Additives and Octane boosters

[SevenW]

Just a quickie......... Here in HK we pay relatively high prices for our gas, so in the forever quest for more bang for buck, plenty of folk stick additives or octane boosters in our tanks thinking we get more ooomph!

The one brand that I've actually been using for the past 3yrs is Silkolene Pro Boost, really dont know if it's a placebo or not but I think I get a tad more out a tank with, than without and power feels a lil bit more. Loads of folk claim it raises the octane level from normal unleaded to super.

Anyway I have used it for a few years and have been quite happy with the stuff, worth a look I think.

Cheers

 

[Jester_Fu]

Why? The cost, here in Aus, of even the most basic octane booster outways the cost per tank of filling up with premium. the only time i use an octane booster is when i'm travelling in the country and the best fuel they have is 95RON. The risk when doing country driving over long distances is that the fuel may have been sitting for a month or more causing it to drop ion RON slightly further. So, i chuck a little octane booster in.

Octane booosters do work - but they're not an ideal or cost effective way to improve millage or performance, IMO.

 

[Jamie GTI]

Why? The cost, here in Aus, of even the most basic octane booster outways the cost per tank of filling up with premium. the only time i use an octane booster is when i'm travelling in the country and the best fuel they have is 95RON. The risk when doing country driving over long distances is that the fuel may have been sitting for a month or more causing it to drop ion RON slightly further. So, i chuck a little octane booster in.

Octane booosters do work - but they're not an ideal or cost effective way to improve millage or performance, IMO.

I do the same thing. The GTI will run happerly on 95RON but it chews a lot more fuel and the acceleration is flatter. A bottle of octane booster helps a lot.

At around $22 a bottle though, it's not a very cost effective way to be running the car like that all the time.

 

[MarioR32]

i use nulon's performance octane booster every 4 or 5 tanks.....just to keep the fuel system clean... not really sure if it helps?... But, i dont care if it does help or not, i doesnt break the budget and if there is a plus side that i dont see then all the better...

cheers mario

 

[Maverick]

i use nulon's performance octane booster every 4 or 5 tanks.....just to keep the fuel system clean... not really sure if it helps?... But, i dont care if it does help or not, i doesnt break the budget and if there is a plus side that i dont see then all the better...

cheers mario

Just use a decent premium unleaded fuel and it achieves the same thing. You're just pissing in the wind using a octane "insert buzzwords here" with a premium fuel.

 

[MarioR32]

Just use a decent premium unleaded fuel and it achieves the same thing. You're just pissing in the wind using a octane "insert buzzwords here" with a premium fuel.

Yep your probably right...
I always use BP ultimate (98) or Shell racing (100).. But as i said.. i DONT care if it works or not, the extra $20 every 4-5 fills doesnt break the budget....and if theres a plus side i dont see then all the better...
it wont hurt my R... right?....(famous last words) :biggrin:

cheers

mario

 

[James G]

*BOOM*

2 MUCH OCTANEZ!

 

[Dingah]

Yep your probably right...
I always use BP ultimate (98) or Shell racing (100).. But as i said.. i DONT care if it works or not, the extra $20 every 4-5 fills doesnt break the budget....and if theres a plus side i dont see then all the better...
it wont hurt my R... right?....(famous last words) :biggrin:

cheers

mario

I'd certainly second what Maverick says.
If you are concerned about performance and fuel then why not consider an APR re-flash and then you can select a softer perfromance setting if there's no 98RON around and benefit from vastly improved performance when there is. I ran some numbers earlier and calculate that in 56000km the Octane Booster investment would be equivalent to purchasing a full APR Stage One upgrade for the ECU software!!

The knock sensing in the Golf engine is sufficient good to allow a range of fuels and performance outcomes to be safely accessed automatically from 95RON through 104RON... therefore, Octane Booster is not necessary and unless you are really unlucky, the cleanliness of modern fuels makes those potions and lotions almost redundant. Ultimate and Caltex Vortex 98RON are two top fuels.

Shell Racing really isn't worth the effort either - it only uses Ethanol to bump the numbers up, it produces volumes of nasty black soot (Optisoot), costs heaps more and increases your fuel consumption by around 10%. Unless you are driving you engine continually at its limits - ie continuously track driving, you and your engine will not notice the benefit. It's another one of the famous performance placebos (eg lower viscoity oil for better engine perfromance) - you are convinced it's all going better but fail to realise that it's because your wallet is now 3kg lighter!

Dingah

 

[Jamie GTI]

Yep your probably right...
I always use BP ultimate (98) or Shell racing (100).. But as i said.. i DONT care if it works or not, the extra $20 every 4-5 fills doesnt break the budget....and if theres a plus side i dont see then all the better...
it wont hurt my R... right?....(famous last words) :biggrin:

cheers

mario

How does Shell's 100RON go? I've been meaning to try it for ages but the one servo in my area that stocks it is always out.

 

[Capercat]

Dingah, Mario32 owns a R32, an APR re-flash isn't going to do much without changing a whole lot of plumbing.

 

[James G]

fail to realise that it's because your wallet is now 3kg lighter!

Dingah

:lol:

Dingah, Mario32 owns a R32, an APR re-flash isn't going to do much without changing a whole lot of plumbing.

And i think he's only recommending it so he can switch between RON's without potential for damage... good try though :biggrin:

 

[DRMAT]

How does Shell's 100RON go? I've been meaning to try it for ages but the one servo in my area that stocks it is always out.

Tried it once, with APR ECU, APR TBE and CAI... my wallet was certainly much lighter. It did seems perhaps like it had slightly more oomph, might have been butt dyno needing a calibration but i think it made SOME difference but certainly not anywhere near enough to justify the massively inflated price. And in Vic at least they are going to discontinue it very soon if not already.

 

[Dingah]

Well done Capercat....sorry folks my stuff up.......missed the R32 thing............as R32 only has a rat on a treadmill and normal lungs no point in re-flashing.

100RON still not worth it unless you are right on the edge in terms of boost and timing and giving it Hell.

Dingah

 

[SevenW]

Well done Capercat....sorry folks my stuff up.......missed the R32 thing............as R32 only has a rat on a treadmill and normal lungs no point in re-flashing.

100RON still not worth it unless you are right on the edge in terms of boost and timing and giving it Hell.

Dingah

Don't aviators get their tanks filled with 105LL?:thumbsup:

7

 

[Dingah]

Aaaah the AVGAS performance mod!!

Dingah