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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

TESCO vs OPTIMAX


Ewen

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A friend of mine who is an engine mapper has done tests on both Optimax and BP Ultimate, with optimax in the tank they could run more boost and ignition without the det they were getting from Ultimate.

 

I have used ultimate once and once only, i only ever use optimax now and this is what my friend recommends and I have never had any issues.

 

 

As for Tescos i have not had the chance to try it yet so no comment.

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All I can add to this is with Optimax at 1.2bar I get slight det that needs a dyno operator to hear and at worse a 'is or isn't it' while driving. On BP Ultimate it was like I had a Dwarf under the bonnet shaking a can of spray paint the det was so clear.

Draw your own conclusions as to what fuel I'm gona carry on using.

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Det cans, knock sensors and if you know what to listen for you can hear it.

 

:eyebrows:

 

Describe the noise, what am I listening for.

 

With BP Ultimate I can tell for sure that the car aint in a hurry to go. its sluggish. But I am not sure about what I am listening for.

 

would like to be safe rather than sorry.

 

imi

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In my previous car I had KnockLink setup and with Optimax I would see a wide variation in knocking events.

Sometimes it would be quiet as a mouse, other times (mainly if the car had sat for a week in the garage) it would light up like a Xmas tree.

 

This resembles the experience of others, a friend's skyline used to run on Optimax (remapped at 1.1bar) and it would have zero knock initially. Leave it for 2weeks (holiday), come back and it was Knock City.

Same doesn't happen with BP Ultimate, so it's not an idle theory that Optimax fizzles out quicker.

 

The problem with people hyping up Opticrap is that they create a false sense of 'high octane abundance' all over the country, so there is no strong demand for a truly high-octane fuel in the UK.

 

If people were aware of the dodgy Shell tactics, they would be queueing up for Tesco99 or whatever else the oil companies would then offer.

Now everybody thinks that their high-perf cars are covered by Shell, and everyone's happy. I just hope that this internet hype of Optimax doesn't lead to Tesco deciding to cancel the 99RON experiment.

We'd all be losers then.

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Describe the noise, what am I listening for.

 

With BP Ultimate I can tell for sure that the car aint in a hurry to go. its sluggish. But I am not sure about what I am listening for.

 

would like to be safe rather than sorry.

 

imi

 

Sping, ting, Sping, ting, Sping, ting. etc...

 

Bet that's as clear as mud...

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In my previous car I had KnockLink setup and with Optimax I would see a wide variation in knocking events.

Sometimes it would be quiet as a mouse, other times (mainly if the car had sat for a week in the garage) it would light up like a Xmas tree.

 

 

Was that when you ran 14:1 on boost :lol:

 

This resembles the experience of others, a friend's skyline used to run on Optimax (remapped at 1.1bar) and it would have zero knock initially. Leave it for 2weeks (holiday), come back and it was Knock City.

Same doesn't happen with BP Ultimate, so it's not an idle theory that Optimax fizzles out quicker.

 

*If* it's true then how hard is it to leave the car pretty much empty and fill up upon your return...

 

However if your ECU has already gotten used to BP Ultimate and therefore is running less ignition advance, I'd expect it not to complain (unlike the rest of us) about your return from holiday.

 

The problem with people hyping up Opticrap is that they create a false sense of 'high octane abundance' all over the country, so there is no strong demand for a truly high-octane fuel in the UK.

 

WTF? Shell say it IS 98+ RON and it's being sold by the truck load then it proves we want high octane fuel...if they said it's a 95RON Unleaded with some anti det properties then maybe what you've just spouted would be more accurate...but they don't they claim a high octane figure.

 

If people were aware of the dodgy Shell tactics, they would be queueing up for Tesco99 or whatever else the oil companies would then offer.

Now everybody thinks that their high-perf cars are covered by Shell, and everyone's happy. I just hope that this internet hype of Optimax doesn't lead to Tesco deciding to cancel the 99RON experiment.

We'd all be losers then.

 

What tactics? to not put a sticker on a pump? Yeah that's a real tactic there...yuo've got them by the short and curlies...why don't YOU take a sample to a lab and prove to Shell that they are talking bollox and that every mail they've sent out to those from this and other BBS's that have asked have been lied to? Hmmm? Why not, you prove them wrong and you'll get all your costs back and be a rich man...oh yes...

 

The fact Shell are looking to introduce the higher octane V-Power here too also points to your "Shell is killing the sale of high octane fuel" campaign kind of redundant doesn't it.

 

You cannot claim to have something you haven't without expecting a big comeback especially if you're a BIG company with an image/customer base to protect.

 

I expect your experiences are due to your fuel tank not being sealed well enough to stop vapour escaping...not the petrol itself...but then that would be speculation based on no information.... :rolleyes:

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Guest chiefvinso

I have not had the pleasure of running my soop on optimax as I am still waiting for its arrival. However, my 94 MR2 Turbo with a slight hike in boost via a unichip and other mods did not have any problems. If i had to use other fuel (lower octane) due to no shell garage being available when I gave it some welly the FCD cut in. Without having tried the Tesco stuff I am not going to comment on its efficiency, but as for optimax it did the business, no noticeable knock just smooth running.

 

Surely if we are going to worry about the ron ratings then we would have the ecu's changed, upgraded to run lower octance fuel? Ok it might seem expensive but it would be a lot cheaper than buying new pistons?

