V-Power Diesel

[aolt]

Hi All,

After having my PD100 for just over 2 months (Love the car even more than the 1.4mpi I had before), I have been using the standard Shell Diesel all the way, and usually getting around 450/500 miles before the fuel light comes on, which I am happy about.

I am wondering whether I would notice any benefits from using the Shell V-Power Diesel instead, even if it is a one tanks worth every couple of months. Does it help with MPG, performance, help clean out the engine?

Any other tips as a fairly new person to Diesels?

Thanks,

Alan.

[InexEng]

Not sure about Shell V-Power Diesel - some say it does improove performance & economy - some say it doesen't

I'm on the fence

But one product I really recommend is Millers Diesel Power Eco Max

it's about £12 for 500ml and this does around 10 tank fills

And for me it's a winner I have always noticed a good improvement in fuel economy and a minute increase in performance

Give it a try

[bill2]

are you sure you are doing the right thing,in the handbook it says do not use any additives in fuel or oil?.

bill

[booke23]

I trailed v power in my Octavia for 2000 miles.

No improvement in calculated economy....in fact slightly worse than fuel save diesel. Not sure about any power increase, if there was an increase it was not enough to be noticable.

However is definitely burned cleaner. The exhaust was much less smokey, especially noticeable at night.

But on balance, not worth the extra cost in my view.

[Benjiman]

Personally, I find the PD130 engine a lot smoother when on V-power, and as Booke, a cleaner burn. Definitely will be running V-power when I come to sell the car (N.B - this is not in the foreseeable future).

[stuart vrs]

i've run mine on v-power and i have noticed a difference in fuel economy, when i fill the tank i do brim it full by using the nipple just inside the filler neck, i can put just under 51 litres in, with miles left in tank stating 60-70.

my last refill, being v-power and i got 520.7 miles to 50.60 litres equals 10.23 multiply by 4.5 = 46.07 mpg average, on good runs to work i could average 60mpg on trip computer, i commute 60 miles a day, i've recently brimmed my tank again putting 50.86 litres, so far half tank and mileage is saying 346 miles with 300 left in tank using tesco diesel. if i could limit my trips to petrol pumps to twice a month, i could save 20 litres a month, i have noticed it is a cleaner burning fuel when opening the throttle. just seeing if the up to 10p difference is worth paying as v-power is slightly dropping in price down to £1.489 per litres in swansea area.

[kyle91]

if its any help, I've tried both V-power and BP ultimate. I'd say if I had to choose, V-power is the best, but every engine/person is different.

I find that both seem to reduce the range, but run the car a hell of a lot smoother. It's probably best to give it a tank of the god stuff once a month or so i reckon.

[Benjiman]

I find that both seem to reduce the range, but run the car a hell of a lot smoother. It's probably best to give it a tank of the god stuff once a month or so i reckon.

I only use about a tank per month

[aolt]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I will give the V-Power a go, and see what happens, no harm in trying really.

[Dunkuk]

If there is a Total near you I recommend their standard diesel, seems noticably better than other brands.

I've been experimenting with a small amount of 2 stroke oil mixed in with the fuel, seems to work, mpg went up a little and noise went down. Not sure about using it long term but it was interesting to try. Lots of people are trying it, and lots of Germans which is usually agood sign!

Millers gets great reviews, I thought about buying some of this as it's the stuff that's in Millers which improves the cetane rating.

http://www.freewebstore.org/Vegetableoildiesel/Vegiboost_cans/p1651760_7736286.aspx

[dcoulter19]

Ive been using it since i bought my fabia. Cant say ive noticed a difference but for the sake of a few pence per litre i dont mind using it.

[booke23]

Ive been using it since i bought my fabia. Cant say ive noticed a difference but for the sake of a few pence per litre i dont mind using it.

It's 10p a Litre more expensive than fuel save diesel around here. A bit too rich for me!

[stuart vrs]

i've just clocked 360 miles in half a tank plus expansion, (say 5 more litres, 27.5 litres) 360 divide 27.5= 13.09 multiply by 4.5= 58.90 mpg on tesco diesel. sometimes if you get alot more miles per gallon its worth the extra miles.

