Many car owners feel "safer" or even "more powerful" when filling up with high-octane fuel. The engine feels lighter, the acceleration is smoother, and the car feels more premium. But the important question is: does high octane always improve car performance?

The answer: it depends on the type of engine.

If it's a high-performance car, yes!

Cars that are designed for performance, turbo engines, high compression, or sports cars do need high-octane fuel, at least RON 95 and above.

If forced to use low-octane fuel, the risks can be significant: reduced power, increased fuel consumption, and knocking that can potentially damage the engine in the long run.

But What About Everyday Cars? High Octane Doesn't Make a Difference

Most everyday cars in Indonesia are tuned for RON 90–92 fuel. So, if you fill up this type of car with RON 95 or higher, its performance won't improve. The engine will still run according to its settings, so the higher fuel price will only drain your wallet without giving you any extra power.

Then there's the myth that "high octane makes the engine cleaner."

This also confuses many people. Many believe that a higher RON automatically means "cleaner."

In fact, it is detergent additives that make fuel clean the engine, not the octane number.

So here’s how it works:

If high-RON fuel also contains cleaning additives → it can help clean carbon deposits, injectors, and valves.

If high-RON fuel lacks cleaning additives → there’s no cleaning effect.

Therefore, the notion that “occasionally using high-octane fuel keeps the engine clean” is inaccurate. The cleaning effect will only be noticeable if used regularly and the product has special cleaning additives. If you only fill up once a week? The impact is very small.

Conclusion

High octane is not for all cars. It does not guarantee improved performance, nor does it guarantee a clean engine.

The most important thing is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and choose fuel with cleaning additives if you want your engine to stay healthy in the long run.

Indonesia 🇮🇩

Benarkah BBM Oktan Tinggi Bikin Mobil Lebih Bertenaga?

Banyak pemilik mobil yang merasa “lebih aman” atau bahkan “lebih bertenaga” saat mengisi BBM beroktan tinggi. Rasanya mesin lebih enteng, tarikan lebih halus, dan mobil terasa premium. Tapi pertanyaan pentingnya: benarkah oktan tinggi selalu bikin performa mobil meningkat?

Jawabannya: tergantung jenis mesinnya.

Kalau Mobilnya Berperforma Tinggi, Yes!

Mobil-mobil yang memang dirancang buat performa, mesin turbo, kompresi tinggi, atau sport car memang wajib minum BBM beroktan tinggi, minimal RON 95 ke atas.

Kalau dipaksa isi oktan rendah, risikonya bisa panjang: tenaga turun, konsumsi BBM makin boros, sampai muncul knocking yang berpotensi merusak mesin dalam jangka panjang.

Tapi Kalau Mobil Harian? Oktan Tinggi Nggak Kasih Efek Apa-Apa

Mayoritas mobil harian di Indonesia sudah disetel untuk BBM RON 90–92. Nah, kalau tipe mobil ini dituang RON 95 atau lebih tinggi, performanya nggak akan naik. Mesin tetap bekerja sesuai setelannya, jadi selisih harga BBM yang lebih mahal cuma bikin dompet menipis tanpa bonus tenaga tambahan.

Lalu soal mitos “Oktan Tinggi Bikin Mesin Lebih Bersih”?

Ini juga bikin banyak orang bingung. Banyak yang percaya kalau RON lebih tinggi berarti otomatis lebih “bersih”.

Faktanya, yang membuat BBM bisa membersihkan mesin adalah aditif deterjen, bukan angka oktannya.

Jadi mekanismenya begini:

Kalau BBM RON tinggi juga mengandung aditif pembersih → bisa bantu membersihkan karbon, injektor, dan katup.

Kalau BBM RON tinggi tanpa aditif pembersih → ya nggak ada efek bersih-bersihnya.

Makanya, pendapat “sesekali isi BBM oktan tinggi biar mesin bersih” itu kurang tepat. Efek pembersih itu bakal terasa hanya kalau dipakai rutin dan produk tersebut memang punya aditif pembersih khusus. Kalau cuma isi seminggu sekali? Dampaknya kecil banget.

Kesimpulan

Oktan tinggi itu bukan untuk semua mobil. Bukan jaminan performa naik, bukan pula jaminan mesin bersih.

Yang paling penting adalah mengikuti rekomendasi pabrikan dan memilih BBM yang punya aditif pembersih jika ingin mesin tetap sehat dalam jangka panjang.