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Data from the Legal Fuel Institute reveal an increase of 18% in cases of adulteration; Learn how to avoid damage
São Paulo, July 2025 - Fuel quality is an essential factor for the good performance of cars, as well as for the durability of the components - beyond the financial economy for the driver. Em 2024, os problemas gerados por combustíveis adulterados atingiram mais de 643 mil veículos, em 18 estados, According to a survey of the Legal Fuel Institute (ICL). The NKT, Japanese multinational brand Niterra - who is also responsible for NGK and specialist in ignition systems -, shares as adulterated fuels or out of specifications cause direct and indirect damage to the car:
1- Gasoline with low octane: may cause abnormal combustion, Raising temperature and pressure in the combustion chamber, What damages the engine and the ignition candles. Already the additives to raise octagem, like iron oxide, cause waste accumulation in the candles, Oxygen and catalyst sensors, compromising electrical insulation and system efficiency. This type of contamination, increasingly common in Brazil, It is identified by reddish residues in the parts and can also accelerate the wear of fuel pumps and injectors.
2- Aging gasoline: an aspect little known to drivers is that gasoline is valid. When stored correctly, maintains its properties for up to three months. After this period, Difficulty in burning happens, which contributes to damage to the spark plugs, besides forming waste that obstructs injectors, hindering engine starting.
3- Ethanol with excess water or high acidity: main responsible for ethanol contamination, in Brazil the hydrated ethanol used as fuel contains, average, de 5% a 6% de água em sua composição. These contaminants directly compromise the performance of the ignition system, impairing fuel burning, and still accelerate corrosion and wear of metal parts, as injector nozzles, Valves and Combustion Chambers, reducing engine life and increasing maintenance costs.
“Even systems equipped with protection against contamination tend to lose efficiency, when exposed to non -standard fuels continuously ”, explains Hiromori Mori, Technical Assistance Consultant at Niterra do Brasil. "Oftentimes, The signs of failure or malfunction of these sensors arise gradually, which makes the driver's immediate identification difficult. ”
Among the most common symptoms are the increase in fuel consumption, difficulty in the match, especially with the still cold engine, loss of acceleration performance and the lighting of injection light on the panel, evidence that usually emerges progressively, requiring attention to avoid more serious damage to the injection system.
How to avoid the problem?
It is recommended that the consumer always opts for supply in trusted establishments. “Prices far below the market are a valuable alert”, reinforces Mori. To check the reputation of the place the internet is a good ally. “It is also important to ask the invoice, monitor the average consumption of the vehicle and always observe the density of the fuel during the supply. Other forms of protection are the right to request the pump test at the post, or contact the flag ”, guides.
As for vehicle technology, fuel and oxygen level sensors help protect low quality inputs, but continuous use of products under inadequate conditions can decrease the life of the parts, impairing engine performance. That is why, Supply prevention is essential.