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As a Newbie, Im impressed with the response to such a basic question....'Optimax sheep' were mentioned, of which I am one - blame the Jap Mags for that. Personaly, my importer INSISTED I use Optimax, and ONLY Ultimate if I couldnt get to a Shell garage. Thanks for the morale support on the Tesco Juice....Ive run injection cars since the Ark and in the old days Tescos juice had a questionable reputation - these days its obvious that the only difference in 'quality' (hence price) is lack of additives and distribution costs....someone said use Optimax for cleaning engines and Tesco for safer higher performance - wise, convincing words. Ive done 16k miles on Otimax so I dont know comparisons etc.

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If you have to choose between 95RON unleaded and Optimax (and price is not an issue) then Optimax wins, because there is a good chance that the octane might be higher.

 

The trouble is choosing between branded 97RON and Optimax, there it becomes sketchy... (not that I'm a fan of BP Ultimate either, I've found Esso 97RON more consistent)

 

When it comes to Tesco's 99RON offering, it is a no-brainer in my opinion...

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When it comes to Tesco's 99RON offering, it is a no-brainer in my opinion...

 

Exactly, Sups prefer higher rated RON especially the Jspec that prefer 100RON. Regarding cleansing properties, why not drop some injector cleaner rather than inferior fuel.

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Exactly, Sups prefer higher rated RON especially the Jspec that prefer 100RON. Regarding cleansing properties, why not drop some injector cleaner rather than inferior fuel.

 

Cause 1 pissy pot of cleaner is going to have no effect compared to a highly advanced cleaning petrol. Inferior fuel? lol...whatever... :rolleyes:

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Guest chiefvinso
If you have to choose between 95RON unleaded and Optimax (and price is not an issue) then Optimax wins, because there is a good chance that the octane might be higher....

 

"It is higher, its 98 minimum - surely the extra 6 p a litre warants your pistons?"

 

The trouble is choosing between branded 97RON and Optimax, there it becomes sketchy... (not that I'm a fan of BP Ultimate either, I've found Esso 97RON more consistent)

 

When it comes to Tesco's 99RON offering, it is a no-brainer in my opinion...

 

Why does it become sketchy? Shell is 98 minimum? Like you said the higher the rating the better and if I come across the tsco stuff when I get my soop I will give it a whirl

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Where did you get that info from? Can you show anything from Shell that says Optimax 98 minimum?

 

Jake, anyone that has e-mailed Shell has received an e-mail from them stating this...it's signed off by Shell employees and so Shell are liable if they were wrong...they wouldn't say it if it wasn't true as they'd get executed by the public.

 

Ian C has posted his response from Shell before now...and quite simply I can't understand why we're still debating it?

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Exactly, Sups prefer higher rated RON especially the Jspec that prefer 100RON. Regarding cleansing properties, why not drop some injector cleaner rather than inferior fuel.

 

That’s my opinion exactly, use the highest RON you can because that’s got a definate tangible benefit, i.e. better performance, no melted pistons etc and use a dedicated injector cleaner on the odd tank full if you want to keep the fuel system nice and clean, best of both worlds then :)

 

does it really take 100 miles for the ecu to adjust to a different ron petrol?

 

L

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Guest chiefvinso
Where did you get that info from? Can you show anything from Shell that says Optimax 98 minimum?

 

Hi Jake, I saw somewhere in this forum that optimax could be 95 ron which caused me to worry - so I got off my little bum and wrote to shell who wrote back saying that it was 98 ron and that they dont have to state it by law on the pumps as long as it meets a certain bs standard.

 

Give it a go, go to the shell website and write to them - they got back to me the next day (they must be used to the queries by now! LOL)

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FFS

 

:D

 

 

Dear Mr Chisholm,

 

Thank you for your email which has been passed to me for response.

For your information, the regular Shell unleaded is 95 RON, whereas the Optimax is 98 RON.

 

If you require any more information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

 

Christina

 

 

 

Christina Parry

Customer Relations - Retail

Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited

Rowlandsway House, Rowlandsway, Manchester M22 5SB, United Kingdom

 

Tel: +44 0161 947 5864 Fax: +44 161 499 4903

Email:

Internet: http://www.shell.com/uk

 

See any caveats? See any "it goes off" comments? See any "but not after 2 weeks" remarks? Hmmm? No.

 

-Ian

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Guest chiefvinso
FFS

 

:D

 

 

Dear Mr Chisholm,

 

Thank you for your email which has been passed to me for response.

For your information, the regular Shell unleaded is 95 RON, whereas the Optimax is 98 RON.

 

If you require any more information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

 

Christina

 

 

 

Christina Parry

Customer Relations - Retail

Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited

Rowlandsway House, Rowlandsway, Manchester M22 5SB, United Kingdom

 

Tel: +44 0161 947 5864 Fax: +44 161 499 4903

Email:

Internet: http://www.shell.com/uk

 

See any caveats? See any "it goes off" comments? See any "but not after 2 weeks" remarks? Hmmm? No.

 

-Ian

 

:respekt: Same chick that wrote to me.

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Fister Mobile is '98 TT VVTI un-modded engine....it had done 4,500 MILES when I got it to UK in '03 and has done 16,000 since with good Christian Servicing and nothing other than Optimax.....last B service two weeks ago and the fuel filter was blocked absolutely solid (did I mention absolutely solid) with what looked like brown rusty kettle-fur .....call me paranoid, but, as a paranoid Id like to know FOR SURE that Optimax doesnt eat tank linings.

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