Can the gasoline in Mexico or Central America mess up a US-made car?
score:4
It very much depends on what you mean by mess up. For the purpose of this answer I will assume you meant engine damage linked to combustible type, rather than other possibly infrastructure-related issues.
This guy seems to have driven quite a few kilometres in South America, and can thus provide some useful hands-on experience. Probably worth a reading.
Understanding Octane Ratings
Fuel octane ratings indicate the likelihood of the fuel detonating when subject to compression. A higher-octane fuel is therefore capable of withstanding higher compressions than a lower-octane. Compression is an intrinsic phase of the correct operation of an internal combustion engine. Compression results in an increase of temperature, and can therefore cause low-octane fuel to ignite. However fuel ignition is a precisely-timed operation, in that the ignition should be commanded by the spark plug only, when the piston reaches a precise point in its stroke. Pre-ignition caused by spontaneous detonation can be harmful to the engine.
Mexico and USA Use Comparable Octane Ratings
Both the USA and Mexico display octane rating in Anti-Knock Index (AKI), which means that the octane values you read on Mexican filling stations will be comparable to those back home. Mexican unleaded petrol comes in two octane ratings: 87AKI and 92AKI. Hence pick the rating that most closely resembles the one you normally use in the US and you should be safe.
Comparing Octane Ratings
In case you were to drive in countries that use an octane rating different than AKI (usually this would be Research Octane Number RON), you could use this very heplful conversion table from wikipedia, which states that:
- 87
AKIis ≃ 90/91/92RON - 92
AKIis ≃ 95/96/97/98RON
Guatemala and Costa Rica, for example, seem indeed to use RON ratings.
More post
- 📝 Roads in Japan during Golden Week
- 📝 How to stay safe in Mexico City
- 📝 Hebrew language class in Israel
- 📝 Can you enter Australia on a UK passport that expires within 6 months?
- 📝 Russia Visa application by mail
- 📝 Should I include scholarship in "employment" section of DS160?
- 📝 Should we apply for Tourist eVisa if we already have Business eVisa
- 📝 Schengen visa extension more than 90 days
- 📝 Travelling with Qatar Airways from Manchester, UK to Delhi, India with a connecting flight at Doha
- 📝 How early to arrive for domestic flight at O'Hare airport?
- 📝 Hanoi Airport to Halong Bay transfer time
- 📝 What lookouts or peaks in Charlevoix can I access by rental car?
- 📝 Can you use a UK paper license counterpart in Australia?
- 📝 Do you need an IDP for Lebanese drivers licenses in Sweden?
- 📝 I was refused entry to the UK, will I have a problem traveling to Turkey?
- 📝 What gear is needed/recommended to bring from outside the country for a climbing trip to Cuba?
- 📝 Can a person travel using their i94 as an ID?
- 📝 Chance of getting UK Standard Visitor visa without booking flights for application?
- 📝 Lie-flat seats on AA 777-200
- 📝 UK Marriage Visitor Visa (MVV) refusal and subsequent fresh application
- 📝 Can I bring a cooking knife to the Maldives?
- 📝 What artsy/museumy/culturalish stuff is there to do in Indianapolis?
- 📝 Schengen visa apply in UK
- 📝 Does a US citizen need a UK visa for an internship?
- 📝 Getting refund for unused train tickets
- 📝 Carless in Portland Maine?
- 📝 Can I have an unregistered guest come over at a hotel?
- 📝 Children-friendly beaches in Los Angeles, Southern California, USA
- 📝 Do I need a transit visa at Haneda when self transferring?
- 📝 Where can one rent rain boots in Uyuni?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Can the gasoline in Mexico or Central America mess up a US-made car?
- 📝 Can one use the Sentri car lane when entering the USA from Mexico by bicycle?
- 📝 Travelling to the US, Mexico and Central America (with a VWP for the US)
- 📝 Who can use the CBX Bridge between Mexico and the United States?
- 📝 Can I re-enter the US after a visit to Mexico if my VWP admission period expired?
- 📝 Can I drive a car in the UAE with an IDP issued in India?
- 📝 Can I use an Australian child car seat in the US?
- 📝 Can I take the 105 bus into Heathrow Central Bus Station?
- 📝 Where can I see the European car tolls for the route?
- 📝 Can you pick up a Sixt rental car after the start time?
- 📝 Can I leave my U.S. car in Mexico on an FM3 visa?
- 📝 How can I verify my AirAsia booking made via an online travel agent on the AirAsia website?
- 📝 Is the America the Beautiful Annual Pass a car decal?
- 📝 Can I enter the United States on a Visa Waiver, go to Mexico and re-enter with an F1 visa?
- 📝 Where can I drop a rental car and switch to a train when traveling to New York City from the west?
- 📝 How can I re-enter the US if my VWP expired in Mexico
- 📝 Can I ride a 50cc motorcycle in the UK with my NZ car licence?
- 📝 Can one walk into Mexico from the US with a US green card and without a passport?
- 📝 Can I earn SNCF Voyager points, for a booking made without the membership number?
- 📝 Can I enter Mexico by land and go back to the US with an esta?
- 📝 How can I get from Miami airport to the hotel if I don't have a car seat for my baby?
- 📝 Can I take unopened sealed tea bags to Mexico from the U.K.?
- 📝 How can I object to the changes made to my flights?
- 📝 As a tourist, can I bring an expensive computer tower to Mexico from the United States?
- 📝 Can a C-1 visa be used to enter the US from Mexico at a land port of entry, en route to a nearby sea port?
- 📝 Can you easily get between Rotterdam Central Station and Rotterdam The Hague Airport by public transport?
- 📝 Can a US minor travel by air from the USA to Mexico without a passport?
- 📝 Can I enter USA under VWP, leave after 10 days to go to Mexico for 12 days, and then re-enter the US under a J-1 visa to study for four months?
- 📝 Can the CBP at Vancouver Pacific Central station generate an electronic I-94?
- 📝 Can persons holding a Chinese driving license drive a car anywhere else in the world?