The quality of gasoline almost always leaves much to be desired. The use of low-quality fuel is fraught with failure of the engine fuel system. Repair will require significant material costs, since modern fuel systems are very sensitive to the quality of the gasoline used.
It is almost impossible to visually determine the quality of gasoline. Sending samples to a dedicated accredited laboratory is expensive and time consuming.
Do not despair if you wish, you can check the quality of gasoline at home. Before refueling gasoline at a particular gas station, it is enough to check it for safety for the car engine.
At automobile filling stations, 3 types of gasoline are sold: A-92, A-95, A-98. They differ in octane number.
The higher it is, the better the gasoline and the lower its consumption. Refueling low-quality gasoline significantly reduces the life of the car's engine.
The following negative consequences of using low quality fuel can be distinguished:
Fuel filter clogged
The filter element is the first to "signal" problems in the quality of the fuel being refueled. Low-quality gasoline containing a large amount of impurities quickly contaminates the fuel filter. Its throughput is significantly reduced. The quality of cleaning becomes extremely low and more and more impurities penetrate the fuel system
Decreased machine traction
The use of poor quality gasoline for a long time leads to a significant decrease in the traction of the machine. She simply “refuses” to go fast and the acceleration dynamics decreases.
The smaller the volume of the engine, the more pronounced the "slowness" of the car. The power of the machine is lost, especially when using a trailer with a load. The car often stalls and the engine runs unevenly at idle
Engine detonation
A very unpleasant phenomenon that occurs as a result of prolonged use of poor quality gasoline. The mixture of gasoline and air, as a result of compression, ignites prematurely before the arrival of fire. Engine detonation significantly reduces its resource and leads to premature overhaul
Failure of the fuel equipment
Poor-quality gasoline with prolonged use leads to problems in the fuel system of the car. This is especially noticeable on new cars, where the fuel system is very sensitive to fuel quality. Such dubious savings ultimately turn into significant material costs.
Self-checking the quality of gasoline allows the driver to identify his own circle of safe car filling stations. Such actions minimize the risk of refueling with poor quality gasoline.
There are the following ways to check the quality of gasoline at home:
white sheet of paper
Take a clean sheet of plain white paper. Its surface is wetted with a small amount of gasoline. You need to wait until the leaf dries and look at it in the light.
If the surface of the sheet remains white, then the quality of the fuel is good. If streaks remain on the sheet after the gasoline dries, the fuel contains impurities. Refueling is not recommended
Glass spherical surface
In this case, you can use an ordinary wrist watch to check the quality of gasoline. It is enough to place a drop of gasoline on their glass spherical surface.
If, after drying, rusty or dark stains in the form of rings remain on the glass surface, gasoline contains a large amount of tar. The latter, when burned, form a dig that adversely affects the operation of the motor
plastic bottle
To check the quality of gasoline at home, it is enough to collect a small amount of it in an ordinary plastic bottle. As a rule, 500 milliliters is enough.
The collected liquid should be carefully examined in the light. It has a light yellow color. A small amount of potassium permanganate must be added to gasoline.
If the color of the fuel has not changed, everything is in order. A pink or reddish coloration of the liquid is evidence of the presence of water.
Hand
Apply a small amount of gasoline to the skin of the hand. If it quickly evaporates without leaving traces, it can be safely refilled into the tank. When a greasy oil stain forms on the hand, the fuel contains a lot of impurities.
When checking the quality of gasoline at home, it is imperative to remember about safety precautions. Fuel must be kept away from sources of fire, electrical appliances and explosive objects. Careless use of gasoline can result in a fire.
Thank you for your attention, good luck on the road.
Probably, you need to have a separate laboratory to find out what the octane number of gasoline or diesel fuel is in reality. And to thoroughly determine the chemical composition of the fuel can be difficult even in laboratory conditions. However, there are simple and affordable ways to determine the quality of fuel, which you can use at home or at a gas station.
We examine the composition of the combustible mixture ourselves
First, let's name what exactly we want to fight. Gasoline, as you know, can be diluted with water. If there is a lot of water in the fuel, potassium permanganate crystals will dissolve in it (here is the first test). So, if there is a package with the KMnO4 substance at hand, you can do this: gasoline is poured into a transparent container, and then crystals are added and the mixture is shaken, trying to get a solution. If the crystals dissolve, a pink tint will appear in the light. What will immediately tell about the presence of condensate.
Many people know that gasoline without additives is not currently sold in principle. Actually, if a mixture of hydrocarbons were supplied in pure form, it would lose its positive properties very quickly. The required set of additives is added to commercial gasoline at refineries. At the same time, some additives that are harmful to the engine, in order to achieve certain goals, can be added to the fuel in completely unreasonable proportions. But we have prepared a tricky test to fight unscrupulous sellers.
