Because it always comes up, Europe, USA, etc. use different rating scales! The USA rating scale is a lower number than it would be if on the European scale (AKI vs RON). Explained here: Does Europe Have "Better" Fuel? - th-cam.com/video/zf-OYXlhJis/w-d-xo.html Instagram - instagram.com/engineeringexplained EE Shirts! - bit.ly/2BHsiuo Recommended Books - amzn.to/2BrekJm
If I paid $7.00 per gallon for fuel, I'd want my quality to better as well, but too bad it isn't better. Edit: Wow, $9.28 per gallon in Oslo! Holy crap!
Love your videos keep up the good work. Though there is an inaccuracy with the "nomeclature" that you used it is the Iso-octane that has an octane number of 100 pure straight octane is even worse than heptane. It is just a detail, but you wrote chemical formulas soo....whatever. Awesome channel!
Not sure if you are even going to see this comment but thanks for these videos. I have just recently started to fall in love with racing and your videos helped get me started. I am able to get involved more in rebuilding of my dads el Camino and can sometimes help with something I picked up from own research or your videos. So thank you for helping me learn this stuff quickly so I can strengthen relations with my dad
I find it odd that burning diesel at a higher temperature (high cetane number) would result in more soot, considering that particulate filters burn off what they collect at very high temperatures. You'd think the higher temp would result in more complete combustion. On the other hand, I would expect more NOx from those higher temperatures.
I find that my v8 runs so much better and is more torqued with the efficient burn of the higher octane fuel .That is why I use only high octane fuel and the savings to lower octane is marginal when compared against engine knock and other factors that can eventually cause permanent damage and cost in the future, especially if one desires to keep his vehicle for a very long time. Good explanation on fuel ratings and video presentation.
Your engine haves a high compression ratio. When you use a lower octane your engine management reduces the spark advance and that reduces the torque and power.
Another high quality content video. Thank you. Beyond the scope of this video, but something I run into often is the misconception that octane is related to energy content of the fuel. It is not. These are both separate properties of any given fuel formulation. In fact, in many instances, higher octane fuels have a lower total energy content.
You should cover how does air temperature differences between summer and winter affect the output on the engine, and how does the fact that aire can have different amounts of water depending on the temperature, affects horsepower readings. Also the fact that dry air has different specific heat and so and how does that affect the combustion pressure and temperatures. I think that is a pretty amazing topic and there is a lot of missunderstanding about that.
Octane used is iso-octane. IUPAC name 2,2,4-trimethyl pentane. Basically branched hydrocarbons. For the same number of carbons in the molecule, the branched one has a higher octane rating. For straight chain hydrocarbons the higher the number of carbons the less is the octane rating.
This is a revelation. Thanks. This video brings up the question what will the Subaru Crosstrek do on a Dyno with 83 octane v 91 octane. I just saw a video of a Crosstrek on a Dyno testing the HP between factory tries and rims vs AT rims and tires.
Thank you so much sir!! Additional significant car knowledge, simple things that most people doesnt intend to know that they've been using everyday of their life. I'm so glad this video was added to my "like section". Keep it up!!!
Believe me or not. My IC engine subject exam is tomorrow & you uploaded the video on the topic which i am searching on web. You're very useful for students like us. Keep it up. Big thanks from INDIA
Minor disagreement. Firing the spark earlier is done because the higher octane fuel burns more slowly, resulting in less likelyhood of a knock caused by exploding fuel rather than a smoothly burning fuel. Also, maximum torque occurs with the spark occurring such that higher cylinder pressure occurs 90 degrees after top dead center for the greatest moment arm. This usually requires sparking earlier (advanced spark). High cetane in a diesel is also advantageous because diesels are considered constant pressure engines, meaning the cylinder pressure can be held approximately constant during the power stroke in a low rpm high torque engine. In such engines, fuel is normally injected throughout most of the power stroke, typically from TDC to a bit past 90 degrees ATDC. Contrast this to a gasoline engine in which control over combustion is essentially lost after the spark fires, necessitating spark advance curves to match engine rpm and torque requirements such that higher cylinder pressure occurs at 90 degrees ATDC on the power stroke. Other than that, I love your posts. Keep it up.
Idea for video: How is race gas higher then 100 octane? How does lead in gas raise the octane rating? How do off the shelf octane boosters work? Thanks for all the amazing videos and info!
