cr*p petrol
31 January 2005, 03:24 PM
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cr*p petrol
I've been using optimax since getting my MY99 UK TURBO nearly 2 years ago. I've had it remapped by BRD developements to use that fuel all the time.
So, when I nearly ran out yesterday/today, I had to fill-up at the local ESSO station with their superplus unleaded rated at 97 ron.
After having a knocklink fitted at the beginning of jan, and seeing nothing more than a bright first green on hard acceleration, in all gears, imagine my surprise when I saw the red light up when flooring it onto the motorway in stockport.
I was always a little sceptical about the benifits of using optimax, but this has shown that it is the safe option, and well worth the extra in the long run.
I'll just have to take it easy now until I need filling up again, and put the proper stuff in when it comes to fill up time
So, when I nearly ran out yesterday/today, I had to fill-up at the local ESSO station with their superplus unleaded rated at 97 ron.
After having a knocklink fitted at the beginning of jan, and seeing nothing more than a bright first green on hard acceleration, in all gears, imagine my surprise when I saw the red light up when flooring it onto the motorway in stockport.
I was always a little sceptical about the benifits of using optimax, but this has shown that it is the safe option, and well worth the extra in the long run.
I'll just have to take it easy now until I need filling up again, and put the proper stuff in when it comes to fill up time
31 January 2005, 03:25 PM
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if you had been mapped the other way round then wouldnt the result have been the same.
ie, optimax/esso both good, just depends on what your mapped for.
ie, optimax/esso both good, just depends on what your mapped for.
31 January 2005, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Peanuts
if you had been mapped the other way round then wouldnt the result have been the same.
ie, optimax/esso both good, just depends on what your mapped for.
ie, optimax/esso both good, just depends on what your mapped for.
Regards.
31 January 2005, 03:35 PM
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the problem is that there is very little concrete evidence of the octane rating of optimax iirc.
BP super has a BS attached to it, which means it should acheive a minimum rating, optimax has no such BS, again, iirc.
mapping for 97 would be a good idea,broader choice, but you would possibly be losing out on everyday bog std. power.
BP super has a BS attached to it, which means it should acheive a minimum rating, optimax has no such BS, again, iirc.
mapping for 97 would be a good idea,broader choice, but you would possibly be losing out on everyday bog std. power.
31 January 2005, 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Peanuts
the problem is that there is very little concrete evidence of the octane rating of optimax iirc.
BP super has a BS attached to it, which means it should acheive a minimum rating, optimax has no such BS, again, iirc.
mapping for 97 would be a good idea,broader choice, but you would possibly be losing out on everyday bog std. power.
BP super has a BS attached to it, which means it should acheive a minimum rating, optimax has no such BS, again, iirc.
mapping for 97 would be a good idea,broader choice, but you would possibly be losing out on everyday bog std. power.
Regards.
31 January 2005, 04:37 PM
#7
Originally Posted by STEVECHAPS
Carry an emergency bottle of millers octane booster then if you get stuck & have to get BP or Esso then bung it in for that extra reassurance.
Does anyone know if octane booster has a "best by" date if kept closed?
I've been caught out without Optimax a couple of times and will only put £5 or so of crap stuff in at a time and NEVER drive it other than sedately without optimax.
Alcazar
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31 January 2005, 05:47 PM
#9
If car still has its adaptive ignition timing enabled, it will react and retard the ignition to compensate for the drop in octane level. Presuming the knock sensor still works!
UK cars will run on 95 unless modified/ppp'd (to get past type approval) in which case SUL is minimum
Dropping the octane level without changing the ignition timing will cause it to pink. Simple fact.
Map it for 97 and be safe
...until you put in 95 by accident 
UK cars will run on 95 unless modified/ppp'd (to get past type approval) in which case SUL is minimum
Dropping the octane level without changing the ignition timing will cause it to pink. Simple fact.
Map it for 97 and be safe
...until you put in 95 by accident
Last edited by ALi-B; 31 January 2005 at 11:34 PM.
31 January 2005, 08:22 PM
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thanks for the comments guys. Be careful out there with your modded motors
thats a cracking idea, think I'll be doing that in the future, cheers STEVECHAPS!
chris.
Carry an emergency bottle of millers octane booster then if you get stuck & have to get BP or Esso then bung it in for that extra reassurance
chris.
