Supermarket vs. branded petrol.. your opinion?

[MichaelM]

I know its a controversial subject, but there seems to be plenty on either sides of the argument. I recently tried Shell petrol instead of ASDA and I've got around 30 miles (67mpg according to fuelly) more out of a tank than I usually would - however I was behaving myself on the motorway!

Whats your experiences guys, or do you just go for what's cheapest?

[Niall_farley]

I much prefer branded, I filled up at morrisons once in my car and it stalled my car and put the EML light on.

Apparently most supermarkets buy there fuel from random sources generally in a auction and the addetives aren't great and can make for rough running

[DJ123]

On road machines where they will take anything, I don't find it makes a difference. I generally use Supermarket fuel. I don't find it makes any difference whether I use a brand or not. AFAIK, most supermarkets buy from a brand.

[Tomor]

I use pretty much anything in the car, but will try to use branded in the bike. I avoid Texaco at all costs as had a bad experience with their fuel which nearly made me come off.

[maviczap]

Must admit my diesel fumes smell funny, I always fill up at Morrisons.

Smells of kerosene, like its been watered down with a cheaper but combustible substitute.

[andrewsmith]

Supermarket fuel is the lowest quality allowed under British and EU standards. Has less of the additives that improve the burn, emissions and quality control that the branded forecourt fuel has

[Scythe92]

I know its a controversial subject, but there seems to be plenty on either sides of the argument. I recently tried Shell petrol instead of ASDA and I've got around 30 miles (67mpg according to fuelly) more out of a tank than I usually would - however I was behaving myself on the motorway!

Whats your experiences guys, or do you just go for what's cheapest?

I found when I had my SV I'd get up to 40 miles extra per tank, however not each ride was the same.

However I noticed this also happen on my ZX6R, it was also more responsive.

I ran my Clio on Shell fuels, and generic supermarket fuel to test. I do the same drive week in / week out, of pretty much all motorway driving at 70-80 for 100 miles per day (50 miles each way). All year round, I found I got an extra trip in (50 miles) before my petrol light came on when using shell fuel that week, every time. I won't use anything else now.

[MichaelM]

Yeah, I read a lot about the big supermarkets buying from shell and the like - and the difference being the additives added at the forecourt. I guess it's all about how temperamental the engine is - I can see small honda's not making a difference, whereas infamous italian brands being a bit iffy haha

[andrewsmith]

Nope I will not buy Tesco fuel as its so poor my bike runs like a bag of hammers
99 Ron is slightly better

[Niall_farley]

I think what they do they buy from auction and using food as a comparison supermarket fuel buys from the discounted section on the best before date and add additives which makes my car runs like a bag of spinners compaired to shell or bp which are the only two i use mainly.

[Nutsinatin]

Tesco's regular fuel feels rough and gives me the lowest mpg of any fuel that I have used, their Momentum 99 is like silk and gives me the same mpg as Shell Fuelsave (it's what they have instead of their Shell regular in some areas, not their v power + which is crazy expensive) BP and Esso regular fuels are okay, and just slightly better than Sainsbury's own brand. My ratings based on value and performance would be:
1: Shell Fuelsave
2: Tesco Momentum 99
3: Shell Regular
4: Esso, BP Regular
5: Sainsbury's (Just bellow these ^)
6: Tesco's own (not awful but the worst I've used)


I've not used any other fuels so can't comment on those, but from what I've seen brands tend to perform better than supermarket, but aren't always as cheap! Sad git ain't I!

[Kenzie]

I find that Tesco's own makes my Civic idle a bit lumpy. Not sure if it is just my imagination. Thier diesel also messed up our works Passat a few years ago.

[cb1000rsteve]

For the bike I use whatever's there when I need it. Otherwise I use branded when not caught short. The moped needs branded as supermarket fuels with out additives will eventually block the tiny injectors! The car runs on anything and still returns the same mpg whether supermarket or not.
Thinking about this in reality I don't think there is a massive difference. Watch them long way round / down programmes and they where taking fuel out of plastic cans. Think the companies just like to brain wash is.