The octane rating is only the rating of an equivalent fuel made of octane and heptane. Real gas is not just octane and heptane, and some chemicals and additives are just more resistant to knock than octane will ever be. Octane will still knock if you put it under enough compression.
Also, are some E85 mixtures who are rated to be 118 octanes. Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL tested some racing gasoline and E85 both rated at 118 octanes.
Most alcohols will increase octane but they also contain less energy per gallon than gasoline. Many alcohol fueled racing engines run very high compression ratios...like 18:1 or 19:1, but they also require fuel flows well in excess of what would be required for similar power from a gasoline engine.
Good overview, Jason. I have to work in this world (multi-fuel reciprocating engine’s, including spark-ignited heavy fuel), and it confuses the heck out of anyone who doesn’t do hydrocarbon fuels every day. Trying to explain how octane and cetane measure two very different physical properties. Oh, then you can throw in the old Army studies that tried to establish a statistical relationship between octane and cetane for building multi-fuel engines. That makes for even more confusion. It was really fun when one time we sent samples off to a lab, and the octane/cetane relationship between the two was exactly inverse of the trend line from the Army data. When you get such dramatic variances in fuel properties from batch to batch, tuning a multi-fuel engine becomes a major PITA. But hey, it keeps me employed and engaged. 😉 Anyway... again, good video. 👍 Shining the light of knowledge to wash out the dark of ignorance, one educational video at a time.
Another great video! I would recommend having something in the video/description to clarify characters that people might be unfamiliar with. The explanation of the difference is great, but I (probably other too) do not know exactly what the Z/T symbol, and the M with the line at the end mean
Some things you didn't mention that my thermodynamics teacher did. The octane that is most efficient in any given gasoline engine depends on the particular engine. The general rule is buy the cheapest stuff that doesn't cause your car to knock but the age of and amount of modification done to your car can significantly affect this. Also ambient air pressure can affect this. In the U.S. you never see lower than 87 octane if you're near sea level but in the Rocky Mountains (Utah, Colorado, etc.) most pumps offer 85 as the lower air pressure changes how your engine functions.
Pity you didn't mention the different PPM ratings, and the difference in Octane/Cetane ratings for the coast and high altitude. Great video, I learned something .
Jason, you've made me a TH-cam fan with your excellent educational videos. Say, with higher octane fuel, isn't their also a related change in the branching of the octane molecule. Do higher octane fuels have a higher degree of branching in the octane molecule; or lower degree of branching? 😎 thanks.
Why would hotter combustion create more particulate matter? I see why it makes more nitrogen oxides (especially in a diesel with excess air), but why PM?
i read somewhere since the big ethanol boom that 87oct is actually 85 with 10-15% enthanol to come to 87. And no not all 4 bangers can run on 87 without causing issues. They can run it with a knock sensor but mpg, and thermal efficiency goes down the drain. Wrong spark plugs or carbon build up could also cause ping/knock on cars built for 87.
Question..... can you explain the advantage/disadvantage to stopping an engine at... let say,... a drive through or long stop light. Is the savings in fuel out weigh the wear and tear on the starter? Is there a time period of time that must elaps before there is an actual benefit? How much fuel is used to start a fuel injected engine that is already up to normal operating temperature? As opposed to a engine idling?
We don't have different diesel options at the pump in Australia, it may vary between the suppliers, but it is not openly displayed what the cetane number is anywhere. Unlike petrol, which is displayed at the pump as 91, 95 and 98 (we used to have 100 and 103) (I think we use RON), You can get additives to boost the octane/cetane number by up to 7. Does any other country add ethanol to petrol? We have e10 (10% ethanol added to petrol), what are the pros/cons of this?
Daniel Warnock In Finland the petrol choices are 95E10, 98E5 and E85. Before E is the minimum octane of the stuff, and after it the maximum ethanol percentage (octane is left out of the name of E85, because it's supposed to be high enough for just anything). I'd suppose it's the same pretty much everywhere in Europe.
high cetane diesel can completely transform a diese engine There is a video on TH-cam where they dyno test an old 1.9TDI vw diesel on standard diesel and diesel with cetane booster in it. The difference in mid and high rmp performance was huge and the engine made more hp and torque overall. An old high revving Unit Injector engine like the 1.9TDI is kind of an extreme example and it surely benefits more from high cetane diesel than a modern commonrail diesel that is optimized for low end torque and hp anyways but even here id expect gains. The minimum required cetane number for diesel with the EU here is 51. Premium diesel goes up to 60 and above. For years vehicle manufacturers have been pushing for a higher standard of at least 58 cetane. Now I see why they want higher cetane fuels to be the standard at out petrol stations.
