Is there much of an advantage running a car with Octane Booster along with Optimax on an imported WRX?? I have reset the ECU so hopefully will have adapted to 98RON fuel, but is it possible that using purely Optimax could lead to fuel cut?

 

It's essential. JDM WRX's are mapped to run 100-102RON fuel. They tend to det on just optimax.

Simon

 

More of a requirement than an advantage. Japanese use 100 RON fuel.

Resetting the ECU will reset it back to it's factory map which will actually make the problem worse. (albeit temporarily)

The ECU will learn to work with fuel of a lower quality, by advancing the ignition timing and remembering it, but there is only so much it can do.

Unless you have a knock link fitted and are confident that the engine isn't detting on purely Optimax then you must use a decent OB, like Millers with every tank of Optimax or SUL. You are risking doing very serious damage to your engine doing anything but.

 

Whoops!! Off to Halfords now - bad advice from the dealer I bought it from!!

Presume a UK fuel map (such as scoobyecu) would sort this problem out??

Thanks everyone

 

Told ya!

At least you didn't blow it up!
Also as the dealer was also Knowledgable!! I would have a quick
peak at the ECU and make sure there's no dodgy Jap chip
in it, just to be safe.

WW

 

Wouldn't advise it, the best I could get from Halfords was STP and it is ****e. Get yourself some Millers or NF.

Play it safe in the meantime and keep her below 4,500 rpm and don't floor it, better than having a blown engine on your hands.


I find this both strange and worrying, particulalry if they are warrantying the vehicle. If they knew it was an import then they would know that it is meant to run on 100 RON fuel

Yup that's the ticket, it may even have already been done. But the only 2 ways your gonna know is by finding out some sort of history of the vehicle or continue running Optimax alone and see if you bust one of your pistons.

A knock link is very very advisable when running JDM vehicles, £150 now could save you >£3,000 and a lot of heartache further down the road.

 

Was going to have a look at the ecu in there at the weekend, just to check it is no dodgy Jap map!! As for Octane Boosters, where can i get Millers from - do any petrol stations stock it or is it mail order only??

Definately no UK map YET - bust cannot seem to get hold of any scoobyecu's at the moment, any ideas anyone??

Thanks for all your help guys - I hate being such a noob!!!

 

I last got mine from here http://www.scoobyparts.com/html/misc.html, probably not the cheapest around.

Some performance car places will sell it, you're just gonna need to look around.

We've all been that, least the car's still in one piece, that's all that counts

 

Good advice from ZH. Use Millers - ScoobyMania supply - (or Nitrous Formula OB if you can get it) when in doubt, to stay safe. If post-98 car, get EcuTek remap and you'll be OK for good. If not, get regular supplies of quality OB sorted. Lots of! One bottle per tank £3.00. Bargain

Richard.

 

Cheers all,

Millers on order, had to make do with a bottle of STP last night to be on the safe side - maybe I am being paranoid, but car was sounding a bit "diesely" last night - hope I haven't f****d her!!

 

is their any benefit to be gained using octanebooster in a decatted uk99?

cheers
eric

 

this is all weird to me. in kenya there must be about 40/50 JDM WRXs and only 5 uk spec turbos (one of which is mine ) and they ALL run on 93 octane leaded, no octane boosters, most of them not even de-catted.

weird, non?

zak

 

Oh sh*t

after reading this thread,I now know why my piston melted

Was running on Shell OM + Millers OB
The last tank was just SOM.
30 miles later my car lost a piston.
Was thrashing it aswell.

 

Many people have commented that their cars have run like a bag of ****e on the STP. It's also very debatable as to how much it actually raises the octane level by and what is actually in it. Look on the front of the bottle, it says "Power Booster", says it all really, designed to light the eyes of every budding 17 year old Nova driver.

Better paranoid than blown engine, read the post directly above this one. This is exactly what can and will happen running a JDM vehicle on too low an octane fuel. With poor fuel quality, keep the car below 4,500 rpm and with light throttle, this way little damage is likely to be done.

 

i used stp once car ran ****e then had to take it on the motorway with crapy texaco sul long story but both these knackered my fuelpump up on the motorway when i stripped the pump down there was a build up of some crap was the colour of the stp