Premium Fuel

[Falchoon]

Yeh thanks Trumpy. Just looked up Canberrra and the servo at 17 LONSDALE & ELOURA STREET Braddon does NOT sell PULP even though Mobil reckons it does (pity because they accept Woolies discount dockets). Looks like no Mobil in Canberra sells Synergy8000. I might have to go back to Optimax.

[CCofOZ]

That would be correct falchoon Ive been on the lookout trying to test all the different premiums.No Synergy in ACT .

Tried 2 tanks of optimax and 2 tanks of BP Ultimate and have come to the conclusion that Vortex is just as good despite being 95 ron performance and economy wise .

[DallasQLD]

Diesel isnt as good as Optimax

[mickq]

I ride motobikes and also drive hard, and have tried most decent fuels in both bikes and various cars.

here is what I have found:

Optimax:

In general my favourite fuel. It is very "high tech" for a fuel. ie advanced.

Works very well in leaded and unleaded cars. Highly suitable to people who drive hard or have an engine that pings under load or in heat. Slight improvement in km/tank as it is more dense than normal.

The rumours about it fouling plugs are only partly true. Anyone who said it is a "simple fact" needs to look into it more. The issue, I believe, after speaking to tons of people about their driving habits and problems/no problems is this:

If you drive slowly and/or keep the engine at low revs most of the time, various parts of your engine can if you are unlucky gunk up with Optimax. The simple solution to this is to drive your car or bike properly...ie use the full rev range now and then. Its not just optimax that can foul a car/bike if used at only the lower rev range: every fuel can do it. Ask any mechanic who has fixed an old persons car buy hooning around the block in it. They even have a name for it, somethingorother tuneup I think. The aim is to blow the crap gubk out of an engine the owner has blocked up due to not knowing anything about engines and how they are meant to be used.

Mobil 8000:

Works not as well as Optimax in my bike, but works better in my XR6T. Seems slightly smoother. No additional power noticeable over Optimax. In my bike it puts out slightly less power but is as smooth as optimax. I like this fuel almost as much as Optimax...more when it comes to my XR6T.

BP Ultimate:

Good. Havent used it enough to draw proper conclusions. Havent had any issues at all. Havent used it in my XR6T as I have bottomless fuel cards for Shell and Mobil...but not BP!

Standard Premium (ie 95 octane or so)

Ok. Slightly better pre-ignition protection due to higher octane. A wee bit more power but not very noticeable except in certain vehicles. (Usually those designed for it). I wouldnt bother buying it except when 98 octane fuel is not available.

Standard unleaded:

Fine in an XR6T and most other cars and many bikes provided you dont push the limits. You WILL have pre-ignition under heavy load with this fuel especially when it is hot. Under the same conditions the 98 octane fuels wont pre-ignite. Pre-ignition is damn dangerous. It just seems like a little annoying noise, but if you are unlucky one day BANG...you have a hole in your piston. If you are a plane-Jane driver then this fuel will usually suffice. If I use it, I would blow my engines very quickly!

Safeway (and Woolies?) discounted unleaded.

I strongly recommend people who care for thier vehicles do NOT use this fuel. From what I have been told, it is cheap lower quality fuel imported from Indonesia. It has a high sulphur content. It is NOT recommended for a high performance engines, nor do I think it should be used in any engine you give a damn about. Great for pottering about in your Datsun 120Y, but this fuel is CHEAP FOR A REASON!!! You get what you pay for.

Coles Discount Petrol:

This fuel isnt out yet, but its quite possible it will simply be the standard Shell unleaded fuel, and not cheaply imported especially for discounting like the Safeway fuel. Remains to be seen though.

100 Octane Super fuel:

This stuff is awesome in leaded cars. It has almost 1 gram of lead per litre....great for the environment...not! Depending on your car, it adds tons of power. Can drop what seems to be the satrt of powerband by 750-1000 revs. (ie the power you used to get at 3500 revs you now get closer to 2500 revs). According to the law its now limited to track use, but you can buy it from certain servos if you know which ones to visit. There is one in Melb near me that I visit now and then. Expensive, but if you want the power for some reason, it just cant be beaten! You can play around with your timing a great deal and boost output even more. Amazing stuff for any leaded cars out there, but expensive. (Limit it to those nights you plan on racing a friend.....at a track of course!)

[Trumpy]

  mickq said:

If you drive slowly and/or keep the engine at low revs most of the time, various parts of your engine can if you are unlucky gunk up with Optimax. The simple solution to this is to drive your car or bike properly...ie use the full rev range now and then. Its not just optimax that can foul a car/bike if used at only the lower rev range: every fuel can do it. Ask any mechanic who has fixed an old persons car buy hooning around the block in it. They even have a name for it, somethingorother tuneup I think.

