formance when using high quality unleaded gasoline
having an octane rating of 87. The use of premium
gasoline is not recommended. The use of premium
gasoline will provide no benefit over high quality reg-
ular gasoline, and in some circumstances may result
in poorer performance.
Light spark knock at low engine speeds is not
harmful to your engine. However, continued heavy
spark knock at high speeds can cause damage and
immediate service is required. Engine damage result-
ing from operation with a heavy spark knock may
not be covered by the new vehicle warranty.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as
hard starting, stalling and hesitations. If you experi-
ence these symptoms, try another brand of gasoline
before considering service for the vehicle.
Over 40 auto manufacturers world-wide have
issued and endorsed consistent gasoline specifications
(the Worldwide Fuel Charter, WWFC) to define fuel
properties necessary to deliver enhanced emissions,
performance and durability for your vehicle. We rec-
ommend the use of gasolines that meet the WWFC
specifications if they are available.
REFORMULATED GASOLINE
Many areas of the country require the use of
cleaner burning gasoline referred to as “reformulat-
ed” gasoline. Reformulated gasoline contain oxygen-
ates, and are specifically blended to reduce vehicle
emissions and improve air quality.
We strongly supports the use of reformulated gas-
oline. Properly blended reformulated gasoline will
provide excellent performance and durability for the
engine and fuel system components.
GASOLINE/OXYGENATE BLENDS
Some fuel suppliers blend unleaded gasoline with
oxygenates such as 10% ethanol, MTBE, and ETBE.
Oxygenates are required in some areas of the country
during the winter months to reduce carbon monoxide
emissions. Fuels blended with these oxygenates may
be used in your vehicle.
CAUTION: DO NOT use gasoline containing METH-
ANOL. Gasoline containing methanol may damage
critical fuel system components.
MMT IN GASOLINE
MMT is a manganese-containing metallic additive
that is blended into some gasoline to increase octane.
Gasoline blended with MMT provide no performance
advantage beyond gasoline of the same octane num-
ber without MMT. Gasoline blended with MMT
reduce spark plug life and reduce emission system
performance in some vehicles. We recommend that
gasolines free of MMT be used in your vehicle. The
MMT content of gasoline may not be indicated on the
gasoline pump; therefore, you should ask your gaso-
line retailer whether or not his/her gasoline contains
MMT.
It is even more important to look for gasoline with-
out MMT in Canada because MMT can be used at
levels higher than allowed in the United States.
MMT is prohibited in Federal and California refor-
mulated gasoline.
SULFUR IN GASOLINE
If you live in the northeast United States, your
vehicle may have been designed to meet California
low emission standards with Cleaner-Burning Cali-
fornia reformulated gasoline with low sulfur. If such
fuels are not available in states adopting California
emission standards, your vehicles will operate satis-
factorily on fuels meeting federal specifications, but
emission
control
system
performance
may
be
adversely affected. Gasoline sold outside of California
is permitted to have higher sulfur levels which may
affect the performance of the vehicle’s catalytic con-
verter. This may cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL), Check Engine or Service Engine Soon
light to illuminate. We recommend that you try a dif-
ferent brand of unleaded gasoline having lower sulfur
to determine if the problem is fuel related prior to
returning your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service.
CAUTION: If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL),
Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light is flash-
ing, immediate service is required; see on-board
diagnostics system section.
MATERIALS ADDED TO FUEL
All gasoline sold in the United States and Canada
are required to contain effective detergent additives.
Use of additional detergents or other additives is not
needed under normal conditions.
FUEL SYSTEM CAUTIONS
CAUTION: Follow these guidelines to maintain your
vehicle’s performance:
• The use of leaded gas is prohibited by Federal
law. Using leaded gasoline can impair engine perfor-
mance, damage the emission control system, and
could result in loss of warranty coverage.
• An out-of-tune engine, or certain fuel or ignition
malfunctions, can cause the catalytic converter to
overheat. If you notice a pungent burning odor or
some light smoke, your engine may be out of tune or
malfunctioning and may require immediate service.
Contact your dealer for service assistance.
14 - 28
FUEL SYSTEM
WJ
SPECIFICATIONS (Continued)