Question, I Mixed cetane booster in my regular gas by mistake. Thinking it was a cleaner and booster for regular gas but then read the label at the bottom where it said for diesel fuel. I use this gas for my lawn mower. Will this ruin the motor?
This is off topic but why do some petrol pumps have a single nozzle instead of multiple seperate nozzles for each octane? it seems very easy for someone to put the wrong octane or even diesel.
They're still pulling from different tanks to fill each octane, just using a common delivery point. There might be some slight residual mixing in the hose, but it's not going to be enough to make any appreciable difference once it's delivered to your tank, with the exception of diesel, which is always a separate nozzle. It's cheaper to use a common hose/nozzle than to have three separate ones.
Really gotta send this video to my mum.. She drives an '06 Nissan Tiida (Versa) and thinks she needs top end fuel because the gas station attendant said it burns cleaner. Keep trying to tell her that paying an extra $0.80 per liter isn't worth it on a car that is fine on 95, or even 91 octane...
lot of questions about running home heating fuel in off road diesel engine. Can a diesel engine run on home heating fuel? Wile cheaper does it run efficient? Is there possibility of injector or engine ware? I don't own a diesel but I do work at a fuel service station and get asked all the time. All I know is old engines 30+ years ago were durable unkillable machines use to run fine one home heating but don't know if it would be safe to run in today's engines.
Yes it can ran on heating oil but you shouldn't do that. Standard heating oil still contains up to 50mg/l of sulfur which can cause problems for the exhaust after treatment system. Also because in most countries Diesel and heating oil is taxed differently, you basically do a tax evasion if you using heating oil in a car.
I drive a acura tl 3.2 and the compression ratio is 11 to 1. I put 93 octane but one time my dad drove it and put regular 89 in it and it still ran the same.
i have a question, what octane to use in -40 weather? say a vehicle was parked outside for a week. What octane would work best for that kind of cold start up?.would heptane be better for cold starts?
Just a small correction: Octane (a.k.a. "n-Octane") is about -20 RON (yes, minus 20!), but "iso-Octane" (2,2,4 Trimethylpentane) is 100 RON and the molecule used as the 100 RON specification. n-Heptane is used as the 0 rating. The "n" stands for "normal" and refers to the long chain hydrocarbon rather than any isomer (or restructuring) of the same number of atoms. n-Octane is the long chain C8H18 hydrocarbon and so flaps around easily and breaks under high pressure/temperature, but one of the isomers of Octane (2,2,4 Trimethylpentane) is a small packed up molecule so it's much less likely to self-combust under high pressure/temps. It's still C8H18, though, but a different shape (isomer). Great video as always! :) Sorry to point out an error.
My car has a 13:1 compression ratio but still recommends regular(87) gas? It even says that higher could cause check engine light. Would there be any measurable benefit to using a higher octane since my compression ratio is so high?
It not like it's hard to listen for it. If an engine is quieter with one octane and clatters with a lower octane, you know which fuel is good for the car and which isn't.
Disaster! The frames of the whiteboard and screen are several pixels misaligned! :P Great video, I enjoy your channel muchly, despite my occasional arguments. More than a million people are slightly better educated thanks to you
A pedantic correction but octane itself hasn't got an octane rating of 100, a structural isomer of octane called 2,2,4-trimethylpentane is defined as 100
Great info as always. Would love to see your analysis of a throttle body spacer (preferably on a Mustang GT). As always, feel free to use my car if you're ever in the NY area.
got some dirsel cause new tractor never came going mix it in my carb heli 359 ford like 2 gal deseil to 15 gal.gas make tractor feul so not get wasted ny age. old farmers know what tractor fuel is 2 tanks start on gas than switch to tractor fuel.helps lube the clyders too
but how can my engine understand what kind of gasoline is burning? if it has a low octanes number or an high one? there's some kind of sensor somewhere?
One thing you did not touch upon is the fact that people think that whatever engine you use, a higher octane will yield better performance. According to your explanation, that is true only for variable compression engines. Engines that operate at higher compression simply cannot use low octane else they get knock, and low compression engines will not extract the benefits from higher octane fuel.