It is enough to wet a sheet of paper with fuel, dry it and then see what remains on the sheet. Good gasoline as a result of the test will not leave any traces at all. Run this test with 95 petrol and see what happens... One thing to note here is that high tech engines aren't supposed to be "fed" with lower octane fuel than recommended by the manufacturer anyway. It has become fashionable to use the 92nd gasoline instead of the 95th, since the first contains fewer additives. So, the use of harmful additives leads to gradual, albeit faster wear, but a lower octane number will provide intermittent detonation ... Draw your own conclusions.
At the end of this chapter, let's look at another verification method. You can learn to determine if there are various resins, oils, etc. in the fuel. Putting a small drop of gasoline on the glass, set fire to it. The test is passed successfully if the glass surface is covered with stains, the color of which is little different from white. The presence of resins in an unacceptable concentration will be indicated by the presence of such shades: yellow, brown, orange. There is benzene, which means that soot will remain (it will also be in the engine). Well, diesel fuel does not burn out completely - after it small transparent drops remain, just like after burning oils.
Quality assurance methods closer to reality
The driver, driving up to the column and taking out a pack of A4 sheets from the glove compartment, looks rather strange. It will be even more incomprehensible if someone tries to set fire to something while being on the territory of the gas station. If there is no good fire extinguisher nearby, the last of the listed tests is not recommended in principle. Someone advises setting fire to a sheet of paper soaked in fuel and determining the quality level by the color of the flame. We do not recommend doing just that, but now we will consider tips that can be done in reality.
In fact, the following rules must be followed at all times:
- Either on the column itself (near the hose attachment), or near the gun handle, a plastic window should be placed. If it is not completely filled with fuel, or you can see the presence of bubbles, do not refuel. Gasoline of any brand in natural light can only be transparent, but a barely noticeable yellow or blue tint is allowed. Know that everything else is one of the "hellish mixtures".
- In the summer, if possible, you need to refuel in the morning. At later hours, the contents of the tank will consist of two substances - fuel and its vapors. Nothing can be done here, and the honesty of the seller in this case does not affect anything.
- There is such a method of deception as underfilling. Therefore, try not to resort to the help of tankers or follow their actions.
It seems to be known about the easiest way to check whether the quality of gasoline is really offered. It is necessary to pour fuel over one hand, rub the liquid between the fingers and wait. Evaporating, real gasoline allegedly leaves nothing on the hands, and the skin becomes dry, as from ethyl alcohol. Maybe a similar method has worked before,
When developing a car, companies provide for a certain mode of operation, indicating the optimal values for various characteristics in the documentation that comes with the car. The documents contain information on how to keep the vehicle units in working condition as long as possible. Drivers are also given recommendations on what kind of fuel is better to fill in the car's gas tank. The manufacturer notes only the octane number of recommended gasoline, since this is the only parameter that is indicated at gas stations when selling fuel.
As experiments show, gasoline with a single octane rating can differ from gas station to gas station. Most often, drivers choose their preferred fuel company, and refuel the car only on it. However, how to check the quality of gasoline and make sure that the filling station is selected correctly? This will be discussed in our article.
How can you tell if your car is filled with bad fuel?
The quality of gasoline is a relative issue, and the fuel that Russian cars can handle perfectly can cause problems in the operation of German foreign cars. Gasoline sellers do not have the right to sell low-quality goods, but the lines of additives that they are required to introduce into fuel are rather blurry. Each fuel company strives to ensure that their gasoline is as cheap as possible in production, and at the same time meets all standards. 
Bay of low-quality gasoline, an experienced driver can always determine this by the following parameters:
- Unusual knocks during engine operation due to low octane;
- Increased vehicle fuel consumption in standard driving mode;
- Lowering the "sharpness" of the car - less acceleration and poor responsiveness to the gas pedal;
- The engine starts with difficulty;
- Spontaneous jumps in idle speed.
The symptoms described above do not necessarily indicate problems with the quality of gasoline, but if they were detected after refueling at a new station for the driver, you should take this fact into service and next time choose another fuel company to purchase fuel.
What problems can arise with a car due to low-quality gasoline?
Bad fuel is a doom for a number of car systems if it is poured regularly. Drivers with little experience have little idea of what dynamic characteristics a car should show when driving. They do not pay attention to the “extra” engine knocks or problems with excessive consumption of gasoline, and then they find out at the service center that they have to replace an expensive element due to bad fuel that is regularly poured into the car.
Most often, low-quality gasoline leads to the following breakdowns:
- Quick failure of spark plugs. If, when replacing candles, you find a red coating on them, this may signal regular refueling with low-quality fuel;
- Problems with the performance of the catalyst;
- Malfunction of fuel system elements - fuel pump, injectors, filters, sensors.
