Diesel V super Diesel?

[fixerupper]

Around here in the last two years there has been a whole load of( a little bit more) expensive diesel fuels available at the pump .Shell V power is the one I see often ,but it seems all the fuel providers have their own version ,claiming more power, cleaner running,double filtered , better starting, more MPG... what does the hive mind think about this ?

 

[julianf]

I think that the only way you would know for sure if with quantitative analysis using your own set of circumstances.

There are probably too many variables for generalisations - you might have one person giving a positive recommendation, but then find that theyre driving an entirely different car, or their driving style is different, or the roads they are driving are different, etc.etc.

What you need is an excel spreadsheet, and some motivation! : )

 

[julianf]

Even better would be to get your OH to fill the tank, and keep the receipt for logging, so as you have a blind test.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

As I understand it, it's down to additives put in the 'base' fuel by the Companies, each will have its own 'brew'. Whether they meet the claims made, that's another kettle of fish.......

 

[arther dailey]

if you put the cheapest supermarket fuel in your car/van and only do local driving it will clog up the egr etc quicker than if you use the shell v plus etc, its cheaper for a reason.

 

[julianf]

Have you ever gone into a supermarket and looked at the ingredients of some of the own brand stuff?

For example, we buy own brand "value" dishwasher tablets. If you look at the chemicals in them, and you look at the chemicals in the non-value own brand items, theyre identical. One comes in a box with more colours, one comes in a box marked "value".

Sometimes (im not saying always) product differentiation is not based on the actual product. The packing and price levels appeal to different markets, so its in the retailers interest to cater for those markets. If the person buying the dishwasher tablets with the increased number of inks used on the packing *thinks* that is the product best suited to them, then, well, who is to argue?


My point being is that somtimes the same product is sold at different price points to keep everyone happy. Again, im not saying always, but i do not agree with the "its cheaper for a reason" line - well, actually, i do, but not for the same reasons as you.

The value dishwasher tablets are cheaper for a reason. The reason being that some people like to pay for a more glossy product, regardless of the actual (lack of) chemical benefits.

 

[123hotchef]

depends what vechile you are putting it into!

 

[cumbriasteve]

I have used cheap diesel for 5 years in my ix35, mostly local driving with perhaps a longer drive once a month.

I always get within 5% of the mpg the car is supposed to do, both short and long journeys and have never had any issues.

The results may not be the same with other makes of vehicles, the ix35 is well known for not getting the DPF problems many others do if used for short journeys.

 

[zzr1200]

Having used both flavours of diesel at times, I can honestly say in my opinion if there is any difference in performance, it so small its not worth the extra cost.

The only thing I can see that might be added is some additives (witches brews) that may or may not be worth while, like injector cleaner or catalyst cleaner which can be done generally by driving the vehicle hard for a while anyway.

 

[gordon stephenson]

I use Asda super market diesel and never had any problems at all, and have done for quite a while, but also in the warmer weather stick a couple of litres of veg oil in the tank at each fill up, Never been a fan of low sulphur fuel, it was in there for lubrication purposes, but never had a problem and most of my trips are now only short, BUT I always fill up with Shell V Power when going to my daughters place a hundred miles away, Milage goes up dramatically on long runs, because on my usual local trips the Touareg doesn't get into the higher gears (Auto gearbox)

 

[fixerupper]

I think here there is an issue with the quality of the underground storage tanks at my local garage so I've stopped buying diesel there.I fill up once every three weeks at a newish shell station on my way to Iraklion about two and half hours drive and since I have been doing this regular trip on V power I think the old truck is running better and getting a better MPG or KPL as we say here ... No scientific proof it might be the 'Pipe opening effect '( as me Dad would have said) of a regular long trip, prior to this I just pottered about .. or it might just be the placebo effect ...I dunno ?

 

[frank horton]

I'm sure,
here in Frog land the difference is there's none or almost none of that vegy addative (ethonal) in the better D / fuel.......it's the same with petrol, the higher grade fuel has no ethonal added to the fuel.........
dont do to many miles in my TD combi but use the best when available........mostley out of stock, (all the time)........petrol or essance, 98 octane always available and use nothing else.......chain saw's, genny's etc mowers, they all def start better and run smoother. on the better fuel......
anyway,
all my petrol machines get a dash of 2stroke oil with every fill up and proper mix in the 2T machines..........no smoke, always start, no fouled plugs......I think of it as upper cyl and valve lube........

 

[Ian James]

Have you ever gone into a supermarket and looked at the ingredients of some of the own brand stuff?

For example, we buy own brand "value" dishwasher tablets. If you look at the chemicals in them, and you look at the chemicals in the non-value own brand items, theyre identical. One comes in a box with more colours, one comes in a box marked "value".

