Poor MPG with Tesco fuel

worried_jim

!!!!!! wrote: »

??? Nobody mentioned superfuels. We are talking about standard fuels be they supermarket or oil company.

Read all of my post-

Richard Headland, Editor, Which? Car, says:

“For many cars it’s a waste of money paying over the odds for so-called ‘super fuels’. The standard fuels we tested were all up to the job, whether from a major fuel brand or a supermarket. There’s no conclusive evidence to show that super fuels are better for your car in the long run - so in a time of high oil prices, why would you choose to pay more?”

http://www.which.co.uk/about-which/p...so-super-fuel/

Use supermarkets. The supermarket petrol Which? tested was equivalent to Esso and Shell 95 Ron fuels in performance and economy terms.

Esso and Shell 95 Ron are not super fuels are they?

worried_jim

Tesco don't have their own refinery it all comes (mostly) from the same place so how can it be any different?

aardvaak

worried_jim wrote: »

Tesco don't have their own refinery it all comes (mostly) from the same place so how can it be any different?

Exactly that is what I thought too!

A 1997 Fiesta is an old banger I would suggest there is another reason for consumption difference ie poor mechanics or poor driving practice or both!

Captain_Proton

aardvaak wrote: »

Exactly that is what I thought too!

A 1997 Fiesta is an old banger I would suggest there is another reason for consumption difference ie poor mechanics or poor driving practice or both!

Humm, maybe, but as I've said a couple of times, I have refilled since with ASDA fuel and the consumption has returned to the usual 40-45 MPG level. This is on par with original manufacturer's spec and is impressive given the age of the car. Nothing changed with the car or my driving when I was using the Tesco petrol that could have caused such a dip in fuel economy. It isn't just me that has noticed a difference with Tesco fuel either, since I've been telling folk about my experience one or two others have reported similar problems with Tesco, particularly diesel.

worried_jim

tesco fuel comes form the same place as asda and sainsburys and I believe esso. they all have the same ron and all uk fuel has bs standard, the only thing that can be different are oil giants additives such as shell but again which magazine tested it with little or ne difference and certainly not something that would be noticeable in a fiesta.

Captain_Proton

Yes, but surely the refinery produces petrol to the customer's requirements, since Tesco, Esso, Shell etc will want their own product, not just generic petrol sold under their name. It's a bit like saying that all milk is the same because it comes from a cow, but this is naturally not the case!

Perhaps one of Tesco's "additives" is the full limit of 5% ethanol, which fills out the volume but makes the fuel burn quicker.

Gloomendoom

Captain_Proton wrote: »

Yes, but surely the refinery produces petrol to the customer's requirements, since Tesco, Esso, Shell etc will want their own product, not just generic petrol sold under their name. It's a bit like saying that all milk is the same because it comes from a cow, but this is naturally not the case!

Perhaps one of Tesco's "additives" is the full limit of 5% ethanol, which fills out the volume but makes the fuel burn quicker.

Even if it did, it would still have 98% of the calorific value of pure petrol.

This would not account for the fact that the OP is getting only 82% of the mpg they claim to get on ASDA or Sainsbury petrol.

jazzy

Could it be that the actual pump is not giving out the full quota?

I have also noticed various mpg's when using different pumps at the same garage.

mikey72

It's more likely the tesco fuel pump cut off later, so you managed to get a litre or two more fuel in the tank, so the mpg looks worse.
You'll have to do more than one tank to get a meaningful figure.

cardinalbiggles

mikey72 wrote: »

It's more likely the tesco fuel pump cut off later, so you managed to get a litre or two more fuel in the tank, so the mpg looks worse.
You'll have to do more than one tank to get a meaningful figure.

Extremely unlikely for a number of reasons.