Is Octane Booster Effective?. Octane boosters are a prominent topic in the automotive, boat, and dirt bike industries, among many others. The octane rating of a fuel is an important indicator of its capacity to survive compression. Because many high-performance engines use higher-octane gasoline, it must be advantageous, right? Is octane booster effective? Will it help to increase performance? This tutorial discusses octane, octane boosters, whether they perform, and a few of the top items on the market.
What Is the Octane Rating of Fuel?
The octane rating of a fuel simply measures its capacity to sustain compression without detonating. Internal combustion engines (ICE) operate under extreme temperatures and pressures. Normally, a spark is required to ignite fuel. However, given enough heat and compression, gasoline can spontaneously ignite; this is known as autoignition.
Preignition and detonation are two potentially lethal outcomes of autoignition. These subjects may fill entire essays, so we’ll avoid getting too technical. The main argument is that autoignition is harmful. It can cause significant engine damage to crucial components such as rods, pistons, bearings, and more.
Back on track – higher octane fuels aid in the prevention of autoignition. They have a greater tolerance for compression and heat. But how does this convert into performance and power? Believe it or not, the octane level of gasoline has nothing to do with its energy content. As a result, it is not directly related to an ICE’s power or torque production.
So, how does octane improve power indirectly?
Many high-performance engines still require higher-octane gasoline. Keep in mind that the octane rating assesses the ability to endure compression. Engines feature a compression ratio that determines how much air is compressed by the piston. A larger compression ratio, all else being equal, improves power and performance. As a result, high octane fuel allows manufacturers to improve the compression ratio of their engines.
Ignition time is another critical component in engine performance. Higher octane fuels enable more ignition advance, which can boost power. There are additional aspects, but for the sake of this essay, we’ll avoid getting too technical.
The point is that higher octane fuels offer indirect performance advantages. Those interested in tuning and other performance matters are probably aware of this. With proper calibration, 93 octane will produce significantly more power than 85 or 87 octane. The same is true for higher octane fuels like race gas or E85 (ethanol).
What Exactly Is Octane Booster?
Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s get back to the important stuff. What exactly is an octane booster? Is it genuinely effective? Do octane boosters work better in particular vehicles and engines than others? We’ll answer all of these questions and more in the following sections.
First and foremost, what exactly are octane boosters? You’re probably aware that the main idea is to raise the octane rating of the fuel. These small bottles hold liquid fuel additive. MMT, toluene, and trimethylbenzene are a few significant components. Don’t worry if this makes no sense. We’re neither scientists nor chemists.
Octane booster is a liquid additive that raises the octane rating. Perhaps we should have just left it at that.
Is Octane Booster Effective?
Yes, octane boosters do help to raise octane levels. It can boost octane values by a small amount to over 115 octane. Of course, the outcomes will vary depending on the product, how much is used, and the starting octane rating. More on that as we examine specific octane enhancers. Increased octane rating improves resistance to preignition and detonation.
However, the previous paragraph may not answer the question in the way that certain readers expect. Octane boosters can raise octane rating, but do they also improve power and performance? It can also be used for this. However, the answer is greatly dependent on the car and engine in issue.
Again, many original performance engines are engineered to provide the most power while using higher grade fuels like as 93 octane. However, many states in the United States do not have access to 93 octane gasoline. Using an octane booster to go from 91 to 93 octane could result in power and performance benefits, for example. Even if your vehicle was not designed to run on higher octane fuels, you may see some slight advantages (as well as improved engine safety due to a lower possibility of autoignition). That isn’t always the case, as the effectiveness of octane booster varies depending on the automobile and engine.
Performance and tuning applications
Octane becomes highly crucial when modifying and altering your car. Tuners can boost power output by adjusting factors like ignition advance with greater octane. It would be hazardous to do so with lower octane gasoline, which is more prone to detonation. As a result, octane boosters may be useful if you’re configuring your vehicle for greater octane.
However, while it can be useful, we do not recommend relying just on octane booster to do this. The preferable alternative is to tune for the most commonly accessible octane. Alternatively, go to a nearby race shop and get race gas or high octane solutions. If you’re in a pinch, an octane booster may be useful; we just don’t like the concept of relying on it in the long run.
When to Avoid Using Octane Booster
Octane booster is generally safe to test and use. Make sure you’re buying excellent, name-brand goods that are safe for your engine (which is nearly always the case). You may not notice any performance improvements at all, or you may see a significant improvement. Because some of it could be due to the placebo effect, dyno testing is the most effective technique to see if there is any visible performance increase.
The main point is that octane boosters can be effective, but there are some additional considerations. The correct octane boosters raise octane rating, but whether or not this improves power is case-by-case. Using octane boosters as a long-term solution is not a good idea.
If you want to tune your car for something you can’t get at a regular gas station – 93 octane, 95 octane, 100+ octane, and so on – check with local race shops. They may have high-octane race gas, which is a better long-term answer. To reach the necessary octane rating, simply combine this with regular pump petrol.
The Top 5 Octane Boosters
We now know that octane boosters can be an efficient technique to raise the octane rating of gasoline. However, whether or not it genuinely improves performance is dependent on a variety of conditions. Octane does not directly improve power or increase the energy per part of gasoline. However, knock resistance can help to assure safer engine operation by lowering the likelihood of engine knocking.
It also lets the engine to run with higher ignition advance and change other parameters to increase power. Power improvements will be minor to non-existent if your vehicle is not equipped or tuned for higher octane fuel. However, if you don’t have access to 91-93+ octane and your automobile is not designed for this higher octane, an octane booster can be a viable option.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get started and talk about some of the top octane boosters on the market.
