buzzuk

Hi i have a 95 wrx import have been using just optimax for last 2 weeks, what octane booster should i buy and how much do you use. Is this gonna get expensive as i am beginning to realise that scoobs drink like an alcoholic just realeased from detox , wife keeps looking at me with dissaproving look everytime i hit the left hand indicator at every other shell garage. (owned a 406 td before this so it's come as a bit of a shock) does octane booster make that much difference and without it am i limiting the life span of my engine?

Thanks in advance

regards
Buzz

highlander68k

I've tried a lot of the different octane boosters.

I can say NF is by far the best for my car, but it's nearly £15 per bottle (3 sensible treatments)

scooby-si

NF all the way m8 ,normal driving it will do 6 tanks but if u are wanting that little bit more then 3 tanks

Flat Four Impreza Club

What you need is a Octane Booster that is designed totally for Imported Vehicles to raise the Ron as near as it can to 100.
Millers is that one Company with their Octane Plus. (3 Ron) A must for ANY imported Vehicle.

£2.70 plus carraige (£26.00 for box of 10). 1 Bottle treats a full Tank.
CVL Is also available for decatted vehicles with raises the ron as above but is also a valve protectant. Thats £5.75 pb
Can be purchased at most good Tuning Companies.
Try www.extremejaps.co.uk. They have loads

M0NEY

NF again. £15 but if one bottle is good for 6 tanks, then it works out £2.50 a tank which isnt alot.

MarvSTi5

Deffo NF -
look out for group buys on here and get loads in -
it's a lot cheaper

RRH

NF is good but it can be messy to measure out, as well as being a pain in the ****. you could, of course, buy their single shot bottles but they're mega expensive.

i tend to use millers, which I find is quite sufficient.

Redkop

Not messy if you use the special measuring cup that you get sometimes when you buy NF

Gidney&Knowlesy

Or use NF One Shot, orange bottles, does what it says on the tin...........

for stockists try www.nfeurope.com

Scooby-Doo

I use NF and an old baby bottle with the teat cut

dj219957

My freind and i both have imports.
I run on optimax alone and have no problems.
My friend uses normal unleaded and also has no problems
in my opinion unless the car is heavy modded or if you thrash it a lot normal super or optimax alone is fine and should cause no negative effects.
I would only used octaine booster if you had loads of modes i.e MBC etc
Alternativily fit a scoobyecu (if you can get one - bit of a wait) and that will map it to normal unleaded.

Andy

Scooby-Doo

DJ - Do you have a Knocklink ?

Jap cars are mapped as standard with 100 RON fuel in mind. If you run on Optimax alone it is at best 98.something which is less that the car is suited to. If you run an unmapped import booster is certainly recommended.

RRH

here we go again

richiewong

Special measuring cup
Where on earth do get one of those, currently using a 60ml syringe but stick 75mls in when down to a quarter tank then fill up.

gavnnik

I've got an import JDM Forester. I usually use Optimax (no booster) but I've just put £10 worth of Sainsbury's Super in it as I couldn't get to Shell.

NO more knock than with the Optimax (showing 1 or 2 amber at 6,000 RPM).

Edited to say that I really have to try to get DET. That's 6,000 RPM, 100MPH (private road ), WOT.

In spirited normal driving up about 90 then no activity at all.

Flat Four Impreza Club

In back to back tests (Reports available) carried out by Total/Fina, Millers Octane Plus gained ron by 3.2 with Super Plus Unleaded. NF 2.4, Proboost 1.9, STP 2.3.
Millers Plus also can be used with Cats.
Some octane boosters (1.99 jobbies from quicksafe etc ) can wipe out the cleaning agents in the fuel, which is bad news (Ever been to a refinery?) so,as with shopping, read the ingredients carefully!!

Kevin Groat

'NF again. £15 but if one bottle is good for 6 tanks, then it works out £2.50 a tank which isnt alot.'

6 tanks - I used a whole bottle per tank (SUL) at the 1/4 mile thrash a couple of weeks ago. Gave a 460bhp RS4 a fright though

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Tony

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I use millers octane plus, under 3 quid a bottle, i drive a JDM MY03 STI (unmodified) and have a knocklink fitted. I get very little activity running the above octane booster with optimax, lucky to get into a solid 2nd green especially in this warmer weather (set to max sensitivity) no spikes etc, this one gets a vote from me

Tony

PS, i am normally over generous with it though, 50ltr tank, 1 bottle per 50 ltrs, fill up from 2/3 empty normally.

