Winter And Summer Fuels (991201)
Publication date: 2008-05-02Reference number: 991201
WINTER AND SUMMER FUELS
SERVICE NEWS
| Affected Models: | 2008 Accord |
SERVICE INFORMATION
To better match fuel properties with differences in seasonal temperature, oil companies change their fuel formulas twice a year: winter and summer. They make this change the same time each year for a given area, and most customers never notice it unless it gets unseasonably hot or cold. So what's the difference between winter and summer fuel?
- Winter fuel vaporizes faster than summer fuel. This is good for cool weather, but if the air temp gets above 95°F (85°F at higher altitudes), winter fuel can cause hot start difficulties, poor initial idle, and initial stumbling.
- Summer fuel doesn't vaporize as quickly as winter fuel. This makes it suitable for warm weather, but if it's used at low temps, summer fuel can cause long crank times and stalling.
If you're hearing lots of driveability complaints from customers and your winter weather is unusually hot, suggest they switch to a high-volume, name-brand fuel, and hope that the weather returns to normal. To fix starting problems in the meantime, tell customers to crank the engine for 5 seconds without pressing the accelerator. Then if the engine still doesn't start, press the accelerator halfway, and continue cranking until it does start. For more info on engine starting, see the owner's manual.