PETROL ADDITIVES [Archive] - New MINI Scotland

ELFMAN

24th November 2005, 07:12 AM

I've used these a good few times, mainly when I'm up North when I can't get 'Optimax'(which I always use). In normal use, I think the car runs slightly better with the Octane Booster - but I reckon any serious outright performance gains on it alone would be fairly minimal. It goes noticeably better on Optimax over 'cheap' petrol, though and the booster just maximises the gains. Using Optimax AND Booster should give you 100 Octane. My pal Bill (usual passenger on NMS runs) uses it in his Civic VTI (revs to 8,400rpm....), and it does help. He buys it in various makes at Fergusons (which may be in Falkirk, but I can't be sure), where the guys run some serious Japanese motors - hot Civics, Integra Type R's, Scoobies etc. They say the Octane booster works - but Japanese engines like these are designed to run on higher octane than ours, so you'll notice it more on them.

Recent 5th gear (I think) test on 'Supermarket' (94/5? Octane) Vs Optimax (98 Octane) and BP Ultimate (97?) showed little or no gains on 'economy-orientated' engines, but very useful ones on 'performance' engines, the best being Optimax which gained a whole bunch of power on one of the afforementioned Jap motors - Ultimate gained too, but not as much (by some margin) as Optimax.

SO...... I reckon the higher Octane rating you can get in your tank, the better 'bang' you get, but it depends on the state of engine tune and how reliant it is on higher octane to get the best out of it. Optimax and Octane Booster will work wonders on your tuned Scooby, but it's a waste of money in your 1.4 Fiesta.

I'd run for a while on Optimax (if you don't already), then stick in some Octane booster and see what you think, don't expect miracles, though!

Cheers, Euan & G3 ELF.

By the way, I've been to St. Pierre & Miquelon! (French-administered - if I remember right, it was a good few years ago - islands off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.)