I heard you all talking about this stuff yonks ago but it is relatively recent in Scotland. The leaflet waffles about two identical (looking like Vectras) cars with the Optimax fuelled one being 3 car lengths ahead in the same motorway overtaking manoeuvre. Is this tosh? As a cynical Scotsman it was painful to part with an extra £3 - £4 a tankful to try this stuff. I'm on my second tank but havent found a Z yet to test the 3 car lengths promise against!

I could understand the fast burn chemistry stuff in a formula 1 engine at 14000rpm but not in a road car at a lazy 3000. Is it about feeling good cos you're spending on intangibles?

Not yet convincd

well mine runs in safety boost on normal unleaded!

so it cant be bad?

Dunno about that stuff but don't worry about the extra £3-£4 per tank, you'll get more MPG from optimax anyway.

If I put £10 of Optimax in I'll get the same amount of miles as if I put in £10 of Super UL.

Bearing that in mind it's no more expensive, so why not use it?

 

Jay

 

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I promise Optimax is the dogs. Haven't time now to xplain, but it is like no other petrol. That car lengths thing is totally believable. It was designed for road cars. F1 fuel is different again.

 

Try it and work our your mpg. It also cleans injectors and keeps engine running better.

 

More power, mpg and cleaner engine. I work for Shell, I know what I'm talking about.

 

And I'm not on commission.

So this time no law suits with engines with burnt out exhaust valve seats - was that not Shell a few year back?

 

Found this http://www.autofinder.ie/news_art.htm?a=267

ut would like to see more science type proof.

Nothing new there then. I don't know what you're referring to about the valve seats. Past history is not a good predictor of future performance.

 

The only evidence you should need is EMPIRICAL - try it and see; or ask others who've tried it (may take a while in Scotland as you look after your pennies !).

 

Sounds like any theories /evidence you will doubt anyway. I am no expert, but have been told that the production of Optimax took the creation of a new distillation process and a lot of investment - it is only made near Chester in the NW. It was not easy and Shell are rightly proud of it. Lots of fuels are improved purely be additives, but Optimax is based on a better/different base fuel. That's why it's unique.

Yes - it was Shell and it affected Vauxhall Cavaliers. So, the story goes, the nice man at Vauxhall explained the situation to the nice man at Shell and given the options of a) having Vauxhall run an ad campaign telling all Vauxhall owners not to use Shell and b) tweaking their formulation - they chose b) and all was well.

 

When Kawasaki had problems with carb icing due to UK petrol formulation change and tried the same thing, they were politely invited to leave the building as they obviously didn't have as much clout as Vauxhall.

Nelson,

I'm ready to listen and be receptive to new methods and processes etc but also naturally sceptical about marketing people and their methods. In Scotland I understood that all fuel delivered comes from the BP refinery at Grangemouth. The different brands apparently add their different additives into the tanks or tankers. If as you say its a different refining process then Shell must incur special costs to deliver it around.

The marketing people simply push the brand and product differentiation route at people who over pay for goodies for their pride and joy and think nothing on a few quid extra for fuel. We Scots will happily pay as well so long as we get value for money. Look at the Royal Bank with Natwest!

Maybe I need to advance the timing to make use of the better octane rating cos I'm not convinced I am getting any more mpg.

Willie

willie

 

...Mines a na, so slightly different story, but used a tankfull of Optimax on a run down the A12, M25 then M3? to Southampton and back the other week and it returned just over 32mpg - so it's got my vote. Also car (engine) feels more sprightly and at high revs seems quieter.

 

cheerz

 

Jack

Jack

The best I ever got was 26 - on a long moway run without Optimax! I might be a Scotty but there aint no way I'm givin up me turbos! I'm doing a long run to Dublin the next few days so I'll scientifically test Optimax to see if I can beat 26 - unless I get heavy footed!

Willie

ALL, repeat, ALL Optimax comes from the Stanlow refinery in the Northwest. That's why it has taken a while for it to be available everywhere. Logistics, and demand outstripped supply for a while.

 

Other Shell fuel may be the same as other brands but with different additive treat rates.

 

The increased power and mpg and engine cleaning has been proven by many tests and vouched for by thousands of motorists, more and more each day. One day you may be one of those many thousands ! Unless you bury your head in the sand !

I must admit that, as a marketing suit, it irritates the bejasus out of me when someone says "this is so because I say so."

 

You're not allowed to do that, that's my job.

 

OTOH it does appear that Nelson may have a point. Stick Optimax Stanlow into google and you get

http://www.product-search.co.uk/pin-pub.com/features/autumn2000/antonpaar.shtml

http://www.barchetta.info/article.php?sid=27

http://www.newbeetle.org.uk/scripts/justbuggin/Forum1/HTML/002728.html

 

Despite the fact that the only info I can find on this brief search is probably generated by Shell's PR flacks, there seems to be some substance in the story. At least there is a knowledgeble debate some of which ends up on the net.

 

Personally speaking, good references tend to convince me more than someone saying "trust me, I'm a doctor".

 

Anyway, I still use Optimax 'cos I like it.

 

I just would really appreciate some independent science....

I use optimax.. okay yeah it does cost a fair bit more here in MK, but I've got a fuel card so nurrr nurrr!

 

What got me into it was the evo article about how it cleans all the crap off the valves and keeps the engine a cleaner.. didn't get much of a performance gain, but after a couple of weeks of regular use you can tell the difference.. smoother, quicker, generally just healthier..

 

I agree with Nix, I started using it about 6 weeks ago based on Nelson's post. I think it is excellent. Had to put half a tank of ordinary in two weeks ago and you could really tell. Lucky for me all the Shell stations in Ipswich sell it.

 

Still haven't got all 18 top trump cards though

It p*sses me off hugely on the Isle of Wight there is only one Shell station and they are up some old bumpy lane and when I asked them if they sold optimax they asked if that was some sort of tampon!

 

I HAVE to run my car on Super Unleaded or it explodes it is that simple and there is only ONE service station that sells super!!

 

If they stop selling it ill have to sell my car FFS...

 

IW

 

 

 

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->Glen

-

Skyline GT-R

'You dont so much drive this car -

as hang on for dear life..'

J.Clarkson