When it comes to gasoline, the numbers 87 and 88 typically refer to the octane rating of the fuel. The octane rating indicates the fuel's resistance to "knocking" or "pinging" in a combustion engine.
If you accidentally put 88 octane fuel instead of 87 octane fuel into your vehicle, there's generally no need to worry. Most modern cars are designed to run on a range of octane ratings, and they can adjust their performance accordingly.
Here are a few possible scenarios:
No noticeable difference: If your vehicle's engine management system can adapt to higher octane fuel, you may not notice any significant change in performance or fuel efficiency. In this case, you can continue driving without any issues.
Improved performance: Some high-performance or luxury vehicles may be designed to take advantage of higher octane fuels. In such cases, using 88 octane fuel might result in a slight improvement in engine performance or responsiveness.
No harm, no benefit: If your car is not specifically designed to benefit from higher octane fuels, using 88 octane instead of 87 octane won't provide any noticeable advantages. It's essentially unnecessary but shouldn't cause any harm either.
It's worth noting that consistently using higher octane fuel than recommended by the manufacturer is not beneficial and can be a waste of money. Always refer to your vehicle's owner's manual or consult with the manufacturer to determine the recommended octane rating for your car.