Octane booster

[Wurf]

Anybody run a particular octane booster once in awhile? Are there any noticeable increases in performance, especially with a totally stock or mildly bolted car? I'm wondering in the summer months, with the higher temperatures if octane booster might help recover some power lost to KR.

 

[MSMS3]

Interesting idea. I don't know what our stock ECU would do. If it would let timing advance maximize (there is probably a "hard" limit that the ECU cannot exceed), that could build a bit of power, or at least keep what we have under conditions that otherwise might retard timing a bit.

I run 93 octane exclusively. Fortunately, I live close to a number of refineries and all of our premium here in every brand is 93.

I would think that if you are running 91 and can't find 93, then the octane booster would help. I'd like to know whether there is any more power to gain by going above 93. Let us know what happens if you give it a try.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Octane booster does not work well enough to be worth the cost

http://www.europeancarweb.com/tech/0503ec_octane_boosters_tested/index.html

It would not provide any more power, as octane has nothing to do with power by itself. A higher octane fuel allows you to run higher cylinder pressures without pre-combustion (detonation), but to achieve those higher pressures you would need to increase the boost or have higher compression pistons.

Higher octane will tend to cause knock less, and thus have less knock-induced timing retardation, so you should get more power that way. However, if you're not registering knock retard at WOT, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[mr_mazda329]

This is true Auto, but since it is so hot here, KR is more prevelant because the TMIC is always heat soaked. By running higher Octane, we should get less KR and get back the ponies we have lost.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Yup - I had to clarify that point...edited my post.

 

[Wurf]

This is true Auto, but since it is so hot here, KR is more prevelant because the TMIC is always heat soaked. By running higher Octane, we should get less KR and get back the ponies we have lost.

My thoughts exactly.

I'm fully aware higher octane fuel itself does not produce more power than lower octane. It simply allows the motor to run more timing advance without pre-ignition. That's where the additional power comes from.

I don't have a DH so I'm relegated to the ubiquitous butt dyno for now. I don't know if the ECU is pulling timing or not, just that the car feels less torquey to me when it's above 60 degrees. This could all be in my head ( or butt ) or could be related to less O2 in the warmer ambient air.

I wonder if the booster would allow more timing and power even at temperatures like 75 degrees ambient?

My next question is if you want to boost your octane, what's the cheapest method? Like maybe buy 2 or 3 gallons of race gas and add a gallon to every tank or is there a better way? There are countless brands of Octane booster out there.

I just keep thinking about that dyno test with the Snynchronic BPV and what a difference the octane booster made to that cars numbers. Makes me wonder what is the break off point of the ECU is in regards to octane. At what point is more octane not going to allow more timing.

If 91 octane costs xHP compared to 93, then what would the motor do with a tank of 95 or 100? At what point will you no longer gain power?

 

[Wurf]

Interesting idea. I don't know what our stock ECU would do. If it would let timing advance maximize (there is probably a "hard" limit that the ECU cannot exceed), that could build a bit of power, or at least keep what we have under conditions that otherwise might retard timing a bit.

I run 93 octane exclusively. Fortunately, I live close to a number of refineries and all of our premium here in every brand is 93.

I would think that if you are running 91 and can't find 93, then the octane booster would help. I'd like to know whether there is any more power to gain by going above 93. Let us know what happens if you give it a try.

OK you and I are on the same page here. I should have read your post more thoroughly. Guess it's time to try a tank of race gas and see how it drives.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of Toluene...add some of that to your gas tank, and it'll do much more than a thing of octane booster.

 

[Blendercloud]

You need to be careful about how much you mix. Octane boosters are notorious for chemically fouling spark plugs.

My advice would be not to use it, but to get a Cobb AP and tune your car back to 91 octane in the summer months if you're having problems. Have you also considered a colder spark plug? Denso ITV22's are one step colder and will help with detonation.

 

[Wurf]

I'm not having any problems specifically. The car runs fine. I'm just exploring the idea of octane booster letting it make a bit more power when it's hot outside. FWIW the manual recommends not to add anything to the fuel.

 

[SBSPEED3]

My thoughts exactly.

I'm fully aware higher octane fuel itself does not produce more power than lower octane. It simply allows the motor to run more timing advance without pre-ignition. That's where the additional power comes from.

I don't have a DH so I'm relegated to the ubiquitous butt dyno for now. I don't know if the ECU is pulling timing or not, just that the car feels less torquey to me when it's above 60 degrees. This could all be in my head ( or butt ) or could be related to less O2 in the warmer ambient air.

I wonder if the booster would allow more timing and power even at temperatures like 75 degrees ambient?

My next question is if you want to boost your octane, what's the cheapest method? Like maybe buy 2 or 3 gallons of race gas and add a gallon to every tank or is there a better way? There are countless brands of Octane booster out there.

I just keep thinking about that dyno test with the Snynchronic BPV and what a difference the octane booster made to that cars numbers. Makes me wonder what is the break off point of the ECU is in regards to octane. At what point is more octane not going to allow more timing.

If 91 octane costs xHP compared to 93, then what would the motor do with a tank of 95 or 100? At what point will you no longer gain power?

buy one 55 gallon drum of nitromethane (top fuel dragster fuel...) add 1/2- 1/4 gallon at every ~ 12 gallon fillup. this will raise octane and boost power... (this is a slight joke, but it will work...) nitro is expensive tho, i have not tried it on the speed yet, but it works great on the old twin supercharged shop truck...

for the speed, if i am going to autoX or do some "spirited" driving, i will add some boost at fill up, but i dont really see noticeable gains unless itls likw 110*+ out and the IC has heat soaked... even still if you smell the octane booster b4 you put it in the tank it just smells like diesel and ethanol, which i am sure it is... i live in CA and all we have is 91 and the car seems to run just fine on it for DD...
-Nick

 

[YokiMazoku]

Ok i have a question about this actually. Why is it when you go to Arco or 76 gas station or any of those mom and pop gas stations even when you get premium that is suppose to be 93 octane the car still runs like crap? It seems to be that where i live i can only go to cheveron or shell. I dont live in cali that maybe why. I once read that they test the gas there extensively to make sure it is 93 octane.

 

[Wurf]

Yeah...........I like the nitro idea, but not a 55gal drum of it in my garage! Maybe a 3gal gas can full of it might be fun to try.

Crappy gas can sometimes be lack of proper maintenance/changing of the water separator filters.

Either Shell or BP 93 seems fine around here.

 

[Blendercloud]

Ok i have a question about this actually. Why is it when you go to Arco or 76 gas station or any of those mom and pop gas stations even when you get premium that is suppose to be 93 octane the car still runs like crap? It seems to be that where i live i can only go to cheveron or shell. I dont live in cali that maybe why. I once read that they test the gas there extensively to make sure it is 93 octane.

Almost all gas stations that have been in existence for more than 15 years will have below-ground tanks. Many new gas stations in the cities will have them as well because of limited real estate and the costs of more property to build on.

Below-ground tanks were designed to hold pressure inside. The specifications they were fabricated to did not compensate for the pressure on the tank from the outside. The ground they are under is what is providing this pressure and thus causes leaks in the seam welds of those tanks. Those inward leaks will allow moisture and other contaminants into the tank polluting the fuel inside.

There is a filter on the pump at the gas station tank that 99.9% of the time will not be changed for the life of the gas station. There is also a filter at every gas pump that is likely not changed every six months as directed. Eventually, those filters get dirty and stop filtering which is how you get bad gas. You can tell that they have not been changed as directed by the slow-spooling gas volume on the pump (i.e. it takes you 10-15 minutes to put a tank in).

-Sorry to thread jack. Hope this helps answer your question.