Supermarket diesel V main brand diesel

[Lab_man]

Just read a similar topic for petrol, does anyone have any comments on the diesel. Have always used sainsburys & no problems but just wondering if buying for e.g Shell diesel at a highr price will produce more mpg hence cheaper price in the long run.

Thanks in advance.

[abarth_1200]

Also interested in this subject

[silver1011]

A subject that has been covered a lot on this forum.

I don't think we'll ever really know for sure if there is a difference between supermarket / branded fuel.

There are people on here who are adamant there is and others who are sure there isn't.

We've had comments from refinery workers, tanker drivers and petrol station workers and I'm still none the wiser!

Goes to the kitchen for popcorn...

[gadgetman]

My experience is every car likes different fuel. Even several of the same car you'll find some seem better on some fuels than others.

Being a company car driver (40k+ a year) the Mondeo preferred sainsburys derv, the Sharan isn't fussy as long as its NOT shell which it runs like a bag of nails on.

The Octavia (2.0fsi) is run on whatever is cheapest locally (petrolprices.com emails). Waitrose, Sainsburys or BP usually. Runs well on all of these.

Performance fuels will give a sportier feel but usually at the expense of cost and mpg.

[Lab_man]

Sorry should have said 2.0 Vrs

[mr_awol]

I used to avoid supermarkets, but since getting the VRS almost always use Tesco as it is the only one nearby with 99 Ron (don't have a shell for about thirty miles but previously used optimal where possible otherwise BP ultimate)

One thing that could be important (and may advocate supermarkets) comes from a problem I had at one local Tesco:

The pumps at his garage always seemed to run slow at first. I just assumed it was the pump getting going, and it would normally clear after a couple of quid had gone through. Anyway, one day I pulled in, as the reserve light had just gone on. I started filling but it just kept on going slowly. It took ages to get to even £5 so I gave up and went to pay. As I was passing the drivers door, something in the back of my mind made me put the key into the ignition to check the fuel gauge - the light went on which said to me that I mustn't have got any fuel.

I'll cut the long story about being forced to lay and being patronised by an obnoxious manageress about how "£5 doesn't go very far these days" but in the end after two pump tests they confirmed that the pump had under delivered on the second test, so I got a refund for the £5 or so that I probably never got.

The interesting bit is that the reason I was eventually given once they'd had an engineer out, was that because they dont sell much super unleaded there (the store is in Dover, which is not exactly an affluent area) this affects the fuel in the system. I can't remember whether they said it hicks ed, clogged, got a skin on it or whatever, but essentially it was enough to stop the pump dispensing properly. Firstly, if it clogs a pump what the hell is it doing to my engine, and secondly, how many times have I or other customers been undersold fuel during those first few litres where the pump goes slowly?!?

So - perhaps it is just as important to go to a 'busy' petrol station as it is to choose a particular brand. If so, the. The supermarkets might be better than a small Shell, BP, etc?

For the record, my order of preference used to be:

Shell

BP

Tesco

ESSO

Sainsburys

Run out of petrol and push the car home

Jet

Q8

Murco

[Stormchaser]

Mine likes Shell but hates the rest.I don,t use Supermarket fuel as i used to get very bad mpg and performance.

[FUBAR]

I am lucky I use Shell as it is cheaper than the rest locally to me and even Shell V-Power is cheaper than most super market fuel in UK at moment so I cash in. Also when international fuel prices drop a little the price is reflected in the pumps so it does rise or fall accordingly unlike the profiteering thieves in UK. I am not looking forward to going back to UK in that respect.

[stu220]

My VRS always had Vpower and most of the time I sued the same Shell garage, which was on an A road and always busy. However like mr_awol I had similar slow pump issues at small stations. Stale fuel anyone!!!!!

Sadly the year old petrol Vrs has gone after 22000 trouble free and happy miles and a Black Diesel one sits in its place. I will probably still use Shell as round my way they are the cheapest.

[Neily03]

I've ran mine on Tesco and Shell Diesel at various times (yes I read the thread title unlike some people) and experienced no measurable difference in either economy, performance or smoothness.

[Guest]

I used V-power diesel in my old CR mainly. It seemed to perform better than normal diesel and I could never tell the difference between any of the normal diesels, supermarket or Shell etc

[Auric Goldfinger]

Mine runs on BP's Expensive Diesel.

