Hello everyone, I usually avoid supermarket fuel for my Furby, however that changed today. My usual filling station (BP) was charging - wait for this- 96p a litre for their top quality fuel, and 93 for the other sort. My local tesco just round the corner has diesel at 91.5p. So that is where i went.

My question is this.....Is there really a difference between supermarket fuel and "proper" garage fuel or is it just an urban myth?

And, if the supermarket fuel is inferior, how come the tesco garage had a "total" fuel tanker about to deliver?

Please discuss Briskodians! Thanks.....

Here we go again :repost:

Edit: Sorry!

My question is this.....Is there really a difference between supermarket fuel and "proper" garage fuel or is it just an urban myth?

And' date=' if the supermarket fuel is inferior, how come the tesco garage had a "total" fuel tanker about to deliver?

[/quote']

I have it on pretty good authority that leaving the gantry, all the fuel in the tankers is the same. Some places then put certain additives into the fuel at the forecourt, which is how such things as Optimax and that come about.

I don't think there's any difference for diesel...if there is I've never been able to determine it...

Rob.

Rob, the additives are put in at the refinery when filling the tanker. I used to run a BP site and trust me, you really dont want to be adding stuff while standing on top of a tanker, taking the random dips is bad enough.

BP, Shell, Texaco, Esso and the other 'big' brands all add additives at the refinery to their own tankers, the supermarkets just buy the tanker full from whoever can give it to them cheapest, but they dont add any additives.

Also, avoid filling up when a tanker is delivering. The fuel is put into the tanker hot so it expands. Say I ordered 41,600 litres of fuel (in 6 pots so we could have both UL and DERV if we wanted), that would probably drop into our tanks as about 41,400 and then when it's settled it would come out at about 41,000. BP used to really annoy me doing that as its in effect wasted money. If you fill up just after a tanker, the fuel will still be hot and so will confuse the pump. You may get less than you filled up with.

Any.

Rob, the additives are put in at the refinery when filling the tanker. I used to run a BP site and trust me, you really dont want to be adding stuff while standing on top of a tanker, taking the random dips is bad enough.

What were you doing on top of the tanker??????. Health and safety dictates that members of the public do not get on top of tankers. Also all deliveries are now metered by digital gauges. There are not dip sticks on any of our fleet (Well only us drivers).

Also you state, "Avoid filling up when a tanker is delivering. The fuel is put into the tanker hot so it expands."

????? Confusing statement ???? How does the Derv/ Petrol stay hot during transit from the refinery/depot to the garage?? If it was put on hot, then by the time it arrived to the forecourt it would be cold. I can assure that none of the fleet of tankers are heated in any way.

Various articles in Diesel Car mag which seems to me to know what they are on about always recommend using a known brand, not cheaper supermarket stuff.

Apparently the difference is that the top brands will lubricate the engine better and are better for the injection systems giving more reliability and longer life.

Guy at work has a 320 BMW and always runs it on Tesco to get the points or whatever, the car seems to go crap to me compared with the 2.0 Octy which I generally run on BP. Not the Ultimate stuff though, tried this at one time and couldn't tell any difference in performance or MPG.

Incidentally, biodiesel is said to be good and the Rix site sasy OK for Skoda engines but on the filler flap of my 2.0 TDi Octavia it says not biodiesel. Anybody know whats right or wrong?

Rob' date=' the additives are put in at the refinery when filling the tanker. I used to run a BP site and trust me, you really dont want to be adding stuff while standing on top of a tanker, taking the random dips is bad enough.

What were you doing on top of the tanker??????. Health and safety dictates that members of the public do not get on top of tankers. Also all deliveries are now metered by digital gauges. There are not dip sticks on any of our fleet (Well only us drivers).

Also you state, "Avoid filling up when a tanker is delivering. The fuel is put into the tanker hot so it expands."

????? Confusing statement ???? How does the Derv/ Petrol stay hot during transit from the refinery/depot to the garage?? If it was put on hot, then by the time it arrived to the forecourt it would be cold. I can assure that none of the fleet of tankers are heated in any way.[/quote']

Because the fuel wasnt the amount that was going into tanks quite the amount we were asking for, I had to do the old method of dipsticking random pots with the driver. I was the manager, not a random member of the public, don't worry! I know they are all electronic now but we just had a lot of problems with BP's deliverys that it made it worthwhile doing. Could you imagine 'losing' 500 litres of fuel per tanker? Gets kinda expensive in the long run. I know the tankers aren't heated but the fuel was still hot compared to how it should have been which meant we lost out and then so did the customer as we had to bump our prices up.

