246 Driving and OperatingFuelUse the recommended fuel forproper vehicle maintenance.Use premium unleaded gasolinewith a posted octane rating of 95RON or higher. Regular unleadedgasoline rated at 91 RON or highercan be used, but acceleration andfuel economy will be reduced, andan audible knocking noise may beheard. If this occurs, use a gasolinerated at 95 RON or higher as soonas possible. Otherwise, the enginecould be damaged. If heavyknocking is heard when usinggasoline rated at 95 RON or higher,the engine needs service.Use of Seasonal FuelsUse summer and winter fuels in theappropriate season. The fuelsindustry automatically modifies thefuel for the appropriate season.If fuel is left in the vehicle tank forlong periods of time, driving orstarting could be affected. Drive thevehicle until the fuel is at one-halftank or less, then refuel with thecurrent seasonal fuel.Prohibited FuelsGasolines containing oxygenatessuch as ethers and ethanol, as wellas reformulated gasolines, areavailable in some cities. If thesegasolines comply with thepreviously described specification,then they are acceptable to use.However, E85 (85% ethanol) andother fuels containing more than15% ethanol must be used only inFlexFuel vehicles.CautionDo not use fuel containingmethanol. It can corrode metalparts in the fuel system and alsodamage plastic and rubber parts.That damage would not becovered under the vehiclewarranty.Some gasolines, mainly high octaneracing gasolines, can contain anoctane-enhancing additive calledmethylcyclopentadienyl manganesetricarbonyl (MMT). Do not usegasolines and/or fuel additives withMMT as they can reduce spark pluglife and affect emission controlsystem performance. Themalfunction indicator lamp may turnon. If this occurs, see your dealerfor service.Fuel AdditivesGasoline should contain detergentadditives that help prevent engineand fuel system deposits fromforming. Clean fuel injectors andintake valves will allow the emissioncontrol system to work properly.Some gasoline does not containsufficient quantities of additive tokeep fuel injectors and intake valvesclean. To make up for this lack ofdetergency, add Fuel SystemTreatment PLUS to the fuel tank atevery engine oil change or every15 000 km, whichever occurs first.It is available at your dealer.
