Always use Tesco Diesel & after 30,000 miles have found no problems at all; Octy goes like the clappers, smooth crusing, nice smooth quiet (for a PD) idle when hot. Tried a tank of Shell Ultimate once & it was awful. Perhaps should have tried a couple more tankfulls to allow it to clear out the gunk.

IIRC Skoda, pulled in some (all??) PDF motor,s such as my Octy vRS a couple of years back to rectify the over cautious PDF warning system. It involved fitting a new sensor & revised engine map

Funnily enough the Furbie vRS loves Shell ultimate

Is there such a thing as Shell Ultimate?

I thought it was BP Ultimate?

Is the Shell V-Power Diesel the same as BP's Ultimate?

I appreciate the petrol equivalents often have a higher octane, but what is the difference between standard and Ultimate / V-Power diesel?

I didn't think the 1.9 had a DPF....

Sorry, hadn't noticed that reply. Here in Germany all Diesels since about 2007 have DPFs.....

Shell has V-Power diesel, not used that and dont believe the hype. What I used in mine which the car hated was Shell Fuelsave diesel which is now their standard for diesel.

Which confirms one of two things.

1) This particular Shell station is making next to no profit on their fuel.

2) It's the same or very similar fuel at both locations, except Sainsbury's are happy to make less margin on fuel as it encourages customers in to their store.

I know which one my money is on.

Or

3) The Shell station makes no margin on fuel and hopes to make it on chocolate, ciggies and red bull.

I'll say it again, I've yet to see any hard evidence to suggest that there is a jot of difference between supermarket and branded fuel except the price.

Go ask a tanker driver when you see one delivering

They all use the same base fuel, often from the same refinery, then as delivery happens they add different mixes of the additives to the delivery for each 'brand'/supermarket

There is a big difference between the supermarket and premium fuels, The kind of difference you wont see till you lift the cylinderhead after 100k miles, but it's there alright

In my recently bought 07 vRS I'm using standard Shell diesel and all appears to be OK, is there any real benefit from using the V-Power version?

In my recently bought 07 vRS I'm using standard Shell diesel and all appears to be OK, is there any real benefit from using the V-Power version?

That is the big question, so far there's no definitive answer. Until someone tests these fuels in a scientifically valid way there's no way to know.

I've only been using the black pump for a couple of years and fill wherever is convenient and don't use the premium diesels. I've noticed no difference between supermarket and non-supermarket fuel but have no evidence either way.

What always surprises me on this topic (and it's one that seems to crop up every 6 months or so on a range of forum) is that there are some people who won't accept that EN509 is a minimum standard and that any retailer can add whatever they like to the mix (so long as the resultant product still meets all of EN509).

With this in mind I think it's beyond question that it's possible to add a secret blend of herbs and spices to'normal' diesel that will have an effect on the way it burns and so make a difference.

Personally I'm not convinced there's enough difference to justify the cost, other people think different and who am I to say they're wrong.

Go ask a tanker driver when you see one delivering

They all use the same base fuel, often from the same refinery, then as delivery happens they add different mixes of the additives to the delivery for each 'brand'/supermarket

There is a big difference between the supermarket and premium fuels, The kind of difference you wont see till you lift the cylinderhead after 100k miles, but it's there alright

Exactly!!

It amazes me how people go on about how all the fuel comes from the same refinery and thus assumes every truck has the exact same liquids in it?! It is like seeing all the shoppers coming out of a Tesco store and assuming they all have exactly the same shopping in their trollies down to the last jar of Marmite. What a daft idea. These tankers have computer controlled deliveries at the refineries. Each gets filled with exactly the same base fuel granted, but the additives are unique to each brand. All those tanks and pipes you see at a refinery don't have the same things in them and they sure don't all get mixed into every truck.

V-Power 5p off per litre of Diesel or Petrol this Friday at Shell

http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/promotions/

http://www-static.shell.com/static/gbr/downloads/products_services/participating_sites_list.pdf

Edited 9 November, 201015 yr by sneeks

V-Power 5p off per litre of Diesel or Petrol this Friday at Shell

http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/promotions/

http://www-static.shell.com/static/gbr/downloads/products_services/participating_sites_list.pdf

Thanks for the info ...

Might be worth a punt if the tank is empty enough on Friday so that a comparison can be made.

Hey all

I realise this is a very old thread but its very relevant to me. - They do say search before posting :p

I own a 60 plate Octavia DSG VRS CR170 and have had it since August 2012.

Ive always used Morrisons Fuel ...... Until yesterday.

