The Dangers of Using Pertalite for Modern Cars During the Homecoming Journey

Solo, KOMPAS.com - Using Pertalite for mudik with a modern car is technically possible, but there are several potential drawbacks. Especially if the car is designed to run on petrol with higher octane numbers such as Pertamax or higher. Most modern cars are already equipped with technology that meets Euro 4 emissions standards or higher. Muchlis, owner of the Spesialis Toyota Mitsubishi workshop, Garasi Auto Service Sukoharjo, says there are several impacts that can occur if a Euro 4 standard car uses low-quality petrol. “Modern engines have high compression ratios; ideally they should use high-octane petrol or a fuel like Pertamax Turbo (RON 98). If using Pertalite (RON 90), the combustion process may not be optimal, causing engine performance to decline,” Muchlis told KOMPAS.com, on Saturday, 7 March 2026. Using fuel with octane lower than the manufacturer’s recommendation can trigger knocking. Knocking occurs when the fuel combusts earlier than the spark plug fires in each cylinder. In fact, the engine system requires the combustion process to occur after the spark plugs ignite in each cylinder. The result is piston impact and the emergence of a pinging noise. “If this happens repeatedly, it can affect the engine’s health in the long term, such as piston wear and reduced engine power during use,” he said. Fuel consumption can become more wasteful. “Fuel use increases during the homecoming journey. While the initial intention might be to save with Pertalite, on the MID display average fuel consumption could be higher,” Muchlis said. Not only does this affect fuel consumption, but the car’s acceleration response can feel slower. This is because the engine management system will adjust ignition timing to avoid knocking when using lower-octane petrol.