Premium Fuel

[okedave]

Has anyone else tried using Premium fuel in their car to compare to normal fuel?

After reading a few comments on the forum about how the exeo ran better on premium fuels I thought I would give it a try and got surprising results. I felt the engine ran slightly quieter and had a little more pulling power, however my average mpg plummeted from 55 down to 45. Needless to say I have now gone back to normal grade fuel and the average mpg is creeping back up again now and so far is at 50.

I average 1000 miles a week on a mixture of roads, but majority of time is motorway and A roads and have the ST Tech 143. Im very curious to hear any other experiences.

 

[decadent]

I have been using premium fuel since the end of November mostly BP ultimate. Prior to that I used to run it on Tesco + Morrisons.

Since then my mpg has improved by 2-3 on the read out (even though it has got colder), engine is quieter and the engine is more responsive between 2-3rpm (it felt flattish before).

 

[Mr Bigglesworth]

I generally used tesco 99 or v power (petrol engine). I feel that the engine is more responsive, marginal gain on mpg.

My Old leon was really quite sensitive. That was v power, it didn't even get on that well with tesco 99.

 

[Mr Bigglesworth]

I generally used tesco 99 or v power (petrol engine). I feel that the engine is more responsive, marginal gain on mpg.

My Old leon was really quite sensitive. That was v power, it didn't even get on that well with tesco 99.

 

[RichL]

Recently ran a tankful of BP regular not-premium diesel through the Exeo when previously I used Tesco/Sainsbury diesel.
There was a very noticeable increase in power on the BP fuel.
But my car is tweaked with a tuning box so might be a bit more sensitive. Previous Golf PD150 I ran Esso regular or supermarket fuel and couldnt tell the difference.

 

[GTRACING]

Hi
I have been using Shell v-max Diesel, for about 6 month now and can not fault it, on average fuel economy, has increased by 3 to 5 mpg depending on driving style and roads.
I run a143 ST. The pick up is also better.
Cheers

 

[asonda]

I switched from Morrissons fuel to V Power and BP Ultimate as the throttle body on my Exeo Sport Tech ST CR170 got all carbon'd up.

Due to the nature of the EGR on this CR Engine, the better fuel burns more clean creating less soot and carbon which can only be better for the fragile nature of the EGR systems on these new engines.

MPG, don't really notice a difference because I just haven't been bothered to track it. I know the obd gives it you but it is lower than before but I put different tyres on the car with worse efficiency band, which dropped it about 5mpg!!!

 

[Tonyuk74]

Used v power 3 full tanks and noticed no diffrence what so ever.

 

[Sausageinabun]

What Car, carried out extensive testing of these so called 'Premium' fuels some years back, and concluded that these fuels are a waste of money, and give you no fuel economy benefits to speak of.

It is all urban myth. In fact prolonged use of them can even damage your engine. Modern CR engines are made to consume normal diesel, that has passed the extremely stringent British Standards, BS EN 590, which is law in this country and throughout the EU.

They are selling us a myth, making exactly the same spurious claims for their 'Premium' fuel as they claim for the standard fuel. They just add more detergent, with other chemicals which they won't even tell us the names of.

When the Oil companies were taken to task with regard to this, they were unable to prove any of their claims whatsoever.

Adding the odd tankful shouldn't do you much harm, and if it gives you peace of mind then go for it I say.

I posted more on this recently in another thread.

Don't let them fool you, they just want the contents of your wallet!

 

[RichL]

OTOH, Practical Performance Car mag carried out tests with a tweaked Mitsi Evo 6 on a rolling road and reported an average of 8bhp gain across the rev range when using a premium fuel.

 

[Sausageinabun]

There is plenty of evidence out there to substantiate what I have written, and I'm sure that people can bring up plenty of cases on an individual basis.

However, what we don't know, is how long lived was that tweaked engine. Did it last as long as one that wasn't tweaked. What did the tweaking cost. What exactly was tweaked. Did any part of the fuel system, fuel injectors, and fuel pump fail. Was the alleged 8BHP at the wheels or at the flywheel, and was it worth the cost of the tweaking and the cost of the Premium fuel over the life of the vehicle.

Last but not least, do you trust a performance car magazine's evidence over the word of a well respected consumer magazine with no axe to grind and no advertising from 'tweakers' to sell.

I'm not for one second doubting your word, however I am more than sceptical of their findings.

