NEW YORK -- Contrary to popular belief, the octane rating doesn't indicate how much power the fuel delivers; all grades of gasoline contain roughly the same amount of power.
Rather, a higher octane rating means the fuel is less likely to cause your engine to knock or ping (also known as detonation). This effect occurs when your engine suffers from an "explosion" instead of a controlled fuel burn. High-octane gas is formulated to burn slower than regular, making it less likely to ignite.
But not all cars are prone to detonation. Unless your owner's manual states that you use a specific fuel octane, filling up with regular gas will get the job done. In fact, most cars are designed to run on regular gas without problems of pinging and knocking.
