Some cars are more smokey than others though' date=' no clue why really.

@HellFire - did you tweak the EGR down?[/quote']

Yes, my EGR's useage is on the minimum possible setting on VAG-COM without physically blocking/removing it

Hopefully it should still sail through the MOT which is still a good few years away & on top of that if it doesn't it can easily be re-adjusted for the MOT and then turned back down again afterwards. The best of both worlds and very little smoke with improved idle revving & generally feels smoother

This site seems to disagree with the Shell website about where they stock Diesel Extra. Do Shell stations that stock it always advertise the fact it's diesel extra' date=' or is it just marked as diesel? :confused:

Chris[/quote']

Chris, it's marked up as Diesel Extra on the pumps, for example my local shell garage has 1 pump running normal sludge and 3 pumps badged as diesel extra, they DONT have it on the big forecourt sign though.

I am not sure if the petrol price website actually recognises diesel extra as performance diesel though, again in Warrington, 300yds from the Shell garage is a BP garage, Diesel extra is 93.9ppl Ultimate is 99.9ppl, quite a big saving there, and I ran a couple of tanks of ultra got the same MPG, smoke etc and the bump dyno never indicated any improvement :-)

Chris, it's marked up as Diesel Extra on the pumps, for example my local shell garage has 1 pump running normal sludge and 3 pumps badged as diesel extra, they DONT have it on the big forecourt sign though.

That's interesting as according to the Shell site, the Shell station I sometimes use sells it, but on the pumps I've used it just says City diesel or whatever. I'll have to have a wander round the other pumps next time I'm there

Chris

Can't find Diesel Extra here (Oxford, not looked too hard admittedly).

http://www.shell.com/home/PlainPageServlet?FC=/uk-en/html/iwgen/shell_for_motorists/service_stations/app_station_finder.html

shows 7 stations which sell it in Oxford

Chris

Hmm - Bicester, Didcot, Thame...

Only 2 are in Oxford, the other one is basically the Marcham Shell.

Will go check out the pumps at those two forecourts in Oxford though, no indication it was available there though

I reset my ECU to no avail. It must be the Jet fuel my car hates!

Is Shell V power available in the UK, and is it the same as diesel exta? It's certainly a premium price here in Spain

Is Shell V power available in the UK, and is it the same as diesel exta? It's certainly a premium price here in Spain

Not available over here. Shell Diesel Extra is priced the same as "normal" diesel.

V Power is the Euro brand name for Optimax/Diesel Extra.

Diesel Extra availability has been a bit patchy round here during winter. One station seems to Gaffer tape over the Extra rather than change the sign. I've not used the car much in the last 4 weeks (away on training then two weeks in the sun) so it might be more plentiful now.

Thanks to the advice on this thread, I've now discovered that one of my local Shell garages supposedly sells Diesel extra. Althoug, as with other posters, I haven't noticed this when I have visited the petrol station previously.

I shall now make a special effort to use the rest of my tank up quickly so that I have to go and refuel and take a look!!!

A little research seems to indicate that V power, (at least), is partially formulated using synthetic diesel, (GTL?) made from gas rather than crude oil. Apparantly it has a higher cetane content and reduced sulphur content.

Is the Shell "Extra" diesel partly GTL?

I'm a follower of "Honest John" in Saturday's Daily Telegraph..... He advocates just Shell or Texaco, due to the additives. First Furby vRS did 58k in 20 months without a stutter, using Shell exclusively, and second one has the same diet. But has a very minor stutter (see other thread).

Interstingly he wrote a contentious answer last Saturday on the subject of expensive oil and loooong time between oil changes.

Ooooops, didn't mean to hijack the thread............

Roger M

Discussion about regular diesel is somewhat pointless as most fuel is supplied "on exchange" in the UK. For example the BP refinery in Scotland provides fuel for pretty much every station in Scotland, regardless of the logo on the pumps. In "exchange" for that Esso will supply BP stations in Hampshire from its Fawley refinery, Shell in the North-West and so on. The premium fuels may be supplied directly, but more likely have an additive pack mixed into the fuel when the tanker is loaded at the terminal gantry. The specifications for fuel are very tight and all companies aim to just meet them in order to maximise profitability; they can't sell rubbish and they go bust if they give away quality. I was in the industry for twenty years and always followed these sorts of debate with great interest and sometimes amusement.

Filled up with Sainsbury and it don't half put some smoke out.

Tesco: smokin

Morrisons:smokin

BP: to expensive nr me

Shell: Gets my tank everytime.!!

Discussion about regular diesel is somewhat pointless as most fuel is supplied "on exchange" in the UK. For example the BP refinery in Scotland provides fuel for pretty much every station in Scotland, regardless of the logo on the pumps. In "exchange" for that Esso will supply BP stations in Hampshire from its Fawley refinery, Shell in the North-West and so on. The premium fuels may be supplied directly, but more likely have an additive pack mixed into the fuel when the tanker is loaded at the terminal gantry. The specifications for fuel are very tight and all companies aim to just meet them in order to maximise profitability; they can't sell rubbish and they go bust if they give away quality. I was in the industry for twenty years and always followed these sorts of debate with great interest and sometimes amusement.

Hi Kerry

I am aware of this, however, you cant get away from the fact that some fuel fill ups run rougher than others. I have found at least two fill ups (one from Tesco Extra store in South Ockendon, supposedly Esso) and one from a Shell garge on the M3 ) gave particularly rough running. When these tanks were emptied and new fuel added, you could literally hear the difference as the new fuel made it through the fuel lines. One of my learners even commented on it, asking why the engine sound had suddenly changed.

Also consistently found that the Sainsury fuel from the one in Chelmsford gives lower MPG figures on the trip and by the tankful. It was more noticable on my Fiesta 1.4TDCi where differences of between 30 and 60 miles per tankful. Less noticable on the Fabia, but still 2-3mpg down.

So although the refinery that produces the base diesel may be the same, the additives or some other variable must be having an effect to produce such obvious and consistent differences.

Chris

Diesel Extra at the Frilford (nr Marcham) Shell was 97p/liter. They charge 98 (!!!) for BP Standard Derv in Abingdon (which is a royal ripoff)

Strange... Shell's site lists every site in the crawley area as stocking diesel extra!!!

Hmm everyone's keeping quiet while the prices keep getting higher and higher:(

Where are the protests then?

I run my Diesel Octy vRS on Shell. I sometimes fill up with the V-power variant. Wouldn't know how this compares with other brands, apart from noticing no smoke at all (unlike my previous Fabia vRS which left a plume when booted.

I run my Diesel Octy vRS on Shell. I sometimes fill up with the V-power variant. Wouldn't know how this compares with other brands, apart from noticing no smoke at all (unlike my previous Fabia vRS which left a plume when booted.

There will be no smoke at all on the TDI Ovty VRS due to the DPF rather than the quality of fuel you put in, unlike the Fabia VRS which loves to shove out some soot!

I run mine on either Texaco Derv + Millers or straight V Power Derv, notice no real difference in mpg or performance

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Nowadays Shell Diesel Extra is the default and they've introduced V-Power...

Whatever they've done my vRS is less Sooty than it used to be.