Pros and Cons of Premium Fuel

[dobbey]

Which leads me to believe that it was probably originally designed (CR and ignition timing) to run on 97 or 99 RON, where "normal unleaded" is 95RON.

Nope, it was designed to run on diesel

[Ootohere]

Are you saying the engine you talk about in post #11 that has a carb and dizzy runs on diesel?

[KenONeill]

I only use V Power in my daily as it runs remarkably better with improved economy. It doesn't have any fuel sensors or maps either, just a carb and a dizzy.

All the moderns get whatever's cheapest as I simply don't care

 

 

Nope, it was designed to run on diesel

Which makes it unique; the only known diesel to use Kettering arc for ignition!

[BATVANVRS]

When I first got the vRS I had used normal petrol, then I used Tesco Momentum & now I always try to use shell V-power, the difference I found between them all is: on normal petrol the vRS seemed to feel & run lumpy, quite hesitant etc so never went back to using normal petrol, Tesco Momentum was great for performance but I seem to be down on 40-50 miles per full tank but was great for responsiveness, now I use shell V-power which I find is great for performance, responsiveness & most of all the vRS does not hold back in-terms of feeling lumpy compared to the normal petrol & overall mpg on the shell V-power is better to a full tank I find compared to the Tesco Momentum.

 

Tesco Momentum (265-285 full tank)

Shell V-Power (300-325 full tank)

 

I didn't even bother to check what I was getting to a full tank on normal petrol but seeing that I felt the vRS run lumpy & unresponsive in-terms of hesitation etc... I just have no reason to ever try normal petrol again due to my findings but at the end of the day, I find Shell V-power is perfect with a great balance of economy, power & to achieve between 300-325 miles on a vRS 2.0T petrol, I feel is great enough for me with both mixed driving.

 

& if the extra cost at the pumps for v-power is adding better additives to my engine in the long run, then surly that's a good thing, I use to have a astra sportive 1.9se van which was mapped to 186bhp & I always used shell V-power diesel & with mixed driving, I use to achieve between 350-400 miles on a full tank, so with the vRS being a bigger engine & petrol, I find achieving 300-325 miles to a full tank is pretty good & to be honest I could not really care towards the mpg figures in the vRS, I brought a petrol to have some better fun than what I was having in the diesel. For a difference between minimum 25 miles & a maximum of 75 miles full tank (petrol, diesel) I can't put a price on the fun & enjoyment that I get 

[KenONeill]

When I first got the vRS I had used normal petrol, then I used Tesco Momentum & now I always try to use shell V-power, the difference I found between them all is: on normal petrol the vRS seemed to feel & run lumpy, quite hesitant etc so never went back to using normal petrol, Tesco Momentum was great for performance but I seem to be down on 40-50 miles per full tank but was great for responsiveness, now I use shell V-power which I find is great for performance, responsiveness & most of all the vRS does not hold back in-terms of feeling lumpy compared to the normal petrol & overall mpg on the shell V-power is better to a full tank I find compared to the Tesco Momentum.

 

Tesco Momentum (265-285 full tank)

Shell V-Power (300-325 full tank)

 

I didn't even bother to check what I was getting to a full tank on normal petrol but seeing that I felt the vRS run lumpy & unresponsive in-terms of hesitation etc... I just have no reason to ever try normal petrol again due to my findings but at the end of the day, I find Shell V-power is perfect with a great balance of economy, power & to achieve between 300-325 miles on a vRS 2.0T petrol, I feel is great enough for me with both mixed driving.

 

& if the extra cost at the pumps for v-power is adding better additives to my engine in the long run, then surly that's a good thing, I use to have a astra sportive 1.9se van which was mapped to 186bhp & I always used shell V-power diesel & with mixed driving, I use to achieve between 350-400 miles on a full tank, so with the vRS being a bigger engine & petrol, I find achieving 300-325 miles to a full tank is pretty good & to be honest I could not really care towards the mpg figures in the vRS, I brought a petrol to have some better fun than what I was having in the diesel. For a difference between minimum 25 miles & a maximum of 75 miles full tank (petrol, diesel) I can't put a price on the fun & enjoyment that I get 

On your point about "Momentum vs V-Power" petrol, you're not the first person I've met who reports worse mpg on Tesco than on brand name fuel.

 

On your point about diesel, I get similar mph from my Octy (Elegance, so 205/55R16s) to you report from the ashtrayvan, but running normal diesel rather than V-Power, and on roads that utterly kill my mpg (up to 20% worse than I get on holidays).

[Ootohere]

The Brand Name Shell V-Power Nitro + when 99 Ron minimum gives some drivers very much the same MPG as 

the Tesco Momentum 99 which is 99 ron minimum.

 

As to Detergents or Secret Additives, there are those in both fuels, and 'Secret' is as it is with Royal Dutch Shell'.

