Fuel to avoid?
Discussion
Like buying a pint of your favourite ale, it isn't so much the source you should worry about (because often all the fuels in the area come from the same source), but the way it has been kept.
'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
BritishRacinGrin said:
Like buying a pint of your favourite ale, it isn't so much the source you should worry about (because often all the fuels in the area come from the same source), but the way it has been kept.
'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
This is true. I work in a refinery and our fuel goes to service stations and supermarkets. 'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
BritishRacinGrin said:
Like buying a pint of your favourite ale, it isn't so much the source you should worry about (because often all the fuels in the area come from the same source), but the way it has been kept.
'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
This...'Bad fuel' usually turns out to be contaminated by something else rather than actually being out of spec or such poor quality that there's a noticable difference.
All fuel has to meet regulations
In 30 years of riding bikes and driving cars my sole criterion for what goes in the tank is price. So supermarket petrol it is.
The one and only time I have ever had a problem was back in 2008 when I put a tank of "Jet" in and the car (my first SLK) was running really badly, misfiring and hunting etc. I thought it was a coil pack or something. I suspect it was perhaps water contamination, but fresh fuel sorted it
Personally I think the "supermarket fuel" thing is a total load of old bolleaux, however if people want to spunk their money on more expensive fuel then knock yourself out.
The one and only time I have ever had a problem was back in 2008 when I put a tank of "Jet" in and the car (my first SLK) was running really badly, misfiring and hunting etc. I thought it was a coil pack or something. I suspect it was perhaps water contamination, but fresh fuel sorted it
Personally I think the "supermarket fuel" thing is a total load of old bolleaux, however if people want to spunk their money on more expensive fuel then knock yourself out.
Dog Star said:
Personally I think the "supermarket fuel" thing is a total load of old bolleaux, however if people want to spunk their money on more expensive fuel then knock yourself out.
There was a spate of issues involving a number of the big supermarkets some time ago but as far as I know they were pretty much all contamination cases. Probably because Supermarkets, who are competing to shed every penny off the price, were building petrol stations or buying out existing ones and skimping on tank cleaning. The key is turnover, the places least likely to have contaminated fuel are the ones which turn over the most fuel.ETA: And yeah, like Limpet, the Esso and Shell garages near me are normally the same price as the supermarkets or only a penny different so I stick with them... they're closest anyway. And I have a 'Gulf' station on my way back from work, which has a weekly 'money off fuel' day when they're the same price too
The only Gulf filling station I've seen in the UK actually, I've seen one near Anglesey...
Edited by BritishRacinGrin on Tuesday 8th July 08:57
Dog Star said:
Personally I think the "supermarket fuel" thing is a total load of old bolleaux, however if people want to spunk their money on more expensive fuel then knock yourself out.
I've never actually found places like Shell to be any more expensive than the supermarkets for their bog-standard fuel. Certainly our two local Shell garages always seem to be exactly the same price as Asda. BritishRacinGrin said:
The only Gulf filling station I've seen in the UK actually, I've seen one near Anglesey...
Here ya go 
http://tinyurl.com/GulfStationInWhitchurch
ALways run mine on whatever is cheapest, so generally supermarket fuel, occasionally a Shell. Given cars are designed for the international market, I'm sure whatever stuff we end up with over here is well within tolerances.
I run it on 95 too, as it's not mapped (and I'm not going to do it) to take advantage of 98. I feel sorry for those who have to use 98 or they're down on power (E92 M3 loses about 30)
Edited by SturdyHSV on Tuesday 8th July 09:10
BritishRacinGrin said:
The only Gulf filling station I've seen in the UK actually, I've seen one near Anglesey...
There's one near me in Morecambe, it's about 4ppl more expensive than most other fuel stations, and 9'ish ppl more expensive than the Asda 300 yards away. It's right on a van hire place though, so maybe they do OK with the 'charge full tank' way of hiring vehiclesEdited by BritishRacinGrin on Tuesday 8th July 08:57
I always use Shell for the points where I can, if not Sainsburys
spot the stupid errorOP, never touch supermarket fuel. It will kill your car!
I know someone who crashed once. When the subsequent investigation was undertaken, the results concluded that the driver had driven into a bollard at a supermarket petrol station. He had just brimmed his tank with their fuel!
Outrageous!
I know someone who crashed once. When the subsequent investigation was undertaken, the results concluded that the driver had driven into a bollard at a supermarket petrol station. He had just brimmed his tank with their fuel!
Outrageous!
BritishRacinGrin said:
Dog Star said:
Personally I think the "supermarket fuel" thing is a total load of old bolleaux, however if people want to spunk their money on more expensive fuel then knock yourself out.
There was a spate of issues involving a number of the big supermarkets some time ago but as far as I know they were pretty much all contamination cases. Probably because Supermarkets, who are competing to shed every penny off the price, were building petrol stations or buying out existing ones and skimping on tank cleaning. The key is turnover, the places least likely to have contaminated fuel are the ones which turn over the most fuel.ETA: And yeah, like Limpet, the Esso and Shell garages near me are normally the same price as the supermarkets or only a penny different so I stick with them... they're closest anyway. And I have a 'Gulf' station on my way back from work, which has a weekly 'money off fuel' day when they're the same price too
The only Gulf filling station I've seen in the UK actually, I've seen one near Anglesey...
Edited by BritishRacinGrin on Tuesday 8th July 08:57
Also, what is this tank cleaning you mention?
TackMEU said:
This is true. I work in a refinery and our fuel goes to service stations and supermarkets.
I spoke to a chap who worked in a refinery and we discussed this. I asked if there was any truth in the matter. In terms of grade of petrol, he said no. He did mention however that the reason supermarket fuel is cheaper is that they usually skimp on the anti foaming agents and stabalisers for the fuel. It was the same grade however it "went off" quicker.Is there any truth in this?
To be honest, I find that there isn't much difference in price in my area anyway between shell and the supermarkets. I sually stick with that blokes advice which was, if the fuel is going to be used fairly quickly, there is nothing wrong with supermarket fuel. If it's going to sit in the tank for a while in a car that isn't driven much (track car/the old mans garage queen that sits for over a month while he's off shore) then to avoid supermarket fuel as it will start to go off.
Whether there is any truth in it I don't know. It's really a happy coincidence that the MR2 get V power usually and it sits for a while. Whatevers cheapest goes in the Saab as generally, a tank doesn't last more than a few weeks, if that!
My brother works for the company that services fuel station pumps - Dresser Wayne. He changes more filters in Asda than anywhere else. Their fuel is the only fuel that has no additives - as suggested above. However, the filter should (and does in most cases) catch any crap. He has only heard of a few cases where an car has been effected and even then Asda where adamant that it could not be blamed on their pumps. Shell or BP fuel, or Vpower for a treat, that's his advice to me.
i think the whole avoid supermarket fuel is a bit overhyped. i've only ever had one bad experience (water in fuel) caused my bike to break down. other than that i always use the CHEAPEST avaliable fuel.
a friend of mine swears by bp ultimate but i just chuck a bit of redex in the tank every few thousand miles, makes me feel better.
a friend of mine swears by bp ultimate but i just chuck a bit of redex in the tank every few thousand miles, makes me feel better.
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