Hi Engineering Explained, I would like to know short comings and side effects of adding STP Octane booster into diesel. Also is it advisable to use octane additives for diesel, probably to as little as 1 ml/liter.
In my country we have a choice between 93 and 95 octane, but at the same price. Why not have just one fuel available, or is it because of manufacturer recommendations and application?
This feels like a misleading octane explanation to me. I would say that higher octane fuels burn slower. That is what allows for more advanced timing. "Spark resistance" alone wouldn't. In reality the higher octane / slower burning makes higher octane fuels behave as "more resistive to knock" but really it pre-ignites slower and those flamefronts spread slower and stay tiny vs spark ignition so don't cause knock.
Will diesel with a higher cetane number and therefore higher burn temperatures also create more NOx emissions? After all those nitrogen compounds tend to form at high temperatures...
Mix both what? If you mix two octane fuels, it will have an octane rating somewhere in the middle. If you mix gas and diesel, your car won't be pleased.
Because it always comes up, Europe, USA, etc. use different rating scales! The USA rating scale is a lower number than it would be if on the European scale (AKI vs RON). Explained here:
Does Europe Have "Better" Fuel? - th-cam.com/video/zf-OYXlhJis/w-d-xo.html
Instagram - instagram.com/engineeringexplained
EE Shirts! - bit.ly/2BHsiuo
Recommended Books - amzn.to/2BrekJm
Engineering Explained maybe Europe has the same quality, but the price is biiiigger
If I paid $7.00 per gallon for fuel, I'd want my quality to better as well, but too bad it isn't better.
Edit: Wow, $9.28 per gallon in Oslo! Holy crap!
That's due to tax I suppose.
Lamar2081 Now you know why Tesla is popular in Norway.
Love your videos keep up the good work. Though there is an inaccuracy with the "nomeclature" that you used it is the Iso-octane that has an octane number of 100 pure straight octane is even worse than heptane. It is just a detail, but you wrote chemical formulas soo....whatever. Awesome channel!
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Heptane
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Engine damage.
Knock Knock
Who's there?
Bent connecting rod
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Cylinder 7
Große Soße
knock knock.
Who's there!?
Rod.
Rod who?
Rod stewardebottom of your engine.
Knock knock who's there ? Pinking , pinking who ,pinking as just blown your piston crown through
Lower combustion temperature in a diesel leads to more PM emissions and less NOx emission. Higher temps mean fewer PM emissions
But I combine 87 octane and 93 octane to make 180 octane (I DID MATH, BIATCHEZ!)! THat makes 1,000HP in mah VTEK!
U DID MATH? U MY BOIRACER HERO, YO!
VTEEEEEKK!!!!
Legend!
Iventonart No, It's a Civic! I can't afford no Legend!
No u iz Legend!
Not sure if you are even going to see this comment but thanks for these videos. I have just recently started to fall in love with racing and your videos helped get me started. I am able to get involved more in rebuilding of my dads el Camino and can sometimes help with something I picked up from own research or your videos. So thank you for helping me learn this stuff quickly so I can strengthen relations with my dad
Thanks. Miss my dad. He serviced all his car. I was the book type. I love your videos. Always find them useful. Greetings from South Africa.
I find it odd that burning diesel at a higher temperature (high cetane number) would result in more soot, considering that particulate filters burn off what they collect at very high temperatures. You'd think the higher temp would result in more complete combustion.
On the other hand, I would expect more NOx from those higher temperatures.
Already knew what these are but i still clicked because its Engineering Explained
Joel Del Pilar you should probably get a life
Joel Del Pilar Good for you. Want an award?
StrangeClouds if its cash, ill take it
Me too EE is
I find that my v8 runs so much better and is more torqued with the efficient burn of the higher octane fuel .That is why I use only high octane fuel and the savings to lower octane is marginal when compared against engine knock and other factors that can eventually cause permanent damage and cost in the future, especially if one desires to keep his vehicle for a very long time. Good explanation on fuel ratings and video presentation.
Your engine haves a high compression ratio. When you use a lower octane your engine management reduces the spark advance and that reduces the torque and power.
Octane has nothing to do with burn efficiency, it is only relevant to knock.
