Last Saturday I inadvertently gave my Volvo its first tankful of V-Power diesel. (My local station has only recently started selling it, and the first I knew was when I rolled up next to a pump offering only that variety.)
Anyway, it's an extra 6p a litre, or about £3.30 for a 55-litre fill-up. And I think it sounds funny. Nothing major, but to my ears (and I've had this car nearly five years) the engine sound has a distinctly harder, not entirely pleasant, edge to it under acceleration.
I've just filled it up again - not wth V-Power this time - and noticed something else: an average over 580 miles (it's been a busy week!) of 47.4 mpg, where 42 is more typical. I've still got a couple of long trips to do this week, so I'll use the regular fuel as a control, to see if it's the fuel or the journey.
But it's the sound I'm interested in. Anyone else noticed any audible effects of 'premium' fuels?
|
>>Anyone else noticed any audible effects of 'premium' fuels?
My wife asks why I have to spend the extra?
;)
L
|
|
|
When I used to use Shell diesel in the Mondeo I would say I got more MPG and it ran smoother. But I got clubcard points from Tesco and shopped there so ended up using Tesco diesel. Company car so more interested in running costs per mile so will not say much more.
Also a factor of Shell vs. Tesco... used to drive past the shell and don't so it's a detour. Shop at Tesco. Will see what the Mazda6 prefers in a month's time....
|
|
Mine sounds smoother, less like a diesel more like a petrol at a lower octave.
|
I'm a little bit astounded at this: Do you really see a ? what ? 12% improvement in economy?
Has anyone else seen such improvements?
Certainly would make it wothwhile paying the extra for the fuel!
Has to be worth an experiment, anyway.
I'll come back and tell you what I find.
What about stuff like redex / similar?
I use it occasionally, seems to get rid of an occasional flat spot, but doesn't help economy?
Any views?
|
I have a Mercedes C270CDi auto (so it's fairly old, lazy technology) and I notice no difference in performance, fuel economy or engine noise even after using several tank fulls of the expensive Mobil stuff (as some people say it takes several tankfulls to make a difference.
The last but one fill up I did was with Shell and at £1.07 litre I was pretty miffed that it made no difference in any way. If anything the car was less economical - I struggled to get it to display 46MPG on a 200 mile motorway trip, where normally I'd expect to be nudging 50.
Millers Diesel Power Plus makes no difference either.
And I say all this as someone who found Shell Optimax petrol made a very noticeable improvement to one of my previous cars, a Peuget 406 2.0L Turbo.
|
Being an old f, I record all usage and miles and have been testinh V Power diesel in Yaris. So far no marked difference in anything. Perhaps slightly smoother when cold. Another 3 weeks and I'll do the sums.
I can say one thing categorically: any fuel consumption change is minimal 1-2% at best. I cannot believe 12% and would challenge the basis of the calculations.
madf
|
|
I recently filled the wife's Altea with V Power by mistake but it did an extra 10% mpg on the same daily run 55 mpg compared with 49 so I cannot complain as the fuel is 6p dearer per litre than the normal stuff. I guess the saving is marginal.
|
|
I definitely don't get supermarket fuel.When i bought my car at the end of 1999, the main dealer warned me not to get the local Sainsbury diesel ( as there just happened to be a Sainsbury not far away). My car is a diesel and I always try to fill up with Esso or Shell, or indeed any well known brand. Once I put the special diesel in and I thought it actually felt a little rougher as mine is a 1999 car.The normal diesel is probably better for the older more basic engines.Mine is a 1.9 110 bhp Seat.
|
If it weren't for the fact that it's 102p per litre in my local Shell station I'd give it a go.
I really rate normal Shell diesel though. The Mondeo gets a consistent 47 mpg on it (against 45 on anything else, or 43 on Tesco diesel).
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
|
|
|
|
I can say one thing categorically: any fuel consumption change is minimal 1-2% at best. I cannot believe 12% and would challenge the basis of the calculations.
I agree, and excepting certain vehicles designed for high-octane fuel, I have never seen any real controlled study showing any meaningful improvement.
|
I use this exclusively since it came to my local station.
Its also around an extra £3 per fillup which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Its defiantly quieter and smoother thats for sure - fuel economy is no different for me; maybe improved for slower diesel engines though.
However i used this for its cleaning benefits as i mentioned in another thread about treating your car well. Diesels are full of soot and particles at the best of times. One of the biggest problems with failure is parts becoming clogged even though the filters are good quality these days. V-Power Diesel really does keep the oil nice and clean, the additives are worth the extra £3 to keep my oil clean and lubricated. I could add my own additives but i'd rather just leave it to the people who know and not have to worry about it. Essentially it should keep the mechanics in good condition between services.
I would never touch supermarket diesel with a barge pole. The only time i ever filled up with supermarket fuel it was with super-unleaded from tesco which was put into my old toyota supercharged TS - that was actually better than Optimax/V-power to me.
|
Can anyone else remember that Shell fuel additive of around 20 years ago that allegedly damaged some engines? I can remember sweating and trying to remember whether I had exclusively used Shell `To keep the engine clean`. I almost exclusively had in fact and was left wondering whether it was the odd tankful of another brand that had saved my engine.
