The reactions of n-butane with hydrogen at 573 K were used as chemical probes to study the performance of platinum supported on tungstated zirconia (PtWZ) prepared by sequential impregnation of tungsten (W) and platinum (Pt) precursors. The effect of Pt and W loading and calcination and reduction temperatures on the n-butane isomerization activity and selectivity was determined. N-propylamine poisoning experiments show that the isomerization and homologation (C-3 + C-5) pathways are affected more dramatically than the hydrogenolysis routes because the former are exclusively acid-catalyzed reactions.