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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

TESCO vs OPTIMAX


Ewen

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It's a hard concept to grasp, but let's try again:

 

If optimax were 98RON they would have displayed it on the pumps.

 

They do not, so this should make you wonder why.

 

There used to be a Shell Optimax forum, where we could ask the 'expert'. I can't seem to find it now, they probably pulled the plug because it was an utter embarassment.

 

I used to go there and ask the expert straight questions about the RON and MON figures of Optimax. He was always evasive, refusing to respond directly, simply repeating the marketing blurb about 'improved responsiveness' and other non-measurable claptrap.

 

I kept asking over and over, just like that Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman, if anybody remembers it.

 

In the end I gave up because it was blatantly clear that they were evasive and full of crap. No wonder they junked the forum, others started asking similar question aftewards.

 

I also emailed their head office (around 2.5 years ago) and they did respond with RON and MON figures, just like BP did with Ultimate.

They were not 'matter of fact' answers like they seem to give now, so they either changed the formula and feel more confident, or they changed the company policy in responding to this 'thorny' question that nobody outside the industry can readily verify (so you have to take their word for it)

 

As said, until they display a RON figure on the pumps (so that they are liable to prosecution from Customs & Excise) I do not believe any of the RON claims touted around. Sorry.

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As I said previously, I tried Optimax for over 2000 miles (plently of time for the ECU to adjust) and I couldn't detect any performance improvement at all. There wasn't any noticeable reduction of performance when I went back to 95 RON either.

 

At something in the region of a fiver a tankfull extra, there didn't seem any point in carrying on using Optimax; especially getting less MPG. If I couldn't notice the "improved responsiveness" etc, how could I be convinced that this stuff would make the engine last longer, run cleaner etc?

 

I don't think Shell would have had to use the "Dream cars" promotion to sell Optimax if they were that convinced that once drivers tried it they would then use nothing else.

 

I've nothing against Shell but in my experience Optimax was no better than 95 RON in my Supra.

 

Maybe someone has seen some sort of fuel test report?.

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Guest chiefvinso
As I said previously, I tried Optimax for over 2000 miles (plently of time for the ECU to adjust) and I couldn't detect any performance improvement at all. There wasn't any noticeable reduction of performance when I went back to 95 RON either.

 

At something in the region of a fiver a tankfull extra, there didn't seem any point in carrying on using Optimax; especially getting less MPG. If I couldn't notice the "improved responsiveness" etc, how could I be convinced that this stuff would make the engine last longer, run cleaner etc?

 

I don't think Shell would have had to use the "Dream cars" promotion to sell Optimax if they were that convinced that once drivers tried it they would then use nothing else.

 

I've nothing against Shell but in my experience Optimax was no better than 95 RON in my Supra.

 

Maybe someone has seen some sort of fuel test report?.

 

You state that you have a uk supra thus meaning it is designed to run on the lower ron, how long did you use optimax for. I'm not claiming it makes a difference to uk cars but I know it made a difference to my mr2 turbo.

 

So in brief, if you are running a uk spec then you aint gonna feel much difference if any.

 

Just write to shell and they will tell you what the ron ratings are or if there is someone in this forum who can get a rating from a purchase of optimax in their lab. Has anyone noticed that they dont put anyron ratings on their premium fuel either? Oh shit, this means it 65 ron! :eek:

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

 

 

Two points:

 

If Optimax was 98RON min OUT OF THE PUMPS then it would say so. Get shell to confirm that it is 98RON Min OUT OF THE PUMPS....

 

Secondly, Optimax has been around for what 3-4 years.....I dont remember many performance cars going pop due to dirty injectors due to POOR SUPERUNLEADED FUEL. Injector cleaners should be good enough to do the job once in a while...My personal opinion is that Optimax's cleansing properties are highly overated....

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Originally Posted by chiefvinso

Shell is 98 minimum

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

I can't understand why we're still debating it?

Hi Jake,

I got off my little bum and wrote to shell who wrote back saying that it was 98 ron

FFS

 

Dear Mr Chisholm,

:blahblah::blahblah::blahblah:

Optimax is 98 RON.

Kind Regards

Christina Parry

Customer Relations - Retail

Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited

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

OK OK, jeez I only asked! :p :D

 

 

Thanks guys.

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Nah, me and Ro are just messing about. Apologies for doing it in the Tech Section.

 

IT'S ALL RO'S FAULT - HE MADE ME DO IT

 

oh, yes.. i was jokin, honest...... :D lol Jake, you're not sayin you're my bitch are you?

 

back on topic though, is it only the unleaded pumps that have standards and EN numbers on them? do optimax ones not have any?

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Guest chiefvinso

OK, reading my jap mag last night and at the end of the day people are going to differ on what they think or know. A uk car is not going to see any performance (bhp) benefits from optimax. Shell have written to me and others and have stated that their product is 98 ron. I dont know about he tesco stuff as I havent tried it.

 

Be well and try what you like - btw I was at an bp ultimate garage and not one of their pumps had a ron rating on it.

 

IMO optimax does the business on a j spec car compared to super unleaded - my mr2 turbo ran much better on optimax and as stated here in the forum elsewhere each car is different.

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