Is Shell V Power Diesel worth it?

[The Kraken]

I have a 99 Toledo TDI 110 and normally stick regular Shell diesel in. I remember reading a thread on here that said Shell V Power diesel is only worth using if you have a modern injection system.

So is my car "modern enough"? Would I be wasting a few pounds if I stuck a tank of V Power in or is it only worth it if you have something like a 535d?

Also do you think it would be like using Super Unleaded, where owners report that along with the extra power they get improved fuel economy which balances out the extra cost of the fuel over regular?

Just looking to satisfy my curiosity as with 110hp the car is hardly going to light the world on fire regardless of what fuel is in it!

Edited by The Kraken on Wednesday 27th July 09:24

[HellDiver]

No, is the short answer.

I could feel a tiny difference with V-Power/Ultimate in my 1.9 diesel Astra, though it was running over 200hp. I doubt the old VAG TD would care if it was running on diesel, kerosene or strained chip oil.

[tr7v8]

On the Jag which was about as High tech as it gets V Power made bugger all difference, got me more Shell points which as I don't pay for it was good & is probably cleaner, so better for the very expensive injectors. But no MPG difference whatsoever.
HHowever in my Wifes Corolla 1.4 D4D it made a huge difference to performance & MPG & she could tell the difference even in blind testing.

Edited by tr7v8 on Wednesday 27th July 09:59

[mnkiboy]

What's the difference between V-Power and regular diesel? Likely to make any difference in my X-Type (130bhp 2.0 TDCi engine)?

I imagine the cost will outweigh any fuel economy benefits, unless anyone can convince me otherwise.

[MattOz]

In my 330cd, I don't notice any real difference between normal Shell diesel and V-Power. I suspect that your Toledo might be the same.

What I do notice is a difference between Shell and any of the supermarket diesels I've used over the last year. Shell gives me at least 50 miles more to the tank and the car smokes less. Could simply be that my car is a bit fussy about its fuel and prefers the Shell.

[jsg612]

I always fill up with Shell V Power Diesel or Total Excellium Diesel, it's not much more expensive, doesn't go any quicker, but certainly lasts longer than a tank of regular. Try it and see what you think.

I drive a very modern diesel (6 months old) and it makes no scrap of difference to noticeable performance.

[podwin]

V-Power Diesel is blended with GTL, which is very clean for your engine and what comes out the exhaust.

Hence V-Power Diesel will be of some benefit in any Diesel engine in terms of reduced carbon deposits and emissions etc, but this is not an immediate effect.

[podwin]

This link is interesting about GTL:

http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/226341/gtl_joins...

[y2blade]

I've not noticed any difference in performance or economy from either of my cars when using it...mine aren't exactly the latest in Diesel Technology though (Euro 3 Volvo D5 and old VAG 1.9 tdi)...

I assume newer cars may benefit then?

[The Kraken]

I haven't read the marketing behind V Power diesel but perhaps it's aimed more at producing economy and emission benefits as opposed to power gains.

If that's not the case it raises the question what diesel do you have to drive to feel the power benefit?

[300bhp/ton]

The Kraken said:

I have a 99 Toledo TDI 110 and normally stick regular Shell diesel in. I remember reading a thread on here that said Shell V Power diesel is only worth using if you have a modern injection system.

So is my car "modern enough"? Would I be wasting a few pounds if I stuck a tank of V Power in or is it only worth it if you have something like a 535d?

Also do you think it would be like using Super Unleaded, where owners report that along with the extra power they get improved fuel economy which balances out the extra cost of the fuel over regular?

Just looking to satisfy my curiosity as with 110hp the car is hardly going to light the world on fire regardless of what fuel is in it!

Edited by The Kraken on Wednesday 27th July 09:24

Yes it's worth it. But be realistic, it won't give you a 50hp increase in power. and if you car is well sound proofed already you'll likely hardly notice the refinement gains.

On the other hand there's no downside to running it - so the question is why wouldn't you?

It's also worth checking your mpg's. On the vehicles I've tried it on, the increased mpg from V-Power meant it was actually cheaper to run pence/mile wise.

[Mo D]

300bhp/ton said:

Yes it's worth it. But be realistic, it won't give you a 50hp increase in power. and if you car is well sound proofed already you'll likely hardly notice the refinement gains.