Another high quality content video. Thank you. Beyond the scope of this video, but something I run into often is the misconception that octane is related to energy content of the fuel. It is not. These are both separate properties of any given fuel formulation. In fact, in many instances, higher octane fuels have a lower total energy content.
You should cover how does air temperature differences between summer and winter affect the output on the engine, and how does the fact that aire can have different amounts of water depending on the temperature, affects horsepower readings. Also the fact that dry air has different specific heat and so and how does that affect the combustion pressure and temperatures. I think that is a pretty amazing topic and there is a lot of missunderstanding about that.
Octane used is iso-octane. IUPAC name 2,2,4-trimethyl pentane. Basically branched hydrocarbons. For the same number of carbons in the molecule, the branched one has a higher octane rating. For straight chain hydrocarbons the higher the number of carbons the less is the octane rating.
Finally some awesome details on the difference. I try to explain this to others and it always leads to an argument.
I ALWAYS learn something from these videos without fail👌🏻👊🏻
This is a revelation. Thanks. This video brings up the question what will the Subaru Crosstrek do on a Dyno with 83 octane v 91 octane. I just saw a video of a Crosstrek on a Dyno testing the HP between factory tries and rims vs AT rims and tires.
Thank you so much sir!!
Additional significant car knowledge, simple things that most people doesnt intend to know that they've been using everyday of their life. I'm so glad this video was added to my "like section". Keep it up!!!
Believe me or not. My IC engine subject exam is tomorrow & you uploaded the video on the topic which i am searching on web. You're very useful for students like us. Keep it up. Big thanks from INDIA
Minor disagreement. Firing the spark earlier is done because the higher octane fuel burns more slowly, resulting in less likelyhood of a knock caused by exploding fuel rather than a smoothly burning fuel. Also, maximum torque occurs with the spark occurring such that higher cylinder pressure occurs 90 degrees after top dead center for the greatest moment arm. This usually requires sparking earlier (advanced spark).
High cetane in a diesel is also advantageous because diesels are considered constant pressure engines, meaning the cylinder pressure can be held approximately constant during the power stroke in a low rpm high torque engine. In such engines, fuel is normally injected throughout most of the power stroke, typically from TDC to a bit past 90 degrees ATDC.
Contrast this to a gasoline engine in which control over combustion is essentially lost after the spark fires, necessitating spark advance curves to match engine rpm and torque requirements such that higher cylinder pressure occurs at 90 degrees ATDC on the power stroke. Other than that, I love your posts. Keep it up.
Idea for video: How is race gas higher then 100 octane? How does lead in gas raise the octane rating? How do off the shelf octane boosters work?
Thanks for all the amazing videos and info!
The octane rating is only the rating of an equivalent fuel made of octane and heptane. Real gas is not just octane and heptane, and some chemicals and additives are just more resistant to knock than octane will ever be. Octane will still knock if you put it under enough compression.
The lead in gasolin was in the form tetra ethyl lead and have an octan number >100. Therfor it increase the octane rating when it's added.
Also, are some E85 mixtures who are rated to be 118 octanes. Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL tested some racing gasoline and E85 both rated at 118 octanes.
Most alcohols will increase octane but they also contain less energy per gallon than gasoline. Many alcohol fueled racing engines run very high compression ratios...like 18:1 or 19:1, but they also require fuel flows well in excess of what would be required for similar power from a gasoline engine.
Its a gift having people like you in our world
So kind, thank you!!
Learning something new. As always the quality is perfect. Thanks Jason!
I live in EU so gas costs a lot compared to US, but almost everywhere you can find gas with at least 95 octane (next to the one with 100 octane)
Good overview, Jason. I have to work in this world (multi-fuel reciprocating engine’s, including spark-ignited heavy fuel), and it confuses the heck out of anyone who doesn’t do hydrocarbon fuels every day. Trying to explain how octane and cetane measure two very different physical properties. Oh, then you can throw in the old Army studies that tried to establish a statistical relationship between octane and cetane for building multi-fuel engines. That makes for even more confusion. It was really fun when one time we sent samples off to a lab, and the octane/cetane relationship between the two was exactly inverse of the trend line from the Army data. When you get such dramatic variances in fuel properties from batch to batch, tuning a multi-fuel engine becomes a major PITA. But hey, it keeps me employed and engaged. 😉
Anyway... again, good video. 👍 Shining the light of knowledge to wash out the dark of ignorance, one educational video at a time.
it would be AMAZING if you could address the dexcool misconceptions
Another great video! I would recommend having something in the video/description to clarify characters that people might be unfamiliar with. The explanation of the difference is great, but I (probably other too) do not know exactly what the Z/T symbol, and the M with the line at the end mean
Always wanted to know how this worked, thanks
Thanks for watching!
