Supermarket fuels

[Richard_374308151]

I drive a 5 month old Kia Sorento I do around 2000 miles a month, My average consumption was 32 mpg. solo, 25 mpg. pulling my avante 482.In February last I went To Tesco as normal for my Diesel. Noticing a long Queue I decided to go to the Shell station just down the road as I was on reserve, I filled up with about £65 worth. After about 10 miles I noticed my car was running a lot smoother and quieter with a lot more performance, thinking at last my car had run in after 12000miles. To my amazement next time I filled up at Tescos I had done about 40 miles more for the same amount of fuel. Thinking it was the car just run in I filled up and went on my way. To my horror within a few miles the car got noisier and sluggish again.

I have been swapping between Tescos and Shell/BP/Texaco each time, until April and kept a record of litres used and mpg Overall a 10% better mpg averaging 36mpg solo 32mpg pulling caravan and a much nicer running Sorento. Obviously I no longer use Tescos.

Anybody else had similar

 

[Diane1]

No.TBH i only ever use Tesco fuel. AND i only ever buy it from my Garage. No i don,t get discount. Ok, Tesco fuel out put is measured on a weekley basis and if need be a daily basis. I also have monthley pump test from trading standards as by law we are required to have this done everythree months.Tesco have it done monthley to check we DO Not sell our customers Over or Short. Your Lumpy fuel can be down to a no. of things=

1/ you are letting your car go down in the red so sucking all the bad stuff out of the tank. ( it will not matter how new/old your car is,You will still have crap in your tank. Reason is Deisel is a luricant and won't clean anything and Petrol is a cleaning agent which will clean the tank).

2/ Your Shell garage is letting thier tanks go to low (should not be allowed to go under 1000ltrs or Tesco is doing this, Not my garage i may add as this is bad practice).

3/ The Tanks on either garage are more than 15 years old and need replaceing.

4/You could be useing the wrong grade of fuel for your car.

What i would sugest is you ask for a fuel test, Because i know that tesco are very strict.

 

[MikeP]

I tried Shell vs Tesco over several thousand miles in a 2.2 Espace, with no noticable difference in running or fuel economy. Some say that Shell and BP diesel has better lubricity than supermarket fuels.

It would be difficult to make a direct comparison unless you made sure that your journeys and traffic conditions were the same for the duration of the test. And it would need to be quite a long test with varied driving conditions to be useful.

 

[ColinA]

I work in an oil refinery which supplies fuel to all the garages in the area it is the same fuel which goes out to all the different companies. The only difference is the additives which some companies use. These are added to to the tankers after they have filled up out of the same tanks that go to all filling stations.

 

[Garfield]

Considering that fuel is drawn from near the very bottom of the tank, letting the tank run too low will make no difference whatsoever as vitually all contamination in fuel is "sinkers" rather than "floaters", I use fuel from a variety of garages and every time I have replaced the diesel fuel filters on my cars/vans they have been spotless.

Interestingly, since a couple of outings with our 20' caravan on the back, the solo fuel consumption of our S-max 2.0tdci has gone from 40mpg to 45mpg.

 

[RiaandJames_374303418]

This crops up on numerous forums with mixed results.

Our present and last two cars have shown no differences between branded, supermarket or euro hypermarket fuels. Nor do we get an economy boost along the lines suggested by the big brands when using the more expensive super diesels.

James

 

[ThePlotter]

I have not found any difference wherever I buy it with the exception that when we are in France I seem to have better performance with their diesel.

Only puzzle to me is that I have two Tesco about 12 mileaway in opposite directions and the price is 3p different between the two.

 

[mcghee]

I noticed this a few years back when regularly attending quarter mile meetings.

Using Shell or Esso fuel the peugeot I had at the time would consistently run a 14.8 sec quarter. Using Asda fuel it ran about 15.3.

If that isn't proof I don't know what is.

The Jeep I have now doesn't like Asda petrol either, although the LPG is fine.

 

[Diane1]

As i stated before corosion in your petrol tank will make your fuel lumpy. As will badley kept fuel tanks at pfs. Also to add Tesco do compare prices, but only up to 3 miles. They also say that they will be ONE of the cheapest in your area.

Plotter: Since i did that little favour for you a found out that you live in a price sensitive area so you will see a huge difference in prices in your local stores.

 

[Guest]

Unless of course you live in a 'Tescopoly' area, in which case it is hard cheese.

There is truth in the fact that fuel may come from the same refinery, but it is also the case that supermarkets do buy spot loads using one of the non mainstream distributors. Yes, the quality meets a specific minimum, but the absolute quality may not necesarily be the same as other supplies.

