really bad fuel from an asda pump?

londonTiger

edit: petrol car here.

I always buy supermarket fuel (usually asda as they're the cheapest). Recently I filled up a full tank and only got 235 miles from a 48L full tank.

Normally I got 300miles, 310-315miles if I drive like a granny. But more usually 280 miles as I hit the pedal hard. I never thought it would be possible to get as low as 235miles out of a full tank no matter how hard I drove the car but apparantly I did.

The car was idling quite badly, I could feel some irregular pulsating in the gearstick which was reverberating the shocks from the engine bay I think. Also the car felt like I was driving with 4 full size adults in the car while I was actually driving alone. Due to the sluggishness of the car.

I use the fuelly sustem of fuel economy measurement so I always fill up as soon as I get the fuel light and then fill the car to the brim.

Is it possible I got bad fuel from asda? I should add I got this as soon as the fuel went below £1 a litre and this was a saturday and it was absolutely CRAZY at the forecourt. People having queue rage, 2 pumps taken offline etc.

I wonder if I got fuel from the bottom of the barell or something which has aged a bit and lost some of its power.

londonTiger

I have put texaco fuel back in and it seems to be getting decent mpg again.

EdGasket

I've never had a problem with Asda petrol. It could have been the damp weather or something else entirely.

s_b

reset your points and try a new condenser:D

mcpitman

Can you clarify something? You are saying that if you "drive like a granny" you get 310 miles and if you drive like a loon you get 280 miles to a tankful.

Are you sure? That's only a 10% drop in economy and doesn't seem enough to be honest. The figure of 230 miles or 25% drop in economy seeems more realistic.

However, in answer to your question, it could be "bad" fuel, it could be coincidence you have ther issues in the engine coming to light (bad spark plugs, faulty HT leads, water ingress) or a slow puncture, dragging brakes effecting the car.

What car is it? and what fuel (petrol or DERV/LPG).

agrinnall

Are you sure you actually filled the tank? Perhaps the pump clicked off early and you though it was full, but in fact wasn't.

londonTiger

agrinnall wrote: »

Are you sure you actually filled the tank? Perhaps the pump clicked off early and you though it was full, but in fact wasn't.

But it charged me for 48lites anyway? :T

londonTiger

mcpitman wrote: »

Can you clarify something? You are saying that if you "drive like a granny" you get 310 miles and if you drive like a loon you get 280 miles to a tankful.

Are you sure? That's only a 10% drop in economy and doesn't seem enough to be honest. The figure of 230 miles or 25% drop in economy seeems more realistic.

However, in answer to your question, it could be "bad" fuel, it could be coincidence you have ther issues in the engine coming to light (bad spark plugs, faulty HT leads, water ingress) or a slow puncture, dragging brakes effecting the car.

What car is it? and what fuel (petrol or DERV/LPG).

If it was a maclaren or a ferrari yes it's possible to vary the car from 310 miles to 230 miles to a full tank. But it's a 105ps 1.6 golf and I don't think you can drop fuel economy this much unless you're riding the clutch.

I should add the 230 miles were done with about 40 miles of motorway driving. If I had done just city driving Im sure I would have only got 220 out of it.

The new fuel seems to have got the car back to normal operating mode. I will puit a complaint into trading standards or an industry watchdog.

If you were to ask me before this incident whether some pumps dispense bad fuel I would probably be the first to call you a tinfoil hat wearing loon. But apparantly it's not uncommon for this to happen.
http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/have-you-been-affected-by-contaminated-fuel.html

Look at the comments as well. Obviously liability is hard to prove even if you have a receipt a fuel sample because the garage will deny it and say that it may have been already contaminated by leftover fuel. The only definitive proof is if several drivers who filled up at the same location on the same "batch" had issues and they report it.

AlanCarter

londonTiger wrote: »

If it was a maclaren or a ferrari yes it's possible to vary the car from 310 miles to 230 miles to a full tank. But it's a 105ps 1.6 golf and I don't think you can drop fuel economy this much unless you're riding the clutch.

I should add the 230 miles were done with about 40 miles of motorway driving. If I had done just city driving Im sure I would have only got 220 out of it.

The new fuel seems to have got the car back to normal operating mode. I will puit a complaint into trading standards or an industry watchdog.

If you were to ask me before this incident whether some pumps dispense bad fuel I would probably be the first to call you a tinfoil hat wearing loon. But apparantly it's not uncommon for this to happen.
http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/have-you-been-affected-by-contaminated-fuel.html

Look at the comments as well. Obviously liability is hard to prove even if you have a receipt a fuel sample because the garage will deny it and say that it may have been already contaminated by leftover fuel. The only definitive proof is if several drivers who filled up at the same location on the same "batch" had issues and they report it.

I've emptied a Subaru after 58 miles, I'm sure sensible driving would see a better return than that.

londonTiger

well there's sitting on idle with AC on and powering a laptop from the cigerrete lighter. You could do 0 miles on it and empty the tank.

Lets not argue over the details. I could feel the rough idle and sluggish acceleration on the car.

20aday

I tend to steer clear of Asda and Sainsbury's for their fuel because I always find (in my case) that performance is hampered when I've paid them a visit.

Having said that I treated myself to some BP Ultimate Diesel the other week and that didn't do me any favours either.