How do you guys manage to run on Optimax?
 

Ive only just got my impreza on sunday, but have already found it a struggle to run solely on optimax.
Ive been on the shell website to locate garages and most the garages they show have now been flattened!
I do have one shell garage very local, but they have run out.
It makes me wonder wether you lot do run just on shell optimax, what you do if the petrol lights on and theres no optimax about?
Anything else as good?

I run on Optimax all the time, not so much a problem finding it as there are loads of Shells in central London :D . When it's dried up though BP ultimate seems good enough with a bottle of octane booster for good measure! :thumb:

If/ When ( you know it's inevitable :norty: ) you go for a remap, you can remap the car to the fuel that is available to where you live :thumb:

Oh the joys of having a UK car and not having to worry about where I can get my next tank of fuel ;)

I have a UK car as well, but other fuels are supposedly sh!t. I read a report on fuel tests in a jap car magazine and optimax came out on top, giving impressive power gains!

Unless its modified or has a PPP, it should be capeable of running hapily on 95ron fuel.

Believe what you read if you want. But myself, I found very little difference to be found. Even though 98Ron "should" be better. In reality I have found negligable improvement in both performance and economy. And definetely nothing of worth to warrant the extra cost anyway.

Tesco 99 ron fuel is cheaper and has less knocklink activity than 'Shell Optimism' i use it all the time as there are a lot more tescos than shell garages these days

There are 5 Shell garages within 5 miles of me :) Though there used to be 7 :(

Funnily enough tescos 99 did crap in the tests!

Yeah I seen those tests too and it confirmed my feelings, it's got to be Optimax, its developed in partnership with ferrari :norty:

I dont want to start any arguements over which fuel is best, Just want to know how all you optimax users manage??

Tests dont interest me in the slightest tbh,my car was mapped on 99,has less KL activity and drives as well if not better than optimism and also 4p cheaper so i'll carry on using it :thumb:

Yeah its better on the 99 as that is what its mapped to, mine is mapped for optimax and receives that fuel with the best results ;) .....4p cheaper does sound good, but not too many Tesco garages near me :(

You can use any 97 ron fuel in a Uk car, so whats the problem??

Rob

is the northwood in your description the northwood near pinner? if so the shell garage in pinner does opti

if yours is uk non mapped don't worry about sticking to optimax. if you're dead set on a higher octane rating just stick in super unleaded of the many choices out there and you'll be fine:) (dear hobby though, for next to no advantage!)

mines mapped for optimax and had the panic earlier in the year when shell stopped selling it for a few weeks. asking around seems the best bet is get some decent octane booster and use this when you're not near an optimax/super unleaded pump. again though, a dear option for a car that doesn't need it.

Tesco 99 is 1st choice, next Optimax + Octane booster, then Esso SUL + o/b is pretty good.

Ultimate is overpriced but OK if you want to test your Knocklink still works.

LOL don't believe every 'test' you read. There are enough people on here who are running Tesco 99 maps with no problem at all, and they are paying a lot less for their fuel than if they were tied to Shell or BP. At the end of the day, just like a bigger engine will always have more potential to make more power, higher octane fuel always trumps lower octane - regardless of whether it's supposed to have 'special detergents', a Ferrari link or indeed -like BP Ultimate - is generally 8p a litre more expensive than their already pricey standard unleaded.

If your engine NEEDS high octane fuel, then it needs BS certified octane regardless of brand, not lower octane/overpriced 'name' fuel.

I NEVER buy petrol from BP on a matter of principle as they are a rip-off - I have known them to charge 11p a litre more for the extra 2 octane points over their normal 95 unleaded. I was sucked into the cult of Optimax like many people because it was the only reliable high octane fuel easily available even if it was more expensive than most. The Shell loyalty card that I had offset this to a very limited extent. But when you're buying 3000 litres of fuel a year and you earn a £10 voucher at the end of it, it didn't exactly buy MY loyalty.