Think I will give V power a miss and stick with `regular` premium brand Derv. You can still buy this at our local Shell station.
|
Can anyone else remember that Shell fuel additive of around 20 years ago that allegedly damaged some engines?
Called Formula shell, IIRC.
Caused problems with prematurely burning out the valves and valve guides in Vauxhall engines.
|
|
|
|
I'm sorry, but as been said so many time sbefore, fuel consumption calculations on one tank fillup are a joke and I totally ignore them.
I find supermarket fuel perfectly acceptable but as our local Shell's price is set by Morrison in Stoke on Trent, I buy Shell.
But fuel consumptions claculations over about 10 years have failed to see any significant differences. Tank to tank difference ? Of course. But those are meaningless.
madf
|
I'm sorry but as been said so many time sbefore fuel consumption calculations on one tank fillup are a joke and I totally ignore them.
Never mind tankful, my daughter commented the other day that in her 3cyl 1.1 Colt, she repeatably gets 50MPG on the display (which resets each time the car is started as in my Merc) on her 6 mile journey to work *if* she's using Mobil petrol. However if the last tankful was from Morrisons (her alternate source) then she can't get anywhere near that figure.
|
|
|
I'm sorry but as been said so many time sbefore fuel consumption calculations on one tank fillup are a joke and I totally ignore them.
Mine are based on a tank of diesel a week over 2 years.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
|
I agree with DP . I monitor fuel consumption constantly & over the last two years Jag diesel 51-53 on BP 46-47 on Tesco but the biggest differece was my wifes fiesta diesel, 53-55 on BP & 45-47 best on tesco every time & she does same journey every week & 170 miles. No differenc with super D in fiesta but Jag has vast improvement in performance & engine has a slghtly sharper crack to it. Super BP at my local 118.9p ltr but still worth a fill. I wouldn't put supermarket diesel near it!. On my third Jag D/ mondeo & no problems with injectors or fueling at all.
Doc
|
|
|
I've been running the Mondeo on V-Power diesel for the last 6 weeks or so. Engine response is definitely improved and it seems to pull harder. Also seems to get rid of the slight tendency to shunt at 1,900 rpm in 4th. I know what WdB means about different sound, though - mine sounds a little more clattery at low revs.
Have tried it in the Panda a couple of times, but didn't seem to make any detectable difference, so it continues to receive its usual mix of Texaco, BP and Esso, with occasional doses of Millers Sport 4.
Good thing is that I have found a Shell station near me that is selling V-P D for 100.9p/l, which compares well with a nearby BP that sells regular diesel at 99.9 and Ultimate at 10you'rehavingalaugh.9.
|
Shell diesel under 95p here.
Paul : you're being ripped off.
madf
|
Shell diesel under 95p here. Paul : you're being ripped off.
If you live in my part of the world you tend to go around with your pants down all the time, it saves wear and tear:-(
To be fair the regular Shell product is 95.9 in the same garage. For some reason the BPs and Texacos in the area are all around the quid mark at the mo. Not sure why.
|
Calm down, Madf! I'm not claiming a 12% increase or anything of the kind. I have five years of fuel records for this car, so I'm fairly confident of the 42 mpg average; but I also know that individual first-stop fill-ups give me figures from mid-30s if I haven't been out of town for a month (as sometimes happens!) to highish 40s. 47 is about as high as it ever gets, though.
I've also just started a new job at the far end of a longish motorway journey, so it may be that that is influencing the figures as much as the fuel. The next few trips will be on regular diesel, so I'll wait for the pattern to emerge. It may simply be that I filled up last night from a pump with a long nozzle that cut out a bit early. I'll leave vast extrapolations from tiny samples to Dr Andrew Westyorkshire, or whatever his name is. };---)
Shell Extra is 93.9p where I usually buy it; my V-power was 99.9p.
|
Thanks WillDeBeest.
Shell VPower is 99.9p here as well
Don't think I'll be using it againg:-)
I'm calm... I know it's only an advert:-)
madf
|
A little update, in the light of the discussion I sparked here. Last week's fill (the one after the tankful of V-power) was with (gasp) Tesco diesel. Filled it again today after 568 miles - back to my normal Shell Extra this time - and it took 56.31 litres; that equates to 45.8 mpg.
So it's probably fair to attribute most of the improvement I've noticed lately from my 42 mpg average to my new, long but gentle drive to work. Interestingly, the V-power diesel pump was conspicuously vacant again today, so it looks like Shell's customers aren't convinced by the premium argument either.
|
Interestingly the V-power diesel pump was conspicuously vacant again today so it looks like Shell's customers aren't convinced by the premium argument either.
I suspect the recent budget tax increase has put pence per litre to the forefront of people's minds
I find the idea of >£1 litre abhorrent and will avoid it for as long as possible. Which might not be that long.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
|
My tests are quite categoric. V Power diesel gives no economic benefits and costs more.
madf
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
