I reckon that i'm not one of those people that suffer from this "placebo" thingy i.e. convinced that something is better when in fact it has made no difference at all. Examples would be "..since i've put this new backbox on, the car is quicker" or "..you can really feel the punch now i've fitted "x" filter, centre section etc" you know what i mean but check this:

Yesterday i got caught out and found that for the first time in about 9 months i needed fuel and there was not an Optimax gaff in sight so i had to use Super Unleaded instead (Lucky i found that, nearly had to do NUL )

Today i clocked up a few miles (104) and as i came off the throttle down a slip road, the car started popping and banging like a barsteward. Not that this is unusual, just that it was alot louder than normal

After the mandatory stop at the roundabout, i pulled away and i swear blind that the scoob went better!!!!

Now understand that the main reason i use Optimax is because of it's proven engine cleaning properties and also the increased RON helps look after the engine under loading.

Could it be that my UK spec MY00 actually performs better with a 97 RON due to the ECU setting?

Comments?

Mikey

 

I don't think Optimax is what it claims. It appears to do wonders initially, but then the advantages seem to go (or we get used to them )

I did a little proper test type thing a few weeks ago - ran on Optimax (so 98.6 RON, filled in London) on a long journey (motorway/traffic), logging (EcuTek doobrie) all the way. Over about 2 hours, got the usual occassional 1-2 degrees of retard. Filled up in Belgium at an Esso station on SUL (98 RON standard there) & continued, with logging the same. No retard - absolutely zero. Not even half a degree. Felt better too, but that's not a good measurement (I only looked at the second log later, so didn't decide it ran better 'cos I could see the log!) Other bits - reset ECU at fuel change, tank was 55l fill so nearly total, same day/weather/altitude same. Light drizzle (shock ).

Seeming that knock - AFAIK - is a fairly good way (or at least indicator) of measuring octane rating, this left me a little suspicious about the 98.6 RON - and any other aspect - of Optimax.

Well, I found it interesting anyway

 

Strange you should say this Mikey, I always use Optimax but last weekend I went down to London to see Dr Evil and the guys and gals at Thorpe park, on the way back up the M1 I needed petrol so ended up putting SUL in and im sure it felt better ??
Its realy hard to tell as id fitted a Dawes the same day but since putting Optimax back in I still feel that that tank of SUL was better ??
Strange but true

Andy

 

nom,

Funny you say that ...

I could say something like "wake up guys, the only real optimax is sold in Germany at the moment, and has been long before you guys learnt to spell it" but I guess it wouldn't go down very well in the UK.

That said: I remember getting fuel for a big power shoutout in Germany last year (0-100, 400 meters, top speed on Autobahn etc). All the guys went for 99 RON Optimax (the real one), my tuner & I went for the lowly 98 RON Esso (or BP, can't remember) in the opposite station, smiling all the way. Of course, we knew we had mapped the car (safely) for 98 RON.

Needless to say whist my car was supposedly 1 RON number down, it was the fastest by a serious margin of the bunch. I shouldn't say this really, as it is not my style, but I'm so fed up with the voodoo ****, that I'll say it anyway.

UK Optimax is a hoax. There, I said it. Sucker for marketing, anyone ?

<these are my opinions, not Scoobynet's OK ?>

 

Surely not EvilB ???? Surely someone would spill the beans to the press somewhere along the line ? Refinery, distribution ? no ?

 

So what about those that have a mappable ECU, how can they run so much more advance with Optimax?

 

Well, mine was mapped on BP SUL with the occassional tiddly bit of retard - about the same as Optimax seems to give.
I haven't done any 'long term tests' with the BP stuff yet, although I'm going to have a go - I've done the tricky bit, which is having the Belgian 98 RON fuel, but the car is shortly going to have a new manifold which will sort of ruin the earlier results... I'd better get on with it then!

 

I have read many threads on here and some people say it's good, some say it makes no difference and some say it makes it worse! I personally found that Optimax was better but then I do have a MY95 WRX designed for 100RON. I think it varies from car to car, just use what you find is the best for your car.
I have an old Rover 216Gti which runs much better on NUL than SUL even though SUL is supposed to be better!

 

Hi Theo,

Would you be able to tell me how much Optimax costs in Germany or Belgium if you have it. It is now being distributed in Greece, called V Power and they say it is 99+ RON. It costs 1.09 Euros here and SUL 98 costs around 0.80 Euro cents.
Big difference in price.

The funny thing is that a few months ago, V Power arrived here and it is 95 RON and now another V Power has arrived with the 99+ RON. Maybe there are two Optimaxes in the UK also and one is only 95 RON and that is why on some cars it doesn't perform and on others it does. Maybe some cars are putting in the 95 Ron Optimax and don't realise it. Just a thought cos it's very confusing over here at the moment. I never heard of a 95RON V Power (Optimax) petrol anywhere, except here. And now a 99+ RON VPower.

Cheers,

Wrexy.

[Edited by WREXY - 6/14/2002 10:41:56 PM]

 

Theo, is that a hoax in terms of RON rating or the cleaning attributes?

The Evo mag article (to me, technical muppet!) showed good results in terms of less valve deposits and some good improvements on their performance tests.

One arguement against this is that Shell slipped Evo a few bob, but only a few people could ever answer that.

Chris.

 

If there is a difference between Euro and UK Opitmax - 98.6 as opposed to 99, would .4 RON make a noticeable difference?

My MY01 has been run for most of the time on Optimax. I must say I don't notice a huge difference between SUL and Opimax, but I do between 95RON and Optimax. The cleaning properties are also a bonus. To be honest, in the UK, it is useful that Shell sell Optimax and advertise it, because at least you know you can pull into a garage and get higher RON rated fuel.

The situation on the continent is very difference. At the Cat Rally in Spain earlier this year, we were pulling into sleepy garages in towns in the middle of nowhere and you would still find a SUL - how many times does that happen over here?

Chris

 

The EVO comparison was NUL (the 95 type) verses Optimax, as far as I remember. Certainly no comparison there, and the valve-cleaning angle isn't being considered here (I don't think?) - I'm just suspicious of the 98.6 - to me, it doesn't behave like a 98, let alone the additional .6 (which may well not be noticeable anyway).

 

Mikey, Had the same views when I was running the standard ECU. Tried optimax, didn't rate and went back to normal. New ECU AE800 and the car is different and does respond to the optimax.

Try it m8.

Dave.

 

Dave, have you still got that "spare" ECU and would it take long to pop it in?

Mikey

 

Spare one went back to the owner when he sold his and had to take the link off. Could swap mine back for a week or so, so you could try one before you hunt one. There is one for sale in the for sale section, can tell you that I got a 20% improvement in MPG besides the other improvements !

Dave.

 

EvilBevil

Shell 'V-Power' on sale in Northern Italy claims to be 99 octance

Your view would tie in with German car makers holding back FSI engines until 'low sulphur petrol is more widely available' to use a favourite quote