Optimax no good?

Hey guys,
I work at a Nissan dealership and was just talking to our service guys as I was booking my R32 GTS-t in for a 80,000 klm service. I wanted to get an injector flush and one of them said that I didn't need it so I replied is that cause I use Optimax? and he said not to use it! Use Mobil Synergy, BP Ultimate or Caltex Vortex instead as they have had many problems with cars pinging especially Maxima's. He actually said to me that they are advising some customers not to use it, as it seems that Shell and Nissan don't mix. I can't say however that I've had a problem with Optimax though but might give one of the others a try.
Just thought some of you might have found this interesting. Just posted this on Skylinesdownunder forums.

I have used Shell Optimax, Mobil Synergy and Caltex Vortex on both my GTR and Lexus. The Optimax makes my GTR sounds really coarse somehow or other. The Vortex makes my Lexus glides like a snake without any sound whatever! On my GTR however, the Synergy is the best - the engine is quieter and really smooth. Slap in 5-6 litres of Toulene for every tankful of Synergy and the GTR just flies off!:D After discovering Synergy, I never use Optimax again!

Azhar are you sure we have Optimax here? I thought what we have is Sylkron and V-Pwr??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

I'm thinking of switching to BP since the Vpwr is causing some problems I guess on my 26. I've used BP on the 20 and never had any problems.

YCEE, OPtimax is Shell's premium unleaded 97 RON over here. Regardless of all the hype about V Power, I think the Optimax is better for the GTR. V Power makes my car really coarse sounding. On the other side of the coin is the claim by one of the staff at Speedwork that a GTR they dynoed had an increase of between 5-10 hp when V Power is used. I dunno whether that's correct! I don't feel my car was running smoothly when I use V Power. But the Synergy works well on my car.

I've tried the Shell Premium on my RB20 and somehow I think it is sh*t. I've also try to put the Vpwr on my RAV4 and I found it makes no difference with BP 97. Not too sure about the Vpwr will make more hp???

BTW the toulene you mentioned is it an octane booster and where can you get it?

Hey YCEE, how's the GTR doing? I heard you went to GarageR sometime ago! (news travel fast as they say!)
Yeah...I know what you mean? I think the guys at Speedwork were halucinating!
Toulene improves the octane rating and yes, it is a cheap octane booster. I get my regular supply from Aerotech. Put in about 10% of it in the tank. Cost about 2 bucks per litre. It's a bit inconvenient though...have to buy a tong and a pump. My wife thinks I am completely bonkers everytime I carried the tong and fill the tank with the stuff....pump and all!!
Another cheap option is the STP octane booster.....about 15 bucks a bottle and one bottle treats 60 litres of fuel. More convenient but difficult to get though!
Both the toulene and the STP works well on the road for "spirited driving". Using the STP, consumption also improves by about 1 km per litre! Try it!
When are we going to go to the track together?

Isn't it funny how some of these fuels work well in some cars and crap in others.

I drive an integra....and find from my experience trying all these fuels the Caltex Vortex makes the car noisy, and doesn't do much, the BP ultimate runs ok, but drinks too much and I don't get the mileage out of the tank. The best for my car are the Optimax or Synergy...both are pretty much the same, except the Optimax seems a little smoother. It does ofcourse depend on which station I pour at and how they mix it.

Hi everyone by the way...thought I'd venture over to this forum and have a look :)

Azhar, GarageR is making me really 'miskin', I'm planning ahead too much of upgrading my GTR, damn! Anyway I'm travelling down to S'pore again after Chinese New Year. I'd like to go the track but I have no time as I have to work on weekends and public holidays also. Anyway please keep me informed of any track days.

Will try to look for the STP booster to see how it works.