I was in Oxford (Live in Bradford) and needed Diesel to get home so i stopped at a BP Filling Station and Purchased 30 litres of Standard Diesel.

About 60 miles home i noticed my VRS was pulling much quicker overtaking (70mph to 90mph), mentioned it to my mate with me, he agreed then i thought nothing more of it.

Ive been to work and back today in the VRS and its a different beast alltogether. Seriously its pulling far more all the way through the gears from standstill - so far as to say i can feel the seat pushing my back!!!

Now im struggling to believe this as i have tried different fuels in my previous cars (06 Mondeo ST TDCi, 05 Mondeo Ghia TDCi) and NEVER noticed any difference as others have noted in this thread.

Are the newer engines 'tested and run in' at the factory and as such maybe tuned to standard spec on certain fuels? Do they react differently to the levels of addidives people mention in this post?

Im at a loss as to why, all i know is im amazed at the difference in my car between setting off to Oxford yesterday (on Morrisons Fuel) to going to work today on the BP Standard Diesel.

Im sure as hell going to keep using BP instead of Morrisons (its currently 4p a litre more than Morrisons), but for the performance gain im seeing and also better mpg i really hope it continues.

Need to drive her more steady now lol.

Matt

Probably due to a difference in the cetane number. Google for "Effects of cetane number".

The difference in non premium fuels is entirely down to the quality of the additive package. Supermarket fuels may have additives but they are likely to be the cheaper less effective ones.

The premium fuels tend to be lighter fractions with more oxygenates and the best additive package.

The only additive that is added at the refinery is the lubricity additive for diesel fuel, the others are added to the tanker prior to filling.

The company I worked for ran many field test vehicles to assess new additive packages, and a have seen first hand their effectiveness when the engines are stripped down.

Or stick with supermarket fuel and add a dose of Millers?

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pv-67611-millers-oils-diesel-power-ecomax-fuel-treatment-500ml.aspx?utm_source=ProductSearch&utm_medium=GoogleBase&utm_campaign=GoogleBase_ProductsFeed&utm_content=67611

In my recently bought 07 vRS I'm using standard Shell diesel and all appears to be OK, is there any real benefit from using the V-Power version?

Personally I avoid paying a premium for standard diesel - so hardly ever put more than a few quid of standard shell in.

I used to always use super in my TFSi - because it needed it, and used to always use Tesco as it had the joint highest Ron content (which is what makes super unleaded 'super') at 99*

Diesel? I'm less convinced. I've mainly run my vRS on Tesco derv although I do run a tank or two of vpower through from time to time. My guy feel is that the v power feels more responsive (maybe placebo effect) and although the last tank showed much better mpg, I think part of that was the type of driving I did on that tank.

* some years ago at a garage in Maidstone I was nearly out of fuel and saw that BP 102 Ron. Since te tank was near empty and I wouldn't probably had another chance to run pure (I.e. not diluted woththeremains in the tank of te old stuff) 102 so I put about 1/4 of a tank in to give it a pop and that DID give noticeable results. I never went back though, basically due to the price - £2.55 a litre..... In c2008!!!!!!!

I have read this post with interest; there is some interesting information. Its like usual forum stuff, a game of tennis, the ball gets batted backwards and forwards.

The point is, its got nothing to do with fuel. When Rudolf Diesel first demonstrated his compression ignition engine - he ran it on peanut oil, that's why he developed it, to run on cheap easily available fuel. Any diesel car in the UK should be able to run on any refined (and expensive) fuel available.

Its not the fuel, its half baked technology - the Diesel Particulate Filter. The manufacturers have been forced to comply with regulations and have come up with a solution that does not fully work. The marketeers, have "shot the engineers" - get it into the show room, we need to start making money "but its not ready" cry the Engineers. "Tough", respond sales and marketing - and the poor punter picks up the bill.

A diesel vehicle, fit for purpose, should run on any fuel, drive any distance - the school to pick up the kids, or a drive to Inverness on holiday. That's what its for, and any comment to the contrary is just an excuse, a con trick to get round something that does not work. And its no good Bill saying "well I haven't had a problem" and then Fred say "well I've had plenty of problems and its cost me a fortune"

DPF's don't work. The evidence is clear from ALL the manufacturers. Mazda owners have formed an action group to bring a class action against Mazda and they are ANGRY.

It seems that all manufacturers are selling us duff products that have not been fully developed, or are of poor quality, and it costs us the user of these products lots of money.

The Skoda Octavia is no exception. It has three main poor quality design faults, which cost a fortune to fix.

