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Dear Jim,

I drive a 2000 Ford Windstar (3.8 L, V6) and I've been using regular, non-premium gas since I bought it. Now my brother insists I should be using premium, because the engine is big enough to handle it and perform better than it does with regular. I've always heard that it doesn't matter, but is he right? I thought premium gas was just more expensive and not worth it.

-- John Talley

It's worth it if you have a car that needs premium, bro, which some do. Yours doesn't. Actually, according to AAA, fewer than 10 percent of the cars on the road today need it, and the rest will run just fine with the cheap stuff.

The gas-rating process gets pretty complicated, but basically, the number on the pump indicates a fuel's sensitivity to heat and compression.

The higher the octane rating, the more it can be compressed in an engine cylinder before it ignites. Old muscle cars and newer "turbo" vehicles with high-compression engines can take advantage of this. For these models, low-octane gas is too sensitive and tends to ignite in the cylinder all by itself, just from being compressed.

Normally, igniting compressed fuel is the job of the spark plugs, and if fuel burns before the plug has a chance to do its thing, you get knocking. Those knocks are simply little explosions happening in the engine when they're not supposed to, and they can cause serious damage in not much time.

Other vehicles, such as your Windstar, are perfectly fine with the low-octane version -- your owner's manual can tell you that. In fact, high-octane gas can actually cause a loss of efficiency if it's used in these engines.

Anyway, bro, you have the regular-grade stuff in the tank now, right? Go out, find a hill and floor the accelerator. As long as the engine isn't knocking or rattling, you're using the right gas.

Switching to premium won't improve your van's performance, but it sure will make your money go a lot faster.

Tip of the Week:

This summer heat is brutal on nearly every part of a vehicle, especially the automatic transmission. Here's something you can do to help: Make sure your transmission fluid is fresh, and take it easy on the gas pedal.

Quick starts and hard shifts don't just waste gas -- they also generate a bunch of extra friction and heat that can break down a transmission years before its time.

Buffalo Jim, owner of Allstate Auto & Marine Repair in Las Vegas, writes a weekly column. Send your automotive questions to him at buffalojim@lasvegasniftynickel.com. If Jim picks your question to answer in Nuts & Bolts, you'll also be the proud recipient of a deck of official Buffalo Jim playing cards, presented in a classy, tin box bearing his hairy image.

Homeschool bowling league

The Pahrump Homeschool Bowling League is taking sign ups for the Fall Bowling Season. The league is open to all homeschooled children ages 3-17 with parental consent.

The league meets Friday mornings at 9 a.m. at the Pahrump Nugget Bowling Center to bowl 2 games.

The Fall Season will begin Sept. 14 and run 10 consecutive weeks. The cost for the season is $65 per bowler which covers 10 weeks of bowling, shoe rentals, and a pizza party and awards ceremony on the last day of the season. All bowlers will receive a trophy. For more information or to sign up, please call Veronica at 751-9324.

Labor Day at the pool

Labor Day weekend...All day...All ages...Pool admission is fifty cents.

Pool hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.