Some things you didn't mention that my thermodynamics teacher did. The octane that is most efficient in any given gasoline engine depends on the particular engine. The general rule is buy the cheapest stuff that doesn't cause your car to knock but the age of and amount of modification done to your car can significantly affect this. Also ambient air pressure can affect this. In the U.S. you never see lower than 87 octane if you're near sea level but in the Rocky Mountains (Utah, Colorado, etc.) most pumps offer 85 as the lower air pressure changes how your engine functions.
The octane with octane number of 100 is iso-octane. 2,2,4-trimethylpentane.
Thanks, finally a simple explanation of cetane!
Back at again with the helpful videos
Great video Jason, keep em coming
Awesome video dude!
Great videos man! Keep up the good work!
Pity you didn't mention the different PPM ratings, and the difference in Octane/Cetane ratings for the coast and high altitude. Great video, I learned something .
If memory serves me correctly, the increased temperatures resulting from using higher cetane diesel causes greater NOX and less PM.
Please, do one about the (new) 2019 aerodynamics rules of F1. If possible, about the Formula E gen2 car, too. Gotta love fluids mechanics.
Nice explanation as always!
Thank you. This is terrific information!
Nice explanation , you prepare me well for exam , Thank you
Higher combustion temperatures in diesels also result in higher amounts of Nox, often working the hell out of the EGR
thank you.. i was wondering this just yesterday.
Thanks for watching!
Jason, you've made me a TH-cam fan with your excellent educational videos.
Say, with higher octane fuel, isn't their also a related change in the branching of the octane molecule.
Do higher octane fuels have a higher degree of branching in the octane molecule; or lower degree of branching? 😎 thanks.
Why would hotter combustion create more particulate matter? I see why it makes more nitrogen oxides (especially in a diesel with excess air), but why PM?
Who needs to go to college anymore with a channel like this.
Great video. Very informative, I'v always been curious about this. Thanks for explaining it.
Love your videos ! Keep them coming
i read somewhere since the big ethanol boom that 87oct is actually 85 with 10-15% enthanol to come to 87. And no not all 4 bangers can run on 87 without causing issues. They can run it with a knock sensor but mpg, and thermal efficiency goes down the drain. Wrong spark plugs or carbon build up could also cause ping/knock on cars built for 87.
Question..... can you explain the advantage/disadvantage to stopping an engine at... let say,... a drive through or long stop light. Is the savings in fuel out weigh the wear and tear on the starter? Is there a time period of time that must elaps before there is an actual benefit? How much fuel is used to start a fuel injected engine that is already up to normal operating temperature? As opposed to a engine idling?
Great video!
Nice video. Know the definition but didn't know the what they translates to real world. Thank u
Great vid, thank you EE!
We don't have different diesel options at the pump in Australia, it may vary between the suppliers, but it is not openly displayed what the cetane number is anywhere. Unlike petrol, which is displayed at the pump as 91, 95 and 98 (we used to have 100 and 103) (I think we use RON), You can get additives to boost the octane/cetane number by up to 7. Does any other country add ethanol to petrol? We have e10 (10% ethanol added to petrol), what are the pros/cons of this?
Daniel Warnock In Finland the petrol choices are 95E10, 98E5 and E85. Before E is the minimum octane of the stuff, and after it the maximum ethanol percentage (octane is left out of the name of E85, because it's supposed to be high enough for just anything). I'd suppose it's the same pretty much everywhere in Europe.
Pauli Vaara we have e85 here too at select locations, but it is recommended for high performance engines only
Your markers are too good they are shining😎😉😉😉😘
high cetane diesel can completely transform a diese engine
There is a video on TH-cam where they dyno test an old 1.9TDI vw diesel on standard diesel and diesel with cetane booster in it. The difference in mid and high rmp performance was huge and the engine made more hp and torque overall.
An old high revving Unit Injector engine like the 1.9TDI is kind of an extreme example and it surely benefits more from high cetane diesel than a modern commonrail diesel that is optimized for low end torque and hp anyways but even here id expect gains.