31 January 2005, 11:10 PM
#12
CW42
Keep an emergency bottle of NF handy at work or at home
Unless it's a new bottle with the seal intact don't keep it in the car as the smell is quite distictive.......
Shaun
Keep an emergency bottle of NF handy at work or at home
Unless it's a new bottle with the seal intact don't keep it in the car as the smell is quite distictive.......
Shaun
01 February 2005, 12:09 AM
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Originally Posted by alcazar
That sounds like a good idea.
Does anyone know if octane booster has a "best by" date if kept closed?
I've been caught out without Optimax a couple of times and will only put £5 or so of crap stuff in at a time and NEVER drive it other than sedately without optimax.
Alcazar
Does anyone know if octane booster has a "best by" date if kept closed?
I've been caught out without Optimax a couple of times and will only put £5 or so of crap stuff in at a time and NEVER drive it other than sedately without optimax.
Alcazar
Millers will treat 50 litres per 250ml bottle with a 2 octane rating increase IIRC NF is quite a bit stronger! (But costs a lot more).
Regarding crap fuel, I've had 1 occasion where a dodgy batch of Optimax from a single station franchise (dodgy!) lit up my knocklink like a crimbo tree (posted on here when it happened) so I stick to Co-op owned Shell stations or Service stations wherever possible.
01 February 2005, 12:44 AM
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yeah, I can testify that fuel degrades with time, my discertation is on it! In fact, we left a canister of research-grade 95 octane unleaded "slightly uncapped" in my garage over christmass and it was detonating all over the place when we put it in the research dyno. Must have dropped to 92 or maybe even less.
To risk sounding redundant: Use petrol stations that have loads of stock go through their pumps. The fresh stuff really is better.
To risk sounding redundant: Use petrol stations that have loads of stock go through their pumps. The fresh stuff really is better.
01 February 2005, 08:14 AM
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I think the general concencus of opinion is that "fresh" fuel is best, optimax is better, and optimax with nf or some other booster is the best
Just goes to prove "you gets what you pays for"
Thanks guys.
chris.
Just goes to prove "you gets what you pays for"
Thanks guys.
chris.
02 February 2005, 12:32 AM
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Esso SUL (97 RON) is not crap fuel, I use it all the time on my JDM STI and its actually very consistent, it just doesn't have quite as higher octane rating as Optimax (98.5). Carrying a bottle of NF is not a bad idea if suffering from Det.
02 February 2005, 09:52 AM
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Do please keep us up to date on how you get on once you've refuelled. See these two threads of mine:
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=391430
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=399251
I'm having proper engine diagnostics done next week; I wouldn't have thought a bad batch of fuel would persist across several fill-ups, even if the tank wasn't completely empty each time. Or, is there some contaminant that can get into the system and drastically lower the octane rating of the fuel even in minute concentrations?
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=391430
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=399251
I'm having proper engine diagnostics done next week; I wouldn't have thought a bad batch of fuel would persist across several fill-ups, even if the tank wasn't completely empty each time. Or, is there some contaminant that can get into the system and drastically lower the octane rating of the fuel even in minute concentrations?
02 February 2005, 09:57 AM
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I've got to go to stoke this morning, so should use it all up by the time I get down there.
On reflection, it's been a false economy really, as now I just want to get the stuff out of my tank, and fill up with optimax!
chris.
On reflection, it's been a false economy really, as now I just want to get the stuff out of my tank, and fill up with optimax!
chris.
02 February 2005, 10:32 AM
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My MY00 has been mapped with Optimax in the tank, and whenever I've had to put Esso SuperUnleaded in, I've never noticed anything other than increased 'sparkle' of the green LEDs on the Knocklink, under light throttle openings. At high RPM and load, the first amber has occasionaly shown - It certainly has never lit the red LED up!
I think that the next mapping session will be with SUL due to it being more readily available.
I'd be interested to see how much more ignition timing (at specific load sites) you could give a car using 98RON, as opposed to 97RON in the same car? - and the relative power/torque increase?
Richard
I think that the next mapping session will be with SUL due to it being more readily available.
I'd be interested to see how much more ignition timing (at specific load sites) you could give a car using 98RON, as opposed to 97RON in the same car? - and the relative power/torque increase?
Richard
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