, the Unigaz network presented UNI Premium fuel with improved operational properties to drivers in Omsk. German Keropur additives from the BASF concern are used in its production. That same year, road, bench, and laboratory tests of UNI Premium were conducted at the «Automobiles and Energy Installations» department of SibADI (Siberian State Automobile and Highway Academy).
The study results confirmed tangible advantages of UNI Premium compared to regular gasoline: fuel consumption reduction of up to 11%, which at current prices amounts to about 6 rubles per liter (approximately $0.10 at current rates), reduction in soot formation intensity by 134%, due to detergent properties, reduction in soot mass by 22.5%, cleaning of injectors and spark plugs (1). Plus protection from soot and corrosion.
The price difference between improved and base fuel of the same type, even at competing gas stations, is around one ruble per liter (2) (about $0.02 at current rates). It turns out that the savings from choosing simpler and cheaper gasoline are insignificant. With the difference, you could buy, for example, one or two ice creams.
Instead of immediate savings, you can gain a benefit of about 6 rubles per liter (3) (approximately $0.10 at current rates) by reducing consumption when using improved UNI Premium gasoline. Of course, the final refueling amount is influenced by bonuses, economical driving style, various promotions at gas stations — for now, let«s focus on the benefit from quality fuel.
Scientific research provides convincing data, but it«s also interesting to look at the real condition of a car after intensive use. The Unigaz network decided on an experiment and invited auto experts to assess the engine of a car that is fueled with their branded fuel.
So, the subject: a 2011 Nissan Murano crossover with considerable mileage of 218,000 kilometers. The car is used daily as a workhorse. The owner drives a lot, mainly in the city.
Diagnostics revealed that the owner generally follows the maintenance recommendations for his crossover. There are violations regarding the timing of filter and spark plug changes. Additionally, the radiator pack was heavily contaminated, requiring thorough washing and cleaning.
What are the consequences of such oversights? Due to a clogged radiator, the engine overheats, and this contributes to increased soot formation. A dirty air filter hinders free air entry into the cylinders, causing increased gasoline consumption.
Untimely replacement of the fuel filter can lead to premature contamination of the injectors. The owner hasn«t changed the spark plugs for several years either. But it is their condition that clearly demonstrates the excellent working qualities of UNI Premium fuel.
«The spark plugs have a light-gray coating. This means that the fuel-air mixture is forming and burning correctly, there»s no soot here. This is the result of using good gasoline. The owner should think about gasoline quality when black soot from its combustion forms on the spark plugs, sometimes they look as if spat with greasy particles. In this car, the spark plugs are impeccable, only the gap between the electrodes is a bit too large,« said the expert, motor mechanic Petr Pavlov from Dream Service.
Using an endoscope with a camera, Petr Pavlov examined the internal condition of the cylinder working surface.
The condition of the cylinders for a car with over 200,000 kilometers turned out to be good. On the cylinder mirror, the grid of those very scratches from processing with a honing head using factory technology is clearly visible. This means that everything is fine with lubrication, and the forecast for further long engine life is quite favorable. But when the grid wears out, the oil film becomes thinner, friction increases, and as a result, fuel consumption grows. Accordingly, wear on the cylinder-piston group progresses.
«Essentially, there is no noticeable wear visible to the eye. For a 15-year-old car, this is excellent. Yes, there is some slight soot at the upper edge of the cylinder, but this is not related to the fuel system operation,» explained Petr Pavlov.
«When using poor fuel, the combustion process is disrupted. Overconsumption of fuel is only half the trouble; abnormal engine operation in the long term risks expensive repairs. Loss of power and premature wear also relate to the negative consequences of using low-quality fuel.
But Omsk drivers in this regard can be said to be lucky: in our region, it»s hard to encounter frankly bad fuel. The test car has been running on UNI Premium with the special Keropur additive from the German concern BASF since the fuel appeared on the market.
This is gasoline with improved operational properties, allowing to increase engine resource, its power, reduce the number of repairs, and significantly save because fuel consumption decreases by 10–11%,« explained Vasily Zaloznov.
«Premium fuel performs its functions, it maintains the cleanliness of spark plugs, the combustion chamber, piston bottoms, and piston rings. It can be said that UNI Premium gasoline helped preserve the engine we examined in very good condition. By the way, the Keropur additive is recommended by automakers including for high-tech German cars from the so-called big three: Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi. It»s excellent that we have the opportunity in Omsk to refuel with fuel containing such an additive,« emphasized Vasily Zaloznov.
The Unigaz network, by deciding on this experiment, not only confirmed the advantages of UNI Premium fuel but also once again provided interesting material for thought. The conclusion suggests itself: one should look under the hood of the car more often and choose fuel considering its operational advantages. Refueling with simpler and slightly cheaper fuel casts doubt on real budget savings. It«s better to develop an economical driving style for oneself and use the opportunities provided by improved gasoline and diesel fuel. An additional advantage can be participation in a bonus program. Then you save in the short term and don»t lose out in the long run.
(1) Compared to commercial base gasolines «AI-92-K5» and «AI-95-K5». The full report on tests and laboratory studies can be found on the website. Content is available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4 License.
(2) For comparison, prices are taken from open internet sources.
(3) Based on prices taken from the official website unigas-azs.ru, current on the day of publication.
