Just reading a few threads on here and talking of
flat spots and cars not going as well as should etc etc.

In the last few months my car has fluctuated in performance
week to week, fill up to fill up.

I would like to know how long fuel keeps it's octane Level e.g
optimax should be 98Ron. But we all fill up expecting to get 98Ron
and shell sells it as this, but does someone govern or police how long
it stays in the pumps? With the increase in fuel cost again I expect there
are even fewer customers for Optimax and that fuel will sit for longer.

I now only use busy service stations as i have defo' had bad fuel from
less busy stations.

Just wondered if anyone else had similar experiences or Knowledge.

WW

 

???
why is it classed as regular uleaded then? It only has to pass the 95 RON test in random tests.

Super Unleaded has to pass the 97 RON test. Optimax ain't that (despite the fancy ads with the fishes)

 

John

If that were the case every imported scoob would probably now be Dead!

The question is not if it is 98ron, but who monitors that it is 98
or how long it lasts in the pumps.

WW

 

There is an element of fuel-related death, isn't there?

I've been chasing Shell for straight RON/MON figures ever since they launched this 'innovative' fuel, but they always weasel out with cut/paste of their marketing bull.

Eventually they had to eat their own words
http://www.asa.org.uk/adjudications/...cations_id=all
even though they never claimed any RON/MON figures.

Nobody monitors it to be 98RON mate, because it only has to be 95. Simple as that.

 

What's your crusade against optimax john? I, and many others, get less knock activity from optimax compared to other fuels so I use it. Wether it's tested as 95, 98 or 200000 RON makes no difference. As for the life of fuel I can't remember but something in the region of 8 months springs to mind before significant changes to the RON happen. Do a search because it's been mentioned on here before.

Rich

 

The quality is very variable.
Especially in the summer, you may expect the 98.6 ("internet rumour") RON figure and actually get 95.
Not funny if you've mapped your car on 98.
That's the reason they classify it as 'normal' unleaded, they don't know if it will always pass the 97RON level in random tests.
Maybe it will, maybe it won't...

 

I've heard that optimax has quite a short shelf life ,know quite a few people who have had a lot of koncklink activity using the stuff....

I also know a few people who now swear by optima

 

As far as I know, tuners who map for 600+bhp, on pump fuel, don't trust Optimax because of this variability. (speed of burn varies more, too!)
They play it safe and go for BP or Esso SUL

 

hey John you've not been sacked or something by Shell have you?:-)

The point of the thread is simple. everyone reports problems with
"intermitent problems" "flat spots" etc my question is before we
go stripping the car apart should we consider the food of the engine-fuel
and effects it has on retarding ignition - deting etc?

If Shell Optimax fuel is not 98ron then why does it work better for
most import scoobs (100ron mapped) with octane booster.

My other point is that I have noticed distinct changes in performance
from one service station to another.

Does / has others noticed this?

WW

 

On an independent (non-scientific) test, Optimax fresh out of that forecourt pump was 97.2RON and within 5 days it was 95.3RON

I've got a lot more on the subject on my website, under 'fuelling'.

 

Whats the site John?

This is my case. Expensive fuel means less people are prepared
to buy Optimax therefore if you say after 5 days it goes down
so much then how much after a month?

= bad performance , flat spots, det etc etc

WW

 

Very Intersting Website John.

 

www.max-boost.co.uk

How come I can't stick it in my signature here?
In fact, I don't even have an option for a sig!?

 

Interesting John

I have the Tango problem all the time and the plugs aren't lasting
very long at all.

Are you saying that BP Ultima (98Ron?) + booster will not
tango the plugs\engine?

WW

 

just been reading you posts on shells website john ,out of interest what fuel do you use?

 

Have you? He he...
They've even sent me private emails with RON/MON figures asking me to shut the **** up.
Quite amusing, I think...

 

Like jasoon asked

what fuel do you use?

 

SUL enriched ad hoc (DIY - style)

You want a stable platform for a road car, so you can't rely on capricious fuels.

 

what Everyday fuel and booster do you recommend?

 

I find ESSO SUL the best value for money at the moment.
BP SUL is OK, but overpriced due to the recent bullshoit campaign.

For real octane boosting you need access to industrial quantities of nasty chemicals. (like small barrels)
Not easy, but doable.
I've got some pointers on my website.

 

I'm rather grateful now we don't get Optimax at whatever RON rating here as it sounds like a sham. Thankfully it's either 95 Unleaded or 98 Super Unleaded here in Luxembourg regardless of who sells it, so the choice is simple.

 

No you get that shell v max stuff instead which i think is pretty much the same
Personally ive only ever seen one tank of bad optimax, and in my new car ive never seen any noise whilst running optimax and octane booster.

Tony

 

Not seen anything other than bog standard 95 or 98 in every garage I've used, though I haven't tried any of the "petrol station cities" on the Luxembourg/Germany borders where they may sell it.

 

Is optimax the only fuel that makes the plugs orange with booster
or would Ultimate do the same?

Is it the booster or a combination optimax and booster?

Even though we only experience isolated incidents of bad fuel
for whatever reasons, I believe we will see more of it as less people
will pay the premium as fuel becomes more and more expensive,
and the fuel stays in the pumps longer.


I can't see any service station "bining" fuel as it may have lost a few
octane points, but this does make alot of difference to jap cars.

 

although they only have to pass the 95RON test, surely it'd be false advertising to say its 98 if in reality its only 95???