Dodgy Esso diesel?

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Tue 8 Dec 2009 11:16
Dodgy Esso diesel? - David Horn
Anyone had what they might consider a slightly dodgy batch of Esso diesel recently? Filled up in Devon (almost empty tank) and fuel economy has dropped from 52mpg down to 39. Same journeys, same driving style, more or less the same conditions.

{made non make/model specific}

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/12/2009 at 12:58

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Tue 8 Dec 2009 11:21
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Altea Ego
you may have sucked up gunge or water into the filter.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 11:22
Dodgy Esso diesel? - jc2
Our local Esso station had to close recently due to water in their tanks-this is in Essex.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 11:48
Dodgy Esso diesel? - ohsoslow
Just a thought gained from a previous experience which I originally thought was a fuel problem. Could it be that one of your brakes is binding, check if the wheels are hot after a drive.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 12:51
Dodgy Esso diesel? - diddy1234
I wonder if it is anything to do with the weather lately or fuel additives for diesel in winter.

We all know that summer diesel is different to winter diesel, right ?

My economy dropped from 50mpg to 45mpg (average) over the last tank full but to be honest I was not hanging around driving on the last tank full.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 12:56
Dodgy Esso diesel? - bell boy
its downhill all the way to devon so on the way back to civilisation its obviously uphill so uses more fuel? ;-)
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 12:58
Dodgy Esso diesel? - DP
Yup - took the Golf on a regular-ish 40 mile run last weekend, and where I can normally get the computer average reading for the trip well into the 50's without any conscious effort at all, it wouldn't show any more than 46.

Car is running perfectly. I blame winter diesel. Our old Scenic used to suffer the same.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 13:06
Dodgy Esso diesel? - shara
is there really a difference in winter/summer fuel in the UK? Some places on the web say that in the UK we use the same blend all year round and that only certain countries change the fuel blend in summer and winter. Or is it just petrol that has a summer/winter blend and not diesel (or vice versa). Could someone confirm this for me, some people who I've told don't believe there is a seasonal fuel variation!
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 13:14
Dodgy Esso diesel? - diddy1234
I would have thought that diesel changes in winter as petrol does not freeze as easily as diesel.

I could be wrong though.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 13:35
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Lou_O
Fuel consumption always goes up in winter.

AC works harder
Heaters for seats, windows, mirrors work harder
Lights are on more

all these make the alternator work harder, reducing fuel economy.

Unless your MPG shoots up on the next tankful, it's probably just down to the weather.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 13:55
Dodgy Esso diesel? - L'escargot
Fuel consumption always goes up in winter.


The cold-start fuel enrichment system will be in operation longer in winter than in summer.
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Mon 9 Jan 2012 12:13
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Roly93
I would have thought that diesel changes in winter as petrol does not freeze as easily as diesel. I could be wrong though.

I understood that at the end of October it was standard practice for winter diesel to be supplied to garages with whatever additives they use for anti-gelling.

Regarding petrol, there isn't a cold weather problem at all with this fuel, however I was told some years ago that during the refining process, more butane was left in the petrol to aid easier cold starting. Butane is usually a nuisance by product of the refining process when high quality fuels are being produced.

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Tue 8 Dec 2009 14:01
Dodgy Esso diesel? - L'escargot
Diesel ........ www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/9/13/234043/431

Petrol .......... www.greenergy.com/perspectives/Petrol_Blending_pap...f
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 14:21
Dodgy Esso diesel? - George Porge
It could just be the pump used wasn't calibrated, the 10 gallons you paid for was actually 8 gallons in the tank. It must happen to someone everyday.......................
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 14:47
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Hamsafar
Yes the diesel changes in October.
There is an Act of Parliament which I have posted on here every year, but can't find now.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 19:27
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Armitage Shanks {p}
Apart from the extra electrical loads, mentioned above, there is the fact that the incoming air is colder and, to produce the same fuel/air ratio, requires more fuel. The consumption for my 307 was about 5 mpg worse in December than August, on the same journey.
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Tue 8 Dec 2009 19:47
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Old Navy
Yes the diesel changes in October.
There is an Act of Parliament which I have posted on here every year but
can't find now.


I think this is your post Hamsafar :-

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=40...0
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Wed 9 Dec 2009 19:28
Dodgy Esso diesel? - NorfolkDriver
Was thinking about this thread today, as I drove along watching my needle dropping.

I normally average around 70mpg, but following my last fill up at an Esso garage in Norwich this has dropped to less than 50mpg.

I'm filling up again tomorrow, I'll be using a well known supermarket with my 5p off coupon and if I remember I'll report back what the next tank gets.

Will be a very long time before I use that garage again (have used it many times before without problems).
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Wed 9 Dec 2009 20:01
Dodgy Esso diesel? - retgwte
in the UK diesel sold in the winter months is routinely different to summer months

summer diesel would freeze far too easily in a UK winter, especially if you go drive up the Pennines or Scotland in the snow and so on
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Mon 9 Jan 2012 12:16
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Roly93
in the UK diesel sold in the winter months is routinely different to summer months summer diesel would freeze far too easily in a UK winter, especially if you go drive up the Pennines or Scotland in the snow and so on

Pity we cant have Southern diesel and Northern diesel so if you live in the south you dont have to suffer the poor fuel consumption on un-needed winter fuel especially so far this winter ! Tonight is again forecast to be a minimum of 9 degrees again.

Edited by Roly93 on 09/01/2012 at 12:16

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Wed 9 Dec 2009 20:03
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Gotanoldhondar

I don't worry about mpg life's too short,just enjoy...
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Wed 9 Dec 2009 21:04
Dodgy Esso diesel? - fredthefifth
>>I don't worry about mpg life's too short,just enjoy...

Seconded ... you drive a guzzler too then?
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Wed 9 Dec 2009 21:54
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Gotanoldhondar

Accord diesel ,do a fair few miles through work,but don't hang about,it does not seem to make
much difference in the Honda how its driven.
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Thu 10 Dec 2009 09:52
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Alanovich
NorfolkDriver, 70MPG?

What do you drive, if you don't mind me asking?
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Thu 10 Dec 2009 17:03
Dodgy Esso diesel? - NorfolkDriver
Alan,

52 plate Peugeot 206XDi.

And no, I dont mimse but sit around the speed limit
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Mon 9 Jan 2012 00:03
Dodgy Esso diesel? - Knockerupper

Filled up fortuneatly only 21Ltr of Esso Diesel from Braunton Service Station Exeter Road Braunton Devon and 15 mile up the road all the energy management system lights came on and I was at a reduced speed. Limped up to the Shell garage Jct 27 M5 and filled tank with super diesel and after about 20 mile engine sorted its self out and all was Ok afterwards. Have complained to Esso and certainly wont be buying their fuel again

Knockerupper

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Mon 9 Jan 2012 20:44
Dodgy Esso diesel? - 206Hdi
I filled up with esso on December 8th in Norwich and I got much lower mpg than normal (approx 15% worse). Ran the tank to empty and refilled at esso again and things are better.

I had the same problem once at texaco and sainsburys so I figure it's just one of those things.
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Mon 9 Jan 2012 22:50
Dodgy Esso diesel? - unthrottled

I'm sure that whatever problem that particular garage may have had in 2009 has been resolved by now!

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