Super gasoline and its octane number

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In connection with super gasoline, one often hears the term octane number. In advertising and popular usage, it is said that high octane ratings can improve the performance of your engine, but is that really true?

Sports cars can benefit from a high octane rating.
Sports cars can benefit from a high octane rating.

What is behind the term

  • When the first cars were on the road, they were filled with petrol. Raw gasoline was not as effective as today's super gasoline, because a lot of power was lost in the event of a misfire.
  • From the 20s 30s of the 20th In the early 1900s, leaded gasoline with a higher octane rating was introduced. This had the advantage that it was gentler on the person engine was because misfires were avoided. From 1996 onwards, leaded gasoline was also sold in Europe, which was then banned from 2000. Today, only super petrol with at least 90 octane (RON) is sold as a rule.
  • So high octane has something to do with preventing misfire. This misfire is also called knock, which is why gasoline with a high octane rating has good knock resistance. A high octane number is therefore synonymous with a high knock resistance.

What super high-octane gasoline means for your engine

  • Every gasoline engine has a specific octane rating. This need should be met so that the engine is not damaged by uncontrolled auto-ignition. The octane requirement depends on the speed, temperature and many other things. Today's super gasoline meets the needs of most internal combustion engines as standard. In addition, modern combustion engines have electronic map ignition and knock sensors, which provide additional protection for the engine.
  • But if you think that you can increase the engine's performance with a higher octane rating, you are only partially correct. In powerful vehicles, a high octane rating helps to exhaust the engine's performance. In addition, the more expensive high-quality types of gasoline often contain substances that maintain the engine inside. However, you can't expect a high octane rating to suddenly give a normal engine an unexpected, noticeable boost in performance.
  • Fuel octane rating - worth knowing

    Without fuel, nothing works in the traffic area and the octane number ...

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