Fabia VRS - Petrol grade for business mileage

[TeebsVRS]

I admit, put this in the First World problems league, but I have a potential issue in the very near future regarding business mileage.

I'm currently field based, working for a major food retailer which also has its own petrol stations. I claim my fuel costs at a set rate per mile, as I use my own private vehicle for my travel which is approx 12k per year business mileage. Up until now they have accepted any VAT fuel receipt with my claim, which I get back as cash in hand.
After a draconian, knee jerk review of expenses it now seems they may only accept mileage claims if their own brand petrol is purchased, which does make business sense on the one hand, as it increases revenue at the pumps if all the field team do this.

The issue is the car is the 180bhp VAG 1.4TSI engine which is 98ron recommended, and I have only ever used super unleaded in it. Admittedly it is 95ron minimum, but have heard many reports of rough running, reduced MPG and general potential for engine unhealthiness, probably exarcebated as it probably won't be the greatest of 95ron petrols being a supermarket offering.

There's every chance this won't be enforced strongly, but if it is I'm wondering where I stand. I'm a bit precious about my cars and keeping them running well, especially now it's out of warranty and there's some seriously complex tech in this motor which would be astronomically high to fix. If they do enforce it and refuse to pay out unless offered an own brand fuel receipt, where do I stand? Perhaps an official manufacturer document stating the use of 98ron fuel? Play it sly and submit other receipts from family members filling up at the own brand pumps? Just stick 95ron in and have a crap running car? 

[faradaycage]

I admit, put this in the First World problems league, but I have a potential issue in the very near future regarding business mileage.

I'm currently field based, working for a major food retailer which also has its own petrol stations. I claim my fuel costs at a set rate per mile, as I use my own private vehicle for my travel which is approx 12k per year business mileage. Up until now they have accepted any VAT fuel receipt with my claim, which I get back as cash in hand.

After a draconian, knee jerk review of expenses it now seems they may only accept mileage claims if their own brand petrol is purchased, which does make business sense on the one hand, as it increases revenue at the pumps if all the field team do this.

The issue is the car is the 180bhp VAG 1.4TSI engine which is 98ron recommended, and I have only ever used super unleaded in it. Admittedly it is 95ron minimum, but have heard many reports of rough running, reduced MPG and general potential for engine unhealthiness, probably exarcebated as it probably won't be the greatest of 95ron petrols being a supermarket offering.

There's every chance this won't be enforced strongly, but if it is I'm wondering where I stand. I'm a bit precious about my cars and keeping them running well, especially now it's out of warranty and there's some seriously complex tech in this motor which would be astronomically high to fix. If they do enforce it and refuse to pay out unless offered an own brand fuel receipt, where do I stand? Perhaps an official manufacturer document stating the use of 98ron fuel? Play it sly and submit other receipts from family members filling up at the own brand pumps? Just stick 95ron in and have a crap running car? 

I'd be more concerned with your oil servicing regime given your potential high running speeds and load on the engine.

[Rooted]

Morrisons, Sainsburys or Asdas 95 ron Unleaded will not kill it.

 

You do not have to use 98 ron, and nobody sells 98 ron anyway.

Sainsburys Super Unleaded is 97 ron. 

Tesco Momentum 99 is 99 ron

 

PS

Faradaycage,

What high running speeds and loads, does everyone not adhere to NSL's when in the UK.?

& there licence is essential for their employment.

Edited 15 April, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[TeebsVRS]

Morrisons, Sainsburys or Asdas 95 ron Unleaded will not kill it.

 

You do not have to use 98 ron, and nobody sells 98 ron anyway.

Sainsburys Super Unleaded is 97 ron. 

Tesco Momentum 99 is 99 ron

 

PS

Faradaycage,

What high running speeds and loads, does everyone not adhere to NSL's when in the UK.?

I thought you might have some sympathy George?

