Clean, Super Clean, Ultra Clean...

Alright so I think it's time I start spreading the word out there, higher octane DOES NOT necessarily equal better performance NOR is it always equal to treating your car's engine! Use what your vehicle is rated for in its owner's manual.

What Is Octane Used For?

Long story short, it is used to prevent fuel from igniting too early and at the wrong time. Due to sophisticated engine technology nowadays, some are designed to operate under higher compression in order to get more power. A problem then arises, when the fuel is compressed too much it may ignite itself too early. When it ignites at the wrong time, you end up with a variety of problems such as blown pistons, "pinging" noises, and bent or even melted valves inside the engine! For those less technically inclined, it means major bad news! The higher the compression of an engine, the higher the octane it requires in order to resist unintended ignition.

What Happens When You Put A Higher Octane Than Required?

Very likely you will get LOWER performance, because it is now harder to ignite the fuel since high octane fuel is designed to operate in a higher compression situation. You may feel like your engine is smoother, but that's because the ignition isn't as powerful as it should be. To add insult to injury, your electrical system takes a toll because the car's computer has to force the spark plugs to work harder to make that ignition happen, by sending more electricity to the spark plugs. Oh and of course, your wallet suffers too because it means you spent a whole lot of extra money for nothing.

But Isn't Higher Octane Fuel "Cleaner"?

Reality is, all grades of fuel have enough additives to keep your engine clean based on standards set by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB). If you are in the States, the same holds true due to requirements by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Basically, there is no need for "cleaner" fuel and what you should be concerned about is not whether it cleans, instead you should be concerned about whether it has the octane rating you need given the compression of your engine to prevent damage (see your owner's manual).

Please don't buy into those marketing hype folks, it truly is a waste of money! Still not convinced? Want a legitimate source? Here you go

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0210-paying-premium-high-octane-gasoline

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2012/11/pump-facts.html

Have a great weekend!

-TT

Looking For A Job? Beware Of Scams!

This article was actually inspired by something I read from the Metro paper yesterday, and it reminded me of a few of my friends back in our high school and just-entering-university days. A few of us actually came across positions and job agencies that were legitimately advertised in the paper and online but turned out to be hogwash. Note: This article is probably more appropriate for newcomers in Canada or for the younger generation trying to obtain their entry level positions.

Of course, none of these scam artists are going to give you a clear disclaimer of liability, so here are some hints and telltales:

1. They ask for an upfront fee: In many cases, legitimate service providers will not charge you upfront. Most of them will charge you based on the pay rate you get from the job they successfully setup for you. In some of these cases, the fee is hidden because the way it works sometimes is that employers use these service providers and will offer to pay a set price per hour, but then the employment agency will turn around and give you a lower rate per hour, thereby pocketing the difference as their service fee. Either that, or they charge a percentage of what you have earned during the first year or other similar arrangements.
2. They ask for referrals before successfully getting you a job, indicating they will pay you a referral fee. Hmm, starting to sound like a pyramid scheme doesn't it?
3. If you were hired as a salesperson, and they want to charge you for their demo kit or demo products of which you require for sales meetings. Essentially they are just forcing people to buy their products.
4. This one is a given – If they have terrible ratings on employer rating/review websites, and negative feedback on online forums.
5. Management have a hostile attitude, taking the approach of scaring you into not voicing your concerns to them. They figure by bullying you and having you afraid of them, you won't bring up concerns over being short hours on your paystub. That brings me to another point, ALWAYS keep a log at home recording all the hours you have worked, preferably with exact sign in and sign out times. This will come in handy when you need to discuss with management over short hours.
6. The agency promises suspiciously high payouts: Keep your expectations grounded and you should be able to avoid this one. Don't expect $55,000 starting if you have just graduated high school, those kind of jobs are almost non-existent. Though I have heard being a miner pays a lot out in rural areas...hmm. 

Anyway, if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Keep your hopes high, but keep a level head and don't get caught up in their promises. ALWAYS BE SKEPTICAL, a lot of legitimate ones out there but there are bad apples. It's like buying a used car, you don't know which one is a lemon so you will have to assume they all are until you have evidence proving otherwise ;)

-TT