RON 95 or RON 97?

1.What exactly is RON?
RON stands for Research Octane Number that measures the octane quality of fuel. This represents the fuel’s ability to resist premature and uncontrolled combustion that occurs when fuel pre-ignites before ignition by the spark plug. This is otherwise known as ‘knocking’.

2.So,what do the number (95,97) behind the RON rating exactly mean?
This represents the minimum RON value of the fuel. The higher the RON rating, the harder it is for the fuel to ignite prematurely, which means the more resistant than a RON 95 fuel. However, every engine requires a different minimum RON.

3.What is the minimum requirement for my car,then?Can i use RON 95?
That depends on your engine. Your vehicle can use RON 95 if it is designed or set for RON 95 or lower. Your vehicle’s manual should specify what minimum Ron value fuel to use. Sometimes, this information is printed on or around the refueling cap.However, the best thing to do is to check with your car dealer or engine manufacturer, or with an authorized mechanic. Some vehicle have been re-tuned for a higher RON after leaving the car dealer/manufacturer. When unsure, check with an authorized mechanic for the requirement of your vehicle, and to see if it can be tuned back to accept a lower RON fuel (say from RON 97 to RON 95).

4.In that case,what fuel should i use?What RON works best for my car?
Some newer make cars are equipped with ‘knock sensors’ that detect the octane quality of the fuel used, enabling it to automatically adjust spark timing. If you use a lower RON, the car automatically re-tunes to prevent knocking. But if you use a higher RON fuel, the car automatically optimizes spark timing to extract more power from the fuel. However, you should not use a fuel that is below the minimum RON required by your engine."For cars without such sensors, always use a fuel that meets or exceeds the minimum RON recommended.

5.Is it ok to mix the fuels, say RON 95 with RON 97?
Yes, mixing is fine and does not damage your engine as long as the fuel used meets or exceeds the minimum RON recommended for your engine.

6.I am looking for power and performance.What is the RON value of Shell's V Power Racing fuel?
Shell’s V-Power Racing fuel has a minimum value of RON 97. However, octane quality is only ONE of the many qualities associated with power and engine efficiency.Besides having the properties designated by its RON rating, Shell’s V-Power Racing is a high performance fuel with a specially engineered fuel formulation designed to help improve responsiveness, acceleration and power. It’s Friction Modification Technology (FMT), is the exact same technology used by Ferrari’s F1 team – a proud result of 60 years of Shell’s research and technical partnership with Ferrari.Shell also ensures careful selection of the base fuel components used for Shell V-Power Racing to increase combustion efficiency, and incorporates other important fuel additives that clean and remove existing deposits from the engine.

7. So not all fuels are created are equal, i.e. one RON 95 is different from another?
That’s right – not all fuels are created equal. Shell has been developing fuels for the last 100 years, perfecting formulas to help you get the most out of every drop. Our heritage and experience makes us a leading innovator and provider of new fuels today. Our RON 95 fuel, once available, will contain a special Fuel Economy formula especially designed to give you extra kilometers at no additional cost. It does this by preventing efficiency loss caused by deposits and friction in your engine.

P/s :So,the choice is yours.For me, i will stick with RON 97 as the higher the RON rating,the higher the quality.I am using RON 97 for the past few years and i really satisfy with it.As the price itself say,the higher the quality,the better the product (even it might not be true for certain product)

Reference :www.shell.com