Continued lack of 98 octane at the bowser

[bdave351]

Gday,

As has been mentioned previously, there is a serious lack of 98 octane at all my local (Southern Sydney) servos.

Caltex is the only one to still have a supply, Shell, BP etc have been out for over a month and no one seems to know anything when I ask at the servos.

I remember reading around that there was a problem with a part at the refinery, but a MONTH???

Anyone able to shed any light on the situation as having to drive out of the way to the one caltex sucks, and I want to go on a long cruise on the weekend....but am nervous about not being able to get fuel.

** Just a random though, anyone know if there is any 100 octane in stock anywhere in Sydney ? Sure the turbo would love it despite its 98 tune **

[Ruger]

i second this - been very hard to find 98 octane lately. one of the local bp's had it last time i checked but everywhere else has been thin on the ground.

[Ives]

third this... V-Power out... BP Ultimate out..... i filled up with Vortex98 for the past 2-3 weeks.

[tigwelder]

Caltex for me too. Been travelling from south coast NSW up to Newcastle in the north and Shell, BP, Mobil all empty. Thought at first when it wasn't available on Monday and Tuesday that they were holding back and not wanting to discount 98 on the cheaper days of the week, But it has gone on too long now and i also would like to know what the petrol gods are up to.
Cheers,

GG

[jornsmith]

plenty of fuel up my way on the far north coast.
must me a prob in the refineries down your way as they probrably source from brisbane way up here :

[Taxman]

I have had no trouble getting 98 in Engadine from either BP (2). They have had problems with 95. I had to go to Melbourne & back in the last week - had no trouble filling up with 98 in either direction

[DBourne]

im gettin bp ultimate fine between alexandria and west ryde

[Lukeyson]

no V power around Coffs Harbour area for over a month, no prob getting BP Ultimate, they are the only 2 98RON fuels we get here, so i hope BP dont run out ! Shell even ran out of std ULP for a few days here.

Was gonna write an email to shell/coles express saying i have a buttload of these ghey 4c dockets of theirs, but cant use them to save my $1.50 for a full tank *if i am lucky* and they are running out of date

[bdave351]

Hmm very interesting taxman, Im going to have to check out the new BP opened down near CV during the week in case they have 98 now. Surely they couldnt have it at Engadine and not there.

But shell was still out this arvo.

[Electric]

No shell here in Canberra so Have been using BP ultimate 98....

Have noticed car go's much harder than it did on the Shell rubbish.

The first 80,000ks were on Caltex vortex 98, the company changed fuel card to shell and the Typhoon has not been happy since. The last 5,000ks have been on Vpower rubbish. For the last month its been drinking BP it spins the wheels in 1st and 2nd again.

Perhaps the refinery has been on the way out for a while. :

[Ives]

Originally Posted by Electric

The last 5,000ks have been on Vpower rubbish.

Why did it take you 5000kms to realize that V-Power is rubbish for the F6.

[mik]

how do they run on the octane booster 104? would that be a viable alternative?

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Electric

No shell here in Canberra so Have been using BP ultimate 98....

Have noticed car go's much harder than it did on the Shell rubbish.

The first 80,000ks were on Caltex vortex 98, the company changed fuel card to shell and the Typhoon has not been happy since. The last 5,000ks have been on Vpower rubbish. For the last month its been drinking BP it spins the wheels in 1st and 2nd again.

Perhaps the refinery has been on the way out for a while. :

Whilst not the same type of car, mine goes better on Ultimate and gets more economy than it ever did on Optimax. Only problem I have found is that supply is pretty inconsistent with Ultimate sometimes.

[AWD Chaser]

No 98 here at the Woolies (just noticed today) in Wagga... Caltex as well I asume (in town that is)

[AusM]

:

Originally Posted by Electric

Have noticed car go's much harder than it did on the Shell rubbish.Perhaps the refinery has been on the way out for a while.

For a while, try years! Optimax (Opticrap) got rebranded to Vpower (Vpoo) but with no benefit that I've noticed. Plenty of drivers steered clear of it after what was reported as a 'bad batch' around Nov 2005 I think, which caused severe pinging and engine damage to cars across the country. Shell confirmed a 'conditioner' problem or some such, but no apology and no compensation...

From 'Shell Technical Advice Team': "When dyno testing, particularly with modified vehicles that are tuned to the limit of detonation for the maximum performance, you will find that Motor Octane number (MON) is probably more important than Research Octane Number (RON)... MON ratings are taken at higher inlet air temperatures and higher RPM than RON ratings, and therefore are more indicative of high performance running."

Another source quotes the difference of RON-MON as being important:
"In the early 1970s automobiles running on high-speed roads, such as the German Autobahn, started destroying themselves from high-speed knock. It was found that the difference in ratings between the research and motor method, known as the fuel's sensitivity was important as well. The greater the fuel's sensitivity, the worse it performed from a knock point of view in demanding, real-world, applications"

Of the three 98RONs tested, BP Ultimate rated the highest at 88MON, closely followed by the Mobil 8000 at 87, then Shell Opticrap at 85. I don't have the MON of Aus VPoo, but in the UK they have 97 & 99RON which both have 86MON, so I guess ours would be similar - and still making it the worst performing of the three, hence giving Shell the most 'sensitivity' and likelihood of knock under hard driving...