It really is amazing how the fuel suit one car and not another car! I am totallr amazed at the different result we all seem to have from the fuel depending on the car we drive (and probably also thye kiosk that we go to!).
YCEE, I will tell you the next time I am going! I know what you mean, when I was at GarageR, I was like a kid in a candy store! And I promptly max my credit cards!:D :eek: Now I( alos have to work really hard to pay off the debt!:mad: But everytime I sit in my GTR, start the engine, hear the cams and the exhaust note, IT'S ALL WORTH IT MAN! Could you tell me before you go there next please. If it's not too much of a trouble, I may want to buy a GT wing!:D

Hey BTW how long did it take you to tune-up your car in GarageR? How much do you have to pay for the VEP ( I wonder ) or you have some other ways to get through eh?

Hey YCEE, gong xi fa chai (that's Happy Chinese New Year in English!).

It took about a month to mod the car. I can't really remember how much the VEP was per day but I shared the cost with Garage R on a 50-50 basis.

I have been using Optimax for a while now. The only real difference between it and other fuels available in the UK is that it has lower sulphur and thus attracts tax advantages making it talmost the same price as standard 95RON unleaded. (oh and of course it is the only 98RON fuel available here)

My car is running approx 450bhp and runs better on Optimax than standard 97RON.

..Madman

Okay, this may sound really lame, but I am going to put a RB26DETT into my 240SX. What fuel should I put in it. I am over here in the automotive armpit of the world. USA spec cars are crap. I need some help.

The best fuel you can buy!

It is also dependant on the ECU and temperature you run the car in.

I.e. the ECU on a standard UK GTR will run on 95 RON. It runs much better on 97 or 98 RON but will run on only 95.

If you wind up the boost and run the car at say 320bhp then 95 RON will only really work on very cold days otherwise you may notice slight pnking. (Thus it really isnt wise to run it at all).

In my case, 97RON which was previously the best available in the UK works fine on an almost 450bhp car.But 98RON (i.e.Optimax) does make a slight difference. Not to noticeable when driving, but the stopwatch shows it up on my 60-100mph times.

So to repeat.....

The best fuel you can buy is what you should feed An RB26DETT.

Okay, over here in the USA we have 87, 89, and 92 octane fuels...What is RON? Is that the term for the octane measurement in the UK?

RON is used all around the world, but usualy most ppl just use Octane.
RON stands for Research Octane Number and is determined in a single cylinder variable compression ratio engine that operates at 600 rpm with a 125 degree inlet air temperature at standard barometric pressure. Spark advance is fixed at 13 degrees btdc.

RON is an abbreviation for Research Octane Number.

Same as octane rating. Except octane rating is not really what it is. But I'me sure you don't want boring with all that..

ok. well just a small bit or boardem ..

A fuel's "octane" rating is found by comparing it's knock characteristics with various mixtures of n-heptane and Isooctane. For example, a "octane" rating of 92 means that the fuel being tested, under standard conditions and running in a sta ndard engine, performs the same as a mixture that is 92 parts Isooctane, and eight parts n-heptane. Numbers higher than 100 simply specify the potential to perform better that pure Isooctane.

:devil:

P.S. I stole that above bit. I am not sad enough to be able to memorise and recite such uninteresting material.

Oh, i forgot to say..

Surely you can get higher than 92Octane fuel?

Even the worst UK fuel is better than that.

Originally posted by madman

P.S. I stole that above bit. I am not sad enough to be able to memorise and recite such uninteresting material.

:finger: Ya Bastid :(

J/k :D :D

Sorry my good friends. Where I live in Washington state. Seattle area. The highest octane level fuel we have is 92...that's it. Taking in the pooper for uncle sam. We fight in the Middle East for petroleum and all we get is the global left overs of fuel from what everyone else doesn't want.

Originally posted by KingNismo
Sorry my good friends. Where I live in Washington state. Seattle area. The highest octane level fuel we have is 92...that's it. Taking in the pooper for uncle sam. We fight in the Middle East for petroleum and all we get is the global left overs of fuel from what everyone else doesn't want.

Wow, I beleave 97ron is premium down here in Ky. There is also a gas station with a pump for 110ron racing fuel, it's locked and you have to go inside and get a key for it.

:mad: I found a Castrol Octane boost which can give as much as 8 more to your octane, but it's $14.99!! Which means everytime I fuel up with 92 buy the boost...$30.00+ for gas...every two weeks!