98 RON To Octane – Octane Numbers Explained
Converting different octane ratings between the UK, EU, and US is a real headache and not something that most of us can do off the top of our heads for any given octane rating.
Unfortunately, while it may be nicer and more straightforward if the whole world colluded to use the same octane rating that simply isn’t the case and it can actually massively affect the way an engine functions.
The wrong octane in the wrong engine can even cause parts of the engine to burn out entirely and even break down into an unusable hunk of iron. Octane matters. So, what is 98 Ron to octane, and what the heck even are octane numbers? You have come to the right place because we are going to get into all of that and more right here and now. Let’s get into it.
What Do The Words Ron And Octane Mean?
The word Ron is actually an acronym and it stands for research octane number and is the most popular method in the world for measuring octane ratings. But what the heck is octane? Well, octane refers to the ability of the fuel to withstand compression within the internal combustion engine before it ignites (technically, before it detonates).
The higher the octane rating the higher the octane level and the higher the level the better a fuel is, being able to withstand high levels of compression allows the ignition timing to be far more precise and thus allows far more powerful and accurate air induction.
While this isn’t necessarily a huge difference maker on your average car, should you use a turbocharger or supercharger where compression-resistant fuel is of more value (even a total necessity) higher octane fuel is better. And far more expensive.
What Is 98 Ron To Octane?
Europe uses Ron to measure fuel, as does the UK and most of the commonwealth nations such as Australia and New Zealand making Ron the default measurement for octane levels in the world.
Unfortunately, if you want to drive in the US, you may find that you need to convert from Ron to AKI (Anti Knock Index) before you are able to work out which fuel is suitable for which engine. Could the US change to Ron to make life easier? Sure, but they could also convert to metric and that doesn’t seem likely so we are stuck converting Ron to AKI (Octane) and kilos to pounds. The equation to find AKI is pretty simple thankfully, it is RON + MON/2.
So, in the case of 98 Ron, the answer would be 94 AKI. Just for reference, MON is the Motor Octane Number and is derived from a slightly different test. Just as AKI is a slightly different test from RON testing. Earlier we mentioned that converting Ron to AKI isn’t something we can all do in our heads. However, if you are able to split the difference between RON and MON you will have the AKI number. Using the 98 Ron to Octane example, the AKI is 94 which is halfway between Ron (98) and Mon (90)
Why Do Europe And The United States Measure Fuel Differently?
Europe and the US have always measured things differently in the consumer market and that has spilled over into many other areas. For cars, there are tons of examples of everyday measurements being different. The US uses miles while the EU uses kilometers, the US uses gallons and the EU uses liters.
The UK is slightly unhinged and likes to use a blend of every type of measurement to make life harder for its citizens. While that is true for the consumer market, it is not the case in professional and intellectual spaces. For example, NASA uses the metric system because it would be ludicrous to use anything else.
Is American Fuel Better Or Worse Than European Fuel?
This is a controversial topic in the petrol head world when it really shouldn’t be. Do you want the lame but true answer? Of course, you do. They are basically the same. Sorry. There is a misconception that European fuel is better because it is higher octane in general which is technically true.
However, high-performance cars both in the EU and US would need to use high-octane fuel, not standard fuel. Your typical everyday car that uses lower octane fuel, which is lower octane in the US than in the EU, would derive more or less zero benefit from the slightly higher octane level. And US fuel is cheaper so who is the real winner?
What Is 98 Ron To Mon And Pon?
98 Ron when converted to Mon (Motor Octane Number) and Pon (Pump Octane Number) is 90 and 94 respectively. I’m sure you noticed that the Pon is exactly the same as the AKI number. Well, they are the same thing for all intents and purposes it is just a different name. It is confusing that there are so many different names and abbreviations for numbers that are almost exactly the same.
At least it makes estimating easier. I mean, how far off can you really be when every number is so close together? If you don’t trust your mental math’s, which is perfectly fair when there are tens of thousands of dollars on the line, there are a ton of handy conversation charts on Google as well as conversion tools available all over the internet.
Does Altitude Factor Into Octane?
Yes, altitude absolutely does factor into the octane levels needed by the car. It doesn’t actually reduce the octane levels of the fuel. At higher altitudes there is less oxygen per volume of air, whatever volume that is, meaning you don’t get the added burn value from high octane fuel. It isn’t something that will affect many people daily, but it is something to be aware of nonetheless.
Conclusion
So, 98 Ron to Octane is (98+90)/2 which is 94. Thanks for reading and hopefully you found this article interesting and informative. We tried to include other relevant pieces of information to try and help you piece together what is actually going on as octane levels is not something that most of us consider on a daily basis. Or even on a yearly basis, to be honest. Thanks for reading and goodbye for now!
