Supermarket Fuel

[KirkJames]

Just a little something to show how 5hite normal 95 unleaded from supermarkets can be.
I have a decat but without a MIL eliminator kit and I used to use mainly 95 ron fuel and after a little while the MIL light would come on as I expected it to. Now, for the last 2 months I have used nothing but V-Power or Tesco Momentum and the MIL light has not come on at all but on Friday I was about to set off to go to Bath and I pulled into Tesco but they had run out of Momentum. I had next to nowt left in my tank and needed to fill up so I used the 95 unleaded and I only got about 15 mile down the road and.....................................

MIL light flashes up!!!

I highly doubt this is a coincidence and just goes to show how much better/cleaner the 99 stuff really is. I will always use this now whenever possible

[grimmy]

It's not all supermarkets fuel its only the bloody Tesco stuff I use and have used Asda fuel since I got my mk2 180 and have had no problems in that period. however I used normal Tesco petrol three times over that period and on every occasion the MIL has came on for a failure with the same oxygen sensor.it can't be a coincidence.

[Lukeus101]

As mentioned probably countless times the only main difference in the fuels is the additives that are contained in them. That is what gives it the Octane rating, If you are running low again maybe stick a tenner in and then go straight to a shell or another tesco for Momentum.

[andy-81]

I had a massive argument wit a guy on .org about this and Luke is spot on the mark the guy on .org said it was just petrol made on the cheap when it's not it's the additives that lack. But me myself háček used regular unleaded from tesco all of my driving life and never had a problem, the only thing that I find is that it doesn't last as long

[Lukeus101]

Thing is I worked for Tesco (fuels) for 7 Years and now I work for Shell so i should know my stuff lol. In reference to that .org dude andy he pm'd me...LOL. In a 180 i would always use Vpower or Momentum. A 110/120 Id look more towards BP ultimate (97 Ron) or Shell Fuelsave (cheaper but fairly similar)

[KevG]

Originally Posted by Lukeus101

Thing is I worked for Tesco (fuels) for 7 Years and now I work for Shell so i should know my stuff lol. In reference to that .org dude andy he pm'd me...LOL. In a 180 i would always use Vpower or Momentum. A 110/120 Id look more towards BP ultimate (97 Ron) or Shell Fuelsave (cheaper but fairly similar)

So the Supermarket Fuel against Petrol Forecourt Fuels (ie BP, Shell, Jet, Total, Gulf, Esso, Texaco etc)

All petrol is the same at to which point the customer ie Asda etc dictate what formula the their petrol must be, so they add there own additive(s)

One of our users commented that using higher octane fuel than your engine requires actually gives no benefit and may be a waste of money. This is because virtually NO engines require 98 RON over 95, and the market for ‘super’ fuels seems to be based on people’s misunderstanding of octane ratings and the placebo effect of filling up with ‘more powerful’ fuel – making motorists think their engine is running better in some way.

What do the fuel companies say then, to justify the “increased power” claims for the super grade fuels? Some companies say that while all fuels contain cleaning additives, ‘super’ fuels contain more or better detergents to keep the injectors cleaner than standard fuel. Others say the fuel is a few percent denser which gives slightly more power per litre. These benefits may be marginal though in comparison to the extra cost involved so it is worth ensuring that your engine will actually benefit before filling up.

Some engines actually do need higher octane fuel, such as race engines with very high compression and some turbocharged engines, such as the import version of the Nissan Skyline. Also, a few vehicles, such as the new BMW K1200R motorbike, can sense knock and adjust their engine tuning to take advantage of higher grade fuels. Another user commented that the 2004 BMW 330 also does this, according to the driver’s handbook it makes 231 BHP on 98 octane and 221 BHP on 95. This ability is apparently widespread amongst German performance cars using Bosch / Siemens electronic engine controls.

Bloody good marketing campaign really , in which I personally dont fall into the trap.
I personally am not prepared to pay through the nose for no benefit at all, simples.

[James Raby]

Kev, cars do react differently to different fuel

Not saying all do, anything other than a highly tuned 1.6 engine upwards will be a complete waste of time, including a 1.8 zs, it ain't worth putting it in

You need at least 170+bhp to even feel it

I DO get more economy to higher octane fuel, at least 35 mile or so .... Simples

[ian zs180]

I wouldnt touch any supermarket fuel full stop that includes momentum its still supermarket fuel which ever way you dress it up . I,m lucky i have a shell a mile away from me so always use vpower and my car has never missed a beat on it .

[talkingcars]

I have been keeping records at http://www.fuelly.com/driver/talkingcars/zs for the best part of a year and have seen no difference in consumption between regular and super from either Sainsburys or BP and despite wishful thinking no difference in performance or manners so am sticking to sainsburys 95 ron (and necter points) in my ZS.

[Lukeus101]

BP ultimate is only 97, hence why there might not have been much of a difference