I would agree there is sometimes a little gain. Though, I used to work in an office next door to Honest John, and unfortunately they don't really write anything unless paid to do so.Honest John in the Telegraph reckons that Shell VPower 99 octane can give a 10% BHP increase.
I've been running it for 18 months in my 1.4 Sport BYB and it is definitely an improvement. When I got the car it would not pick up speed at any acceptable rate under 3000 RPM. I am assuming that the combination of the clean up by the fuel and the increased octane have made the acceleration acceptable down under 2000 RPM which makes for a more relaxing drive. Coming from a 1.4TDI, I was quite shocked at the amount of gear changing I was doing!
It could be just the clean up of course and not the octane. It was on 96 000 miles and maybe had run its whole life on the grot stuff!
I've explained things regarding this topic quite a few times on this Forum. The raw fuel will be sourced from the nearest refinery, regardless of the eventual brand or whether it's from a supermarket. That means it's exactly the same quality. The tanker driver then adds at source a particular additive package to make the fuel unique. It will always be "in spec" and will do its job. However, top brands will have the latest "cutting edge" package which will keep your engine running clean and healthy. Supermarket fuel will have an earlier and inferior additive package.
David
That was due to a contamination at a particular supplier. I have don't have the name to hand, but if I remember correctly the issue was contamination with sulphur or something similar which was destroying the fuel system of petrol cars. What the guy above said about "nearest refinery" isn't entirely true. As demonstrated by the contamination scandal which only effect certain brands, they do not share a common supply.As regards the quantity of junk, isn't that also corollary of the tanker itself? I remember probably 17 years ago here in Dundee that there was a sudden spate of expensive failures here when a tanker supplying various local supermarket petrol pumps was found to be significantly compromised with both diesel and water contamination. It was headline news. A lot of modern cars broke down and needed recovery shortly after refilling - the same week my student 2CV started running erratically rough after a Tesco fill-up (mostly on only one cylinder that could be just about overcome by dropping a gear and ) with a strong dieselly smell in the cabin when normally it would be reeking of evaporated petrol overflowing onto the cylinder head from the carb - and only cleared up after I gave it a refill of Shell after half a tank.
I'm an Ex-Shell employee. I worked for Shell Research, Thornton (Latterly Shell Global Solutions) I was part of the team that developed Shell Optimax. I had my own exclusive laboratory.@DJ 190 David, in threads like this it might help others if you state your background.
All the best, Andrew
PS that doesn’t mean I am disregarding statements by others, just that I have met David and know his background
To keep the rust at bay, use WD-40, a tea spoonful, after meals.@PlasticMac And I thought the additives were supposed to stop rust.
On a serious note both @DJ 190 and @PlasticMac are the type of experts I will listen to. Now all I need to know is exactly what additives are added to which fuels so I can rank the companies in order of preference v cost. Thanks both. Insider knowledge removes all the advertising "fluff".
In the sense of diesel, stuff like Shell's diesel V-Power is provably nicer to DPFs. Otherwise, yeah go for it if you don't have a DPF.Diesel cars that I own and owned have never been run on anything other than supermarket fuel, I have a long drive to get branded fuel. They have all been fine and gone to high mileage. I had a low compression 1.8 lt golf that I ran on supermarket fuel, it was fine went to high mileage too.
High compression engined petrol cars I do not fill at the local supermarket which only sells standard petrol. I shop around for high octane petrol, Sainsburys is fine and the best Tesco 99 octane. I don't see the point in paying extra for branded fuel, even if I could get it.
I'm an Ex-Shell employee. I worked for Shell Research, Thornton (Latterly Shell Global Solutions) I was part of the team that developed Shell Optimax. I had my own exclusive laboratory.
David
1966 ...... I recon that I might have known him. 700 people worked there when I started. I've even got the telephone directory from the 70's/80's!When did you join Shell Research? My dad used to work there, a combustion expert, though I doubt your paths ever crossed since he retired in 1984. Small world!
1966 ...... I recon that I might have known him. 700 people worked there when I started. I've even got the telephone directory from the 70's/80's!
David