[squirrel_hunter]

It all tastes the same to me.

The only exception is using a higher rated octane to combat carb icing, a night and day difference. Other than that when the light comes on I stop off at the next convenient garage.

[kaivalagi]

I definately get better MPG out of Shell fuel when compared to Tesco, Esso and Jet....it's nearly always 1-2p more a litre but the savings I get though atleast 3-4mpg more outway that....if I can I put in Shell in the bike...

As for the Family Diesel car it's Tesco's a lot of the time, once a month it gets a full tank with about 50p/L off depending on the shopping we've done....

[dizzyblonde]

I don't use supermarket fuels in my Italian bike since I had a problem with it reacting with my plastic tank. It escaped via the paint and caused irreversible damage. Also cost me a new tank which are EXTREMELY rare, and a new one costs as much as my bike!!. My local station is a Shell. I've not filled there since.

One of the Raptor Chapter maintains fuel pumps for a living, between him and another member they went around testing fuels because of the ethanol scare. Quite scientific and a bit nerdy!

Murco is the best petrol out there, for me! Best quality by all accounts. Shames its not found around here often, and is pricey.

The car gets any old brand. As long as the type of fuel is correct I don't care!

Then there is the mpg, you don't mention that when its 1000cc of Italian vtwin ;)

[DJFridge]

I use Sainsburys, Tesco, Murco and Esso fairly regularly, with occasional stops at BP and Shell. I can't tell the difference in either mpg or performance. I keep meaning to try the Super but I can't remember whether it made a positive difference in carb bikes or injection. It was definitely only worth it in one, not the other. Just can't remember which!

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Bike and lorry both had branded, car has supermarket, car is being used all the time, bike is special and needs loving, lorry runs on company money and can afford branded.

[rb8989]

Tuned ccm likes v power, depending on what map you write. I can switch curves between more and less advance if i know i can only get crap fuel.

[mikerj]

I have never noticed a single difference between supermarket and "branded" fuel, either in any of my bikes or my car. It's all in peoples heads IMO.

[dizzyblonde]

I have never noticed a single difference between supermarket and "branded" fuel, either in any of my bikes or my car. It's all in peoples heads IMO.

Say that to my petrol tank!! Have you ever seen one with chicken pox all over? :evil:

[suzukigt380paul]

i have used all sorts and brands in both the car and bike and never noticed ant difference in running or mpg,there may be different additives added for different markets!,but since the are ony 13 oil refineries in the uk it is fair assumtion that the fuel isnt that different as it will come from the nearest oil refinery

[andrewsmith]

i have used all sorts and brands in both the car and bike and never noticed ant difference in running or mpg,there may be different additives added for different markets!,but since the are ony 13 oil refineries in the uk it is fair assumtion that the fuel isnt that different as it will come from the nearest oil refinery

Not necessarily we get fuel from two refineries around here. Grangemouth produces to client spec

Sent from my ST25i using Tapatalk 2

[yorkie_chris]

Loadash*te. All burns. Buy the cheapest.

Had this argument ages ago when at uni and my mates actually octane and calorific value tested some, they found that lo and behold it was all fine.


Additive packages, detergents... teh fook... we're putting a flammable liquid through a glorified perfume dispenser and setting fire to it. It's not witchcraft.

Talk to me about high quality diesel fuel... and I'll show you a guy who's got dyno runs of his 350bhp merc running on rendered down pig fat.

[Juju]

I don't notice any difference on my SV with whatever I fill up, and haven't done so in a car for years. I run on BP almost all the time simply as its where the convenient stations on my commute are.

