Octane boosters are often considered magic formulas that make your car run better. However, the truth is that increasing the octane will not make a big difference in your car if it does not require a higher octane level. When using an octane booster, you need to make sure you buy the right one first, and then you can add it to your fuel tank to increase the octane level.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Buying Octane Boosters
Step 1. Check the octane level in your car's owner's manual
Your owner's manual should specify what octane level your car requires. Mixing gasoline with an octane booster to create a higher octane level than required will not lead to much improvement in power. You just have to make it reach the required level.
Step 2. Look at the level in the bottle
Most products can only raise the octane by about 3 levels, which means you could go from 90 to 93, for example. Some will raise it higher than that, so make sure you buy the one you need.
- Octane is a measure of how much compression the fuel will detonate. Fuel usually does not ignite until the spark plugs ignite it. However, detonation occurs when compression causes it to ignite spontaneously. Higher octane means the fuel will withstand more compression before igniting, but you really only need the octane level your car requires.
- However, be careful with the labels. Some cheap products put the increase number in points, which is misleading. If, for example, it says that it increases by “3 points”, it means that it will raise the octane level only by 0.3.
Step 3. Use octane boosters only for turbocharged engines
Most of the time, an octane booster won't do much of a profit in a normal car. However, if you have a turbocharger or other similar engine, the octane booster may be beneficial for you.
Step 4. Compare the cost to the benefit
Octane boosters can cost anywhere from $ 10 to $ 50 per bottle. Since a bottle is usually used for a tank, it can be quite expensive. To save money, consider purchasing an octane booster only for special occasions, such as a road trip.
Step 5. Alternatively, upgrade your fuel at the gas station
If you are considering purchasing an octane booster, you may want to purchase a higher octane gasoline at the service station. In many cases, it will be easier and cheaper to raise the octane this way. However, if your car needs a higher octane rating than what is available at the gas station, you will need to purchase an octane booster.
Step 6. Buy octane boosters based on the octane level you want
To find out how much octane booster to buy, read the back of the package. There it will say the amount you need to raise your gasoline to a certain octane level. There is no standard amount, as it is based on the octane level you want and how much gas goes into your tank.
Part 2 of 2: Add the Octane Booster
Step 1. Pour the octane booster into the gas tank
The octane booster goes directly to the tank before you add the gas. Take the cap off and pour the amount you need according to the back of the bottle. This will ensure that the octane booster mixes properly with the gasoline, as adding the gasoline will agitate the octane booster.
Step 2. Add the gasoline
Once you have put the octane booster in the tank, all you have to do is add regular gas on top. Keep in mind that the octane level will be that of the gasoline you are buying plus what you raise the octane booster. Therefore, if you buy 93 gasoline and add an octane booster that increases it by 3, your level will be 96.
Higher octane gasoline burns more slowly, making it less likely to detonate, which is only beneficial if your car needs a higher octane level
Step 3. Use the octane booster in less than a year
You will get the best performance from the product if you use it within a year. Although some octane boosters last more than a year, they go bad more quickly if they are not stored under ideal conditions, such as outside their original packaging.
Step 4. Keep the octane booster in its original packaging
Some octane boosters are very sensitive to light, so it is important to keep them in their original packaging. Also, follow any other recommendations regarding the storage of the mixture that is on the back of the bottle.
Step 5. Try not to leave the octane booster in your tank for long periods of time
When you add the octane booster, it's a good idea to use it quickly. If you have a car that you don't use much, add only what you need for the amount of gas you plan to use. Most octane boosters are ethanol-based, and if they settle in your tank, their drawbacks become a problem. Buy what you are going to use in the short term and try to spend most of it.