Fuel

Poker2009 · 29 Aug 2013

Just had to fill up 10ltrs of normal unleaded from Shell, as I was empty, and they had no v-power. Never had to do this before, but was completely desperate!

Do I need to re-set the car once I fill up with v-power?

ladenfranz · 29 Aug 2013

Don't worry. There is a knock sensor which checks the RON and adjusts the ignition accordingly. But fill it up completly with recommended fuel asap and no harm will be done.

Poker2009 · 29 Aug 2013

Thanks

FLETCHER · 29 Aug 2013

Dont forget about tesco momentum , its 99 and theres always a tesco near by.

Martian · 30 Aug 2013

ladenfranz said:
....But fill it up completly with recommended fuel asap and no harm will be done.

No harm will be done if you run it on 95 either, just that you won't be getting the full benefit of engine power etc.

John H · 30 Aug 2013

FLETCHER said:
Dont forget about tesco momentum , its 99 and theres always a tesco near by.

On the contrary do forget about any supermarket fuel, irrespective of RON, as it doesn't contain the same beneficial additives that are found in Shell V-Power.

ragpicker · 30 Aug 2013

John H said:
FLETCHER said:

Dont forget about tesco momentum , its 99 and theres always a tesco near by.

Click to expand...

On the contrary do forget about any supermarket fuel, irrespective of RON, as it doesn't contain the same beneficial additives that are found in Shell V-Power.

Tell us John, what is so special about V-Power other than the marketing?

Most of the petrols in all uk pumps come from the same refinaries.

I know several tanker drivers who deliver to Shell one day and Tesco the next. They pick the fuel up each day from the same place. Admittedly the v-power does have to have some chemical added before they can deliver it to Shell but the base product is the same.

Surely it would be just as good to use some octane booster? :dont know:

RedJedi · 30 Aug 2013

I have family who were in the petrol stations business - most have sold out now - but listening to them, all the fuel is pretty much the same - yes there are differences, but not as big as they are made out!

They've owned Shell, Total, Jet garages - and yes - some deliveries stop at Tesco, Before BP, and then on to Shell etc!

There have even been times when one of them has run out (eg 98 RON) and they just put a bit of 95 until the delivery comes......

John H · 31 Aug 2013

ragpicker said:
John H said:

FLETCHER said:

Dont forget about tesco momentum , its 99 and theres always a tesco near by.

Click to expand...

On the contrary do forget about any supermarket fuel, irrespective of RON, as it doesn't contain the same beneficial additives that are found in Shell V-Power.

Click to expand...

Tell us John, what is so special about V-Power other than the marketing?

Most of the petrols in all uk pumps come from the same refinaries.

I know several tanker drivers who deliver to Shell one day and Tesco the next. They pick the fuel up each day from the same place. Admittedly the v-power does have to have some chemical added before they can deliver it to Shell but the base product is the same.:

It is true that the terminal is usually supplied from a pipeline which carries only one fuel. It is the same for all stations and even all octane levels. It is the quantity, quality and, to some extent, the blending method used for the additives that makes all the difference. The brand names command a higher price for good reason.

The better names in the fuel industry add their own additives to the otherwise identical basic fuel - this is what makes the huge difference and the reason why supermarket fuels are inferior to premium brand fuels. Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate, Exxon 98 is the way to go. I'd much rather put regular octane premium brand fuel in the tank than even high octane supermarket fuel.

It's not that budget fuel will damage the engine (it won't) but performance will go down and fuel consumption will increase. Used over a prolonged period the cheaper brands will cause more problems as they lack the premium cleaning additives that keep the high precision fuel injection components clean. This will also eventually foul valve seats and guides and turbocharger rotors.

Would you put cheap lubricating oil in the engine? No? So don't use cheap fuel! Nearly as silly as using cheap tyres...

Clanky · 1 Sep 2013

Hmm.

I'm sure it was on this forum I read about a week ago someone who tests various fuels as part of his job for race engines.

He reckoned that Momentum is actually one of the cleanest burning, therefore best performing fuels on the market.

Personally, I've used it for years without issue.

I get the gist about using cheap oils & tyres, none of which I would skimp on.

But at the end of the day, the fuel isn't lubricating the engine & the ECU will take care of any timing issues.

Seventy Seven · 1 Sep 2013

So is Super Unleaded from Sainsburys ok?

FLETCHER · 1 Sep 2013

Not sure about that. I would generally stay clear of super market petrol apart from tesco momentum .

John H · 2 Sep 2013

If I haven't already convinced P-Car owners to stay clear of all supermarket fuels then I really have nothing further to add... :nooo:

Maxie · 2 Sep 2013

Seventy Seven said:
So is Super Unleaded from Sainsburys ok?

SUL from Sainsbury's is only 97RON (lower than what the handbook recommends). AFAIK, the lower the RON, the hotter the engine will run and the lower the mpg becomes. The majority of forum members on here go for a minimum of 99RON.

~ Maxie

Ekona · 2 Sep 2013

All fuel marked as super unleaded has to be of a certain standard as per the BS number. Anything else they choose to put in is up to them, but as long as it meets that standard then it will be absolutely fine. 97/98/99/100/150, makes no difference. Some engines will like some stuff better than others, but really you're talking an absolute minor difference that 99.9% of drivers will never be able to notice.

Long term some of the posher stuff and the extra cleaning agents may or may not make a bit more of a difference, but since I don't plan on keeping my car when it's done 200K miles I find it a bit irrelevant.

It's far more important to get fresh fuel than branded fuel, and as such a busy supermarket will be a better choice than a Shell stuck in the middle of nowhere that sells 100L of VPN a week.