Petrol is not just petrol any more

orb_3

We've had a couple of Jazzs over the past five years and always kept a mental note of the mpg figures. We've found it varies by a few mpg over the course of a year, we the get lowest mpg figures in the winter when it's colder and darker.

R

Wig

Loraine267 wrote: »

During the last half-term break, I noticed that my Honda Civic was using more fuel than normal but thought it must be my imagination. A friend then told me never to use supermarket petrol stations because they put "more of something in" and doesn't go as far as the likes of Shell or Esso.

I decided to put my car to the test and filed up at Asda, then did the same routine I always do. I then filed up at Shell and that tank went a lot further - two days worth of travelling to and from work. I don't think that's a coincidence and nor do my colleagues who have also noticed that supermarket petrol doesn't last as long.

Ignoring all the other variables, of which there are many, how do you know you used the exact same amount of fuel from each source?

As michael said, if they did sell fuel that returned better mpg they would be shouting it from the roof tops.

Do you know many people think ibuprofen under the brandname Nurofen works whilst any other non brand ibuprofen does not work? It is the exact same drug. If they do notice a difference it is a placebo effect. The same applies to petrol. If you really believe its different then putting 100ml of each product into a lawnmower 10 times for each fuel should produce a significant result. I'll bet there's no difference. - and you would have to modify the fuel tank of the lawnmower as many of them run out of fuel whilst there is fuel in the tank, so it would be better to modify it so you know that all the fuel has been used.

Loraine267

Thanks for your comments Wig, but there's a lot of people out there that feel the same way and have noticed a difference lately - can't all be imagining it.

ispartacus75

Different additives work with different engines. Its a given now that most companies will use additives in their petrol so each company IS selling a different product. And because of this engines are going to react differently to different brands a fuel. Like I have previously stated when I had a 406 I wouldnt use Sainsbury diesel because the mileage return was so bad compared to Shell diesel. Now, with a Ford Focus, I get a much more comparable mileage return.

Yes the basic petroleum product is pretty much the same for each company but the additives that each uses change that product into their own unique 'flavour'. So its very concievable that some cars wont like brand A while running better on brand B

richcope1

Firstly, I'm a diesel guy not a petrol guy (hallelujah for being under a quid finally!). Secondly I agree with a lot being said on both sides of this argument. On the one hand I don't touch supermarket fuels, but on the other hand I truly believe it greatly depends on the age of your car and the type of your fuel. I'm no expert but I have read through a fair few topics like this on motoring forums where they have some pretty knowledgeable guys (Of which I am sadly not one) so I will impart what I have learned and see if anyone knows different. The "additives" you speak of are a mixture of lubricants and detergents that clean and lubricate your fuel system (injectors, fuel hoses etc). If you've got a newish car your fuel system is already clean and changing to branded fuel will make little difference. However if you have been using tesco/asda etc fuel for a decent length of time it's lack of additives will mean more gunge in your fuel system. Changing to a branded fuel should show you a steady increase in mpg over time as the state of your car inards improves, you should not be noticing radical drops then gains from switching to supermarket fuel then back to branded fuel. Also the effects seem to be exasterbated for diesel's since it is such a dirty fuel compared to petrol which has already been nicely refined.

My other point is that you absolutley cannot compare fuel consumption on a tank by tank basis since there is such a huge number of factors (wind direction, temperature, road surface, high or low traffic, town or motorway driving, mood , car contents to name but a few) that could account for this that it's not worth trying to argue the point. My father (he has his uses) does around 50k a year in his company car and the company pay for most of this as its buisiness mileage so he has done tests of spending a month at a time (approx 8-10 tankfulls of diesel) sticking to one specific brand each month and he reckoned that bang for buck BP, Esso and Shell all had pretty similar mpg while supermarket fuels made it plumet but using the fancy Shell V-Power Diesel didn't have any noticeable improvement.

The other thing they seem to think on many motoring forums is that the hyper fuels like V power and BP Ultimate are more likely to show you improved responce and acceleration than any mpg benefits.

So thats my 2 cents worth.

vansboy

Ok, my input...

I won't use supermarket petrol, mainly 'cos I know it's a different product from the Shell garage. In previous posts, it's been confirmed the tanker driver selects which additives are put into his vehicle, usually at the point of loading. He uses a card to select thes, for each delivery he's to make.

Plus, of course the fuel is cheaper at Shel, if you have a Shell credit card - worth 3p litre off & a Shell loyalty Drivers Club card (but other posts will show how unpredictable this scheme is!!).

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=483370

Combine this with buying from a Shell site near a superstore & they usually price match!

Mrs V has her Mx5 only EVER fueled with Shell's premuim grade petrol. So maybe in a million miles time, we can have the engine stripped & see if it's any cleaner than one run on ordinary unleaded!!

What the OP might like to try, is Tesco premium petrol - see if that improves performance & mpg!!

VB

richcope1

25th September 2008 - Which? Review

26th September 2008 - News story including some comeback from fuel companies

Knew I'd see a review somewhere...

boyse7en

but there's a lot of people out there that feel the same way and have noticed a difference lately - can't all be imagining it

There are thousands of people who believe man didn't land on the moon, that Evolution doesn't exist and that spraying yourself with a cheap deodorant will make you irresistible to women.

So yes, they could all be imagining it.

vansboy

boyse7en wrote: »

There are thousands of people who believe man didn't land on the moon, that Evolution doesn't exist and that spraying yourself with a cheap deodorant will make you irresistible to women.

So yes, they could all be imagining it.

The moon, well how would they have got there? It only comes out at night!! The rockets went up in daytime!!

Evolution, you trying to maske a monkey, of us??!!

Well, since I used that stuff that turns me into chocolate - IT WORKED!! - Just ask all those glamour models, that keep trying to eat bits of me!!

VB

tomstickland

Years ago I had an 1.1 Escort with an engine that was very sensitive to fuel grade. I kept detailed records over a year and noticed a difference between Shell and supermarket petrol.