Does anyone know what the difference is in the two grades of diesle fuel frequently foung in France, predominantly on the motorways. I have always used the cheaper option when there was a choice but could this have been the cause of an emmissions problem with my Peugeot 406 ?
Diesel Fuel in France
- Thread starter JohnM20
- Start date
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
John,
Do you remember what was written on the pumps?
If it was a Total fuel station, then you'd have the choice of standard gazole or "Excellium" - a performance diesel well in advance of the standard.
Standard is around Euro 1,10, and Excellium is around Euro 1,20 - or a bit cheaper.
Both of these are to the EN590 standard and will be identical to UK fuel - in fact identical across the whole of Europe - except for winter (anti-waxing) additives.
Another possibility is that one of the fuels was "petrole" - domestic heating oil (paraffin) but you usually only see that in Hypermarkets (and is about 1/2 price of pump diesel)
Or you may have been offered a standard diesel (with 5% bio-diesel) or a higher content bio-diesel (around 20%)
Petrole most certainly will cause a few problems, the others shouldn't.
Robert
Do you remember what was written on the pumps?
If it was a Total fuel station, then you'd have the choice of standard gazole or "Excellium" - a performance diesel well in advance of the standard.
Standard is around Euro 1,10, and Excellium is around Euro 1,20 - or a bit cheaper.
Both of these are to the EN590 standard and will be identical to UK fuel - in fact identical across the whole of Europe - except for winter (anti-waxing) additives.
Another possibility is that one of the fuels was "petrole" - domestic heating oil (paraffin) but you usually only see that in Hypermarkets (and is about 1/2 price of pump diesel)
Or you may have been offered a standard diesel (with 5% bio-diesel) or a higher content bio-diesel (around 20%)
Petrole most certainly will cause a few problems, the others shouldn't.
Robert
Does anyone know what the difference is in the two grades of diesle fuel frequently foung in France, predominantly on the motorways. I have always used the cheaper option when there was a choice but could this have been the cause of an emmissions problem with my Peugeot 406 ?
Do not know what kind of emmission problem you had/have, but it should not be linked to any normal diesel found at french m/way service stations.
The cheaper stuff is usually the same as our normal diesel.
Its just as likely that the long run has hi lighted some emmission faults that were already festering.
Egr valve and/or a badly sooted up exhaust system are known emmision problems sources.
Do not know what kind of emmission problem you had/have, but it should not be linked to any normal diesel found at french m/way service stations.
The cheaper stuff is usually the same as our normal diesel.
Its just as likely that the long run has hi lighted some emmission faults that were already festering.
Egr valve and/or a badly sooted up exhaust system are known emmision problems sources.
In France you see gas oil, gazole and now sometimes diesel. I always go for the cheapest which is usually one of the first two alternatives.
we were told there was difference between the two diesels the excellium gets you more miles to the gallon didnt believe it but we did, we have a discovery and got an amazing 200 miles extra per tank so try it i dont think you can lose nigel
."we were told there was difference between the two diesels the excellium gets you more miles to the gallon didnt believe it but we did, we have a discovery and got an amazing 200 miles extra per tank so try it i dont think you can lose nigel"
200 miles per tank extra. nice one. LOL
200 miles per tank extra. nice one. LOL
"we have a discovery and got an amazing 200 miles extra per tank"
I'm sorry but I have been a diesel fitter 42 years and I just cannot accept that you increase the range of any diesel power vehicle by 30% just buy chaning fuel,
Steve W
I'm sorry but I have been a diesel fitter 42 years and I just cannot accept that you increase the range of any diesel power vehicle by 30% just buy chaning fuel,
Steve W
Quite agree Steve,
Total Excellium is a 55 cetane fuel, compared to normal EN590 pump diesel with a 51 cetane rating.
If the engine is capable of self-tuning, like some Euro IV cars - then I'd expect a 3% to 5% improvement. If the car was made before Euro III, then around 1% would seem right (in truth no one bothered testing 55 cetane fuel on older cars).
The extra cost and economy of the performance fuels (in a Euro IV) doesn't quite pay you back compared to the standard fuel - but you do also get a performance improvement - and they are very much cleaner fuels.
Robert
Total Excellium is a 55 cetane fuel, compared to normal EN590 pump diesel with a 51 cetane rating.
If the engine is capable of self-tuning, like some Euro IV cars - then I'd expect a 3% to 5% improvement. If the car was made before Euro III, then around 1% would seem right (in truth no one bothered testing 55 cetane fuel on older cars).
The extra cost and economy of the performance fuels (in a Euro IV) doesn't quite pay you back compared to the standard fuel - but you do also get a performance improvement - and they are very much cleaner fuels.
Robert
I have used the more expensive stuff in France and Spain. The car which is 4x4 seems to do more to the gallon. In Spain where the speed limit is 50mph, got 35mpg towing aventura with kia sportage.
A few years ago I filled my Freelander with Supermarket fuel in UK and economy was dire. To me at least proved there was a difference in the stuff you use.
A few years ago I filled my Freelander with Supermarket fuel in UK and economy was dire. To me at least proved there was a difference in the stuff you use.
Over many years of caravanning on the continent, we have had some amazingly good MPG figures, I don't believe it's anything to do with the fuel. I think it's due to less traffic and steady motoring without all the stop start, slowing and speeding up that you get using UK roads
Jason R,
I think your answer is more likely to improve fuel consumption
than by just changing to a more expensive grade. Agreed a combination of both factors could improve fuel efficiency by a considerable amount.
Steve W
I think your answer is more likely to improve fuel consumption
than by just changing to a more expensive grade. Agreed a combination of both factors could improve fuel efficiency by a considerable amount.
Steve W
Here are two links to websites giving fuel prices throughout France, which is kept up to date. We found it very useful when in France recently - saving almost 20 centimes per litre by buying at one supermarket petrol station which we'd noted had cheap fuel, on our journey back to the airport, rather than filling-up nearer to where we were staying.
1. http://www.zagaz.com/index.php
2. http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/
Warning - looking at current prices could damage your wallet!! (Especially with the reduced value of the
1. http://www.zagaz.com/index.php
2. http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/
Warning - looking at current prices could damage your wallet!! (Especially with the reduced value of the
Guessing that a Disco has a 14 or 15 Gallon tank that's getting on for around 14mpg extra and that when towing I assume!
If oil companies can really get that differnece with a different mix I would have thought everyone would be buying it and the Greenies would be forcing us to by nothing else.
Somehow I think not!
If oil companies can really get that differnece with a different mix I would have thought everyone would be buying it and the Greenies would be forcing us to by nothing else.
Somehow I think not!
Going down to Andorra for our annual Ski trip our S-max was doing about 40 mpg with a ski box on top untill we got to Dover, across the channel we filled up with slightly cheaper French diesel and I treated the car to total "excellium" premium diesel and the economy went down to about 38mpg, there were many influential factors but i felt that economy on French diesel was much worse, god knows why, perhaps their winter additives have an effect
Practical Caravan is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
Facebook
Twitter