Optimax eats plastic?

[Pug307]

A guy on aus.cars says that he's just spent $600 fixing up his Commodore because Optimax was eating parts of his car up.

Message 1: I recently spent over $600 on getting my fuel pick up and sender replaced in the tank of my Commodore.

The first question the guy at Holden service asked me was - Did I use Optimax ? I have used this stuff since day one in my VT SS - ever since it became available locally. Anyway - he wouldn't say much more apart from saying they have had a few cars with similar problems. He advised me to use BP or Mobil as it was the same type of high density fuel, but did not have
the additives that attacked plastics.

For 12 months I had significant problems with my motorcycle fouling plugs (ZZR-1100). I had tried everything and spent over $1000 is service/tune up
and checks. Finally - a Kawasaki dealer pulled me aside and asked the same question about Optimax. It seems that the fuel is too dense for use in Carby motorcycles, and even some injected motorcycles. A swap to the non high density stuff fixed the problem immediately !

Anyone else had problems with Optimax ?

Message 2: plenty of people, bikes espcially. Sometime last year I went for a ride with a few mates on big bore 2 stroke trailbikes, in 50km's of riding the 2 of them went through 5 plugs, all fixed once I got them off optimax...

So, what do you think?

 

[rick_b]

Sounds like GMH may have a case to answer if they have failed to issue any warnings against using such a product! The some could be said of the oil company suppling said product!

 

[Simon]

Could also be a disgruntled BP or Mobil rep trying to spread the bad word on the opposition. Things like this I like to see first hand evidence. Reading it on the net is like 1950's America, where seatbelts were only fitted to dangerous cars!

 

[Rod Hagen]

Any petrol will eat some types of plastic. I'll never forget a mate of mine who had a plastic boat that he used to use on Sydney harbour. Went through a fuel spill once and it disolved right under him!

I haven't had any problem at all with Optimax, and I've been using it from just about day one as well, (but I've had hideous reults from Mobil on one occasion in the past - before they installed their new processes).

Cheers

Rod

 

[ipb205]

>For 12 months I had significant problems with my motorcycle fouling plugs (ZZR-1100). I had >tried everything and spent over $1000 is service/tune up
>and checks. Finally - a Kawasaki dealer pulled me aside and asked the same question about >Optimax. It seems that the fuel is too dense for use in Carby motorcycles, and even some >injected motorcycles. A swap to the non high density stuff fixed the problem immediately !

>Anyone else had problems with Optimax ?

When I picked up my new CBR600 6 months ago, they (Action MC's) said the same thing - don't use Optimax on the carby MC engines - it's too dense. Better off using plain 92 RON(?) unleaded or if you must - the Caltex Vortex or another brand.

ipb

 

[James]

All I know is that this new High RON Unleaded fuel is very nasty on cars that are normaly used to high octane leaded fuels. There are extensive discussions reguarding these 'new fuels' on this forum, everything from melting rubber bits to valve seats degrading because of the toxic shit...
I have a 11 to 1 comp in my xu9j2 405 engine and nothing but 5 to 10 litres of AV gas per tank makes it work (lovely smell to...) the safest bet I found was running low RON gas with a bit of AV, the high RON unleaded gases will melt rubber etc.... Well good luck eek!