As ever tho, and tongue firmly in cheek YMMV

 

[Mr Bigglesworth]

There is plenty of evidence out there to substantiate what I have written, and I'm sure that people can bring up plenty of cases on an individual basis.

However, what we don't know, is how long lived was that tweaked engine. Did it last as long as one that wasn't tweaked. What did the tweaking cost. What exactly was tweaked. Did any part of the fuel system, fuel injectors, and fuel pump fail. Was the alleged 8BHP at the wheels or at the flywheel, and was it worth the cost of the tweaking and the cost of the Premium fuel over the life of the vehicle.

Last but not least, do you trust a performance car magazine's evidence over the word of a well respected consumer magazine with no axe to grind and no advertising from 'tweakers' to sell.

I'm not for one second doubting your word, however I am more than sceptical of their findings.

As ever tho, and tongue firmly in cheek YMMV

I am wondering if there is a petrol/diesel differential too. With petrol, premium fuel is higher octane as well as having other cleaners etc in it. For diesel, is it a higher grade diesel or is just the case that it has extra cleaners and additives in it?

 

[guari]

I'll only use Vpower petrol, and if none is around, then BP or esso premiums will do.

Life's too short to be gulping inferior fuels in order to save a few quid

 

[Sausageinabun]

Premium Petrol is a different beast, it is 98RON as opposed to normal unleaded's 95RON.

Some performance cars actually need the higher octane rating, others can use either but perform better with the higher rating, like my mate's Susuki Swift Sport.

 

[guari]

Premium Petrol is a different beast, it is 98RON as opposed to normal unleaded's 95RON.

Some performance cars actually need the higher octane rating, others can use either but perform better with the higher rating, like my mate's Susuki Swift Sport.

Gosh, didn't realize the discussion was on diesel fuels

I'll fully pledge ignorance on diesels as I've never owned one...

 

[RichL]

Last but not least, do you trust a performance car magazine's evidence over the word of a well respected consumer magazine with no axe to grind and no advertising from 'tweakers' to sell.

It wasn't a "We test premium fuels!" article but IIRC one of the Walker's Workshop ones where someone turned up to his rolling road with their car to do a test themselves, so IMO pretty much as impartial as you can get as I doubt Dave Walker ever got a tanker full of petrol show up as a backhander for a positive review

 

[decadent]

I was under the impression that premium diesel, such as Shell & BP had a higher cetane rating enabling a more efficient cleaner burn.

The normal BP/Shell fuels have cleaning properties. I didn't think Tesco, Morrison's and the like contain the cleaning properties but could be wrong.

Now that I've been experimenting over the last few months I will predominately being using a branded diesel (normal pump), occasional tesco (to use clubcard points) and then 1 in 5 tanks I'll use BP Ultimate/V power. Nice breadth there so hopefully I'll see any benefits they individually have to offer.

edit to add cetane rataings. From what I have read over 55 is of no further benefit to modern engines:

Standard diesel in Europe: 51
BP Ultimate: 55
Shell V Power: 55
Total Excellium: 53
Standard Shell diesel: 53

Obviously centane rating is only one element of the quality of fuel; you could have a 55 rated but of rubbish quality which wouldn't be as good a standard 51 rated supermaket fuel.

 

[Mrski1]

The only thing I have ever seen on premium diesels being tested to prove any power claims were from Fifth Gear, they stuck a Citroen on a dyno and tested the car with branded diesel, supermarket diesel and then 'premium' diesel, they managed to get a 6bhp increase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezjknhwcQXU

 

[RichL]

The only thing I have ever seen on premium diesels being tested to prove any power claims were from Fifth Gear, they stuck a Citroen on a dyno and tested the car with branded diesel, supermarket diesel and then 'premium' diesel, they managed to get a 6bhp increase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezjknhwcQXU

Good video, though I'd have liked to see them using non-supermarket big brand Diesel in the test rather than just testing the two premium diesels.

There's also the vid where 5th Gear used some Redex to clean the fuel system on an old Corrado VR6 and restored 6bhp - and IIRC Redex contains an octane booster (pretty sure Redex diesel contains a cetane booster anyway) About the first thing I did when getting my Exeo was run a bottle of redex through it and 'twas noticeably more sprightly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03nL8Z0dRkI

 

[Mrski1]

This one is also quite good for the petrol powered Exeo's out there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQghB4asSnI