Many might decide that Additives and Detergents are not what they actually want, 

just run the engine at operating temperature and have it perform as designed and check the internals,

but the Octane is what they want, & to get better than 98 Octane in the UK at affordable costs there is not much other choice.

 

I have some 102 ron Hiperflo 250 left in my fuel tank from yesterday, and lovely stuff it is.

(not running it for the economy, just for the craic, and to see how much better it is with the map to take advantage of it.)

The difference is £26.50 for 25 litres of Momentum

and £69.50 for 25 litres of Hiperflo 250 so £40 more. or £139 a tank rather than £53 currently for Momentum 

or £55.50 for Shell V-power Nitro +.

Edited 4 February, 2016 by GoneOffskiroottoot

[phil5556]

I just came in here to start a thread about Super diesel and DPFS.

Not long after i got my Octy VRS170 PD it was noticeably regenning the DPF a lot, every 100 or fewer miles.

So I put some posh fuel in it, can't remember what but likely BP Ultimate, and also did a 1000 mile round trip. And no more annoying active regens.

I usually run it on super of some kind, with the occasional tank of cheap stuff if it's not available.

12,000 miles later and it's been running great without the excessive regens.

Until last week where it was doing it nearly every journey, and I'd just had it remapped and I'd put in bog standard Esso.

It's now 1/4 of the way through a tank of Ultimate and it's settled back down and not noticeably regenned.

Don't notice any difference in mpg or power but if it keeps the DPF nice and clear then it's worth it. Problem is I don't know if it's just coincidence or if it actually makes a difference.

[Lady Elanore]

My original Imprezas were specced to run on super unleaded. It was a nightmare trying to find it when working up in mid to northern Scotland during the mid 90s (don't suppose it's that much easier now?)

[Ootohere]

If you mean North of Inverness then Super Unleaded is not plentiful but it is manageable, (Also there is the 5 pence Islands and highland Subsidy.)

The North East of Scotland has no lack of Filling Stations with Super Unleaded.

Tesco, Shell, BP, Gulf, Esso, Sainsburys.

 

the West Coast, Oban, Fort William, Corran Ferry to the Top Gear run route (Ardnamurchan Peninsula) is where forward planning is really needed, then for Appelcross, Torridon / Shieldaig driving trip.

and a few extra gallon carried in cans is a good idea.

[Lady Elanore]

If you mean North of Inverness then Super Unleaded is not plentiful but it is manageable, (Also there is the 5 pence Islands and highland Subsidy.)

The North East of Scotland has no lack of Filling Stations with Super Unleaded.

Tesco, Shell, BP, Gulf, Esso, Sainsburys.

 

the West Coast, Oban, Fort William, Corran Ferry to the Top Gear run route (Ardnamurchan Peninsula) is where forward planning is really needed, then for Appelcross, Torridon / Shieldaig driving trip.

and a few extra gallon carried in cans is a good idea.

Funnily enough I was thinking of Inverness, but I am talking about the mid 90s

[bspman]

I just came in here to start a thread about Super diesel and DPFS.

Not long after i got my Octy VRS170 PD it was noticeably regenning the DPF a lot, every 100 or fewer miles.

So I put some posh fuel in it, can't remember what but likely BP Ultimate, and also did a 1000 mile round trip. And no more annoying active regens.

I usually run it on super of some kind, with the occasional tank of cheap stuff if it's not available.

12,000 miles later and it's been running great without the excessive regens.

Until last week where it was doing it nearly every journey, and I'd just had it remapped and I'd put in bog standard Esso.

It's now 1/4 of the way through a tank of Ultimate and it's settled back down and not noticeably regenned.

Don't notice any difference in mpg or power but if it keeps the DPF nice and clear then it's worth it. Problem is I don't know if it's just coincidence or if it actually makes a difference.

 

I've noticed on vpower I get a lot less in the way of sticky vane problems and black smoke out the back.

I would imagine it regens less there's less soot being produced as it's generally burning cleaner.

[hatchy]

Only car I ever noticed a difference using uprated octane fuel on was the V6 mk3 Cavalier I had from 2002 to 2004. Used to run much smoother when I started running it on Shell Optimax. When I knew I was going to get rid I went back to normal fuel on it's last tank and it was like flicking a switch as it went back to running lumpier straight away. The Vectra B GSi I replaced it with didn't make any difference from fuel to fuel. The Vrs TDi I have now I just use morrisons 95 but I do add a 50ml slug of Millers Ecomax with every tank For the DPF).

[Ootohere]

You would need to if you do use Morrisons Unleaded in the Diesel car.

I take it you mean you use Morrisons Diesel.

