Which Fuel?

[Guest]

With the way fuel prices are rising i am thinking of switching to 95 octane unleaded from optimax.
Any advice if this is good or not?

 

[LK_991GTS]

This depends on the model car in question.

What I do know is that mine is not as crisp / responsive with ordinary unleaded. It performs best with Optimax, I assume because the ignition has sufficient advance built-in to take advantage of the higher octane fuel.

 

[Guest]

I was buying cheap Super unleaded at Sainsburys, it was only a 1p more than standard. But then they put it at 89p. So I went back to normal

The MPG dropped from 23 down to 18/19 so I went back to super unleaded this time OPTIMAX at Shell and the MPG came back up. Go figure.

The girl in the station said it is a better fuel and she noticed a difference using it on her car, wonder if she has a staff discount.

Since then I have stayed with the Shell Opti and its about the cheapest hi octain around.

 

[kitchens]

I tend to use Optimax on track days..I used some this weekend a sort of xmas present to the car,but it was now 94p per ltr a lot more than I could rember it the last time I bought it ,I must say I avereged 24 on the run which combined A roads and a lot of B roads and my car is Tip .

Brian

 

[968CSReading]

I really notice the difference if I use standard unleaded but then my car is chipped so needs premium fuel to get the best results.

I use Optimax everytime. The only benefit is that they have upgraded my reward card so I can earn more airmiles as an optimax user.

 

[Melv]

DON'T USE SUPERMARKET FUEL!!

Rgds
Mel

 

[Guest]

Why do Porsche N. America state that the cars run on 91 (at the pump) Octane?
Porsche don't claim that they produce less power.
Or does the US count Octane in a different way?

Anyway, Esso energy supreme for me.

 

[Sundeep]

aye..

The US/Canada uses a different Octane rating system at the
gas pumps than most other countries.

They use the U.S. Cost of Living Council (CLC) index
which is the average of the Research Octane Number (RON) and
the Motor Octane Number (MON):


CLC = (RON + MON) / 2

RON = Research Octane number (ROZ in Germany)
MON = Motor Octane Number
CLC = U.S. Cost of Living Council

This translates to (roughly):

91 RON = 87 CLC (Regular)
95 RON = 91 CLC (Premium)

as to WHY !.. er that's why they are americans !

and IIRC you can't get higher octane stuff over there..(?)

 

[Andy Tims]

ORIGINAL: Melv

DON'T USE SUPERMARKET FUEL!!

Rgds
Mel

I wouldn't myself (well maybe in the wife's car) but lot's of people tell of tankers from supermarkets as well as Esso etc. being filled up at the docks from exactly the same tanks?

 

[Andy Tims]

Coincidentally RiDE magazine this month (February issue "" why do they all do that as an aside?) dyno tested 2 bikes with regular unleaded & then both Optimax & BP Ultimate to measure the power gains.

Fuel injected Suzuki GSX-R 600

95 Ron = 98.5bhp, Optimax = 100.4bhp (+1.9%) BP Ultimate = 100bhp (+ 1.5%)

Carbed Kawasaki ZX6-R

95 Ron = 101.8bhp, Optimax = 102.7bhp (+0.9%) BP Ultimate = 102.9bhp (+ 1.0%)

So on a purely power/£ basis, the more advanced fuels are well overpriced & circa 7% more than 95 Ron.

 

[Melv]

Supermarket fuel: it's all down to the additives, or lack of them.........

I've tried it occassionally on various petrol cars, and they never seem to perform. Used Sainsbury's when at Goodwood once, car did not like it!!!

There were instances of problems with engines running Jet in the past. Also from my own experience and old Frod Escort of mine would not tickover when cold on Jet, but fine on Esso.

My Kak certainly prefers 98 octane, and seems quieter too!! Fuel consumption marginally improved, but not enough to offset the additional cost!

Never used anything BUT Optimax in the Cup Car, so can't compare that.

A GT3RS on Optimax at G-Force rolling road a while ago gave a good 20bhp over standard. One car running Tesco's was well below par by around 20 brake, if my memory serves correctly!

That's more than enough evidence for me!!

Mel