Then Tescos come along and give me more octane, for a LOT less money. Hmmm...hard decision. If you want to keep sucking up to the big petrol companies and buying their overpriced rip-off fuel then that's your choice. Just like it's your choice to buy designer jeans or branded mineral water. But at least most people would accept that they are buying those purely for the name and not pretending that they are actually any better than the bog standard alternative.

Ok, so in last couple of weeks ive used nearly all the high oct stuff, also just the regular ron in my sti uk. i dont seem to realy notice any difference,( only in my wallet:lol1: ).....inside the filler does state 98ron,,, confusing huh.

should i ask the question about what oil to use:norty: :norty: . That Q may stoke a fire that cannot be put out

Edit the word 'oil' out of your post quick or PSLewis will be here like a shot and he eats newbies for breakfast :)

BTW what's confusing about a sticker that says '98 RON'

Reading all the posts on thhis site, i will soon be the consumate expert on subaru :norty: :norty: ......Bring on PS lewis.:lol1:

Many posts have said that uk sti's are designed to run on normal ron, but many other people have said to use hi oct stuff, even in uk cars.
Inside my petrol filler in states use only 98 ron are the prodrive uk sti's any different........sheesh, even confusing my self now. perhaps i should postpone my upcoming lunch with PS lewis:lol1:

If it says use 98, then use at least 98. This may be a gross generalisation, but if it's an 'import' then you MUST use high octane fuel. If it's a 'UK' car then you can get away with running 95, although it will perform better on at least 97. I know on the classics you certainly could, but the new age models are beyond my knowledge. Just don't pay money for a brand name petrol, that's all I'm saying.

32 mile round trip to my nearest shell garage, its a fun drive though:) .If im running low i stick a tenner of bp ultimate to see me through seems to be just as good

Yep, that will be the local one thats run out!

Personally I have found that running Optimax offsets the extra 6p cost over 95 RON with better mpg so for negligible extra cost (and the fact that the shell garage also happens to be my most convenient) Optimax is what it gets.

Reading the forms will soon tell you that other people get different results, it will run perfectly well on ordinary just IMO better on Optimax

Stair

Easy :cuckoo:

it goes something like this:
pull up at pump, after first remembering which side the fuel filler in on;
initiate the "stop car" procedure";
open car door;
curse, remember to unlock car door first;
open car door properly;
walk to pump;
curse & walk back to front car door, open;
initiate "fuel filler lip opening procedure"
bang head on underside of cabin exit;
CURSE;
walk back to pump;
initiate "fuel cap release procedure"
follow the many loops of black rubber to decide which one is really the Optimax nozzle;
remove from pump;
put the regular unleaded nozzle back it is stand after it falls off as well;
curse;
shove in hole & fill;
after 25 or so clicks decide that tank is still only half full;
get bored & remove nozzle;
dribble most expensive substance in the universe over leg, shoes and car;
curse;
insert nozzle back in the handy retaining stand;
walk to kiosk;
remember wallet is still in car;
curse;
retrieve wallet, bang head, curse etc & pay;
drive away;
.
.
stop car & exit;
close filler lid;
CURSE;
continue with journey.

Simple.

Rich
:thumb:

You can use any 95 ron in my STi type Uk and I do.

Rich,

you forgot the ' we're here again then' look as another Scooby owner pulls in........:lol1: :lol1:

Yep, it should be OK, it will just be down on power unless mapped for it.

Rob

LOL you hit the nail on the head there! I've got a new technique to make sure the tank is brimmed even after it starts clicking. I pull the nozzle out slightly so you can actually see the petrol firing down the filler hole. Only one technical hitch with this strategy - suddenly without any warning, half a litre of fuel comes spraying out all over your trousers so it looks like you pissed yourself. Except with stinking, expensive, highly flammable liquid rather than piss obviously.

Maybe, but air temperature seems to have a greater effect. Not noticed any real difference in performance.