Optimax - just normal unleaded?

[martynh]

Saw this on scoobynet,

"I'm always a bit suspicious about Optimax, because it's specified against BS EN 228 (95 octane regular unleaded) instead of BS 7800 (97 octane super unleaded). This suggests to me that it's bog-standard 95 octane with a cocktail of octane boosters and detergents added. No problem if you buy it from an outlet with a high turnover, so it's reasonably fresh, but I'd be a bit wary of getting it from somewhere out in the sticks - who knows what happens to the additives if the petrol is sitting in a storage tank for months on end?"

Original:http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=469594

what are your thoughts?

 

[Craig Ed]

As he said, it'll go off? Optimax could be a con, i don't really know tbh

 

[chris182]

Well, they`re doing a piece about it on next weeks Fifth Gear, so lets wait and see.

 

[BRUN]

it does go off, Shell admit that, however it takes AGES for it to happen, about a year or more i think ?....not the couple of weeks that some people think

 

[Andi-B]

I dont feel the difference with standard and optimax apart from it seems to be smoother up the rev range than anything.. Still it'd be worth watching 5th gear to make out what they think

 

[sh33n]

Yer fifth gear next week; about time someone tid some sort of test!

Even if it won't be my local garages!

 

[dazraffan]

it said something in evo last month about it the had a TVR on a rolling road with 95 and then with 98 and it went from 362bhp to 381bhp with the 98 !

 

[Aust1n]

Makes a huge difference in mine.. engines not as noisy up the revs.. runs alot smoother.. feels a tad more responsive immediately after each gear change also..

 

[blink172]

Makes a huge difference in mine.. engines not as noisy up the revs.. runs alot smoother.. feels a tad more responsive immediately after each gear change also..

Completely agree. spent 2 weeks being a pikey and using 95, it was awful.

Lumpy tickover, no urgency, drop in fuel economy. I'll never use anything else again (its been run on optimuck since day one, bar a few tank fulls of Vmax)

 

[Lucas]

I dont feel the difference with standard and optimax apart from it seems to be smoother up the rev range than anything.. Still it'd be worth watching 5th gear to make out what they think

So you don't feel a difference..........apart from it feels smoother up the rev range? But that is a difference, an improvement some might say!

Don't necessarily expect instantaneous power gains (depending on what you drive), however I bet an engine will be cleaner internally and more powerful (to a degree) when run on a premium unleaded such as optimax or BP Ultimate than run on bog standard unleaded.

I think Driven will have to be careful with how they've investigated this and how they present their findings.

 

[bigmouk]

I did a test with this when i had my 182. Do about 400 mile a week and swopped to 95 for a week. MPG dropped from 42 to around 37/38 mark and the exact same journey. Would get 42 +- 1 every week on optimax without fail. If you work it out optimax is actually cheaper to run your on (well it was for me probably due to the mileage).

 

[Kelly]

I feel a difference. Using lower octane fuel in my motor causes detting and the car just won't hold boost. Basically runs like a bag of shite

 

[gh172]

I wouldn't hold your breath for the 5th Gear thing. They well and truly fucked up that Esprit - couldn't even get the original vmax out of it!

G

 

[fizzy_drink]

Optimax if overpriced IMO.

I've started using 97 instead of 95, and it pays for itself - I get more miles per tank therefore it makes-up for its price (the extra 2p per litre).

Optimax, on the other hand, is far to £££ to make up for its price.

 

[Jones]

I used to do loads of miles in my last job in my 172 and i tried alsorts of fuel, optimax, 95, 97 super, ultimate etc and to be honest, it drove better on optimax and i also used to get more miles from a tank, this also used to show up im my milage log.

 

[theduck]

have to say shell 95ron and optimax both made my car run rough as hell, can't beat BP petrol!

 

[rcp]

be interesting to see what fifth gear think when they test it.

 

[Matty]

Used to use Optimax but now its over 6p a litre more not worth it. I now use Super Unleaded from Sainsbury's and cannot tell the difference from Optimax apart from the much cheaper price. Doubt any of you could. So all this about cleaning additives, do you believe the hype?

The amount you save over 6k miles by using a Sainsburys or Tesco SUL over Optimax you can quite easily pay for a bottle of Forte additive which I use every 6k and know you are cleaning the engine.

 

[BRUN]

bottle of Forte is only a fiver from me by the way !

 

[rob172cup]

what test are they doing? is it on diff types of fuel

 

[White16valver]

bottle of Forte is only a fiver from me by the way !

Plug, plug!

lol

 

[Matty]

And what's the price difference between a bottle of Forte and cost of running 6k miles on Optimax compared to SUL from a supermarket? Dread to think.

Know which I would choose.

 

[Lucas]

We'll wait for the 5th Gear test but I doubt whether their testing is very thorough, and will probably just be some lame, oversimplified visual demonstration that ends up proving nothing.

Premium fuels may be overpriced (fuel companies have seen that there is a 'passionate owners' market that are prepared to pay for something they believe is better for their car), however, it isn't just hype and I have seen hard evidence that BP Ultimate at least is considerably better for your engine than normal 95RON unleaded when used regularly.

 

[bigbruno71]

i used the 94 from tescos and it didn't run to good but now running on 97 alot better and quicker, smoother. An article in autoexpress said that the optimax loses it's extra octane (evaporation) in the tank in a matter of weeks so as other member suggests if you don't freshen up the tank often your on a lossing streak.

 

[Liam]

EVO mag are apparantly going to be doing some testing soon on different fuels.

 

[Matty]

Just filled up at Sainsburys and put my Forte additive in at same time. Worked out using Optimax instead of Sainsbury's SUL would cost me £30 more every 6k miles. Not that much extra really. Would be interesting to do a RR run with different fuels to see if any difference, same type (SUL of course) nut RON rating might vary especially with claimed and actual ratings if they were independantly tested.

 

[Rob669]

I've only ever used 95 RON once and it was ok really. Only went as far though as the first Shell garage I came to and then filled up again with Optimax. Tried BP 97 RON and the car was lumpy but it might have been a poor batch or something. Sainsbury's 97 seems ok - and I use it if I've spent too much on booze in the store! Pity we can't get the good European or Japanese stuff with over 100 RON. Who is Ron anyway?

 

[Lucas]

i used the 94 from tescos and it didn't run to good but now running on 97 alot better and quicker, smoother. An article in autoexpress said that the optimax loses it's extra octane (evaporation) in the tank in a matter of weeks so as other member suggests if you don't freshen up the tank often your on a lossing streak.

You're missing the point, it's not all about the Octane rating (although this obviously helps with cars that suffer from pinking or knock), it's also about the additives in the fuel.

Do you think that 95RON or 97RON fuel doesn't lose it's octane rating with time too? (meaning it will be even worse than 95 if left for a while). It's not only 98RON petrol that evaporates, although it's rate of octane depletion might be slightly quicker to start with.

Premium unleaded fuels ARE better for your engine, however, the margins for fuel companies are better on them too which means you are getting bent over a little bit. I don't mind paying the extra, but then I don't cover massive amounts of mileage.