Am I Going Mad? Unleaded Quicker Than Optimax?

[Yarisboy]

ran down the tank to nearly empty today in my yari', it had previously been filled to the brim with optimax and i was frightened of running out of fuel it was that low..

so i did the rational thing that any other normal person would, I pulled in at safeway to put 20 quids of safeways unleaded in the tank, i was a little upset because this is the first time in 6 months that anything other than super unleaded or optimax had settled in the tank so i was expecting a big drop in throttle response etc.. :(

to my supprise on a rag home just now.. i can honestly say that it feels like it accelerates harder than when it had optimax or super, i'm not quite sure how this strange phenomena happened, and maybe i'm dreaming it up.. but it genuinely feels better to drive on normal plain unleaded than it does with optimax/super.

can anyone explain this? perhaps it's something to do with a 'new type' of fuel being used for the first time in ages?... help! :o

[Jamesb4uk]

ive noticed that to when using tesco stuff.... both of my cars seem to run better on their unleaded then anyone elses..

havent tried optimax yet so cant compair. but thought id share that useless bit of info

J

[Karma Supra]

Your not mad at all..... I've been saying for a while now.. optimax is total w**k!!!!!!!

try what you just tried, with wynns octane booster... then look someone straight in the eye and say "optimax is good"

clever advertising and collaboration with ferrari (oooooooohhhhhhh sh*t me lmao) has created an urban myth that optimax is actually good????.. oh, I think max power said it was good too

Edited by Steve for Profanity

Edited November 29, 2003 by Steve

[Yarisboy]

Karma, not sure why m8 but i'm getting the impresion you've had a few beers tonight? you seemed a little 'irregular' with that post

cant talk though i've been on the red wine

anyway, there must be some explanation as to why the unleaded is working 'better' than super unleaded?

[nws25]

To be honest, and no disrespect to you or your car, but your really wasting you money putting Optimax or Super unleaded in your Yaris IMHO, it was designed for 95 octane and I cant really see any need for anything else.

I never use any supermarket fuels (except in me truck) as i always get 30-40 miles less out of a tank.

And Charlie always rambles, but even worse if he's been on the sherry :D

[Karma Supra]

yeah mate sorry been on the esso again :P

:o eeeeeeeeeeeep I never been edited for profanity before!!!!! I'll endevour not to mention max power ever again ;)

[Karma Supra]

And Charlie always rambles, but even worse if he's been on the sherry :D

I just saw that!!!!!!!!!!!

cheeky bugger :P

[ZeroBlade]

I'm tempted to say ur MAD... ;)

I understand where your coming from karma (bout the ferarri advertising etc) but i HAVE noticed a marked improvement in optimax compared to normal/super unleaded, everytime i've used it in my car...

-Z

[Karma Supra]

Do you have any recorded improvements? rolling roads/ 1/4 mile times, mpg... of does it just "feel" better?????

(I'll put my hands up, -Iused to swear by it!!! -then I get in my mates evo 5 with a det sensor... saw it before and after optimax.. it opened my eyes so I started comparing them more....)

just curious :)

[Yarisboy]

the last time i went from unleaded to super/optimax it was very noticable ... the difference it made to how the car acclerates.

it's just strange to see it working the other way round now

[Leeky]

I guess its what the car is tuned for, all uk toyota's are tuned for normal 95 ron.

Get a jap import and they are all tuned for 100ron.

I find that my car doesnt like 95ron (jap st205), super is ok but optimax really makes it feel right.

I think it all depends where you get your optimax from, i know Shell were a little sly when it first came out and were selling super 97ron as optimax when they didnt have the optimax in the pumps.

I've noticed the optimax is better from some stations than others which is really weird.

So i'll defend optimax, but i think that BP's Ultimate is a big pile of monkey poo.

That fuel really sucks :P

[DazH]

It's funny someone else should mention this cos I've been alternating fill ups weekly between Optimax and Esso premium? (thinks it's called that). I must admit sometimes the car does seem better on the Esso, I thought it was my imagination

[jaxx]

well i swear by the stuff

and ive used asda stuff and it makes the car run like a sack of tatties

:(

[phil3345]

After using optimax for the last 4 months (only optimax)

Hve just put in normal unleaded. Cant see or feel any difference.Will try the normal stuff for a few more tanks and then try changing back

[Karma Supra]

other day I had to use regular superplus instead of superplus +octane booster....seemed OK.. nothing amazingly different.....

today I did my usual and clear my local shop out of wynns booster (saves loads of little trips lol) filled up with esso super, adna dhot opf that.. wow.. really felt stronger!!!! not popping so much on overrun now either :P

[Bibbs]

I tried using supermarket super .. and the car hessitated and didn't pull as hard .. problem was I put a tenner in and cause it was so cheap it filled half the tank !!

Back to being fleeced for Optimax :(

(P.S. Almost drove through Henley tonight Karma .. but then I though - nah go the M4)

[Karma Supra]

well if you ver see my driving about beep and flash.....

Hopefully I'll see it as a freidly hello beep and get all defensive :P

apparently that reading meet is on the 9th :)

[srd]

yeah i agree with karma on this one,once again it's the urban myth of brand names being the absolute best you can get.utter rubbish <_<

dont get me wrong,some branded products are the best you can get,but the majority are just cleverly advertised to extract the maximum amount of your hard earned cash,while your left with a not so great product thinking to yourself, "it's really expensive,it must be good" :(

there is nothing at all wrong with unleaded petrol,it does it's job just fine but the problem with the net is people know that a company is bringing out a new petrol with a secret ingredient X in it,next thing you know someone says it's rocket fuel,and when it finaly comes out after months of waiting everyone is convinced that its the greatest thing ever

dont,i said dont believe the hype....................

[Karma Supra]

I really had my hopes up on the new BP fuel, as it was going to be 100 RON. sod branding but RON should in theory be a good guide (unlike optimax where thar addetive raise the figure without the effect) qould have been good news for us import boys and girls...

But it turns out its no better then all the others.. just has magical cleaning ingrediants in it *sarcastic cackle*

tried and trusted 98 super with booster it is then.. *disapointed sigh*

[Supra Andy NW UK]

The difference in performance obtained by using higher octane fuel is percentages, so 2% on a 100bhp car 2bhp! - noticable NOT!

Optimax IS a higher octane fuel - Tested and advertised by 2RON over standard, and this has two main benefits

1. car running a fixed map (FUEL / IGNITION) would benifit from lower componant tempratures, better combustion, less likelyhood of detonation and so failure!

2. A mappable car - The higher octane allows greater advancement in timing (more power and response) - In my own supra which runs 2 maps - Optimax and Optimax with 2RON octane booster added, the increased advancement with greated RON rating created another 13 bhp and 10lbs of torque

So i would say if you are running a sub 150bhp motor with fixed map, the benefit is in less wear and tear on internal components and less chance of failure in the same components - not noticable increased performance!

[GIDDLEPIN]

I filled up with optimax once and noticed the only difference immediatley.

It costs more money!!!!

[Calisto]

:P

[knightrider]

never bothered with the stuff, id rather save the cash an buy a turbo!

[Blue84]

Mine is fed BP Ultimate and I notice better acceleration - I know I only have a 1.0L but it feels more forceful and responsive. I know some people might not agree but my Yaris likes it :)

[starletsy]

Karma, how much do you pay for your octane booster? round here optimax is cheapest out of everything above 95 RON.