What type of diesel fuel?

[boggs]

The fuel I would get is the pump that is nearest to me when I need it. When I can I will get cheaper fuel most of our cars aren't high performance diesels, I wasn't aware there was really much difference in fuels to be honest as they are all made to the same British Standards?

[Poodle]

Those standards are a minimum or baseline, much the same way as smart-price sausages can technically be called pork lol - sure, they conform to the standard, but eat them for long and your health will suffer.

[Nexus]

Before I had the 306 I just used whatever was nearest or convenient, generally supermarket fuels. Since owning the 306 I begun using V-power and as many already say with performance fuels, there is an extremely thin performance gain, if any frankly. But then on the other hand I did find that after a few tanks the engine was running less choppy and overall just smoother. Idling was smooth, engine seemed to heat up quicker and no delayed response pressing down on the throttle.

I did to shove in some regular unleaded to save like.. £2.00 and within ten minutes down the road the car just felt what I can only describe as bloated. Press down on the pedal and it just didn't want to go - 'Yeah hang on mate, still chewing on this sandwich. Bare with me and I'll be right with you.' I just use V-Power nowadays and nothing else.

[happypug]

Hi Guy`s.
 Will add my thoughts re fuel.  Have used s/market fuels in the past with limited success, a few running problems. I now use shell,bp or esso as I find there`s definitely smoother running and more power with these fuels.  Yesterday I filled up with shell regular juice, it was much more responsive after 3/4 miles. No argument for me,these fuels rule ok.

[maxaret]

2 quotes from another forum ...

Sainsbury’s fuel is BP. I have used nothing else for the last eight years with three Volvos and have been very happy with performance, clean running and economy – both petrol and diesel.

I work for bp mate it’s definitly not the same - way more additives in BP and more additive means healthier engine

However...
As far as I know there are only 6 refineries currently operating in the UK so it is probably true that most fuel comes from the same refinery - however - I have seen this sort of comment below quite often...

I previously worked in the Grangemouth refinery.
You are correct that they all get their fuel from the same refineries, but not from the same areas.
Supermarkets, Texaco and the like filled their tankers from another area of the refinery.
Main players (Esso, Shell, BP) got theirs centrally in the refinery from different storage tanks.

So there could be a difference in fuel quality  at source and the difference in additives is well known !
Also there could be higher standards of Tank/Pump maintenance at some branded filling stations

[JTaylor2005]

2 quotes from another forum ...

Sainsbury’s fuel is BP. I have used nothing else for the last eight years with three Volvos and have been very happy with performance, clean running and economy – both petrol and diesel.

I work for bp mate it’s definitly not the same - way more additives in BP and more additive means healthier engine

However...
As far as I know there are only 6 refineries currently operating in the UK so it is probably true that most fuel comes from the same refinery - however - I have seen this sort of comment below quite often...

I previously worked in the Grangemouth refinery.
You are correct that they all get their fuel from the same refineries, but not from the same areas.
Supermarkets, Texaco and the like filled their tankers from another area of the refinery.
Main players (Esso, Shell, BP) got theirs centrally in the refinery from different storage tanks.

So there could be a difference in fuel quality  at source and the difference in additives is well known !
Also there could be higher standards of Tank/Pump maintenance at some branded filling stations

I have always had a feeling that texaco was the cheaper side of the scale. There is a filling station near me that is texaco but I usually don't bother there. Heard something about their diesel suffering from high water content or something but I haven't got a clue tbf haha.

[maxaret]

Just refuelled the 306 (1.9 DT) after our recent trip down south - both ways I had filled up with Vpower and using my normal calculation IE absolute brim the tank to absolute brim the tank (have to be patient to get the last galleon in LOL) - averaged 52mpg.
It is the first time I have ever seen more than 50mpg on this car so maybe there is a small mpg increase with vpower - I do not usually bother with it when doing shorter trips but using normal diesel I would not expect more than 45-48mpg on any sort of run.
Not conclusive by any means but I have done quite a few trips between england and scotland and have never seen 50+ mpg on this car !

[Toms306]

I would hope you get more than 48mpg on a run in a standard XUD tbh!