1) The AC compressor fails early. Why? Its a stupid design. Instead of a mechanical clutch which decouples the compressor when not in use ie all Winter and sometimes in Summer, (like all previous systems), its permanently driven and so its no wonder the bearings and internal shaft breaks/wear after 75,000 miles instead of 200,000 miles. ( ... but it makes a few bucks in spare parts bin)

2) The Duel Mass Flywheel is a weak poor design. That's why they fail and people have to replace them with old fashioned solid flywheels. A case of a problem that did not need fixing, and when it was, fixed with a sub-standard weak design. Other manufactures also have DMF's but they are adequate designs and rarely fails ie BMW - but of course these cars cost more.

3) Then we have the DPF issue. A half baked solution that does not work. They should have stopped selling new diesel cars (post 2007) until they sorted it out.

The Skoda Octavia is generally a decent car (apart from the above) but there are a lot of corners that have been cut in the quality of parts, that's why they fail, but if not too expensive can be swallowed.

I have had three diesels, but this will be the last one until they sort out the technology. So I will be returning to petrol.

However I would agree with you, I never put supermarket fuel in my car unless absolutely necessary, I always use shell wherever possible

Ditto!!

I was in my truck on friday putting in 400 lts of diesel..........in a shell garage when a texaco tanker pulled by a plain white unit with dhl on it connected to the pumps to dicharge his load.

so as i already thought..... they all use the same diesel this come straight from the tanker drivers mouth

he said the supermarket and big boys all fill from the same points at the refinerys

DPFs seem to be an issue if you idle a lot or if you do short journeys.

In another life I have use of a nissan navara and it spends a fair bit of its time parked up on tick over.

Once a month as a minimum we need to take it down the motroway for 20mins at highish RPMs otherwise at an inconvenient moment it goes into safe mode and we get about 1000 rpm to limp home with.

Be interesting to see what happens as the percentage of bio in the diesel increases

Edited 12 January, 201313 yr by the chemist

Tony you are right, all different Fuel Stations have their fuel delivered by any branded name Tanker. We have delivered to various refinerys amd watched different branded names fill at the same loading point. I asked a Driver in the canteen and he answered by saying all the fuel is the same, but different additives are added for the brand at the same time as filling. He also told me one to avoid and the one that was the best, I think we all know which that one is. PS I never use the other one

Ive had two VAG cars with DPFs, one PD one CR. Did 27k in the PD, 50k in the CR and neither one gave me any DPF problems. Filled both cars with alsorts of diesel too. Do gather there was more of a general compatibility problem with DPFs being mated to PD fueled engines though.

I have to say problems are more down to driving behaviour than whether you fill with supermarket or branded fuel IMO.

If you buy a DPF equipped car to just pootle to the shops and back you are asking for trouble, less so in a CR engined car but still not a great thing to do. If you do reasonable miles a year with some longer runs it should be fine.

Ive had two VAG cars with DPFs, one PD one CR. Did 27k in the PD, 50k in the CR and neither one gave me any DPF problems. Filled both cars with alsorts of diesel too. Do gather there was more of a general compatibility problem with DPFs being mated to PD fueled engines though.

I have to say problems are more down to driving behaviour than whether you fill with supermarket or branded fuel IMO.

If you buy a DPF equipped car to just pootle to the shops and back you are asking for trouble, less so in a CR engined car but still not a great thing to do. If you do reasonable miles a year with some longer runs it should be fine.

Yes but why? Isn't this the tail wagging the dog? You should be able to drive any distance and use any fuel. They don't market any modern diesel as a long distance vehicle!

Its just an excuse to get round duff design solutions. Up until the last few years, diesels had no problems. They were tough, economical vehicles capable of huge mileage that's why taxis used them. They say you could run 80's era (W123) Mercedes diesels on lard.

Then in the late 20's they introduced DPF's and DMF's and suddenly we have lots of problems - and people having to modify there own cars (at there expense) to make them run properly - like removing the DPF and replacing the DMF with an old fashioned solid one - and having spoken to people with a DMF solid replacement, they say have noticed no difference in operation.

Never had DPF issues myself, but I have travelled 23k in less than a year with no issues. I use Sainsburys fuel most of the time too.

one year to go and mine is out of warranty so out comes the dpf plus a remap think I was quoted 232 bhp,my wife drives mine all nipping here and there the fuel is supermarket and is about 35 to 42 about town but her new citigo is here soon so ile have my vrs back and my commute mon to fri is 15 mile all a roads and very quiet at 5.00am so fuel mpg should go up