Can regular unleaded fuel be used in a 2002 Lincoln con. without harming engine?

Answer 1

regular unleaded fuel is safe for every gasoline car engine. the only difference is more watered down and less octane, which means less power for the punch. But the prices are so high I dont care. I can fill my tank for $40.00 of regular and put in a bottle of octane boost for $2.00 and then I have super unleaded. But its up to you on how picky you are. WRONG!!!!!!!!! The above answer is totally incorrect, and it is not about being picky. it is about being smart. Regular unleaded is not water down, and does not provide less power. It does contain less octane, which is why it is not safe to use in every gasoline engine. It is a myth that a higher octane fuel provides more power and better mpg. The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. When gas ignites by compression rather than because of the spark from the spark plug, it causes knocking in the engine. Knocking can damage an engine, so it is not something you want to have happening. Lower-octane gas (like "regular" 87-octane gasoline) can handle the least amount of compression before igniting. The COMPRESSION RATIO of your engine determines the octane rating of the gas you must use in the car. One way to increase the horsepower of an engine of a given displacement is to increase its compression ratio. So a "high-performance engine" has a higher compression ratio and requires higher-octane fuel. The advantage of a high compression ratio is that it gives your engine a higher horsepower rating for a given engine weight -- that is what makes the engine "high performance", and that is why the myth persists that a higher octane fuel increases power. The disadvantage is that the gasoline for your engine costs more. But the fact is that your Lincoln requires 91 Octane Premium Fuel, and you should have know this when you bought it. Burning a lower octane fuel will in time damage your engine. The above poster may not care, but I bet you do. Your car holds 18 gallons of fuel. It is not cost effective to spend $2.00 for a can of octane boost, which would be more than the cost difference of premium fuel. Do not burn any fuel in this engine with less than a 91 octane rating, or you will end up with engine damage.