In fact, it all depends on how low-quality gasoline is caught at a gas station. Some fuels can slowly damage engine and exhaust system parts for months, while others will force the owner to take their car to the service in just a few days.
Attention: If you refueled with low-quality gasoline, be sure to drain it, and then flush the tank, fuel line and clean the nozzles. If there is a check for gasoline, the car owner has the right to request an examination of the purchased sample, and if the low quality of the fuel is confirmed, the gas station is obliged to cover all damage, both moral and technical.
Choosing your favorite gas station is not an easy task and should be approached wisely. Feel free to take samples from several stations where it would be convenient for you to fill up your car regularly, and then test the gas yourself at home. Moreover, the verification procedures are very simple and do not require expensive equipment or special knowledge.
Smell check
The easiest way to identify low-quality gasoline is to smell foreign odors in it. Even with a lot of additives, car fuel should not smell like oil, chemicals or gas. High-quality gasoline has a pronounced smell, which is difficult to confuse with something.
Checking gasoline for low-quality impurities
You can check gasoline for the presence of low-quality impurities right at the gas station, before pouring it into the car. To determine the presence of low-quality impurities in gasoline, you need to drop it on your hand. It is known that when interacting with the skin in air, gasoline evaporates very quickly. Fuel that is mixed with low-quality additives will leave an oily trail on your hand after evaporation. Such gasoline should be avoided, otherwise it will quickly lead to failure of the catalyst.
Another way to check gasoline for low-quality impurities is to carefully examine its color. Quality gasoline has a pale yellow tint or is completely colorless, while various additives can make it reddish or bright yellow. Most often, at gas stations, when asked why gasoline has a very yellow color, the attendants answer that this is due to a special set of additives developed by the seller company. Believe it or not - each motorist can decide for himself, but real high-quality gasoline should be pale yellow or have no color at all.
Checking gasoline for oil
A very simple experiment can be done at home to determine if purchased fuel contains oil or not. To do this, take a clean white piece of paper and drop some gasoline on it. Wait until the fuel has completely evaporated from the leaf, and then take a look at the results. If there is a greasy stain on the paper or it has changed color, it means that gasoline contains oil or other undesirable additives. Ideal gasoline does not leave marks on paper.
Checking gasoline for water
Determining that gasoline is diluted with water is very simple using a chemical experiment. To do this, you need to take a small transparent container and pour gasoline into it. After that, add a little potassium permanganate to the fuel and look at the reaction. Clean gasoline without water should not turn pink, while fuel with water has enough potassium permanganate to turn pink.
Attention: Do not pour (do not fall asleep) too much potassium permanganate, otherwise even gasoline can be stained, and you will get incorrect results of the experiment. A fuel to potassium permanganate ratio of 20 to 1 or higher is recommended.
Checking gasoline for tar
Check the fuel for the presence of resins should be on the street away from the gas station and other flammable objects. To check gasoline, you need to get a transparent glass and pour some fuel on it. After that, set fire to the experimental sample and wait until it burns out completely. When the gasoline stops burning, check what trace of it remains on the glass. Clean fuel leaves a white mark, while burning gasoline with tar leaves brown or yellow stains.
Modern cars are very sensitive to fuel quality, so most drivers prefer to refuel at well-known gas stations that have a whole network of similar stations throughout the country. But even at such gas stations, gasoline is not always of high quality. Suffice it to recall what a variety of gasoline is now and twenty years ago, there were only a few types. If you fill a foreign car with poor quality gasoline, then you will definitely have to clean the fuel system (read about).
The best and at the same time the oldest way is to check gasoline for smell and color. Since there were very few filling stations before, gasoline was more often poured into canisters and other containers than into a tank, because of this, its color was visible, and there was a smell. There was no point in forging gasoline in the old days, since the plants were state-owned, GOST was strictly observed, and the price of gasoline “did not bite”.
An experienced driver will immediately tell by smell where bad gasoline is and where it is not. If you smell liquefied gas, hydrogen sulfide or naphthalene, then you should not refuel such fuel, as this is one of the first indicators that gasoline was diluted.
As for color, any driver can test here, even without experience. To do this, it is enough to see pure gasoline without additives and other additives. Pure gasoline has a pale yellow color with a slight greenish tinge. Next, pour some gasoline into the jar and look at its color against the sun. If you see a blue tint or much worse red, then this is the first sign that gasoline has been stirred and impurities have been introduced. The red color will show that initially gasoline was worse in octane number, after adding methyl, and it is red, from the same A92 they got A95. Such additives greatly spoil the fuel hoses, as a result of which it can clog the system itself.