However, when in the late 80's and early 90's, I used to drive alfas, (33 Green Cloverleaf, Alfasud Sprint) and they were fussy on fuel. They hated BP fuel, liked Shell, but positively purred on Texaco. Which is a shame as the price per litre was also in that order. I never understood it, but I've not had similar on a car or bike in 20 years now. (low speed idle was less lumpy, throttle response was perceptibly better)

I agree with YC that there is, in 2013, little effect between brands. Given we're all using an unleaded version of 3 star, but when I learned to drive we were all using leaded 4 star, arguably fuel is "poorer" quality than it ever used to be. I can't see detergents and the like are really anything but marketing puff, added in such small quantities, otherwise the fuel,simply wouldn't ignite as well. The longevity of engines these days is far more down to the fact engines are bigger, and so wear better, and tolerances of manufacture, materials, along wiht injection, and all those other electrical aids.

Generally when people notice a difference after filling up somewhere "unusual",its because their journey has changed. Therefore they forget that they are suddenly doing more NSL miles because of the journey change or whatever and put it down to the fuel.

[suzukigt380paul]

I don't notice any difference on my SV with whatever I fill up, and haven't done so in a car for years. I run on BP almost all the time simply as its where the convenient stations on my commute are.

However, when in the late 80's and early 90's, I used to drive alfas, (33 Green Cloverleaf, Alfasud Sprint) and they were fussy on fuel. They hated BP fuel, liked Shell, but positively purred on Texaco. Which is a shame as the price per litre was also in that order. I never understood it, but I've not had similar on a car or bike in 20 years now. (low speed idle was less lumpy, throttle response was perceptibly better)

I agree with YC that there is, in 2013, little effect between brands. Given we're all using an unleaded version of 3 star, but when I learned to drive we were all using leaded 4 star, arguably fuel is "poorer" quality than it ever used to be. I can't see detergents and the like are really anything but marketing puff, added in such small quantities, otherwise the fuel,simply wouldn't ignite as well. The longevity of engines these days is far more down to the fact engines are bigger, and so wear better, and tolerances of manufacture, materials, along wiht injection, and all those other electrical aids.

Generally when people notice a difference after filling up somewhere "unusual",its because their journey has changed. Therefore they forget that they are suddenly doing more NSL miles because of the journey change or whatever and put it down to the fuel.i agree with most you have said,apart from the bit about l"eaded 4 star, arguably fuel is "poorer" quality than it ever used to be. "cant realy agree with that bit,i know engines have improved in the last 35 years,but when every thing ran on leaded 4 star,you had to change the plugs every 5 to pos 8k max,if not the center electode would be worn away,but ever since they stopped leaded and we have what they sell now,plugs that i change at 30k look just like they did when they were fitted,and in most cases would last another 30k

[embee]

.....,i know engines have improved in the last 35 years,but when every thing ran on leaded 4 star,you had to change the plugs every 5 to pos 8k max,if not the center electode would be worn away,but ever since they stopped leaded and we have what they sell now,plugs that i change at 30k look just like they did when they were fitted,and in most cases would last another 30k

Leaded fuel used chlorine/bromine bearing compounds as "scavengers" to prevent build up of lead deposits on valve seats etc. The lead combines to form lead bromide or chloride which is carried out of the cylinder in the gas, some was deposited in the tailpipe and has a whitish/grey colour. This is why people used to think unleaded fuel made their engine run rich, because the tailpipe now looked dusty brown instead of white, it was just the absence of the pale coloured lead compounds.
The big problem was that the scavengers made the exhaust condensate very acidic, which rotted the exhaust pipes very quickly (in contrast my Yaris is still on its original aluminised mild steel silencer 14yrs down the road).
The other aspect is that the lead and the scavengers attacked the hot (700C typical) spark plug electrodes and caused rapid erosion, as you so rightly say.