[aolt]

Well 465 miles later with the V-Power diesel in the car, my fuel light has come on. According to the trip computer it is better MPG than my previous tank, by about 5 mpg... but this could be down to a few factors as well such as warmer conditions (Not needing the heater, heated seats, and the car getting up to temperature quicker) and down to the type of journeys I've done.

MPG says 53/54, but I haven't filled the car up yet, so can't do the manual calculation yet. The type of journeys have been 120 miles of Brighton and back (M25/M23/A23), 100 miles of Worthing and back (A24, mainly dual carriageway) and general other driving which has been a mix of town and rural roads. Nothing too unusual in the types of journeys.

Other observations, but this may be a bit of a placebo effect, but the car seems to be running cleaner, and the engine feels slightly smoother too.

The car is a 5 gear, rather than a 6 gear in the vrs too. So probably the vrs is better on mpg in some areas.

Overall verdict, very useful as an experiment, however I believe this isn't enough to be worth the extra cost of the V-Power diesel. I won't stretch my miles out of the tank for too much longer as I have work tomorrow and then going to my grandparents in Worthing for Christmas.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I thought I'd let you know my results.

[Jim H]

The only difference I find is the car is a bit lighter....... in my back pocket!

I'm sure 5th Gear a while ago tested super diesel. I don't think the found a difference compared with standard fuel. I know that Super petrol can make a difference in power compared to normal though.

[stuart vrs]

on previous 2 tank fills, one being v-power and one tesco, v-power on my figures was 43.6 miles better, but its 10p dearer. my commute is 60 miles a day so car gets a good run.

[thePHILosipher]

With my experience on mine ( pd130 Ibiza) I found in standard form there was little difference, once mapped for it, it had a bit more response on the throttle so filled with it everytime, since the new tune, I dont notice the difference as much so only full 1 in 3 times, the 1 time I used supermarket fuel recently it ran like a bag of nails.

Imo run it for a few fills up back to back then find a frequency that works for you, be it not at all, 1 in 2, 1 in 3 etc

Tapatalk on Xperia S

[Guest BigJase88]

Doesnt make a difference on a derv imo

On a turbo / supercharged petrol most performance cars state 98ron anyways so it does make a difference

Not on a soot chucker though

[Money hungry]

The last time I was in the unfortunate position to put V-power in my car, usually by mistake by pulling up at the pump that only has V-power, only to find some **** has pulled up so close behind me its too late to do anything about it, as I pull the trigger and the fuel goes into my tank, I can almost feel Shell feeling my nuts. Its a con. Keeps your fuel pump, fuel lines and injectors a little cleaner but that it. The initial cleaning on older engines is when people usually go "wow, my car goes better on this." Then of course its clean and no longer feels any different.

[DanHam]

I ran my old VFR400 on a tank of v-power petrol as I was told it would be good for it.

Soon as I started it I could feel a difference, it was slower, idled rough and generally just didn't really want to rev.

Not the first time I've noticed that with the V-Power stuff.

[robbieh]

Fifth Gear did do a test on performance diesel fuels using a Citroen C5 HDi. The test showed that they both gave about 6bhp gains on the V-power and BP Optimax. Go to YouTube and look for 'Fifth Gear Diesel Test'.

6bhp for a few pence per litre...I ONLY use V-Power diesel in my VRS. :-)

Hope this helps.

[spud31]

^{Right my tuned pd130 spanish fabia runs so much better on either v power diesel or Bp ultimate.}

^{On BP ultimate i get around another 5 mpg, much less smoke too. Bp ultimate smells different when you fill the car too far less oiley}

^{Intrestingly i have a customer who workes for Delphi Diesel in there devlopment department and BP ultimate is used as there test fuel as its the best, highest centane rating and far less impurities.}

[Benjiman]

The last time I was in the unfortunate position to put V-power in my car, usually by mistake by pulling up at the pump that only has V-power, only to find some **** has pulled up so close behind me its too late to do anything about it, as I pull the trigger and the fuel goes into my tank, I can almost feel Shell feeling my nuts. Its a con. Keeps your fuel pump, fuel lines and injectors a little cleaner but that it. The initial cleaning on older engines is when people usually go "wow, my car goes better on this." Then of course its clean and no longer feels any different.

After running mine for about 4 months exclusively on V-power, I put normal derv back in.

I thought something broke on my car.