I put mid grade gas into my vehicle, could this be the reason that my "Service Engine Soon" light came on?

 

probably not, unless you have been running it all of the time. Go by your local autoparts store and have the codes read. Most will do it for free. Write down the code #'s and get back to us... like Mike said. That is the only way to help you. There are waaaaaaay to many reasons for that light to come on to diagnose without the codes.

 

Agreed.

If you're worried about it, go get some Lucas Injector Cleaner. It boosts the octane and cleans your injectors. I use a bottle as part of my every 10k maintenance.

 

Lucas is great, but it doesn't boost the octane unless you also buy their Octane Booster which is a very cool product.

 

If you're running 93 octane, how much increae will the "boost" give you Mike?

-Ugly

 

The octane rating of a gasoline is the measure of the anti-knock quality of the fuel. Knock is just that...a hammering sound inside your engine.
When a charge of fuel is introduced into an engine and ignited, the flame spreads out from the spark plug to the cylinder wall. If this happens all at once, you get detonation, or knock. A steady, even, slow burn is desirable.
Octane (or an increase in the octane level) will not increase your horsepower, no matter whatotherpeople tellyou. However, insufficient octane can cause an engine to lose horsepower. All the octane you need is what your engine demands to keep from detonating.

Some theory is needed here. Without getting into upper trig, you can assume that the higher the compression ratio of an engine, the higher its octane requirement. The mechanics behind compression ratios is simple, and creates problems for high-performance engines. The smaller the space you try to squeeze the burning fuel into, the more power you'll develop...all other things being equal.

The number you see on the gas pump is supposed to tell the octane reading of the gasoline. It's not quite as simple as that. Here's how it all adds up.
The Research, or "R" Method, of rating octane is done on a standard test engine in a lab. The air temperature is controlled on this to a strict 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Mild loads are put on the engine, just about the loads you might put on your family vehicle under normal driving conditions. This is called an F1 test.
The next rating test is called the Motor Method. Here, another engine is used on a dyno, but the air is introduced into the inlet at a hot 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Heavy loads, similar to full-throttle acceleration and passing on uphills, are dialed into the engine. The engineer notes ping and detonation at certain load conditions and the octane rating is determined by its ability to control the detonation. This is called the F2 test.
The number you see on the face of your gas pump is known as the Road Octane rating and is a combined average of the Motor and the Research Methods. In fact, if you take a close look near the posted octane number, you'll more than likely see: M0+R=92 OCTANE, or whatever the actual octane rating is of that particular gas. For example, if the F1 test showed 94 octane and the F2 test indicated 86, then the Road Octane rating would be 90.

OCTANE BOOSTERS TO THE RESCUE
You've seen them on the shelves at your local bike shop and on the counter at Local Discount Auto Parts: cans of octane booster in every color of the rainbow, ranging in cost from a buck to five dollars.
Do they work? Sure! The good ones do. First, let's take a look at what a good octane booster will do to your gasoline. Please make note of that word "good," because there is a lot of trash out there on the market.
An ounce of an effective octane booster should raise your octane rating by 2-1/2 numbers. That is, if you start with 86- octane gasoline, one ounce of booster to a gallon will take it to 88-1/2 octane. One word of caution. Octane boosters decrease in effectiveness as their quantity increases. Just because one ounce gives you 2-1/2 numbers more, ten ounces will not give you 25 numbers. Here's a good scale of just about how decent octane boosters will work:
One ounce/per gallon ¼ 2-1/2 numbers increase
Two ounces/gallon ¼ 4-1/2 numbers increase
Three ounces/gallon ¼ 6 to 6 1/2 numbers increase
Four ounces/gallon ¼ 7 to 7 1/2 numbers increase
A good rule of thumb is that anything over three ounces per gallon is wasted. Some crazies dump in a whole can of booster, thinking they're going to get radical gains. Actually, they'll get a decrease in performance, as excessive ratios can cause the volatiles in the gas to deteriorate and excessive aromatics can make the engine run "heavy," or rich.

There's no mystery here. Most octane boosters are nitrogen carriers. Common ingredients are methanol, isopropyl alcohol, naptha, xylene, toluene (tyline), benzine, hexane, nitro benzine and aniline. Available octane boosters do not have tetraethyl lead in them, as lead is very toxic.
There are lead substitutes for sale also, but very little substantiation and research is available on these.
Aniline is the best octane booster available and is the prime ingredient in the better boosters. Nitro benzine also works well, but is not as effective and costs a great deal. Aniline is made by Dow, and is a very poisonous liquid that can actually be absorbed into the skin on contact.
Nitro benzine smells like shoe polish and castor oil. Alone, it's not too effective, but used in conjunction with other additives, it can do a decent job. You'll also find it used as an additive in some of the more expensive castor bean oils for use in two-stroke engines.

WILL OCTANE BOOSTERS ADD HORSEPOWER?
No. This is a misconception. Octane in itself does not add power. However, an engine that's forced to run on fuel with a lower octane than what's needed will run hot, detonate, and eventually lose power. The proper octane level will let the engine run to its full potential, but won't transform it into something special.
When a combustion chamber gets a charge of fuel, the plug sparks, and the fuel is burned. With the right octane level, the burn is clean and even. With too little octane, the burn can be uneven and a hammering can result.

SIDE EFFECTS OF OCTANE BOOSTERS
Will attack plastics, rubbers and some fiberglass. Discolor and attack most paints. Foam filters will deteriorate if cleaned in a booster-carrying gasoline. So will the glues holding the filter together. Some oils are affected by octane boosters. Most normal oils are not bothered, but if you have any doubt about your favorite brand, check with the manufacturer, to play it safe. Two-stroke users have to pay particular attention to this. Can make an engine run rich. Rejetting may be necessary. Are toxic to the skin, and the fumes can make you sick. Exposure to air can cause a 50-percent breakdown in effectiveness. Ultraviolet rays - that's plain old sunlight- will make octane boosters deteriorate. Will attack gas tank sealants and could plug up your entire fuel system if used together. Cost a lot of money. NOW...THE GOOD SIDE Don't let all of that scare you. Octane boosters have a real place in the world today. Here are some of the good things they can do: Better throttle response. You can actually feel it. Gets better mileage. Also, you can often lean out the carb slightly when using octane boosters, which will give improved mileage. Best performance possible from your engine, short of using race gas. Reduce detonation and pinging. Clean out deposits. A good booster will actually let the engine run cleaner and inhibit carbon build-up. Acts as a gasoline stabilizer when the machine is left to sit for a period. Gas stores longer with a good octane booster in the fuel. Lets you use whatever gas is available at the time. A good booster doubles as an emulsifier and can keep small amounts of water in suspension. Fuel system condensation is a very real problem, especially when the machine sits for long periods of time between use.

How to tell good from bad boosters:

The market is loaded with octane additives. Here's one rule of thumb: if the product comes in a clear or transparent bottle, don't even consider it. Ultra violet rays cause deterioration.
There should be specific directions on the label, i.e., how much octane booster to use to how much gas. And, there should be a listing of how many numbers the octane will be raised per ounce of booster used to each gallon of gas. A good octane booster will raise a gallon of gas by two-and-a-half numbers with one ounce added. If the label isn'