Petrol Additives: The Power Upgrade Nobody Talks About
When we think of upgrading our cars or bikes, most of us think about, such as new tires, or Engine Tuning, or costly modifications. However, there is an upgrade that is not on most people's radar - petrol additives. Especially with fuel costs rising and the desire to have engines that are towing smoothly, producing more horsepower, and lasting longer.
In this blog we will discuss what petrol additives are, how they work, and why they just might be the power upgrade that people often overlook.
What Are Petrol Additives?
Additives are intended to improve the combustion of the fuel; clean your engine; or protect internal parts from damage. Think of petrol additives as supplementation for your vehicle: vitamins help your body when you are sick, and petrol additives assist engines when they need something more.
Road conditions, fuel quality that varies at the pump, and normal wear on the engine over time often require fuel additives. This is to improve engine performance beyond what a standard fuel supply can offer.
Why Do Engines Need Petrol Additives?
You might ask, “My car runs fine, what else do I need to do with petrol additives?” And here’s the trick: engines do not show performance problems overnight. Behind the scenes, petrol additives for cars take the hard work out, to firstly avoid the issues above, so your engine has a long life and stays healthier for longer.
Some reasons why you would want your engine's petrol to have petrol additives added.
Fuel Quality Variation – Different fuel suppliers may be less than the acceptable quality and allow contaminants.
Carbon Build-Up – Unburnt fuel overtime, deposits forms in the combustion chamber, as well the injectors.
Knocking & Pinging – Incorrect RON, resulting in a higher Knock and Predetonation. Which means that your fuel is being burnt before it was intended to combust.
Mileage Drop – Every inefficiency adds up, leading to poor fuel consumption.
Wear & Tear – The use of lubrication and cleaning increases the rate of internal damage.
Types of Petrol Additives
Petrol additives come in different forms depending on your requirements. The types of petrol additives available are: Detergent Additives - Clean the injectors, valves, and combustion chambers by dissolving carbon.
Octane Enhancer - Raises the octane rating of the fuel to prevent knocking and improve performance.
Corrosion Inhibitor - Protects the metal components of your engine from rust and corrosion as a result of moisture.
Lubricating Additives - Reduces friction between the components, providing a smoother operation.
Fuel Stabiliser - Prevents the fuel from breaking down during a long storage period and preserves the fuel.
A lot of modern additive products are multi-functional, providing two or more of the above benefits.
How Petrol Additives Improve Performance
Now we're talking! Petrol additives can bring several areas of vehicle performance benefits:
Better mileage - cleaner injectors and improved combustion means you get more out of every drop of fuel.;
Smoother acceleration - nice and consistent power, no jumps, no hesitation;
Lower maintenance costs - with less deposits, and wear so no expensive repairs down the track;
Reduced emissions - cleaner combustion means less harmful gases into the air;
Longer engine life - petrol additives protect and maintain internal components, ensuring your engine keeps running longer and healthier.
To sum it up, petrol additives help your vehicle to deliver more from less.
Petrol Additives & Indian Roads
Driving conditions in India are tough: traffic jams, dubious fuel quality, extreme temperatures, and unsealed roads wreak havoc on vehicles. In these conditions petrol additives - octane boosters, can make the difference.
City Driving: Stop-start city driving can lead to incomplete combustion, and deposits are a byproduct of petrol combustion. Additives clean deposits.
Highway driving: Driving long distances places a premium on fuel quality, and additives provide fuel consistency for performance.
Older Cars: High-mileage vehicles need additives to help restore performance with stabilizers and detergents.
For Indian drivers petrol additives are not an extravagance, but a way to spend less at the gas pump and less on repairs.
How to Use Petrol Additives?
Using fuel additives is easy:
- You'll need to read the instructions on the back of your product.
- Pour the recommended amount directly into your vehicle's fuel tank before refueling.
- Simply drive your vehicle normally and allow the additive to be mixed with fuel and do its job.
Most additives are meant to be used regularly (every fuel up or every few thousand kilometers). Always best to follow the information given by the manufacturer for the best results.
Final Thoughts
Petrol additives for cars may not be the most exciting car product, but they are one of the most effective. Regardless if you have a small city hatchback, a high performance sedan, or a reliable motorcycle, the right petrol additive will change the way your vehicle drives and performs, and alter the way you enjoy the driving experience.
So next time you are considering giving your vehicle a performance upgrade, think less of expensive accessories, and start with something small but mighty, like a petrol additive. It’s the non-invasive upgrade your engine will be grateful for.