1) 32oz BOOSTane Professional Octane Booster
This list of the top 5 octane boosters is not in any particular order of greatest to worst. However, BOOSTane is our preferred alternative. They provide two types of octane boosters for gasoline vehicles: Professional and Premium. Premium comes in a smaller 16oz bottle and does not provide as much octane boost.
As a result, the 32oz Professional Octane Booster is our primary focus. According to their chart, 0.9oz per gallon increases octane rating by 7, therefore 93 octane becomes 100 octane. This indicates that one bottle will treat around 34-35 gallons of fuel (or more if you don’t require that much octane enhancement). From a starting position of 93 octane, 32oz per gallon will boost you all the way up to 116 octane.
The price is higher than that of many other octane boosters on the market. BOOSTane, on the other hand, provides a powerful punch in a 32oz bottle. When you consider the octane boost, it’s truly a fantastic deal when compared to many other octane boosters.
Price: $34.59 (single), $62.29 (two packs), and $124.99 (four packs).
Results of BOOSTane Dyno
BOOSTane’s website features a dyno of a standard BMW 335i. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether this engine is the N54 twin turbo or the N55 single turbo. In any case, we’re very familiar with both engines. They’re both high-octane engines with a clever and adaptable engine control unit (ECU). Even when not tuned, these engines can detect higher octane fuels and increase boost targets and other settings to improve performance.
On 93 octane fuel, the original 335i produced 258whp and 283wtq. BOOSTane was used to improve the octane concentration to 104.5 octane, which increased the 335i’s power and torque to 285whp and 298wtq. Gains of 27whp and 13wtq are impressive. Not everyone should expect such results. However, many current cars have clever algorithms that detect higher octane fuels and adjust for improved performance.
2) Lucas Oil Octane Enhancers
Lucas Oil is a well-known brand for their many oils, gasoline treatments, oil additives, and octane boosters. If you go into any auto shop, you’ll most certainly notice Lucas Oil products all over. The point is that they are a well-known and trustworthy company in the industry.
They have two sizes for cars: a 5.25oz bottle that treats up to 15 gallons and a 15oz bottle that treats up to 25 gallons. According to Lucas Oil, this increases the octane rating by 30 points (equivalent to 3 octane). Start with 91 octane, then add a whole 15oz bottle to 25 gallons to get 94 octane gas.
As a result, Lucas Oil lacks the punch of the previously mentioned BOOSTane octane enhancer. However, this is a high-quality product from a reputable company that is simple to use.
$85.92 for a 12-pack of 15oz bottles
3) Royal Purple Maximize
Royal Purple is similar to the previously mentioned Lucas Oil. They are a large company that manufactures a wide range of automotive fluids and additives. When it comes to octane booster, Royal Purple is another wonderful trusted brand to go with.
The 16oz Royal Purple Max Boost product treats up to 25 gallons of fuel. It also improves the octane rating by up to 30 points (or 3 octane numbers), just like Lucas Oil. This octane booster is little more expensive than Lucas Oil, but it is still a terrific choice.
$65.70 for a 6-pack of 16oz bottles
4) Octane Booster and Fuel Intake System Cleaner STP
In keeping with the trend, STP is a well-known and trusted brand in this industry. The STP octane booster has two functions. It not only increases octane, but it also cleans the gasoline intake system.
The disadvantage of being a 2-in-1 is that it does not provide a significant improvement in octane rating. STP claims a 2-5 octane improvement. Remember that 10 points equals one full octane. As a result, this STP octane booster would only raise octane rating by 0.2-0.5.
Finally, if raising octane is the end goal, this isn’t the best product available. However, it is still a high-quality product that may be worth a try if you may also benefit from some fuel intake cleaning.
$61.99 for a 12-pack of 5.25oz bottles
5) Klotz Octane Enhancers
Finally, we have a lesser-known octane booster. You’ve probably never heard of Klotz, but they do sell actual race gasoline on their website. As a result, they’re a seasoned provider of high-octane fuels and solutions.
The Klotz octane booster comes in a 1 gallon jug and can increase octane by up to 100 points – equivalent to 10 full octane ratings. Octane is increased by 2.5 for every 1oz per gallon of gas. As a result, 4oz per gallon will raise the octane rating by 10.
Finally, Klotz has the second highest punch per ounce, trailing only BOOSTane. A 1 gallon jar can be purchased for around $63 making this octane booster an excellent buy.
Price: $63.06 for a gallon jug
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Octane Booster Frequently Asked Questions
Some of this may be redundant with the rest of the article. However, we’ll provide some short and straightforward solutions to frequently asked questions about octane boosters below.
How Does Octane Booster Function?
Octane boosters improve the octane rating of gasoline. This is performed through the use of compounds such as MMT, toluene, and trimethylbenzene. Increasing octane can help avoid engine knocking while also improving engine power and performance indirectly.
What is the shelf life of Octane Booster?
The octane booster will last the entire tank of gas. Once mixed in, it will raise the octane rating until you run out of fuel. If you want to enhance the octane rating again, you’ll need to add more the next time you fill up.
What Vehicles Perform Best With Octane Boosters?
Many newer, higher compression engines, particularly turbo or supercharged engines, respond best to octane boosters. Modern engine computers are often adaptable, and greater octane will boost performance.
How Frequently Can You Use It?
We don’t advocate using octane booster every time you fill up your tank. It’s also not the most sustainable long-term response to higher octane fuels. Finally, you CAN use an octane booster all the time, but there may be negative side effects. If you require high octane for a long time, mixing race gas from a professional race shop is the best solution.