Not argueing with you mate, just BP

Incidentally, biodiesel is said to be good and the Rix site sasy OK for Skoda engines but on the filler flap of my 2.0 TDi Octavia it says not biodiesel. Anybody know whats right or wrong?

Back when it was cheaper, I used to use Tesco's 5% biodiesel blend (Global diesel) in my 1.9 TDI. Seemed to run a bit smoother with slightly better economy Shame it's more expensive now

Btw, I've tested Tesco, Shell (Shell extra) and BP in my diesels and can't tell anything between them. Maybe the Tesco we have here gets good fuel

Chris

Incidentally' date=' biodiesel is said to be good and the Rix site sasy OK for Skoda engines but on the filler flap of my 2.0 TDi Octavia it says not biodiesel. Anybody know whats right or wrong?[/quote']

I've been adding 100% biodiesel to my normal diesel for a while now. Gives smoother running and virtually eliminates smoke.

Are you really saying the new diesels can't use biodiesel? That's a retrograde step - VAG diesels have been rated for biodiesel since 1996, and you can't avoid it in France.

Has anyone tried running on Vegetable oil???

Thanks for the responses everybody!

????? Confusing statement ???? How does the Derv/ Petrol stay hot during transit from the refinery/depot to the garage?? If it was put on hot' date=' then by the time it arrived to the forecourt it would be cold. I can assure that none of the fleet of tankers are heated in any way.[/quote']

Pressurised pumping generates heat, upon being in the tanker it cannot expand as there's nowhere to go, so the temperature remains artificially high.

No idea if it's true about the fuel, but from a physics point of view it makes perfect sense.

Physics yes................Fuel?....Well, not really, as all tankers are vented, can you imagine the pressure exerted on the walls of the tank when loading fuel without a pressure valve.

Not seen one explode yet, but saw one implode two weeks ago................"OUCH"

Not mine I have to add.

Richard.....How could you suggest that a driver would short change a garage of 500 litres of fuel.................Heaven forbid...................PMSL several times PMSL

I know your not doubting me, and not taken that way M8, just spent all day working out of BP at Green Lane at Hemel Hempstead........Delivering "FULL" loads...LOL

We never doubted the driver, after all the driver's job was to drive and unload. We used Coryton so maybe that had something to do with it?

I have run the Fabia on a mixture of BP/Shell/Tescos/Morrisons/Safeways fuel and can't tell the difference. I have been using the 5% biodiesel lately and have also noticed that it reduces smoke for some reason, biodiesel I seem to remember is better at lubricating you engine as well (Been discussed to death before).

Physics yes................Fuel?....Well, not really, as all tankers are vented, can you imagine the pressure exerted on the walls of the tank when loading fuel without a pressure valve.

Did say I'd no idea with respect to fuel! Now you mention it, it makes sense that tankers would have a vent to atmosphere

Now looked in the handbook for the 2.0Tdi Octy.

Says biodiesel MUST conform to EN14 214 standard and that the car needs modifying at the factory before using ANY biodiesel. Doesny say if the work can be carried out by a dealer or what is involved.

If there is a sticker on the filler cap, like mine, then it has not been modified for biodiesel use.

I think the main point about cheap fuel is not how the car goes but what it does for long term life and reliability so perhaps we need people who have been running other cars with the same engine to comment.

I think the main point about cheap fuel is not how the car goes but what it does for long term life and reliability so perhaps we need people who have been running other cars with the same engine to comment.

I don't see how the fuel's cost is a factor? I can fill up with Tesco diesel in London and it will cost me more than filling up locally ... does that make the fuel in London better quality?

The main reason supermarket fuel is cheaper is because they can buy it in bigger volumes - how many regular forecourts do you see with 16 pumps? - and the fact they can offset the costs with money from other areas of their business...... They also save money as they don't need to advertise their fuels, unlike others who have to justify why their fuel is the best!

As has been said in the past, it all comes from the same refineries

Chris

TBH petrol and diesel confirms to a BS standard so it had been tested and this mean that it confirms to the minimum requirements as set by British Standards. If the fuel damages the car do you think BS will place a stamp on it ? Beside we are talking about long term damage her not something you or I will see in the life of the car unless you intend not to sell you car for the rest of your natural life which I doubt any of us will do

I used to run a petrol car and certainly noticed a difference with 'Ultimate' and other premium brands.

However, I couldn't say the same for so called superior diesel performance brands.