I drive a luxury car & just now realized I’ve been using the ‘wrong gas’ – mechanics say I risked ruining my engine

A MERCEDES G-Class owner came to a rude realization at the gas station when she discovered her money-saving trick may have jeopardized the engine.

In a now-viral TikTok , the luxury SUV owner discovered she had filled the car with the wrong gas .

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TikTok / locaeclectic

The Mercedes driver, Alexis Nido-Russo ( @locaeclectic ), filmed herself at a Shell gas station.

Nido-Russo said she had been filling the car with “the middle” pump figure for a while.

But, when her cousin popped out of the SUV to help at the pump, they discovered the car had stringent octane requirements.

The Mercedes-Benz G550 demands premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher to keep its V8 engine happy.

The middle pump was only rated at 89 octane.

Using 89 octane in the Mercedes-Benz G550 likely won’t cause immediate disaster, but it could lead to eventual engine knocking.

The G550’s motor quickly compresses gasoline faster than other vehicles.

Higher octane fuels are better equipped to handle the quick compression and will ensure the car will run longer.

Over time, knocking from the incorrect fuel injection can degrade engine performance and efficiency, leading to potential long-term damage.

Drivers might also notice reduced power and fuel economy as the engine adjusts to compensate for the subpar fuel.

Mechanics have told The U.S. Sun that it is important to read a car’s manual before going to the gas pump.

“Most people never looked at their owner’s manual,” Chaya Milchtein, a mechanic with a decade of experience and a book about car ownership, said in an interview.

“There’s just an incredible amount of information in there.”

Higher octane gases are best used in high-compression motors.

Drivers with standard engines that require standard 87 ratings are advised to save money and use lower-rated fuel.

Conversely, luxury cars with higher octane requirements should spend more at the pump .

High gas tax states

Here is a list of the states with the highest gas taxes (including local fees and federal excise taxes) in the US:

• 1. California: $0.86 per gallon
• 2. Illinois: $0.84 per gallon
• 3. Pennsylvania: $0.80 per gallon
• 4. Indiana: $0.74 per gallon
• 5. Washington: $0.70 per gallon
• 6. Michigan: $0.66 per gallon
• 7. Maryland: $0.65 per gallon
• 8. New Jersey: $0.60 per gallon
• 9. North Carolina: $0.59 per gallon
• 10. Virginia: $0.57 per gallon

Per Visualizing Energy .

Nido-Russo’s TikTok video has gone viral since she published it.

The clip now has over 5 million views and 8,500 comments.

It even includes comments from giant brands.

“No question is too silly for a Google search,” the search tool tech giant responded to the video.

Google’s comment has over 26,000 likes.

Other comments have a mix of bewilderment and general confusion.

“Everyone’s saying it’s basic knowledge, but I never knew this either,” one driver said.

“No one ever told me.”

Other drivers said the gas question should have been more obvious.

“Paying money for a G-Wagon and putting low or mid-grade in it is absolutely wild,” another commenter added.

The U.S. Sun contacted the TikToker for comment on this article – she didn’t immediately respond.