Correct me if I am wrong mickg, but I am interpreting this as saying that I drive/ride like my mum!

Everyone I ride with has been told by their mechanics (many different workshops) to be wary of Optimax. The formula was great when it was first released in NSW, and it was all I'd use, but I have been told that it has changed. I have heard this from numerous sources, including every performance car/bike forum I read (and I work in IT, so that's pretty much all of them!).

Now saying that I need to use the full rev range of my bike and car, without knowing about my riding/driving style or type of bike, is a bit simplistic on your behalf. Bikes are made to rev their t*ts off, and mine does, all the time. that's what it is there for. I do realise that 600cc sportsters etc will "fuel up" if pottered around constantly but that's not what I am talking about. The issue is long term buildup of the additives in an engine.

I dont claim to be the number one expert is this field, far from it, I am just passing on the information I have read from varied sources to hopefully make others aware. At the end of the day I really dont think its going to make heaps of difference to a motor as understressed as the "T" anyway.

I just dont believe in Shells marketing campaign that Optimax is The Number One Fuel for every vehicle.

regards,

Matthew

[mickq]

No, you are right...I was saying you drive like your mum!

Ive done lots of research on this, and found very little first hand evidence. Tons of rumours "Once I saw a bike", "friend of a guy I know", etc etc

Its hard to find a mechanic who will sit there and say something like "I myself have fixed 20+ varied bikes/cars due to this problem".

I heard the speculation and did my research and use Optimax in every engine I own, and have never, ever had a problem, other than some cold weather rough idling in one vehicle which changed when the engine warmed up. (Possibly it was caused by the high octane, that's all)

The facts are that Optimax is a HUGELY popular fuel. In both cars and bikes. If there are side effects, it is in a very small percentage (and the same applies for every fuel). As you can imagine, a company with the resources of Shell isnt going to have a dodgy product out there that is their best fuel product available with huge issues. Its just not logical. They would fix it and fast.

Ive read every forum too, and am also in IT. And as you will also know its a hotly debated topic with VERY little real hard evidence and lots of speculation and rumour. The debates are right up there with 'normal oil vs synthetic' and 'slick50 vs no slick50'. Not much fact and TONS of emotion.

If you ride your bike hard (is there really any other way?!) have you had this problem? Bet you havent!

There is no such thing in reality as the number one fuel for all cars. Different cars like different fuels. But what you can have is a very high quality fuel...and that's what Optimax is.

[Trumpy]

You work in IT. For Shell?????

I think that if you read my previous post, I said that for you to judge how I drive without knowing me was a bit simplistic. Maybe you didnt understand. You dont know me. Dont pass comment based on no facts.

At the end of the day, I am not saying that if anyone uses your holy Optimax fuel their engine is going to grenade itself. I am simply passing on info that I have learned from other sources, that I happen to agree with. If you dont agree with me, fine, but keep the personal sledges out.

That is all. I have had enough of this topic.

[Lumpen]

I know in Dads car(EB XR8) the Chip is Optimised for 98RON fuel(Read sh*ts itself good and proper if it doesnt get it).

WE ran Optimax in it for quite a while with respectable economy and performance but after hearing some doubtful reports on its quality(hearsay or otherwise) we switched to BP Ultimate which is Lower on Sulphur therefore better for Mr Catalytic Convertor.

Though there is negligable noticeable difference in performance...Car + Dad + Me= Close enough to 2 tonne...There is slightly better fuel economy.

Allthough he choose to use 98RON for its bit better economy and the ability to tune for more Power the real reason he uses it is to Treat the engine kinder.Less crap in the fuel means less crap left in the engine or on the cat which IN THEORY will help the engine last longer.

Its like having a steak really.You can get some budget shin from coles and it will do exactly the same for you (nutrient wise) as Premier Aged Eye Fillet but instead of enjoying this delicacy you would have to battle with gristle...

[ZMAN]

Ken Boyle....you got em hook line and sinker...did I mention 10 more sleeps....!!!!

[XRCISM]

I have never heard of anyone having a huge problem with any of the major brands of PULP - I go for Optimax or occasionaly Synergy .... whatever is handy. My car goes as well as I drive it - with whichever petol I have in it. I do however stay away from smaller outlets and Woolies discounted petrol - I have heard stories about them (watering down, etc.).

Ken 'Lord of his Ring' Boyle ( :D ) - stop scaring our new members and give them time to get used to our (your) demented sense of humour!! (it did give me a good laugh though :lol: :lol: )