What do we think of Octane Booster?

[Jesus-Ninja]

We're off to Ireland in May, and a bit of research suggests that any kind of Super Unleaded is few and far between, so as a back up it seems wise to carry some octane booster.

What's good (if any!) and what's not?

[CARMEL120]

what part of ireland and lucus or miller

[Jesus-Ninja]

We'll be heading to Dublin on the ferry and then up through NI, via Omagh, and on to Donegal.

[CARMEL120]

i live in strabane mate you will be passing my way what part of donegal

[Roberto]

As I said in your other thread if you get Maxol E5 your sorted anyway.


What is the Octane Rating of E5 compared to ordinary Unleaded

The Octane Rating of Ordinary unleaded ranges from 95.0 to 95.9 – average 95.5. The Octane rating of E5 is higher and has been measured at 99.

[Jesus-Ninja]

Aye - just reading Maxol's site now. They do an E85 too at 104 :)

[Jesus-Ninja]

i live in strabane mate you will be passing my way what part of donegal

Yeah, well go through Strabane. We're off to Falcarragh, up through Letterkenny

[kiteman]

Have a look at the attachment, It provides an overview on maxol E85 available in Ireland at all maxol service stations, which are listed also.
By the way, what parts of Ireland are you planning to visit.


http://www.maxol.ie/maxol-bioethanol-e85.html

[miller]

I used to live in Letterkenny and also spent time in Falcarragh! Stunning part of the country!

What brings you up there then?


Mike

[Jesus-Ninja]

Have a look at the attachment, It provides an overview on maxol E85 available in Ireland at all maxol service stations, which are listed also.
By the way, what parts of Ireland are you planning to visit.


http://www.maxol.ie/maxol-bioethanol-e85.html

LOL! Just looked at the map - better fill up in Drogheda at the latest - last stop before Donegal! There's Burt (what a great name for a place!) in Donegal, but it's an hour from where we'll be staying.

[Jesus-Ninja]

I used to live in Letterkenny and also spent time in Falcarragh! Stunning part of the country!

What brings you up there then?


Mike

A couple of friends moved over there a few years ago and we try to get out to see them every couple of years. Beautiful place :)

[kiteman]

LOL! Just looked at the map - better fill up in Drogheda at the latest - last stop before Donegal! There's Burt (what a great name for a place!) in Donegal, but it's an hour from where we'll be staying.

If you're going from dublin to letterkenny, you wont or should'nt be going through drogheda, not by a long shot.
Even we would'nt go that way./Welcome2

[CARMEL120]

of to the seaside then mate, 2 places in omagh 1 in burt outside letterkenny if you like i could pm you my mobile no and meet up for a beer

[Jesus-Ninja]

If you're going from dublin to letterkenny, you wont or should'nt be going through drogheda, not by a long shot.
Even we would'nt go that way./Welcome2

Hmm, route plan has us go up the M1, N2, A5, N14, N56

[miller]

Dublin - Slane - Monaghan - Aughnacloy - Omagh - Strabane - Lifford - Letterkenny-

[Jesus-Ninja]

Dublin - Slane - Monaghan - Aughnacloy - Omagh - Strabane - Lifford - Letterkenny-

:thumbsup:

[Jesus-Ninja]

So, anyone tried the E85, or will things turn nasty?

[CARMEL120]

Hmm, route plan has us go up the M1, N2, A5, N14, N56,
ardee, monaghan, aughnocloy, ballygawley omagh thats the best way

[CARMEL120]

,
ardee, monaghan, aughnocloy, ballygawley omagh thats the best way
as miller says

[Jesus-Ninja]

,
ardee, monaghan, aughnocloy, ballygawley omagh thats the best way

Same as Mike's route then? Up the N2 from Dublin. Does this miss out the toll? I got knackered there before as I had no Euros!

[Jesus-Ninja]

as miller says

Ah, beaten to it!/duh

[CARMEL120]

not sure mate the dublin guys will no

[Turbo_Steve]

I'd go careful on the E85: I've heard mixed results regarding effective calorific value vs knock supression properties. I'd imagine it's fine for driving around with and the odd squirt of loud pedal, but if you're intending to drive like a track day I'd watch your EGTs carefully.

I >believe< (though have not researched) that bio-ethanol may also carry a different lambda bias, so you'll see different AFRs.

[Jesus-Ninja]

just reading about high levels of ethanol eating rubber....

Having done the maths though, if I got stuck and put in a mix of 95ron and e85 at a ratio of 16:1, it'd work out as e5. An odd thing to do, but there seems to be nowhere selling e5 toward the end of our journey, but there is e85 in Burt.