 

I know it won't kill it, but I think everyone on this forum agrees that higher octane is the ideal fuel for this engine, as suggested by the manufacturers own recommendation. Why should I compromise over a penny pinching policy change?

[Rooted]

The good stuff is Ideal for cold starting and short cold journeys,

 but you will need to watch the spark plugs if running 95 doing that type of driving.

 

& ideal for Spirited driving, but fill up with the good stuff with your own money for that maybe.

Edited 15 April, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[sharkrider]

I have a solution...., put the cheap fuel in , and buy some octane booster, and add it to your tank that way you fuel as your company directs, and have octane that your engine requires

[sharkrider]

what do you do with the mx-5 ? I have a 1993 NA, and it will run on 95, but seems to struggle with lumpy/low idle when warm, on super it runs much better (no change in power, just feels happier!)

[faradaycage]

Morrisons, Sainsburys or Asdas 95 ron Unleaded will not kill it.

 

You do not have to use 98 ron, and nobody sells 98 ron anyway.

Sainsburys Super Unleaded is 97 ron. 

Tesco Momentum 99 is 99 ron

 

PS

Faradaycage,

What high running speeds and loads, does everyone not adhere to NSL's when in the UK.?

& there licence is essential for their employment.

:think: ........................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......................................................

[Rooted]

I would rather run just 95 ron supermarket fuel,  

than Supermarket Fuel & Octane Booster in a Twincharger.

[sharkrider]

why's that ? (I dont know much about octane boosters, but if it does what it says on the packet, its surely a perfect solution?) do they not work ?

[Rooted]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zKxJfXfD6mg

Edited 15 April, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[faradaycage]

Morrisons, Sainsburys or Asdas 95 ron Unleaded will not kill it.

 

You do not have to use 98 ron, and nobody sells 98 ron anyway.

Sainsburys Super Unleaded is 97 ron. 

Tesco Momentum 99 is 99 ron

 

PS

Faradaycage,

What high running speeds and loads, does everyone not adhere to NSL's when in the UK.?

& there licence is essential for their employment.

I drive a 1.4 Roomster...........just reaching the NS limit would be a miracle in itself.

[Rooted]

There is a Solution to help there.      Cheap extra speed.    Fold the Rear seats flat.

[TeebsVRS]

what do you do with the mx-5 ? I have a 1993 NA, and it will run on 95, but seems to struggle with lumpy/low idle when warm, on super it runs much better (no change in power, just feels happier!)

 

I stick anything in the MX5 as it's much older and so unstressed an old 1.8 motor.

 

Faradaycage - How oddly antagonistic, presume humour? Trust me when I'm on work runs I am 65mph all the way going for max mpg!

[faradaycage]

I stick anything in the MX5 as it's much older and so unstressed an old 1.8 motor.

 

Faradaycage - How oddly antagonistic, presume humour? Trust me when I'm on work runs I am 65mph all the way going for max mpg!

I'm the same..lol. Long gone are my "youff-ful yearnings" for speed,my eyes are permanently glued to the fuel averages on the trip computer these days.No offence intended Teebs

[sharkrider]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zKxJfXfD6mg

interesting ( and I DO like the old 5th gear tests) buts its a very old vid, and tech has moved on ,,,,, the old k-series didn't require super fuel, and its still relevent that cars that dont, DONT get any improvement, (swmbo's citigo doesn't have ANY difference run on super OR standard, not with fuel economy , or power.... BUT it wasn't designed around super fuel.,....

 

the vRS IS ...... so I would think the octane boosters WOULD have a difference on a 1.4 twincharger

 

have you not got the 5th gear super fuel test of the similar vein? they found super unleaded irrelevent in a "stndard" engine (k-series) BUT it gave many horses more in the mitusbishi evo engine ect (designed for hiher octane fuel) ...

[faradaycage]

There is a Solution to help there.      Cheap extra speed.    Fold the Rear seats flat.

