Beware - Tesco Fuel Problems Again!

[BeemerMal]

Beware, Tesco are at it again selling substandard fuel.

It was reported on the BBC Look East programme that in Cambridgeshire/Norfork last week hundeds of motorists bought diesel from Tesco stores only to have their cars breakdown within a few days. The latest fault seems to be the the diesel used cannot cope with temperatures below -4 degrees C. This results in the diesel filters blocking up and starving the engine of fuel. Countless motorists have had to have new filters fitted.

Of course when Tesco were approached by the BBC their only comment was that samples taken from the effected forecourts did not show that the fuel was at fault. An Oil industry spokesman said that most suppliers ensure the additive levels, to prevent freezing, are increased in the winter months but apparently in these cases it may not have been done by Tesco.

I wonder, is it something to do with profit margins Following the fuel fiasco last year where Tesco were accused of supplying poor quality fuel can we really trust buying our fuel from Tesco.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

My Audi runs fine on Tesco diesel. But I am in Somerset.

 

[Royston]

never used tesco fuel since the their last major problem, have found that the local Sainsbury diesel runs okay , also that it is 4p a litre cheaper than the local co-op.

 

[VIP640]

Typical, I have just filled up both cars with fuel from Tesco.......

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I think the problem is that Bio diesel freezes at low temps just as old diesel did. There was a report recently of ,I think, a bus companies fleet being unable to cope with the cold weather.

Also did I read that growing crops to produce these fuels is actually doing more harm to the enviroment?

Looks like decisions are being made before the research is done.

Oh well thats progress.

 

[Sedo]

I live within view of a Tesco store but never fill up there. We used to until some years ago we had to top up with another fuel (Jet) and found that the car ran a lot better. Thinking it was coincidence I filled up at Tesco again and the car ran as it were flat.

A friend who had a car that pinked up hills changed his fuel from Tesco and guess what no pinking (carb job).

I have since spoken to several people who work at Tesco and they tell me that it depends on the tanker driver adding additives or not.

Try going to another decent fuel station (BP, Shell ,Jet etc.) after running on Tesco and see, like they say of a lot things you pays your money and ............?

All the best

Tomo

 

[rob_jax]

Beermermal

There's a few things wrong in the original report you quoted - so it might not be completely truthful...

Summer diesel will "wax" in very cold weather, so before the first predicted cold snap onwards, all European diesel is modified with an amount of lighter petroleum fuel - usually kerosene.

This reduces the waxing temperature - and most people call this "Winter diesel" - although it's different from country to country (Finland has a stronger mix than say the UK and Holland).

And just like trying to use Butane in sub-zero conditions, as soon as the weather warms up (or a bit of heat is applied) it starts working again. And exactly the same thing applies to diesel that has waxed - warm the filter and the wax melts...

There is absolutely no need to replace diesel filters...

Tesco are a fuel reseller - they don't refine, blend or specify the fuel. And Tesco (nor any of the other garages) didn't knowingly supply poor quality petrol last year - they all bought exactly the right grade, it was just contaminated in a ship carrying it from one country to the UK (and several other fuel retailers got it too) - and with a contaminant that can't be detected in the normal testing. So in that case, ultimately the ship owners or the dockside company will be paying the repair bills...

Robert

 

[MalcolmL]

Thank you, Rob-Jax, for the voice of sanity and reason!

 

[DeliDave]

no offence intended but i would imagine adding additives is highly technical,having the driver decide sounds unlikely to me

 

[GillC1]

I live within view of a Tesco store but never fill up there. We used to until some years ago we had to top up with another fuel (Jet) and found that the car ran a lot better. Thinking it was coincidence I filled up at Tesco again and the car ran as it were flat.

A friend who had a car that pinked up hills changed his fuel from Tesco and guess what no pinking (carb job).

I have since spoken to several people who work at Tesco and they tell me that it depends on the tanker driver adding additives or not.

Try going to another decent fuel station (BP, Shell ,Jet etc.) after running on Tesco and see, like they say of a lot things you pays your money and ............?

All the best

Tomo

Tom,

There is no such thing as a tanker driver adding additives it is all computerized now and is injected as it is loaded, so the person who said it is the tanker driver is very much mistaken.

