Supermarket fuel

[iren]

I may be throwing the cat amongst the pigeons here but as an ex-fuel tanker driver I can tell you that Asda/Sainsburys/Tesco etc do NOT have their own petrol refineries! When you go into a refinery to load it all comes from the same bulk storage tank regardless of whose name is on the side of the tanker. Now there may be a very slight amount of certain additives that are injected during the loading process but the more important facts to remember are these.

1.Large, busy petrol stations have a fast turn around of fuel so less time for the fuel to go off and pick up water caused by condensation.The lower the fuel level the more risk of condensation. These are problems you will get with smaller, rural stations.

2. There should be no difference between unleaded fuel wherever you get it provided that the garage is managed properly. It is not unheard of that Diesel can accidentally be put into a petrol tank and vice versa by the delivery driver. Do you think they would pump it all out and send it away if it was a small amount, say 1000L of Diesel into a 30000L petrol tank? Take it from me, they will leave it to dilute and you try proving it!! Now petrol into a Deisel tank is a bigger problem but rarely happens because Petrol is gravity discharged into an undergound tank but diesel is normal pumped in by the trucks pump. You do not want to be pumping petrol with the tanker. If you have 6 or 7 compartments of Petrol and Diesel fuel in a tanker that can be mixed up if the driver isn't on the ball.

So the point I am trying to make is to use one source as often as you can that has proved to be reliable. If you have a problem after filling up go back and complain. Tell them you will be contacting Trading Standards to have their stock checked for contamination and pump calibration tested. They have a legal duty to provide the correct fuel and amount and will be penalized heavily if found out. Dont just go away and spend a fortune if it is their mistake.

 

[MrPark3r]

Nice post, I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

 

[crystalpuma]

I won't buy petrol from Sainsbury now as twice my engine sounded a bit dodgy and both times was after filling up at Sainsbury. I have no idea why this might have been but I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to prove anything so what can I do except avoid it?

 

[martinthrapston]

i only use shell,as its closer to me than tescos,and i tried sainsburys,but same problem as vix, engine pinked a bit using it and tbh there isnt no price difference with shell or super,market petrol,hence why i stick with shell k:

 

[speedypete101]

Hmmm, great advice. I religiously use shell because of their loyalty scheme.

My wonder is whether the premium fuels actually make any difference to the 1.7l engine of my Puma? I tried a tank of the premium Texaco fuel (couldn't find a Shell garage in Rochdale and I was down to fumes as usual) and still had about 1/4 left as I got back to Gloucester after a 'spirited' drive down the rain lashed M5 & M6. No hold-ups though. I've no idea what difference it makes because the car was full of V-Power on the way up there.

 

[pumapilot]

Hmmm, great advice. I religiously use Shell because of their loyalty scheme.

I use Shell because my Kat goes great using it, and as the Shell garage is close to Sainsburys petrol station, the price is the same too.

Using Vpower in a Puma with a standard ECU is money wasted, it will run just as well on normal unleaded

 

[crystalpuma]

You get better mpg though (tried and tested).

 

[XIIVVX]

The fuel of choice on the 911 Forum (I do pop in there from time to time) is Tesco 99RON. I try and use it whenever, but sometimes have to substitute the Shell or BP equivalents. Not all Tesco outlets have the 99.

However, don't take this as a Puma recommend. You are wasting your money if you put anything over 95/96 RON in it.

 

[speedypete101]

Thanks, I might set aside some cash and actually try this one out, see which of the premium fuels gets my Puma the farthest on just 5 litres. I'm not sure exactly how to conduct such a test. Perhaps filling up several containers with 5 Litres of each and doing a Motorway run at 70MPH until the fuel warning light comes on. Fill up with the next fuel and doing the same making a note of how many miles were covered. The only problems with this that I can see are finding a place to stop to fill the car up again (service stations can be few and far between!) and the fact that the fuels will get mixed because unless I was to run the car dry (which happened on the test drive when I bought it!) the 'old' fuel will be mixed with the next fuel and give slightly false readings.

I might try calling the local paper and seeing if they will sponsor the test

 

[mutley]

ill use whatever nowdays i cant be arsed with all these internet chinese whispers.. every forum will tell you something contrary to another.

petrol station next to my flat gets checked regularly by whoever that does it and they spend all day checking each pump systematically and fuel tanker is in around twice a week as they get through loads of fuel

 

[XIIVVX]

It wouldn't be a valid test.

You do need to 'flush the old fuel through. You will also find that most of the premium fuels making 'greater mileage' claims also add a "It may take several tankfuls to get the full benefit" (Cynics might suggest this was a much driven by the marketing department as by the engineering side)

 

[Scotty1.7]

SpeedyPete

Theres a shell not more the 2 minutes from me in Shaw- which even on the reserve light you can get to with ease.

Didn't know you were around here mush?

 

[speedypete101]

Yup, been around here with the car for about 9 months. Being between Cheltenham & Gloucester there are 3 Shell garages within very easy reach to me although they are renovating the one of them!

I've worked out that as soon as the warning light comes on there is about 20 miles of fuel left before it will actually run out so that's a fair distance. I have to say, that I'm impressed with the fuel economy on the Puma as its gone from Cheltenham to Methyr Tfydil (South east Wales) on 2/3 of a tank today and managed 192 Miles on 3/4 tank. Was all motorway and dual carriageway though.

 

[martinthrapston]

it is safe to use 99 ron unleaded in the puma as stated in the manual,but wont make any difference to the performance tho k:

 

[crystalpuma]

as soon as the warning light comes on there is about 20 miles of fuel left before it will actually run out

I have had 35 miles out of mine and not even empty then. I have also heard that people have got 60+ but I'm not that brave

 

[yippeekiay]

20 miles from the light to running out?...you must have a fuel leak...lol.

Actually reading the rest of your post, 192 miles on 3/4 of a tank isn't much either unless you were driving well over 70.

To put into context, the most I have got from light to empty is 86 miles...yes, 86 miles.
I get at least 200 miles for half a tank except on the odd occasion when I've thrashed the bejesus out of it.

 

[pumapilot]

Mine usually has about 10 Litres of fuel left when the light came on, Ford reckon on 70 miles, but fuel guages are notoriously unpredictable as well, i think Zara got 56 miles out of her Puma, after the low fuel light came on.

I got 280 miles out of 3/4 of a tank yesterday, driving to-on-from the Demelza meet

 

[yippeekiay]

IIRC I worked it out as being around 6 litres for safety when I did my 500+ mile tank (but nowhere near 10) which is what I now base it on if I go into reserve and need to know how far I can go on my driving/mpg at that exact time.

 

[speedypete101]

Heavy right foot and it was a reasonably hilly drive. Probably averaged roughly 85 on motorways topping somewhere in the region of 115 on the M4.

Irresponsible - yes. Not proud, but I was in a hurry.

 

[yippeekiay]

Ah...thee errm, private section of the M4...lol.

That would explain the thirst.