The photo shows gasoline AI-95 (class Euro 5) - the test was successful
Next, we will check gasoline on potassium permanganate. Usually this test is carried out to find out if there is water in gasoline or not. We collect a little gasoline in a jar or transparent container, add potassium permanganate and stir, if the fuel has become pinkish, then it is clear that there is water in the fuel. It is better to immediately change the gas station, as sooner or later such impurities will make themselves felt.
The easiest and most affordable way is to touch, put a couple of drops of gasoline on your fingers, let it evaporate completely. If there is a greasy spot, there is no dryness of the skin to the touch, then the quality is low, if there is dryness, then the quality is good. Since that time, it is not in vain that gasoline has been used to remove contaminants not only on clothes, but also on various surfaces.
The photo shows signs of quality gasoline
When purchasing fuel at oil depots, the buyer conducts a test on plain paper. The meaning of this test is to find out if there are oil impurities in the fuel. We need a plain white sheet of paper. Put a few drops on the leaf and let it dry. If there are no oil stains and other dark shades left, this is an indicator that the gasoline is of high quality. Otherwise, you will immediately see a rainbow on a sheet of paper.
The last method, and rarely used, is the fuel burning test. We need clear glass. We put a couple of drops on the glass and set it on fire. The test is carried out for the presence of oil in gasoline and other oil impurities. After the combustion of gasoline, we look at what happened on the glass. If only white circles remain, then this indicates that the gasoline is of good quality and there are no impurities in it. The appearance of circles and spots of yellow and brown indicates the presence of resins of various types in the fuel. If drops form on the glass, it indicates the presence of oil in gasoline. As experienced drivers say, the worst thing that can be, because of such fuel, the fuel system will quickly become clogged.
It is often possible not to carry out tests on the quality of gasoline, it is enough to listen to the operation of the engine, whether there is detonation of the fingers, what sound comes from the engine at load and at idle. When you dispersed the car to the maximum gear, step sharply on the gas pedal, if you hear the detonation of your fingers, then a clear sign of poor quality, if possible, adjust the valve clearance.
As for the engine idling, it is worth looking at the tachometer, the speed can jump spontaneously without pressing the gas pedal. In this case, uneven operation of the engine will be heard, respectively, an indicator that fuel is being burned unevenly. The exhaust pipe will emit black smoke with soot. With high-quality gasoline, the exhaust pipe will be gray or brown.
It is worth remembering that bad gasoline can not only bring the engine out of working condition, but also significantly increase it and disable the injection system. Flushing the injector now costs from 1200 to 5000 rubles. Therefore, it is better to choose high-quality fuel and change gas stations for refueling from time to time.
Video on how to check gasoline for quality:
Low-quality fuel always has a bad effect on the engine, worsening its operation and reducing its service life. Even refueling at large stations does not eliminate the risk of getting gasoline with excess impurities. Of course, an accurate result can only be obtained in a laboratory for fuel quality checks, but what if such a check is too expensive or you need to do it with at least minimal accuracy. Therefore, today we will learn how to check the purity of gasoline at home without special tools. Of course, it is worth mentioning that when carrying out all these manipulations, a danger to health and life should not be created. Vapors from gasoline are always harmful to a person when inhaled, so it is worth checking it only in a room with intensive ventilation.
How to check the purity of gasoline at home 5 tests
1. To carry out the test, a few drops of gasoline are placed on a blank paper sheet. If a greasy spot appears on it or the paper turns into any color, then the fuel is bad. As for quality fuel, it will leave the sheet white.
The ignition method is dangerous! It can only be used away from a large amount of gasoline and a car. It must be done away from flammable objects, and if necessary, resort to using a fire extinguisher or throwing sand on the fire.
3. The amount of water in the composition. A drop of gasoline is applied to the hand, and then left for several minutes. The remaining trace after drying of high-quality fuel should be as dry as possible. If it remains fatty, then the content of harmful impurities is increased.
4. Evaluation of gasoline by smell. This method may not always give the correct result, but it is the fastest and most convenient. Having sniffed gasoline, it is worth focusing on sensations: a strong smell of sulfur gives out the presence of naphthalene and many other substances dangerous to the engine.
5. Checking gasoline with potassium permanganate. This test is usually done to determine the presence of water in gasoline. Potassium permanganate can be found in a dry fertilizer store and diluted to a liquid state or found immediately liquid. If, after adding potassium permanganate to gasoline, it becomes pinkish, this means the presence of water in the fuel.
Among other things, when refueling a car with gasoline, it does not hurt to run your finger inside the fuel nozzle. In the case when diesel fuel or some other liquids were added to gasoline, the finger will become greasy after performing such procedures. But if there is no oily liquid left on the fingers, this confirms the good quality of gasoline.
Using all these methods, it is quite possible to independently determine the purity of gasoline at home. As a result, you will be able to choose a gas station for your car, where gasoline is of the best quality.