 

[GillC1]

no offence intended but i would imagine adding additives is highly technical,having the driver decide sounds unlikely to me

There is no such thing as a tanker driver adding additives it is all computerized now and is injected as it is loaded, so the person who said it is the tanker driver is very much mistaken.

 

[GillC1]

sorry pressed wrong key before so it went in the wrong place.

what i actually wanted to say was there is no such thing as a tanker driver adding additives it is all computerized now and is injected as it is loaded, so the person who said it is the tanker driver is very much mistaken.

 

[BeemerMal]

Malcolm L, Where does sanity and reason come in to it?

Rob-Jax stated a few facts to enlighten us all about how diesel reacts to extreemly cold weather, that is all.

It is also a fact that when the vehicle filters waxed up the cars stopped running. It is reasonable to expect the motorists affected did what most of us would do and that is to call for assistance to get their vehicles up and running again. I'm sure the average motorist had no idea that 'waxing' in the filter was the cause or that warming up the filter would overcome the problem. Perhaps, some of the more unscrupulous repair garages saw a bigger profit in changing the filters over?

Tesco haven't denied they had a problem and at the same time they have not admitted it, which is only to be expected. One guy interviewed said he had Three of his company vans stop running and all had been refueled at the same Tesco forecourt the previous day. I find it very strange that the latest fuel problems only involved fuel purchased from Tesco's forecourts. No other fuel supplier was involved!

We might never find out....perhaps it might be better if we all thought the hundreds of motorists affected were all party to a conspiracy against Tesco or better still an attack by aliens from a distant planet caused all the cars to stop running on the same day?

 

[SteveW77]

I can't see the problem here, If you don't trust Tescos fuel, don't buy it. I don't believe for one minute that Tescos are going out of their way to to sabotage the family runabout.

When i first started in the motor trade everyone talked about "Mussolini Paraffin" otherwise known as Jet and a few other lesser known brands, but millions of cars run on it every day without a problem.

Steve W

 

[Sedo]

Hi all

I'll stick with staying away from Tesco fuel, but to add to it a small local garage where I go sometimes, have their fuel suppled from various suppliers. I have had occasions when I've filled up there and the cars run like a turbine then others when it's run like a dog.

As for " Mussolini's Parrafin" (Jet) all my cars have run well on it, the same as BP, Esso et al.

Now don't ask me I'm not that technical, but if my cars runs o/k with a named fuel I'll stick with it, if it doesn't i'll spend my money else where.

I'll say it again fill up with Tesco, run it down and then try another such as Jet, BP. et al, especially if you use the green pumps. It's the same with fish and chips, if you like somebody's fish and chips stick with it, if not...........?

All the best

Tomo

 

[JohnM20]

I live within view of a Tesco store but never fill up there. We used to until some years ago we had to top up with another fuel (Jet) and found that the car ran a lot better. Thinking it was coincidence I filled up at Tesco again and the car ran as it were flat.

A friend who had a car that pinked up hills changed his fuel from Tesco and guess what no pinking (carb job).

I have since spoken to several people who work at Tesco and they tell me that it depends on the tanker driver adding additives or not.

Try going to another decent fuel station (BP, Shell ,Jet etc.) after running on Tesco and see, like they say of a lot things you pays your money and ............?

All the best

Tomo

Tom I used to have an old Volvo 480. That would ONLY run on Jet unleaded. Other makes made it run as rough as a badgers a****

 

[ThePlotter]

We never had these problems when they gave Green Shield stamps and free wine glasses,(sorry just trying to lighten things up)

 

[JTQ]

I am just very glad Tesco and other Supermarkets sell petrol and diesel; imagine the price the oil companies would demand for it without the competition.

 

[Sedo]

Hi Plotter

Still got some of the glasses (smoky) and have still got a fountain pen (Watermans) I got with the green shield stamps. Used to run a Volks Beetle then which swallowed petrol but petrol was so cheap it didn't matter.

Thank ghoodness we didn't have climate change then I'd have been broke running the Beetle.

Tomo

 

[trevor123]

We stop using Tesco fuel years ago, because as we was towing we found it sluggish, since then change over to BP/Jet it been fine, This is the 3rd time Tesco in 18 months made a **** up of the fuel system, as we live near Cambridgeshire, Trevor