8:1 would work out as e9.4

[Jesus-Ninja]

I'd go careful on the E85: I've heard mixed results regarding effective calorific value vs knock supression properties. I'd imagine it's fine for driving around with and the odd squirt of loud pedal, but if you're intending to drive like a track day I'd watch your EGTs carefully.

I >believe< (though have not researched) that bio-ethanol may also carry a different lambda bias, so you'll see different AFRs.

We'll be traveling with the KS-4, definitely! Need to get the EGTs fitted. Might just get the front bank done at least before we go.

[Jesus-Ninja]

what part of ireland and lucus or miller

Any specific Lucas or Miller product, as they seem to have a few each - all promising different things! :stars:

[Nick VR4]

When I got my VR4 the Mits service manager told me to stay well clear of Octane boosters ??

[Turbo_Steve]

There's nothing WRONG with octane boosters, per se, same as there isn't anything wrong with E85, or (as Nick is suggesting) mixing fuels.

The trouble is if you start believeing in / relying on them.

So whilst E85 is great, it's a lot more volatile, which (usually) means more energy release (calorific value) but significantly less dampening capacity: i.e. it may take a lot more of it to quench the ignition burn and / or cool the bores.

I have a degree of faith that they wouldn't sell the stuff if it blew your car up, however I am a little more cautious around running a car flat out for any length of time on a fuel I don't know.


Mixing fuels together is an extremely complicated proposition: just ask a petrochemist (if you can find one that speaks layman) about what happens when you mix lighter volatiles and esthers in with an existing blend of heavier volatiles and aromatics...er...or something.

Look at it this way: fuel is like cake. If you start messing with the ingredients by adding octane boosters or different fuels, then you start getting different results.
You could look at a cake and say "well, I put some sugar in and it tasted great, so more sugar will make it taste even better!", but unfortunately you end up with a sticky, crunch, nasty mess.
The same goes with fuels - whilst you're busy adding toluene (Which seems to be what most octane boosters feature heavily) to increase the Octane, it's actual energy value is decreasing, and maybe it's burn temperature is increasing.

I've mapped with and without octane boosters, and the results are, at best, unpredictable: I wouldn't want to rely on one to bring up the effective octane rating of my fuel.

Chucking one in a full tank, however, is unlikely to do any harm, and may (in some cases) help stave off some nasty knock, but it seems to be in a pretty limited set of circumstances.

[bradc]

What is the standard octane available? 95? If so I'd just drive on that and don't trash it. I've driven stock VR-4's on 95 octane with very low knock counts and I've never had a problem.

[Turbo_Steve]

But, in fairness, it seems the air in NZ has a base Octane rating of 10RON, brad :) It's the only way to explain some of the power output differentials.


Brads point stands, though - If you have to put 95 in it, just keep your foot off the loud pedal and nothing untoward will happen. As many people have found running VR4s on 95RON, even if you DO mash the pedal and get some knock, the ECU steps in and pulls the timing and makes it run like a total bag of carp.

From monitoring my own (and other Japanese cars) though, prolonged use of 95RON under heavy load conditions will only end in tears.

[CARMEL120]

just use super unleaded its only 97 when your here with a dash of octune booster thats what we all use here

[kiteman]

Same as Mike's route then? Up the N2 from Dublin. Does this miss out the toll? I got knackered there before as I had no Euros!

YES it will

[kiteman]

[QUOTE=kiteman/QUOTE]

Surely you'll have a few euro,s with you.

[Jesus-Ninja]

Thanks everyone. So, I would say then (and feel free to confirm or criticise!), my order of preference should be:

1) As much V-Power as I can get in Anglesy.
2) Maxol E5.
3) 97 RON + Booster
4) 97 RON + Actuator pressure only

[bradc]

If you can get 98 ron from the fuel pumps over there, seriously just use that.

[Jesus-Ninja]

If you can get 98 ron from the fuel pumps over there, seriously just use that.

Oops, sorry, 97

[miller]

Yes it does miss out the toll, the toll is for the M1 which you shouldnt be near. When exiting Dublin port turn right and follow signs for the M50 / Finglas (Dublin's M25). Turn left onto M50 and i think its two junctions until you will swing right for the N2 north, initially this will be signposted Derry. You are following Derry signs all the way until Strabane.

Enjoy but beware the roads arent any better, i spent the last week pothole avoidance in the Airtrek on our way to Dingle.

Mike

[WildCards]

I've used Amsoil Octane Boost in a VR4, it made it feel lovely and smooth. Members discount applies too!

http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/octane_boost_2000.html