On topic though, Focus trip computer is currently reading 49mpg, 40 miles left on range, lost at least 50 miles from this tank! Obviously need to fill up this afternoon so gonna try Shell, not used Shell at all in the Focus...be interesting to see if the MPG improves after months of Sainsburys!

[maxaret]

Hi Tom - I was only giving a comparative (or relative) mpg figure for my 306 - it is difficult to give an accurate absolute figure when using different filling stations etc.
Also we have the sunroof (tilt) half open or full open most of the time which may be a little draggy.
The fuel tank is quoted as 60 litres (13.33333 gal) I think - which at 50mpg would give a range of 666 miles (LOL)
I always fill to the brim so the car may hold more than 60 litres taking into account the filler neck/pipe etc.
I would not expect to comfortably do more than 600 miles on a tankful before I refill (don't like taking the gauge too low) so I think 48 mpg is a safe claim to make.
I used to have a ZX 1.9 turbo which I also used to claim 48mpg for.

[Toms306]

Fair enough, always got 600+ miles to a tank in the mapped HDi's myself, 55mpg avg!

[maxaret]

Not bad - The HDi's are potentially better on fuel economy I think.

[Piggy]

I don't think the hdi is THAT much more efficient tbh.

But you should be seeing a LOT more than that.

Tom... I think the Shell will make a difference...I even wonder if the sainsbugs fuel did the dpf in?!

[Toms306]

I wasn't using sainsburys with the dpf lol, it would have blocked it even quicker!! was using BP back then so I still got nectar points. Not used shell since the estate's back in 2012.

[silverzx]

On subject of fuel, I only use Tesco99 in the S14, never had problems, is it good?

[Midnightclub]

Always used supermarket fuels in all of my cars and never had an issue. Also use 99 (momentum) Trent, believe they add 10% ethanol to bump the octane up to 99

[Toms306]

I'll be trying tesco99 in the 6, heard good things about it. Not keen on tesco diesel though.

[Piggy]

Lot of biker mates rate the 99.
It wasn't about when I had a crotchrocket... When I did I only used high octane shell v power...it would run crap on anything else!

[maxaret]

I don't think the hdi is THAT much more efficient tbh.

But you should be seeing a LOT more than that.

Toms and my mpg figures are pretty close to the Parkers MPG figures 

1.9 D Turbo 5d                 46 mpg     CO2 =175 g/km

2.0 HDi D Turbo (90bhp) 5d 54 mpg    CO2 =141 g/km

[JTaylor2005]

I had a 2013 fiesta st ecoboost for 9 months a while back. I ran that on a range of fuels. Running on the tesco momentum 99 octane genuinely made a difference over say regular shell or regular esso. However there wasn't much difference between momentum and shell v power.
I have heard however that momentum can cause problems to the rubber pipes and seals of older cars due to the ethanol. How true that is I am not sure.

In my 306 HDI I pretty much always only get around 48-50 mpg. Very very rarely see the north side of 50mpg apart from my 4 hour drive to and from Ipswich on which I saw 56 mpg.

[Piggy]

I managed for the first time into the 60s in the 206hdi on a eco trip recently

[toseland]

the higher end fuels probably ARE the same, or very very similar generic product from a quality section of the refinery.. as they wont sell it in anywhere near the quantities needed to make it as a custom bespoke product..

i cant see that being the case (as has been stated) for cheap fuel variants as there will almost certainly be volumes of better quality for the "premium" suppliers and the cheap and nasty stuff for margin worried people like supermarkets..


interestingly however Texaco seems to be most expensive by me, there is texaco a refinery/fuel depot in Cardiff bay docks

[Toms306]

MPG seems to have improved dramatically lol...64mpg through town lol, wonder how long that'll last... Measured MPG was dead on 50 over the last tank so the trip computer wasn't far out.

[JTaylor2005]

Well I will be impressed if thats not a one off haha.