The minimum required cetane number for diesel with the EU here is 51. Premium diesel goes up to 60 and above. For years vehicle manufacturers have been pushing for a higher standard of at least 58 cetane. Now I see why they want higher cetane fuels to be the standard at out petrol stations.
You should go over floating gears/ clutchless shifting
another great video, thank you
It's kinda funny that many people think that higher octane numbers mean "more explosive," but technically the lower octane numbers are more explosive
Thanks for the video!
Be curious to see how gas/diesel alternatives, such as ethanol or race fuel, figure their ratings.
I’ve never went to the gas station and saw different ratings on diesel. It is always 3 grades of gasoline(87, 89, 93) and then diesel(just one grade).
Question, I Mixed cetane booster in my regular gas by mistake. Thinking it was a cleaner and booster for regular gas but then read the label at the bottom where it said for diesel fuel. I use this gas for my lawn mower. Will this ruin the motor?
This is off topic but why do some petrol pumps have a single nozzle instead of multiple seperate nozzles for each octane? it seems very easy for someone to put the wrong octane or even diesel.
Its MAGIC maybe not diesel, the nozzle for diesel and regular gas are usually different sizes
Ah yes i forgot about that.
They're still pulling from different tanks to fill each octane, just using a common delivery point. There might be some slight residual mixing in the hose, but it's not going to be enough to make any appreciable difference once it's delivered to your tank, with the exception of diesel, which is always a separate nozzle. It's cheaper to use a common hose/nozzle than to have three separate ones.
So what is the difference in blends for diesel fuel like diesel#2 and winter blends? What are the additives they put in and the advantages of them?
Really gotta send this video to my mum.. She drives an '06 Nissan Tiida (Versa) and thinks she needs top end fuel because the gas station attendant said it burns cleaner. Keep trying to tell her that paying an extra $0.80 per liter isn't worth it on a car that is fine on 95, or even 91 octane...
I need you in my life. I miss my dad. He took care of the cars. I’m useless. I barely remember to check tyre pressure.
The fact that you’re thinking about it is a step ahead of most!
lot of questions about running home heating fuel in off road diesel engine.
Can a diesel engine run on home heating fuel?
Wile cheaper does it run efficient?
Is there possibility of injector or engine ware?
I don't own a diesel but I do work at a fuel service station and get asked all the time.
All I know is old engines 30+ years ago were durable unkillable machines use to run fine one home heating but don't know if it would be safe to run in today's engines.
Yes it can ran on heating oil but you shouldn't do that. Standard heating oil still contains up to 50mg/l of sulfur which can cause problems for the exhaust after treatment system. Also because in most countries Diesel and heating oil is taxed differently, you basically do a tax evasion if you using heating oil in a car.
use cetane booster when running heating oil instead of real diesel
I drive a acura tl 3.2 and the compression ratio is 11 to 1. I put 93 octane but one time my dad drove it and put regular 89 in it and it still ran the same.
You should do a video on when you buy a new car if you need to break in the engine. Is this necessary in modern cars?
i have a question, what octane to use in -40 weather? say a vehicle was parked outside for a week. What octane would work best for that kind of cold start up?.would heptane be better for cold starts?
question: Is it the compression that ignites the fuel, or the heat from the compression causing the fuel with the lower flashpoint to ignite?
Just a small correction: Octane (a.k.a. "n-Octane") is about -20 RON (yes, minus 20!), but "iso-Octane" (2,2,4 Trimethylpentane) is 100 RON and the molecule used as the 100 RON specification. n-Heptane is used as the 0 rating. The "n" stands for "normal" and refers to the long chain hydrocarbon rather than any isomer (or restructuring) of the same number of atoms.
n-Octane is the long chain C8H18 hydrocarbon and so flaps around easily and breaks under high pressure/temperature, but one of the isomers of Octane (2,2,4 Trimethylpentane) is a small packed up molecule so it's much less likely to self-combust under high pressure/temps. It's still C8H18, though, but a different shape (isomer).
Great video as always! :) Sorry to point out an error.
My car has a 13:1 compression ratio but still recommends regular(87) gas? It even says that higher could cause check engine light. Would there be any measurable benefit to using a higher octane since my compression ratio is so high?
So do I really need to use premium fuel in my 1986 BMW 633csi? I have always heard that you should in old BMWs.
