How Do You Rate Optimax Extreme?

[stuartlaw_78]

Hi all...

I was wondering how many of you have tried using the Shell Optimax Extreme fuel??

I put it in the other day and I have to say I don't like it at all...

My car seems a bit slugish in the higher rev range.

I've been told that this fuel is a denser fuel and one of my friends had the same problem with his problem....

What are your thoughts?? Yay or Nay?

[Silverback]

I have tried the Shell Extreme and dont like it. My car (XR6 Turbo) runs rough, doesnt idle properly and with no noticable difference in performance.

Remember only about a year or two ago there was uproar around service stations selling fuel with ethanol. Cars were not running properly, there was a lot of press about it. Well this is the same thing with our Government trying to promote it as a 'clean' and renewable fuel and Shell's spin doctors doing a great marketing job by selling it as a high performance fuel and charging a premium for it!.

Suffice to say my car runs much better on Optimax and I wont be using Extreme again. Scale of 1-10, I would say 4.

Anyone else had the same issue with rough idle?

Edited January 31, 2006 by Silverback

[stuartlaw_78]

Thats interesting mate... I'm not going to use it again, I'm quite happy using the BP ultimate and the Mobil synergy fuel... Those fuels are great and I seem to have a smoother engine with those fuels!

Good to know....

So, anyone else experienced this?? It's so damn expensive as well! I wonder if the ethanol is bad for our engines???

[Guest Mashrock]

tuning the car is the key.

but at what cost are they charging for this fuel?

i thought this was here as a low cost alternative..

considering 10% is made up of a natural plant product that we seem to have an abundance of

[stuartlaw_78]

All I know is that it consists of 5% ethanol and has a 100 RON rating. I paid 140.9 p/ltr the other day!!

What you mean it comes down to tuning mate? If I can use bp ultimate 98 and get a better run out of it, why would I use the extreme and tune my car to it? Is that what your getting at?

[cerci]

im not gonna start to use it at all

my car has been tuned on mobil syngey so i will use 98ron fuels

[scathing]

I've run 1 tank through it. I noticed the car did feel stronger through the rev range, so if I know I'm going to do some quick driving I might use the fuel.

However, with the various unknowns when it comes to pre 2004 Australian delivered Nissans and ethanol-blended fuels (reservations I've previously expressed and won't get into again) I won't be doing it as a regular thing.

[IOWNU]

All I know is that it consists of 5% ethanol and has a 100 RON rating. I paid 140.9 p/ltr the other day!!

What you mean it comes down to tuning mate? If I can use bp ultimate 98 and get a better run out of it, why would I use the extreme and tune my car to it? Is that what your getting at?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think he means that if a car is properly tuned for 100RON fuel you SHOULD see improvement from the 90RON fuel.

I wouldn't use it unless your car is tuned for it.

However, people that have tuned their cars for it have had significant gains.

[RBFIRE]

I tried a full tank of it once,

and its not as nice as SHELL ULTIMAX,

Only Ultimax Forever

ps.

I only go to 1 particular shell station, when ever i can.

that is how picky i am on fuel.

[someonestolecc]

I tried a full tank of it once,

and its not as nice as SHELL ULTIMAX,

Only Ultimax Forever

ps.

I only go to 1 particular shell station, when ever i can.

that is how picky i am on fuel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can't be that picky if you remember it as a portmanteau and don't know what it's called

[Count Grantleyish]

Hey,

I found Shell Extreme isn't good fuel as I feel more laggier (RB30ET) with these fuels compared to Optimax, Mobil Syngrey 8000 and BP Ultimate.

So i won't use it again as it's 12 or 13 cents a litre dearer than regular unleaded so not worth to pay 2-3c a litre extra for these if it cause more lag...

Thats what i found out after using these fuels. After all it's my 2c

Cheers

Grant

[fresh]

meh little less pinging then on ultimate but didn't notice any improvement, seemed happier when boosting in 40 deg heat

[djr81]

There was a write up in either Zoom or HPI about the fuel in the last few issues. From what I can remember there is a difference in the density of the fuel, ie the ethanol blend sg is lower. For this reason alone I would be careful in using the stuff as it may change your AFR's to the extent of damaging your motor.

Having said that - the ethanol is a very useful additive. It raises the octane number of the fuel & adds oxugen to it. Hence (as the article showed) when properly tuned for this fuel you can get a useful gain in hp.

Bottom line - like most things in life - used properly it is a good thing.

[paulr33]

powerfc uses can easily benefit from it by simple doing IGN and INJ correction, more fuel and more IGN timing should make it run quiet well.

*should* i will try and it out one day and see if it goes boom or not

[Bass Junky]

Mine went fine

My car is tuned at 12:1 flat.

With the 100 ron stuff, the tune would go back to about 12.2 to 12.3:1 which is perfectly fine.

I put it in, went to Calder, added 4 degrees and some boost and ran a 112 mph .

My car was perfectly happy.

[d-d]

Haven't tried it yet...

But by the sounds of things, ill stay clear as the car isnt tuned for this fuel yet.

-Dave

[silva33]

Ive used it a few time, on very hot days my knock was only 10 and at night with the cooler air i noticed an improvement with performance... Fuel consumption was better as well, im now winding more boost into her so ill be tuning it on 98 but then using 100 octane as a safety net...

[Guest Mashrock]

All I know is that it consists of 5% ethanol and has a 100 RON rating. I paid 140.9 p/ltr the other day!!

What you mean it comes down to tuning mate? If I can use bp ultimate 98 and get a better run out of it, why would I use the extreme and tune my car to it? Is that what your getting at?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what i mean is your car is tuned for 98. or whatever.

even with a self learning computer i'd think it would take alot of driving for it to learn the new may..

i beleive alot of ignition timing has to be played with..

and that stated here somewhere in zoon or hpi they used a power fc and found pretty large gains in using the fuel..

so once again..

it comes down to tuning the car..

[BHDave]

zoom ran the boost 98 10% ethanol blend (i think it's from united), not shell 100.

I have a united about 1 minute down the road and they sell it. I have been thinking about running a tank through and seeing what happens, maybe even use it on my next tune when i get cams in (though i'll talk to the tuner first)

[CGB_R32]

a fellow nissan driver has done a write up about it's effects on his s15. Great information for any queries anyone might have.

http://www.waspperformance.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=212

Peace

Mykal