AMG C63 - 93 octane not available, OK to use octane boost?

[Apple Of Sodom]

I just purchased a Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. Where I live the highest octane I can purchase is 90. The minimum recommended is 93. I don't have any engine knocking or anything like that...but I am also looking at getting this thing tuned by Kleemann and feel that I may miss out on some of the HP gains by using 90 octance fuel. Is there any product out there that will safely raise the octance of my fuel to 93? I would prefer something I can use all of the time (this is only a summer car though) and not just on occasion.

Thanks.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

So you just bought a $65K car - call the Benzo dealer and ask them.


Insert - "Not Sure If Serious"

 

[halik]

I just purchased a Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. Where I live the highest octane I can purchase is 90. The minimum recommended is 93. I don't have any engine knocking or anything like that...but I am also looking at getting this thing tuned by Kleemann and feel that I may miss out on some of the HP gains by using 90 octance fuel. Is there any product out there that will safely raise the octance of my fuel to 93? I would prefer something I can use all of the time (this is only a summer car though) and not just on occasion.

Thanks.

Where are you that you can only get 90?

 

[LTC8K6]

Most common bottles of octane booster would give you just one point, I believe. That is from 90 to 90.1, so you'd need a lot of bottles to get to 93.

 

[Pantoot]

That is RON, 90 at the pump would be about 94 RON, so you are ok.
Unless you already live in europe, which means that you get crap gas...

 

[brainhulk]

use some toluene or e85

 

[PricklyPete]

use some toluene or e85

E85....ummm, lets file that under REALLY horrible idea unless he wants his fuel delivery system rotting out.

 

[JCH13]

E85....ummm, lets file that under REALLY horrible idea unless he wants his fuel delivery system rotting out.

And probably pistons melting.

Go get some 120 octane at your local airfield :thumbsup:

 

[brainhulk]

E85....ummm, lets file that under REALLY horrible idea unless he wants his fuel delivery system rotting out.

u guys spoil the fun way to early------->back to ATOT i go

 

[Throckmorton]

That is RON, 90 at the pump would be about 94 RON, so you are ok.
Unless you already live in europe, which means that you get crap gas...

Wouldn't the manual show the value you see on the pumps?


BTW, anyone get peeved at people who don't list their location? So you see a thread like this and you wonder and you wonder "where does this person live that he only gets 90 octane?"

Or you see someone talking about the awesome roads he drives on, and of course you have no idea WHERE that is.

Or someone posts about how hot the women are in his city, and of course you have no idea what freaking city it is.


Guys, geography is important. Why would you be secretive about your general place of residence?

 

[lsd]

And probably pistons melting.

Go get some 120 octane at your local airfield :thumbsup:

Just as bad as E85. all avgas contains high lead.

Just don't beat on the car and you will be fine until it's retuned.
At low loads your knock senor system will suffice in keeping everything together.

 

[alkemyst]

And probably pistons melting.

Go get some 120 octane at your local airfield :thumbsup:

Better make sure he pumps the right type of fuel.

This thread has full fail on it though. Waiting for the OP to post up what to do if he pours wiper fluid in the big black cap on top of the engine.

 

[JCH13]

Just as bad as E85. all avgas contains high lead.

Just don't beat on the car and you will be fine until it's retuned.
At low loads your knock senor system will suffice in keeping everything together.

Recent formulations, at least where I am, are low-lead and some locals run it in their race/high-performance vehicles. I was mostly just joking around though

 

[lsd]

Yes but avgas like 100LL still has way too much lead for o2 sensors. Ok for performance car that don't use O2 sensors but not for $65k cars with multiple o2 sensors

 

[exar333]

Wouldn't the manual show the value you see on the pumps?


BTW, anyone get peeved at people who don't list their location? So you see a thread like this and you wonder and you wonder "where does this person live that he only gets 90 octane?"

Or you see someone talking about the awesome roads he drives on, and of course you have no idea WHERE that is.

Or someone posts about how hot the women are in his city, and of course you have no idea what freaking city it is.


Guys, geography is important. Why would you be secretive about your general place of residence?

Gas is rated differently based on geographical area. We use AKI and Europe uses RON. If the manual isn't updated for the US specifically, it may still reference the standard octane ratings in Europe.

 

[alkemyst]

The LL derivates that people run in performance cars are usually not run daily. They just run enough for the track.

 

[JCH13]

The LL derivates that people run in performance cars are usually not run daily. They just run enough for the track.

Fair enough.

 

[Pariah]

May sound like a stupid question, but why would Mercedes sell a car that requires gas that isn't available in the area it is sold? The numbers are messed up somewhere. I've heard California tops out at 91, but where in the US (assuming US) can you only get 90? You can search the area for places that sell race gas, but be forewarned it's about twice as expensive if not more.

 

[exar333]

OP might live in the country or rural area. Sometimes not a lot of choices for gasoline without driving a long ways. Probably a good thing to think about before buying a car that requires premium fuel...

 

[IcePickFreak]

That is RON, 90 at the pump would be about 94 RON, so you are ok.
Unless you already live in europe, which means that you get crap gas...

This is probably the most likely issue. Call up the dealer and ask if this is the case.

u guys spoil the fun way to early------->back to ATOT i go

troll troll troll your boat gently to OT?

 

[angry hampster]

Open your fuel door. There should be a sticker indicating whether you need 93RON or 93 octane. If you can't find that information inside the fuel door, it will be in the owner's manual.

 

[EightySix Four]

As someone who does engine tuning, if you do not have access to 93 octane, do not get an aftermarket tune.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I feel sorry for your C63

 

[brainhulk]

just get your tuner to lower your afr and adjust timing for 90 octane

 

[EightySix Four]

just get your tuner to lower your afr and adjust timing for 90 octane

Since his car is already tuned for 93 octane, there's a high probability on a warm day he is already seeing KR anyways. A new tune is not going to offer any safe performance increases since I would assume the majority of the extra power comes from increasing the timing, cleaning up the AFR (factory tuned for emissions, not performance), removing some torque restrictions (only positive thing he'd notice at 90 octane), and maybe some small cam changes for partial throttle responsiveness.

Changing the AFR and timing would not help on the low end gas and cam changes aren't a big enough increase to be noticed on their own anyways. The only positive is the removal of torque managmenet and even then it's not worth the money he'd be spending.

Actually, there's a high probability his car would be fine with up to e40 or so. Since the majority of gas is E10, the cars fuel system needs to handle ethanol and could probably deal with e85, it's just not tuned to do so. The car's computer would would semi-self adjust through the long term fuel trims. I still wouldn't do it to a C63 though