BMW X3 is a premium vehicle that requires the best possible treatment. People often dwell upon the idea of the type of fuel to use on a BMW X3. Stick with us and find out if BMW X3 requires premium gas.
Does BMW X3 require premium gas?
BMW X3 requires premium gas. Though it can still run on regular gas, the vehicle needs premium gas to be in its best state. If you run your BMW X3 on regular gas all the time, you may start facing engine problems like knocking and pinging. Also, the overall health of the vehicle can deteriorate.
A BMW X3 needs higher octane fuel to perform well and smoothly. It can still take regular gas with a lower octane rating, but regular gas is damaging to the vehicle in the long run. You may save money on gas but will end up spending more on repairs.
The main two problems a BMW X3 can face if run on regular gas are engine knocking and pinging.
A lower octane level doesn’t necessarily mean bad fuel. But it can still be damaging to a vehicle that demands premium fuel with a higher octane level.
Since BMW X3 requires premium fuel to be in its best state and show full performance, it is wiser to choose premium fuel over regular ones.
| BMW Model name | Does it require premium gas? |
|---|---|
2022 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
2021 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
2020 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
2019 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
2018 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
2017 BMW X3 | Requires premium gas |
What type of gas does BMW X3 take?
BMW X3 takes premium unleaded gas. It’s not like it won’t take regular gas, it will. But to enjoy a smooth riding experience with no problems with the engine, you must fill your BMW X3 with premium gas only. Regular gas causes pre-ignition that leads to engine knocking and pinging.
Most new models come with electronic components that can protect the vehicle from the risks caused by low octane fuel. Some come with a knocking sensor to sense and mitigate the risks of knocking caused by pre-ignition.
But none of these match the comfort you can get from using premium fuel.
Why does BMW X3 require premium fuel?
BMW X3 requires premium fuel for the following reasons –
Better engine performance:
A BMW X3 needs high-grade premium gas for good engine performance. It will still run on regular fuel, but regular fuel can’t provide the engine well enough to run efficiently.
It can deal with regular gas once or twice but if you continue to feed it with regular gas, you may soon hear knocking or pinging sounds coming from the engine.
Good health of the vehicle:
A BMW X3 is designed to be run on premium gas with an octane level of 91 or higher. That is to say, anything less than 91 is not the most suitable for BMW X3. It is important to cater to your BMW X3 with premium gas only to maintain the good health of the vehicle.
Increase the life of the vehicle:
Since a BMW X3 is originally designed to be run on premium fuel, it can show its fullest performance when it runs on premium gas. Premium gas causes no damage to the engine. Even after a long time of use, the engine stays almost as good as new.
Also, the engine feels less pressure hence using premium gas regularly can increase the lifetime of your BMW X3.
Can BMW X3 use regular gas?
BMW X3 can use regular gas but you can face the following problems.
Damaging effect on engine:
Anything less than an octane rating of 91 can result in having a damaging effect on the engine of a BMW X3. The vehicle is supposed to be run on an octane rating of 91 or more.
If you run it on regular gas with an octane rating lower than that, you may soon start hearing knocking and pinging sounds from the engine. Using regular gas more than a few times can actually damage the engine.
Compromising with engine’s longevity:
How well the engine will perform depends on the type of fuel being used for the vehicle. While it’s not that important for a vehicle that can run on regular gas, it is an important factor for a BMW X3.
BMW suggests that owners always fill their vehicles with high-grade, premium gasoline.
So fuel has a big impact on the engine of a BMW X3. As the vehicle is designed in a way that works best while used on premium gas, regular gas can result in damaging the engine. Now as you repair the engine, it still won’t be as top-notch as it was before.
Therefore, using regular gas can compromise the longevity of a BMW X3’s engine.
Compromising the overall health of the vehicle:
The manual of BMW reads that you should use premium fuel for the vehicle for the best performance and to maintain the overall health of the vehicle. Regular fuel doesn’t mean bad grade fuel.
You can use regular fuel if you want but it can do more harm to a BMW X3 than you could imagine.
What happens if you don’t put premium gas in a BMW X3?
The following incidents can happen if you don’t put premium gas in a BMW X3 –
Decrease performance level:
You need to fill up a BMW X3 with premium fuel to see the best performance of the vehicle. You can’t expect quality performance from the vehicle with regular gas. Regular gas may work well for vehicles that don’t require using premium gas.
But BMW X3 is a vehicle that demands to be run on premium gas. This has things to do with the octane rating. A BMW X3 needs a 91 or more octane rating for the fuel to combust properly.
Damage engine:
BMW X3 comes up with a high-quality engine that needs to be fed by high-grade premium fuel. Only premium fuel can make a BMW X3 reach its fullest potential and show the best performance.
The vehicle has a definite process for combustion and engine performance. Not feeding it with premium fuel starts damaging the engine. In the long run, you will face serious engine problems that will also require a lot of money to fix properly.
Also, it is unlikely for the engine to return to its previous state.
Engine knocking or pinging:
Two common problems associated with not using premium fuel for a BMW X3 are engine knocking and pinging. Though pinging can happen due to many other reasons, engine knocking is often the result of pre-ignition.
When fuel burns unevenly in the cylinder, it can cause the engine to ping or knock. It doesn’t happen with premium fuel since it restricts pre-ignition.
Pinging or knocking occurs due to excessive temperature. Premium fuel can regulate temperature well compared to regular gas. It also helps to maintain a balanced mixture of fuel and air.
If you run your vehicle on regular gas, it can result in engine knocking and pinging. The pinging can get louder with acceleration.
What is the difference between regular gas and premium gas?
A few difference between regular and premium gasses have been discussed below –
Octane rating:
The main difference between regular gas and premium gas is in the octane rating. Octane is a chemical present in gasoline responsible for ignition. Octane rating is what determines the fuel’s capacity to ignite evenly in an engine.
Regular gas means a lower octane level and premium gas means higher octane level. Usually, the octane level of premium gasoline is 91 or higher. Regular gas has an octane level between 85 and 87.
Higher octane level means more heat resistance and a balanced mix of fuel and air. While none of these is that important for a vehicle that does not require a premium grade fuel, your vehicle can still benefit from using a fuel with a higher octane level.
Engine health:
Higher octane rating leads to better engine health. If your vehicle doesn’t require to be run on premium gas, you don’t need to spend more to use premium gas over regular ones. You can simply use regular gas for it.
But if a vehicle requires to be run on premium gas, it means that it can show its best performance while on premium fuel.
Also, using regular fuel can have negative effects on the vehicle. A car that needs premium fuel to run properly, can soon show up with engine problems when run on regular fuel.
The engine will act up sooner than expected and you may hear pinging and knocking sounds coming from it.
Final thoughts
BMW X3 requires premium gas. The vehicle can still be run on regular gas, but it requires an octane rating of 91 or more to perform smoothly. Also, lower octane fuel is bad for engine health as well as the overall health of the vehicle. Hence it is wiser to use premium fuel for BMW X3.
I am an automotive enthusiast and have been interested in cars since I was a little kid. I have worked in the automotive industry for many years and have extensive knowledge of vehicles and their engines. I am a father of two and I love spending time with my family.
Read more about the author here.