Leslie

My MY94 STi has run perfectly well on Optimax for two and a half years with no det showing on the Knocklink. I have never used octane booster. I believe that the ECU has protected it with the automatic ignition control.

It has a turbo back Power Engineering large bore exhaust and backbox with single free flow cat, H&S up pipe, and ported manifolds. It is controlled with a Dawes to 1.1 bar just below fuel cut.

Possibly octane booster would allow the ignition to run with more advance with an ECU reset.

Les

PALATINE

I use millers and its great, 1 bottle per tank full, cheaper than a piston

The Shrink

Perhaps you'd like to publish these results? They seem to contradict every other test I've seen - unless of course the test was done by Millers? And I assume we're talking NF race?

Basically, Millers is OK, but it's not as good as NF, simple as that. IMO of course

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I think the tests were done by Total/Fina as stated in your first enquiry.
I personally use millers, its easier for me to get hold of and i havnt had any problems but i suppose its down to choice at the end of the day.

Tony

highlander68k

I've tried the ProBoost - whole tin at once and it was rubbish.

CraigH

Tony I find it hard to believe that Total/Fina or any other large petrol company would test these octane boosters. Sounds more like a test by millers at finas base or something.

When I had my Scoob, no other OB even came close to NF regarding knocklink activity and ignition advance. Agree with the Shrink - millers is ok, it's not great, kinda like an Asda £3 curry. NF is more like proper bengal cuisine. If you know what I mean

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Im just going by this Craig, personally i use millers, i dont have any problems with it which i think is the major point

Tony

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Tony

For you Millers is fine - you've got a bogga standard erm Spec C aint it....... so to give you a bit of comfort you add the Millers - which is fine

Others

One point that has not been mentioned is that Millers is nice on Spark Plugs whereas NF ***** them up very quickly!!

I have tried all the Boosters and NF is clearly the best. I use Booster to be able to signficantly raise the advance (I always use a full bottle with Shell Optimax) - if I have to use inferior stuff like Esso/BP (BP ultimate is crap btw) then I only put in about 25 litres with a full bottle of NF................

Whoever pays £15 a bottle or near that is being completely ripped off on the NF - I pay £10 a bottle........ but this is based on buying a case (30 bottles)

The retail price of the stuff is £13 (In Vat) anyone who says its £13 plus Vat is pulling a fast one

On my other mildly modded wrx04 I used Millers Booster just for a bit of safety......it costs me nothing compared to the potential new engine bill and you just dump the whole bottle in. I thought about the shots with NF but I think I'd feel a bit of a prat at a service station carefully measuring out any NF........ then again having purchased loads of the stuff - I aint ever been given one of those 50ml jobbies

I have tried ProBoost - that stuff is complete sh*te - Millers works - ProBoost seems to have no effect whatsoever..........

So depends what your after - if you want safety then go for the Millers - if you want to map your car for more power then use a full bottle of NF..............

Re the comments about Millers adding 3.2 Ron - this is total cobblers - at best it'll add about 1.5 on a full bottle I reckon.......... but thats just on the Ron side

Having had my car mapped on 1 bottle of Millers - then up to 3 and then going to NF you tell the difference immediately..... But none of them are as nice as 100% race fuel (read 100ron/mon combined minimum) and its nice

CraigH

Just out of interest, when my STI went bang, it had Proboost in it - didn't know any better then

prana

just add toluene.

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Hmm NO - dont just add Tolulene...............

It has to be very carefully handled for starters and if your mapping with it you have to keep the mixture percentage exact.............. i.e. if you want to add 10 litres of the stuff for every 40 litres of fuel (20%) 10/50 total then keep it exactly like this. or near as you can!

Also it takes a while to add 10 litres to yur tank at a petrol station........ It stinks and is a pain to carry

Why bother with the hassle when it doesnt add so much more than a full bottle of NF advance wise........

If your at Elvington/Santa Pod and have a high power car with uprated internals yeah why not mess with mixtures as long as you know what your doing and can immediately remap to suit............