Ford Explorer: Fuel and Refueling / Fuel Quality - Gasoline

Choosing the Right Fuel

Your vehicle is designed to operate on regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.

Some fuel stations, particularly those in high altitude areas, offer fuels posted as regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating below 87. The use of these fuels could result in engine damage that will not be covered by the vehicle warranty.

For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer. See Towing.

Do not be concerned if the engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if the engine knocks heavily while using fuel with the recommended octane rating, contact an authorized dealer to prevent any engine damage.

We recommend Top Tier detergent gasolines, where available to help minimize engine deposits and maintain optimal vehicle and engine performance. For additional information, refer to www.toptiergas.com.

Note: Use of any fuel for which the vehicle was not designed can impair the emission control system, cause loss of vehicle performance, and cause damage to the engine which may not be covered by the vehicle Warranty.

Do not use:

• Diesel fuel.
• Fuels containing kerosene or paraffin.
• Fuel containing more than 15% ethanol or E85 fuel.
• Fuels containing methanol.
• Fuels containing metallic-based additives, including manganese-based compounds.
• Fuels containing the octane booster additive, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).

Leaded fuel, using leaded fuel is prohibited by law.

The use of fuels with metallic compounds such as methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (commonly known as MMT), which is a manganese-based fuel additive, will impair engine performance and affect the emission control system.