It is also the case that in many areas the recognised main oil company suppliers often supply fuel at the same prices as supermarkets so using them is more a convenience rather than an actual cost saving.

You pays your money etc etc

 

[chrisn7]

Why do so many people assume that fuel tanks are bound to be rusty inside and full of debris?. Having a classic car, and having looked in a few tanks, when replacing pumps and sender units, I have never seen corrosion, and the amount of debris has been negligible.

As has been stated fuel is drawn from the bottom of the tank anyway and any bits carried in by fuel are bound be captured by the fuel filter due to the motion of the fuel on the road. It follows that the filter can be a source of problems

More likely culprits are the fuel lines which can corrode from the outside and rubber connecting hoses, which can deteriorate from the inside and shed bits into the fuel

 

[Diane1]

Crap in the fuel floats. Fuel is drawn down wards and when the tank is low enters the engine.Same as when fuel Tanks at the petrol station are let to drop below 1000lts , some fuel evaporation happens lifts the float and can cause incorrect reading on fuel level. This then allows crap( Residues from additives) to be drawn in to pumps. So people there you have it, As stated before it is the additives that cause the problem. Personally i much perfer 99ron much purer fuel.

 

[ThePlotter]

Diane,sorry I wasnt having a go,I think i will move to a non price sensitive area!As a point of interest would I find instore prices different between these stores or just at the pump.I wish Resco would build a store nearer I am betwixt and between Ashby,Lichfield,Coventry and Sutton all not exactly on the doorstep,we do have within 5 miles 3 Tesco Express but of course not the choice and the prices significantly higher.

 

[Diane1]

i know you were'nt, I think i must of sounded a little cross! scuse me. Red now!

Funny thing is Express store run a little different You won,t find offers in them, same as pfs. also some are shell sites so there is a difference in fuels.

As to your question about price Sens. stores you will see a difference in prices. This means there is one or more of Tesco competiters within one mile. If they have offers on or thier price on something is lower tesco will match it or drop the price lower. much better in the long run for the customer. Being a share holder and customer i am happy with that. Big Smile

 

[Guest]

Being a shareholder certainly influences one's opinion, however, looking at the experience here in Hungary where big 'T' moved in, in a big way several years ago, does not show them in a good light. They did the usual by reducing prices so much that local competitors were forced out of business, and then of course raised them again. They also reduced the range of products on offer.

The good thing is that Companies such as Auchan and Cora are playing them at their own game, where they can, and they don't like it because sales are down. One can tell at the weekend because their car park is only half full, while the others are chokka.

We have tried them here but they are not a patch on Auchan. However, they also don't have the same ability to tie up the competition by holding land banks, as they seem to be able to do in the UK.

However, at the end of the day if you want to shop there then it is your own choice. We have found it not to be ours.

 

[ThePlotter]

STOP PRESS:-

Advert on telly just spend

 

[Diane1]

Do these other companys need managers and do they give out 6%of everything i earn in free shares? If so get me an application form

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all

yes there is a differance but I dont know why?? I used to go round the area looking out for the cheapest fuel and buying that tesco, asda, morrisons, ect plus any I saw a bit cheaper untill one day on my way home from work had to call in at the local jet station and begrudingly filled up @6p a litre dearer

but wow what a differance the car went like a rocket ran smoother and all the lumpiness at tickover dissapered so guess where I buy my fuel from? and sod the price.

colin

 

[Royston]

Hi All,

I to used to use the Supermarket mentioned by diana, for my diesel,last winter I started to have all sorts of problems with starting and on short trips computer going into emergency mode,

which resulted in a trip to my garage, they re-set the engine managment system, I was about to drive to our local Supermarket

when I heard on the radio that Two supermarket chains that get there fuel from a certain depot, had caused hundreds of motorist to have there cars imobolised by dodgy fuel.I have used The tiger fuel ever since and the car never had the slightest problem startig or short trips.

During the heavy rain in May the same garage was found to selling fuel that had rain water within the fuel again causing misery to loads of motorists.

Royston

 

[cokey1970]

Plotter,

I'm sure it won't be too long before Tesco bulldozes it's way in and opens a store near you.

 

[Rioja]

Fuel economy is influenced more by the way you drive.Last Monday the weather was appalling driving back from a trip to the Lakes. I stuck to about 50-55 instead of 60-65 and the result was 34mpg instead of 28mpg. Before I retired the company paid for my fuel and I regularly towed at 70, MPG was about 24.As I am now time rich, getting to my destination is not as important as it once seemed. However, I always used Shell diesel when the company paid ( Air miles ! ) and now I use Asda, buying on their credit card gives an extra 2p a litre discount. I haven't noticed any difference in the car, and it's the same one as I purchased it when the lease was up.