[Darwin555]

All I'm going to say is that I have a local Tesco that does grocery deliveries, they also have a filling station, yet you never see the Tesco delivery trucks filling up in Tesco, they always fill up in the BP about half a mile away.

That alone speaks volumes about what Tesco think about their diesel!

[FUBAR]

My VRS always had Vpower and most of the time I sued the same Shell garage,

What did they do to you?

[gadgetman]

All I'm going to say is that I have a local Tesco that does grocery deliveries, they also have a filling station, yet you never see the Tesco delivery trucks filling up in Tesco, they always fill up in the BP about half a mile away.

That alone speaks volumes about what Tesco think about their diesel!

Most tesco's where I've seen the home del yard seem to have their own pumps installed. I have seen others using their own forecourts.

Cant imaging Tesco being happy paying BP prices, unless the drivers stop there for other reasons like grabbing a sandwich/coffee?

[MRFIXIT]

I tend to stick to two now just shell and texaco but since using texaco I have noticed exhaust tip have become cleaner.(scratch head!) but have to admit been to supermarket outlets but only on the dregs in the tank only to put a fiver to get me to a shell . A lot can be psychological in my mind but used to run a 13 yr old 306 on shell and redex diesel and found mot soot test result come down by half over three years even my mechanic said it didn't sound like a John deer tractor like most do or smoke like an old chuffer. Each to their own but should put a poll on to see if the big two are winners. (BP , SHELL)

Edited 13 May, 2012 by MRFIXIT

[Darwin555]

Most tesco's where I've seen the home del yard seem to have their own pumps installed. I have seen others using their own forecourts.

Cant imaging Tesco being happy paying BP prices, unless the drivers stop there for other reasons like grabbing a sandwich/coffee?

Definitely not just a sandwich and a coffee when the fuel pump is going into the diesel fill hole. lol.

As for the difference in price, where we are there is very little difference. In fact when I drove down to Englandshire last week, the price of motorway service station fuel was a penny cheaper than an ordinary forecourt here. :(

I obviously can't completely condemn Tesco, as I can only state the one where I live does this.

[mr_awol]

Sadly the year old petrol Vrs has gone after 22000 trouble free and happy miles and a Black Diesel one sits in its place.

How are you finding it? I'm almost certainly about to make a similar change

(yes I read the thread title unlike some people)

Shame you didn't read the posts as well or you might have been able to understand te relevance. Too many words perhaps........

[skippy41]

This is SWMBOs Superb running on Adas best diesel, check out the mileage how much is left in tank and the fuel gauge

Edited 14 May, 2012 by skippy41

[skippy41]

And here is mine run solely on Asda diesel

[Thegooner84]

Mines has been run on a mix of shell normal and tescos diesel. Has also has a few tanks of vpower derv through it and couldnt tell the difference.

However a mate borrowed it and but £30 of morrisons diesel and it stank like hell and didnt feel like it was running right.

Now ive always stayed as far away from morrisons as possible since i tried running my civic on it. Ran like it wss fueled on spanners, stank of eggs and i could have probably pushed it faster. But mate wasnt to know she normally just give me the money as she knew i was fussy with the bora as it was mapped for. Vpower

Does anyobe know if once mapped you notice a difference between normal diesel and super?

[Grizzle]

Its just the detergents in the branded fuels compared to the likes of Asda/Tesco/Sainsburys

If the price concerns you that much buy a bottle of millers at £12 it treats 10x50 litre tanks

[Golf-Fiend]

Its just the detergents in the branded fuels compared to the likes of Asda/Tesco/Sainsburys

Yes, the base stock is pretty much identical. The difference is the additives/cleaners/detergents they add as a pack at delivery. Think of it as cleaning your oven - which is going to give you the best result for the least amount of work? A branded one such as Mr Muscle SooperDooperOvenSparkleJollop OR Supermarket Basic Oven cleaner? Both will do the same. One will do a better job than the other due to the quality of the ingredients etc.

I use Esso. There is a 1p difference per litre to Sainsburys down the road. There is also a long queue of cars at Sainsburys down the road. I can drive straight into Esso and think 55p is a price well worth paying if it saves me 10 mins waiting to fill a tank. I'll probably get more than 55p worth of miles out of the Esso too.

[cheezemonkhai]

As per usual, my responce is

EN590 - All diesel vehicles have to work on it.