Lol,I'm too busy trying to shovel enough coal into the firebox. :p

[faradaycage]

Lol,I'm too busy trying to shovel enough coal into the firebox. :p

 

I stick anything in the MX5 as it's much older and so unstressed an old 1.8 motor.

 

Faradaycage - How oddly antagonistic, presume humour? Trust me when I'm on work runs I am 65mph all the way going for max mpg!

Oh wait a mo'...you mean the little yellow emote with the finger that ended my reply post to Goneoffski? ? if so.. its the one that means "Wait".....not the one that means I'm flicking someone the middle finger......

Edited 15 April, 2015 by faradaycage

[Rooted]

Octane booster does not make 95 RON become 99 ron fuel.

 

If an employer says you must use the Product their Establishments sell then unless you can persuade them otherwise not much you can do.

 

99 Ron Super unleaded from  Tesco costs 5 pence a litre more than Supermarket Unleaded. so 40 Litres is an Extra £2.00

if you get 2 mile per gallon extra on the 99 ron doing 65 mph lots of the time, the £2 extra is covered, 

[xman]

I have a solution...., put the cheap fuel in , and buy some octane booster, and add it to your tank that way you fuel as your company directs, and have octane that your engine requires

BEWARE! As I found out the hard way, it turns out a lot if not all octane boosters (I used Millers Ecomax petrol) use MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl) as the octane boosting agent. It coats your plugs and combustion chambers with bright red manganese oxide, can poison or bias lambda probes, can block cats. Read below!

http://www.meca.org/galleries/files/Schindler.pdf

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylcyclopentadienyl_manganese_tricarbonyl

Edited 15 April, 2015 by xman

[Ally_bassman]

Tricky situation!

 

You should try and talk it out with your employers.

 

I personally wouldn't be happy running it constantly on 95 ron fuel.

 

Too many threads on here with people complaining of rough running only to find out they were running it on 95 ron fuel exclusively.

 

Anyway you could afford half and half?

[wja96]

My (limited) understanding is that the car will run perfectly happily on 95RON but it won't make the full 180PS. The ECU simply adjusts to the fuel you are running and the rough running will subside once the ECU has adjusted. This will typically be 1-2 tanks of fuel to adjust fully (or reset the ECU and it will adjust pretty much immediately). Swapping grades of fuel will not allow the ECU to settle down so it will give prolonged rough-running.

On the subject of the OP's posting, I was fairly sure it was illegal to operate a "truck" system in the UK. Whether forcing you to buy fuel from their fuel stations for business expenses qualifies as a truck system I wouldn't like to say, but it does sound like one.

For the uninitiated, a truck system was one where a factory owner would run their own shop and instead of paying employees in cash, they would issue vouchers you could only use in their shop, so they kept the wages in-house.

[Nathanio]

Does your supermarket not sell super unleaded? Would that not be the logical choice then? Not sure if your original post intimates that it in fact doesn't?

[xman]

Round where I live, Sainsburys have expensive 97ron not quite good enough to trigger the 98ron mapping. Our tescos,morrisons and asda only have the basic stuff. Only shell have the better stuff but its a 7 mile drive out of the way as well as being stupidly expensive.

Edited 16 April, 2015 by xman

[Rooted]

Are you sure the Sainsbury Super Unleaded 97 RON is Expensive,  it is usually the same price as  Shell , BP or Esso 95 RON Unleaded.

 

http://petrolprices.com

 

The issue is not that the car will run on 95 ron, or making 180 ps Minimum which in the UK they will,

Because we are not exactly at Altitude or having Extremes or Weather,

It is the experience of Some Drivers using 95 RON with 1.4 TSI / TFSI 132-136 kw 2009-2014 & Rough Idle and start up,

& the shortened life of the Spark Plugs.

 

But as said in posts the car will run on 95 ron, because all EU Type Approved Engines need to.

Nobody said sadly they had to run very well.