What is High Octane Fuel?
There is a misconception in the street-racing world that high octane fuel will make your car go faster or run better. This is simply not true. The octane rating essentially rates the fuel’s resistance to knocking. Knocking or pinging is a sound that an engine makes when the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chambers ignites too early. Although slight knocking or pinging won’t damage your engine, loud knocking can cause damage and should not be allowed to continue. The solution is to use a high octane fuel, which is actually more difficult to ignite, despite the misconception that high octane fuel is more powerful. When the fuel is more difficult to burn, early ignition is eliminated, and with it the knocking or pinging.