But besides all that, as Electric noted, you can tell. Forget the specs, you really can notice the difference...

Some light reading...
Google Books: http://tinyurl.com/2mmr3r
VPower specs: http://tinyurl.com/2nofhm

[asusdragon]

thats really weird i only use BP and for the last two weeks i cant get premuim so have been using ultimate which is 5c more i know not much really but i dont really get any more out of it over premuim that is pretty annoy seeing at the difference has gone up a lot in recent months

[Ives]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

Some light reading...
Google Books: http://tinyurl.com/2mmr3r
VPower specs: http://tinyurl.com/2nofhm

That V-Power article... I dont think it's for the ones sold in Australia? Because V-Power is slightly different across the world. In Australia, Shell market the V-Power to have 98RON, in UK (on that article) 99RON, in Germany 100RON (not equivalent to Australia's V-Power Racing).

I think the V-Powers, BP Ultimates, Vortexes around the world are slightly different in character.

But anyways, I dont have problem with V-Power nor Optimax and Shell fuel is what I use most of the time (mum shops at coles).

[dave289]

Last weekend,i went to the bp sevo in Sydney where i usually fill my 67 xr v8.I only usually drive it on weekends and this servo has never had a problem supplying fuel of any grade.I pulled up and added my lead substitute/octane booster in the old beast that would be enough for fifty liters of fuel.I then noticed that there was no 98 octane fuel left and thought i'll put the 95, then I relise there is no 95 left either.Because i had already added my lead substitute/octane booster on a near empty tank,I thought it might not be a good idea to drive with this amount of the stuff in a near empty tank to find good fuel so i ended up putting the 91 octane in my beast.not long after leaving the servo i noticed my car pinging like crazy to the point i had to stop get out and manually adjust the timing of my car to stop the pinging.I would never run this stuff in my old car again.At least in a modern car the computer will adjust the timing for you to avoid this happening.Bring back the goodstuff i say.

[vanman_75]

my wife works at a servo they have trouble selling it . all diesel up this way .

[AusM]

Originally Posted by Ives

That V-Power article... I dont think it's for the ones sold in Australia?

Correct, that's UK specs.

in the UK they have 97 & 99RON which both have 86MON, so I guess ours would be similar

Shell Australia no longer put the MON on their tech data sheets, I wonder why!
Vpoo data sheet 1.5MB pdf:
http://tinyurl.com/ylx9s5

[XR6_661]

Plenty of BP ultimate up here! Filled up with it last night.

Not sure about V-power or Vortex98....

[BlackLS]

BP Ultimate avaliable in Eagle Vale NSW

[bdave351]

Went up to Hurstville shell last night to fill up for the cruise today. No 98 there (still) but they had the 100 octane V Power racing fuel.

Was a massive 30c p/l more than standard (1.65l compared to 1.35l) ......but it was worth it. Really felt like it picked up today despite the heat.

At that price though I would only be doing it for special occassion's.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by bdave351

Gday,

As has been mentioned previously, there is a serious lack of 98 octane at all my local (Southern Sydney) servos.

**

Not wrong....Sutherland, Heathcote and Engadine all out of 98 and 95 when I needed to refill yesterday....Thought I'd run out before finding some....Ending up getting some 98 at BP Loftus.

[Paxton]

Not wrong....Sutherland, Heathcote and Engadine all out of 98 and 95 when I needed to refill yesterday....Thought I'd run out before finding some....Ending up getting some 98 at BP Loftus.

There's 95 and 98 at the Caltex in Caringbah (Lilli Pilli), and at the one on Woolooware Road. Filled the Mrs's Mazda up at the Caringbah one last night.

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by bdave351

Gday,

** Just a random though, anyone know if there is any 100 octane in stock anywhere in Sydney ? Sure the turbo would love it despite its 98 tune **

Try this....
http://www.fuel2race.com/home.html
Ive used it before...had excellent results...and price wise, compared with other stuff thats around, its not too bad either :

[Electric]

Originally Posted by Ives

Why did it take you 5000kms to realize that V-Power is rubbish for the F6.

...cause it's free.....

[Airmon]

This was on the news a while ago. There were problems at the Shell Refinery near Parramatta I think it was, so 98 is on short supply in Sydney until they rectify the problem. I think they said Mobil was supplied their 98 by Shell so this has probably put strain on Caltex' supply of 98. Good time to sell octane booster.

[Ives]

Originally Posted by Electric

...cause it's free.....

Haha, fair enough. I'd also use "rubbish" fuel if they're free... providing that they're not damaging the car.

Originally Posted by Airmon

I think they said Mobil was supplied their 98 by Shell ...

I thought Mobil 8000 = BP Ultimate. Or is that in VIC ?

[J_Tank]

same same...