August Sawzak if it sounds like a diesel when you floor it then you need higher octane.
Dillan pridgen so if it doesn't I am just fine?
I would look for videos of what detonation sounds like so you know what to listen for.
It not like it's hard to listen for it. If an engine is quieter with one octane and clatters with a lower octane, you know which fuel is good for the car and which isn't.
The engine has 9.5:1 compression which is relatively high for its era. 91 is likley recommend to keep the engine safe.
Soo I looked up the MSDS for a common octane booster a while ago and the ingredients ended up being something like 98% diesel and
Disaster! The frames of the whiteboard and screen are several pixels misaligned! :P
Great video, I enjoy your channel muchly, despite my occasional arguments. More than a million people are slightly better educated thanks to you
A pedantic correction but octane itself hasn't got an octane rating of 100, a structural isomer of octane called 2,2,4-trimethylpentane is defined as 100
Great info as always. Would love to see your analysis of a throttle body spacer (preferably on a Mustang GT). As always, feel free to use my car if you're ever in the NY area.
to all my diesel fam who wants to gain some knowledge about that sweet, juicy diesel fuel, it starts at 3:23
so adding diesel to gas should increase octane,,,please reply
got some dirsel cause new tractor never came going mix it in my carb heli 359 ford like 2 gal deseil to 15 gal.gas make tractor feul so not get wasted ny age.
old farmers know what tractor fuel is 2 tanks start on gas than switch to tractor fuel.helps lube the clyders too
tractor fuel is whatvever works in mix ratio of 1 or 2 grade diesel with gas
out of gas so had 10 gal of diesl dump in a 71 440 chrysler 300. little smokey .slower to start but run ok
ya was number 1 diesel
great video
Are Honda oem filter any good? Even with cardboard inside?
Thanks Mate 🤩
Hi i love your vids, is there any chance that you can do a vid on modular engines?
but how can my engine understand what kind of gasoline is burning? if it has a low octanes number or an high one? there's some kind of sensor somewhere?
best video thank u man
Is this video in response to the Auto industry lobbying for RON 95 (AKI 91) as "regular" grade in the US?
One thing you did not touch upon is the fact that people think that whatever engine you use, a higher octane will yield better performance. According to your explanation, that is true only for variable compression engines. Engines that operate at higher compression simply cannot use low octane else they get knock, and low compression engines will not extract the benefits from higher octane fuel.
Hi Engineering Explained,
I would like to know short comings and side effects of adding STP Octane booster into diesel. Also is it advisable to use octane additives for diesel, probably to as little as 1 ml/liter.
I’ve never seen a cetane number listed in the U.K. any idea what the ratings of our fuel here are?
Thank you!
In my country we have a choice between 93 and 95 octane, but at the same price. Why not have just one fuel available, or is it because of manufacturer recommendations and application?
Do burning out extra carbon have any effect on cylinder ,if so how it is protected?
The refinery I work at we blend pentane in gasoline.
This feels like a misleading octane explanation to me. I would say that higher octane fuels burn slower. That is what allows for more advanced timing. "Spark resistance" alone wouldn't. In reality the higher octane / slower burning makes higher octane fuels behave as "more resistive to knock" but really it pre-ignites slower and those flamefronts spread slower and stay tiny vs spark ignition so don't cause knock.
Do natural gas engines explained please!!!
I oversized my piston and I seem to have knocks with high octane gas of 100 but runs fine with a 91 what could be wrong.?
Please give idea about lean boost direct injection concept
Great video.., plz can explain combustion chamber grooves(needed proofs) n' is it used in racing industry! Is it worth doing it!.., thanks!
can you explain why engines dont use radial ball bearings for engine components
harlleys do of ball bearings an roller bearings
Will diesel with a higher cetane number and therefore higher burn temperatures also create more NOx emissions? After all those nitrogen compounds tend to form at high temperatures...
Yes, higher cylinder combustion temperatures increases oxodes of nitrogen production/exhaust emissions.
So what happens if you mix both regular octane and diesel in a gasoline engine?
Mix both what? If you mix two octane fuels, it will have an octane rating somewhere in the middle. If you mix gas and diesel, your car won't be pleased.
It might not even start. Diesel has to be atomized and ignited through compression. This is something a gas engine won't do very well or at all.
Engineering Explained sorry meant to say regular octane and diesel. Can you make a video on that?