On the other hand there's no downside to running it - so the question is why wouldn't you?

It's also worth checking your mpg's. On the vehicles I've tried it on, the increased mpg from V-Power meant it was actually cheaper to run pence/mile wise.

I do recall reading that the E46 330i hand book states that 98 or 99 octane will give you 10 extra horses. Added with the cleanliness and the increased effeciency that the 99 Oct fuel will bring, it's a no brainer. Hence why I always use Shell V power.

[Liquid Knight]

Increasing the Calorific value of fuel should in theory give you better performance but the air/fuel ratio needs to be ballanced to get the full benefit. On its own it won't make enough of a difference to justify the expense. In my opinion V-Power is marketing exercise to see if people who are already being ripped off by the Tax man will take more from Shell.

[300bhp/ton]

Liquid Knight said:

Increasing the Calorific value of fuel should in theory give you better performance but the air/fuel ratio needs to be ballanced to get the full benefit. On its own it won't make enough of a difference to justify the expense. In my opinion V-Power is marketing exercise to see if people who are already being ripped off by the Tax man will take more from Shell.

I disagree totally.

I experimented on my 106 1.5d - on Shell V-Power is was notably smoother and quieter and had a slightly more crisp throttle response. MPG went from 62-66mpg to 72-77mpg on the same journeys and driving style.

Going back to non V-Power had a noticeable reverse affect.

[Monty Python]

My 335d doesn't seem to care what fuel I put in - I've tried supermarket, branded and so-called "premium" diesel. In all cases, the car goes the same, sounds the same and returns almost identical mpg.

I think it's just marketing.

[cheesesliceking]

300bhp/ton said:

On the other hand there's no downside to running it - so the question is why wouldn't you?

Is the increased cost not a downside?

[SWH]

Some observations on the different Devil's Fuels available... I commute in a 2007 1.9DCi Laguna, three days a week, approx 180 miles in total each time; aside from the personal discomfort and generally French motoring experience, I do see some differences in MPG between different fuels:

Shell Regular - Avg 52mpg
Shell V-Power - Avg 55mpg
Asda's finest - Avg 53mpg
Sainsbury's - Avg 51mpg

If pushing on, rather than my usual commuting amble, I can save a little time, and drop the MPG down to 45 for regular diesels, and 47 for V-Power. Having said all that, I managed 64mpg driving from North Greenwich to Lincoln on some supermarket or another's bog standard diesel at a commuting amble rate, although that was very boring.

I've decided not to bother with V-Power as it's not saving me money really, or making any difference to the tractor noises up front; I can make more of a difference in economy by modifying my driving style than any different fuel will ever make - I suspect that has more to do with the different results I've observed.


More interesting would be how much of a difference to engine life using V-Power makes, would it reduce the incidence of injector failure, or indeed DPF failure (especially on low mileage/short distance diesels) - Thankfully neither of which have afflicted my commuting box, yet.

[LexAnderson]

I often use the supermarket diesel, but have used Shell and BP and do not notice any difference. A couple of years ago diesel used to froth a lot, that is why it will took time to brim the tank. But in order to find out its worth is try it under your driving conditions but must also bear in mind the effects of atmospheric changes that you might encounter.

Then you can compare the resultant changes, if any.

Diesel could be more expensive and so as the higher grade of it.

But on my POV petrol V-Power is still more cost-effective than other super unleaded. Here is a site that has some stuffs that could help you in fuel consumption be wiser and safer>> http://www.stylintrucks.com/category/fuel_savings.aspx .I actually purchase some for my own use.

Edited by LexAnderson on Friday 31st August 10:00

[Triumph Man]

I did not notice a difference in my old Passat tdi 110, but then again it did run happily with a gallon of petrol in the tank... To be honest, the old AFN engine pretty much ran on air (and latterly its coolant) and delivered 55 mpg average, so no real need to worry about economy!

[mikeplayer]

It does make a difference yes, whether you notice said difference is another question.

Proof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezjknhwcQXU

I use to use vpower diesel every fill up in my FF TDCI, but then i decided the money wasnt worth the extra 5-8 BHP so i started to use the gruel that every other Diesel owner uses.

Cheers

Mike