[Poodle]

the higher end fuels probably ARE the same, or very very similar generic product from a quality section of the refinery.. as they wont sell it in anywhere near the quantities needed to make it as a custom bespoke product..

i cant see that being the case (as has been stated) for cheap fuel variants as  there will almost certainly be volumes of better quality for the "premium" suppliers and the cheap and nasty stuff for margin worried people like supermarkets..


interestingly however Texaco seems to be most expensive by me,    there is texaco a refinery/fuel depot in Cardiff bay docks

It's all about the additives, on the basis of your argument margarines are all the same because they're based on the same ingredients. It's not a "bespoke" product because it's not tailored to an individual buyer, it's a captive mass market ffs, it doesn't come and less "custom, bespoke" than that. They sell plenty of premium at enough of a premium (no pun intended) to make it worth the r&d, i've seen premium fuel sold at as much as 35ppl more than normal fuel. To give you half an idea, when i was working at a fuel station premium fuels accounted for about 1/4 of the total volume of fuel sold. And the people who buy the most? Typically middle-aged people who do moon miles in their personal vehicles and so have the opportunity to notice the difference. Had a bloke in the office last week who claimed to have gained more than 20% mpg, a smoother engine and, so far, 42,000 more miles from the engine itself compared to the last, which was run on normal pump fuel - identical engine, no other differences in maintenance, etc, nothing else to which the massive change could be attributed. Funniest thing was he is still a sceptic and a bit miffed that we couldn't offer any other explanation as to where the extra power, economy and longevity had come from lol.

[Toms306]

Well I will be impressed if thats not a one off haha.

Oh I don't expect that to last haha. Will be pleased if I can get better than 55mpg this tank though!

I've found a way to raise my mpg anyway, taking the '6 on short trips haha!

[Ruan]

Just did a trip back to Cornwall last weekend... Set off at around 5am and was categorically not f*cking hanging about, still averaged 47.1mpg. Running on whatever fuel is cheapest at the supermarket - after 145k of whatever was nearest and cheapest:



Looks to be performing fine to me...

[JTaylor2005]

the higher end fuels probably ARE the same, or very very similar generic product from a quality section of the refinery.. as they wont sell it in anywhere near the quantities needed to make it as a custom bespoke product..

i cant see that being the case (as has been stated) for cheap fuel variants as  there will almost certainly be volumes of better quality for the "premium" suppliers and the cheap and nasty stuff for margin worried people like supermarkets..


interestingly however Texaco seems to be most expensive by me,    there is texaco a refinery/fuel depot in Cardiff bay docks

It's all about the additives, on the basis of your argument margarines are all the same because they're based on the same ingredients. It's not a "bespoke" product because it's not tailored to an individual buyer, it's a captive mass market ffs, it doesn't come and less "custom, bespoke" than that. They sell plenty of premium at enough of a premium (no pun intended) to make it worth the r&d, i've seen premium fuel sold at as much as 35ppl more than normal fuel. To give you half an idea, when i was working at a fuel station premium fuels accounted for about 1/4 of the total volume of fuel sold. And the people who buy the most? Typically middle-aged people who do moon miles in their personal vehicles and so have the opportunity to notice the difference. Had a bloke in the office last week who claimed to have gained more than 20% mpg, a smoother engine and, so far, 42,000 more miles from the engine itself compared to the last, which was run on normal pump fuel - identical engine, no other differences in maintenance, etc, nothing else to which the massive change could be attributed. Funniest thing was he is still a sceptic and a bit miffed that we couldn't offer any other explanation as to where the extra power, economy and longevity had come from lol.

Made a horrendous mistake once when I owned my fiesta st. I had heard that texaco regular was rubbish petrol. But I had heard that texaco premium was actually really good and a decent octane rating as well. I decided to try it.

Basically pulled up, pump into tank, sat and let it filled, then realised half way that I had just paid 159.9p per liter!! 

The regular was 105.9p per liter at the same time. To say the least I was bloody gutted haha! Taught me to never just presume price difference was only 5-10p per liter haha.

[Toms306]

Well, I lost 25mpg off the average just starting the engine this afternoon...

50p more for premium is ridiculous though, can't imagine many bought that stuff lol!

[JTaylor2005]

Probably only idiots like me who forget to check the prices lol

[zx_volcane]

I've been know to put the expensive stuff in when i'm feeling flush and sexy, otherwise it's whichever is nearest / cheapest.