Sometimes (im not saying always) product differentiation is not based on the actual product. The packing and price levels appeal to different markets, so its in the retailers interest to cater for those markets. If the person buying the dishwasher tablets with the increased number of inks used on the packing *thinks* that is the product best suited to them, then, well, who is to argue?


My point being is that somtimes the same product is sold at different price points to keep everyone happy. Again, im not saying always, but i do not agree with the "its cheaper for a reason" line - well, actually, i do, but not for the same reasons as you.

The value dishwasher tablets are cheaper for a reason. The reason being that some people like to pay for a more glossy product, regardless of the actual (lack of) chemical benefits.

I new some one who drove a fuel tanker and was told they put a different additive pack in to the supermarket diesel

 

[Ian James]

I know that mine packs more punch on higher grade diesel as it does veg oil but now I just buy cheap and add my own fuel enhancer and get results just as good if not better we are talking power here not mpg .Mpg does not bother me for one thing I drive a 2 tonne truck with the airodinamics of a brick the other is that I don't do a lot of miles nowadays

 

[arther dailey]

Have you ever gone into a supermarket and looked at the ingredients of some of the own brand stuff?

For example, we buy own brand "value" dishwasher tablets. If you look at the chemicals in them, and you look at the chemicals in the non-value own brand items, theyre identical. One comes in a box with more colours, one comes in a box marked "value".

Sometimes (im not saying always) product differentiation is not based on the actual product. The packing and price levels appeal to different markets, so its in the retailers interest to cater for those markets. If the person buying the dishwasher tablets with the increased number of inks used on the packing *thinks* that is the product best suited to them, then, well, who is to argue?


My point being is that somtimes the same product is sold at different price points to keep everyone happy. Again, im not saying always, but i do not agree with the "its cheaper for a reason" line - well, actually, i do, but not for the same reasons as you.

well I was told straight from a tanker driver who delivers the stuff,supermarket doesnt have the addatives that premium brands have.
as he worked for the refinery probably geussing he was right, I used to overhaul electric mtrs for a firm ,one of the customers was a commercial bakery, they made the bread for everyone,basically several production lines and depending whose brand decided what "mix" was used on that line,fascinating watching all the names being wrapped that was an eye opener.

The value dishwasher tablets are cheaper for a reason. The reason being that some people like to pay for a more glossy product, regardless of the actual (lack of) chemical benefits.

 

[normspanners]

Around here in the last two years there has been a whole load of( a little bit more) expensive diesel fuels available at the pump .Shell V power is the one I see often ,but it seems all the fuel providers have their own version ,claiming more power, cleaner running,double filtered , better starting, more MPG... what does the hive mind think about this ?

Get some Kero and cooking oil, for your old truck theres nobody out there to check, and they cant afford the diesel to chase you anyway !
I was speaking and advising the glass bottomed boat man, in rhodes with a twin engined perkins turbo he runs it on pump diesel !! and it costs him thousands a month.
Jet 2 from the airport, n olive oil from the trees
PM me

 

[gordon stephenson]

My son and family run at least 6 diesel vehicles on used veg oil, heated and filtered down to 5 microns and a good splash of petrol in the winter to thin it down bit,

 

[daleyd]

Don’t know anything about veg oil but I’ve run various cars for well over 200k miles over the last few years on nothing but supermarket fuel and I’ve never had a fuel related problem with any of them (seat Toledo, VW Jetta, seat exeo, Renault scenic, Nissan qashquai - all company cars apart from my exeo which I bought myself when I opted out of a previous companies car scheme) - plus my missus has had an Alfa Giulietta diesel and a VW Tiguan as her last 2 cars and she’s never put anything other than supermarket fuel in(Probably 50 k miles on those).

 

[wookie]

if you put the cheapest supermarket fuel in your car/van and only do local driving it will clog up the egr etc quicker than if you use the shell v plus etc, its cheaper for a reason.

Blank off the EGR and your engine will thank you for it, whoever thought of making an engine breathe it's own exhaust gasses should be shot, the intake on any engine with EGR will be full of black oily/sooty gunk especially a turbo-ed motor, once you've blanked it off and cleaned the intake the engine will be much happier.

 

[8ob]

A man in the know once told me that all diesel is the same until its sold. White diesel which in this country is all low sulphur/ok for common rail diesels is shipped in as plain old diesel and it goes two ways, one way is for industry/agriculture where red dye gets added ,the other goes off to various retailers who all add their own chemicals/potions to add performance/reduce emissions. I buy the cheapest I can find and cant say I have ever noticed a performance difference. I bought an old bunded 5000ltr waste oil tank that I use to store my road derv ,its topped up as and when the price is right which is a big saving.

Bob