I’m running 18 degrees advance with no problems whatsoever and using normal 95 octane fuel. Makes the car a lot more lively at the bottom end, where I can use it most. Has a Racing beat Induction kit, four branch s/s manifold and a decat pipe. Pulls like a train and induces huge grins every time I press the loud pedal :-) (That’s on the '89 Roadster - and it’s been running 18 for several years - like 5 maybe?)
Time for me to buy a new CAS O-ring and dig out the timing light, I reckon!
Mine is at 14 but my mechanic said easy to take to 16 as long I ran it on the super stuff. Said not to use supermarket super though.
Just get ready to back it off if your car doesn’t like it. Some do, some don’t.
Mine was fine - another done at the same time had to be backed off to 16, then 14.
I Ran my Suffolk punch 43 petrol lawn mower on optimax for years
The damn thing flys around the garden like theres no tomorrow and cuts the grass even shorter than on regular 95 ron.
I’m a big fan…
Didnt seem to do much in the '5 though
Inspired by the ongoing debate, I switched back to 95RON for a £20 fill-up this week and tried to stay open minded. Never again! My poor Elphie may not have a knock sensor but she’s limping along like a wounded gazelle and sounding awful. Well, not that bad, but a marked difference. I will say it again - there may be no scientific rationale, but my car works significantly better on 97-98. Smoother, happier, and exhaust sounds better.
I spoke to the chemist at work about this sometime ago and he just casually remarked " If you’re gonna spend millions developing a fuel for Ferrari to win the F1 championship then you have to hype it up so joe public will buy it so you can get your money back"
He had a couple of tips
1: Buy fuel of the correct octane rating, supermarket fuel can vary a bit within the standard octane limits, but it stiil meets the specs
2: Have a run on the motorway occasionally to get the cat nice and hot.
3: Service car regularly
4: Re MX5 don’t be afraid to drive it hard, " If you want to drive like a Wuss buy a 1ltr diesel"
So that was me well and truly told[:$] Smart Arse[8-|]
Is there another way to drive the MX5?? If there is prey tell.
Why all the beating of supermarket fuel, it its supplied by major producers. Ibeen told that it hasnt got the additivies but that was mainly by petrol marketing people.
Thats beacuse your 5 was run on optimax only for a solid year, so any cleaning benefit would have already been realised.
After that its if you determine that the higher octane does anything. I still say to people that a tank of optimax once in a while is better at cleaning that the normal fuel tank additives. Any other gain im not so sure of.
lol a “Suffolk Punch”
thats my favorite horse of all time…
i want one!
I think Fifth Gear did a test of this fuel on the latest series.if I remember rightly they got a difference on something like Suburu Imp.Re Redex I tried this on an a mid-life engine a number of years ago,result, a few months later all the piston rings broke up and fell out.I wouldnt recomend it.
Ther car will require re-tuning and maybe remapping and will then run like crap on all other fuel !! my son’s Evo can ONLY run on optimax other wise the performance goes right down but we run MX’s !! it’s a bit different than high performance cars squeezing the last bit of power out ,advance the ignition timing ,throw away the cat get a decent air filter and leave it at that
I was working at Shell when Optimax was introduced (have not seen it in this area for over a year) and it was a real problem with carby cars (Torana) because of the increased density and no ecu’s.
Still use Shell in my 5 and always have, bar emergencies. Also use an injector cleaner at service time because it does work. Even using top fuels my 5 does need an additional clean out at times.
Optimax was replaced with the 99 octane ‘Shell V-Power’ over a year ago I can’t remember the last time I saw a Shell garage selling ‘Optimax’. I’ve used ‘Optimax’ and now ‘V-Power’ for many years in my older cars where the higher octane is needed and also in my Jap import Subaru as that needs 102 octane so have to use a octane booster aswell. I’ve yet to run my Roadster on it as its ignition timing isn’t that far advanced, but I may try a couple of tank loads just to see if it make the engine feel smoother through the rev range. But I must say, using it in cars where it is needed I think it is very good fuel, my Sunbeam Lotus and Avenger Tiger love it[:)]
hi
i run a 1973 mustang 351c (5.7ltr) and it pinks like no other engine i have had l, banging iike a hammer on the hood
tried all the timeing issues but tesco 99octain and or an octain boost works for me
all the noise goes
but don’t use in the 5
best doug