Fuel additives for increased power

[larson377]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has used a fuel additive or premium fuel in their mirage and noticed an actual difference in performance. A lot of people say fuel additives are bad or just don't work, but I've seen dyno tests and it's given some Honda's and Toyota's an increase of up to 15HP and 11ft-lbs of torque. With such small horsepower to begin with, maybe a fuel additive will make a larger difference than in a more conventional sedan/sports car?



I know my mirage was built as a commuter and not as a racecar, but hey I can still try to get some fun out of it

[inuvik]

Unfortunately no, No one has experienced any increase in mileage or performance by running higher octane fuels. It is a good practice to add a quality injector cleaner such as Techron every so often. We’ve had a few members with higher mileage that reported performance, idling, mpg issues that after running a tank with Techron added eliminated the problem.

[foama]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has used a fuel additive or premium fuel in their mirage and noticed an actual difference in performance...

I know my mirage was built as a commuter and not as a racecar, but hey I can still try to get some fun out of it

The biggest difference "performance fuel additives" make, is to the wallets of those making and selling them!

If you want some fun out of a Mirage, why not try getting better mpg by learning and adapting a different driving style? I get a long-term "B" average of 3.9 to 4.3L /100km depending on seasonal temperature, which comes to well beyond 55 MPG. Thats what I call fun!

[larson377]

do you do mostly highway driving? ive been getting around 6.5-7.6L/100km (mostly city)

[foama]

About 50:50 highway/city, but the congestion in the city is very little stop and go.

[Fuelblender]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has used a fuel additive or premium fuel in their mirage and noticed an actual difference in performance. A lot of people say fuel additives are bad or just don't work, but I've seen dyno tests and it's given some Honda's and Toyota's an increase of up to 15HP and 11ft-lbs of torque. With such small horsepower to begin with, maybe a fuel additive will make a larger difference than in a more conventional sedan/sports car?



I know my mirage was built as a commuter and not as a racecar, but hey I can still try to get some fun out of it

I worked as a fuel blender for 9 years and I can testify that fuel additives that claim a appreciable difference in power are misleading.

[Fummins]

If a car is designed to burn high octane fuel then yeah, you will likely lose some power by pulling timing when running regular to keep it from detonating. I'm assuming that's the case with the dyno results you've seen? I have a very hard time believing that you can put premium in a car that is built to burn regular then gain 15 horse power without any tuning.

[Pimp_Daddy_Patty]

Aside from adding a more aggressive tune that takes advantage of higher octane fuel, you will never see a gain in power from a properly running engine that is meant to run on a lower octane fuel. In fact, you will most likely lose power and fuel mileage by running a higher octane fuel in your Mirage. This is due to the fact that higher octane resists detonation, and actually burns slower than regular.

[gone.a]

I thought I felt a difference topping up with 3.5 gallons of E85. But as to how accurate my butt dyno is, is up for debate. It did seem slightly faster to me but I would not recommend the risk if you don't know what you are doing. I think our car is designed to handle up to 20% ethanol, but don't quote me on that.

[Mark]

I think our car is designed to handle up to 20% ethanol, but don't quote me on that.

It's better to quote your owner's manual. These are two statements from my 2017 Mirage manual.

"Your vehicle is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline having a minimum octane number of 87 [(MON+RON)/2] or 91 RON.

A mixture of up to 10 % ethanol (grain alcohol) and 90 % unleaded gasoline may be used in your vehicle, provided the octane number is at least as high as that recommended for unleaded gasoline."

Kwik Trip (also known as Kwik Star in other regions) has become a very popular gas station/convenience store in Wisconsin. 87 Octane (10% ethanol), 88 Octane (15% ethanol), 91 Octane (non-ethanol), & E85 are their most common offerings. 88 Octane (15% ethanol) is relatively new. It's typically 5 cents cheaper than 87 Octane (10% ethanol).

I follow my owner's manual on these type of items. I use 87 Octane (10% ethanol) for my Mirage & Forester. I do use 88 Octane for my driver's ed car (2015 Impala), but it's a flex fuel vehicle. I use 91 Octane (non-ethanol) for all of my small engine items (especially 2-stroke chainsaws & grass trimmer).