[LordRaiden84]

This thread has definitely caught my attention. When it comes to Premium vs. Non Premium fuels I am to say the least, rather uneducated on this subject as my previous car was a Fiat Punto 1.2 and just used to fill her up at Tesco on standard juice. Now I have the TDI VRS, I'm still doing the same (I like the points see). However, I did bang some V Power in it as I was cutting it close to the line and was the only instance that I ran it. Did I notice any improvement in actual performance? I'm not so sure but I did manage to max a total of 615 miles with (I think) 15-20 miles supposedly left.

 

I think I need to run it again when I'm next due a fill up and monitor the Mpg. Perhaps I'm being a tit running it on standard Tesco and should consider using a Premium fuel going forward. What's all this talk about additives etc?

 

See, told you I'm uneducated

Edited 11 February, 2016 by LordRaiden84

[mac11irl]

@lordraiden

Every fuel company has a blend of detergents and such that they put in the base fuel to make it their oen, and to the spec they want coming out of the cracking plant.

in essence, diesel is diesel - its a chemical compiund extracted from crude oil at a particular distillation temperature range. The companies then add other things to the fuel to boost power, efficiency or what ever they want you to get out of their fuel.

Edited 11 February, 2016 by mac11irl

[Nels]

I don't know if it's because my engines fully worn in, or if it's used to my spirited driving or because I will only use premium fuel, but it's quick!! And getting quicker. I know it's not a performance engine, I know it's only a small engine but it's pulling like a train and it hasn't got flat spots like it used to. I only put premium fuel in it and I always will, it can't do it any harm, it makes very little difference in the cost of filling it up, £50 for a full tank and if it keeps the injectors clean then that's a good thing.

[VWD]

 

the West Coast, Oban, Fort William, Corran Ferry to the Top Gear run route (Ardnamurchan Peninsula) is where forward planning is really needed, then for Appelcross, Torridon / Shieldaig driving trip.

and a few extra gallon carried in cans is a good idea

Fort William has had for some years Esso & BP at MRH BEN & MRH Road to the Isles. Oban has ESSO slightly north of Oban. All obtained from a quick check on petrolprices.com.

Edited 11 February, 2016 by VWD

[Ootohere]

Yes 97 ron.

Not always open obviously if you are passing through at the wrong time, so you need to be organised and check opening times.

But then that is true many places really.

[Brian69]

Probably just as well I did Applecross (from Glasgow) in my MKI Fabia vRS (even then I had to stick some dirty diesel in it at Fort William on the way home) - hate the thought of putting anything other than 99 in the MKII (in over four years of ownership it has been fed nothing other than V-Power apart from two occasions - once I stuck 20 quid of BP 95 in to get me home and filled up with Tesco 99 on another occasion).

[lol-lol]

Lobed some Momentum in the Jaaag to see what it feels like.  Not sure will do much, Ford Duratec engine but with the VVT.  Old engine (150k miles) so maybe a bit of detergent clean might help and carbon biuld up affecting compression ratio?

 

On some previous cars 99 octane made a different ie particularly 1.8T engine and of course the twin-charge. On the excellent 1.8 TSI (160 hp) no difference, it can even run on 91 octane so 95 octane is a treat.  Diesel, run on cooking oil, have no knock sensor stuff, calorific value more important and octane rating is just for petrols and "super" fuel status dubious for diesel, rather see a calorific value rating.

[hatchy]

You would need to if you do use Morrisons Unleaded in the Diesel car.

I take it you mean you use Morrisons Diesel.

 

Yes,don't know why I put 95. Probably still thinking about the petrols I had before. Vrs is the only diesel I've owned and touch wood I haven't made the wrong fuel mistake yet.

[Defenderben]

So other than Shell VPower nitro+, I would use half a tank of fuel trying to get to the nearest Shell station for my location. What is a good non supermarket unleaded to run my Golf R on?

I currently use Tesco momentum but for the miles I'm doing, think I may as well treat it to some decent stuff.

Edited 12 February, 2016 by Defenderben

[Ootohere]

Nothing wrong with Sainsburys Super Unleaded but it is 97 ron Minimum,  

so not 98 or 99,  but it can be sometimes.

Sainsburys is a Supermarket, but the fuel Producers and Wholesalers are Fuel Producers and wholesalers.

 

Gulf, Esso, BP Super Unleaded are all 97 ron minimum in the UK.

 

?

Shell V-Power Nitro+ is more expensive maybe than Momentum 99 by 5 pence a litre, 

that hardly makes it better stuff.

Do you need the secret detergents really.

[Defenderben]

So I take it Tesco momentum is pretty much my best bet?

[Ootohere]

99 ron minimum, sometimes better than 99 octane, area dependent.

also has additives, no secret detergents, they are on the spec sheet.

 

If the Shell V-Power Nitro+ feels better to your seat of the pants dyno then go with that.

Best that people decide themselves on fuels.

After all you drive the car, pay for servicing, replacement spark plugs etc.