[suzukigt380paul]

Leaded fuel used chlorine/bromine bearing compounds as "scavengers" to prevent build up of lead deposits on valve seats etc. The lead combines to form lead bromide or chloride which is carried out of the cylinder in the gas, some was deposited in the tailpipe and has a whitish/grey colour. This is why people used to think unleaded fuel made their engine run rich, because the tailpipe now looked dusty brown instead of white, it was just the absence of the pale coloured lead compounds.
The big problem was that the scavengers made the exhaust condensate very acidic, which rotted the exhaust pipes very quickly (in contrast my Yaris is still on its original aluminised mild steel silencer 14yrs down the road).
The other aspect is that the lead and the scavengers attacked the hot (700C typical) spark plug electrodes and caused rapid erosion, as you so rightly say.so thats why the mild steel exhausts used to only last about 14 months in the 70's 80's and early 90's and the later cars ive owned in the last 20ish years have lasted a good 12 years

[JulesW]

I use Shell Nitro+ all the time, the SV runs very well on it. I don't mind paying 8p per litre more since I don't commute and only ride recreationally.

I would never use supermarket fuel unless I was desperate because of the horror stories I've read.

[suzukigt380paul]

I use Shell Nitro+ all the time, the SV runs very well on it. I don't mind paying 8p per litre more since I don't commute and only ride recreationally.

I would never use supermarket fuel unless I was desperate because of the horror stories I've read.having done 90k in 2 cars in the last 15 years mostly on supermarket fuel and maybe the same again on bikes with out any problems,what horror stories are you talking about

[JulesW]

I've read of sand and water being found in cheap 'no brand' petrol.

[yorkie_chris]

You'd be bloody unlucky. More likely some sort of fault at the petrol station to allow that.

[Heorot]

I just put a new silencer box on my "R" reg Inpreza Turbo that I have had from new. I only changed it because the internal baffles had worked loose and made a horrendous noise on startup and idle. All the other pipes are original (15 yrs old).

On the subject of leaded, my first "sports" car was a Colt Celeste 1.6. I was putting 4* in it until I read the handbook and found that it was intended to run on 2*. It actually ran better on 2* than 4*.

I had a Honda CG when I was learning and was putting Tesco 99 in it. After a year of doing this, I did what everyone said was impossible. I blew up the engine - IN A HONDA..

[andrewsmith]

Sand and water is poor or failed tanks on the forecourt.
Total did forget to purge out water from a tanker about 15 years ago up here and they did admit it.

[suzukigt380paul]

I've read of sand and water being found in cheap 'no brand' petrol.some people may have found that!!,but i only change the fuel filter on my car every 40/50k and have never had a fuel filter get blocked,and have only had rust in motorcycle filters,down to old age and condensation

[Haircut]

I've read of sand and water being found in cheap 'no brand' petrol.

Our Grand Scenic diesel was having injection issues, it had injectors and fuel pump replaced under warranty before the garage decided to check the tank, when taken off they found a shed load of slit\sand and the bottom.

The missus used various petrol stations so we could not tie it down but I did ban her from filling up at Morrisons.

[suzukigt380paul]

Our Grand Scenic diesel was having injection issues, it had injectors and fuel pump replaced under warranty before the garage decided to check the tank, when taken off they found a shed load of slit\sand and the bottom.

The missus used various petrol stations so we could not tie it down but I did ban her from filling up at Morrisons.thats not good,but in theory you cant bugger a pump or injectors with sand or water in the tank,the fuel fliter will stop this from happening,thats not to say if the filter is blocked a warning light will come on and if left the motor will stop from lack of fuel

[Haircut]

thats not good,but in theory you cant bugger a pump or injectors with sand or water in the tank,the fuel fliter will stop this from happening,thats not to say if the filter is blocked a warning light will come on and if left the motor will stop from lack of fuel


Renault Diesels are known for throwing up injector faults at the slightest pressure drop, in this case at the start it was the pump damage and crud in the lines up to the filter.

[yorkie_chris]

I dunno fuel filters only go down to 5 microns or so, and they can only catch so much water before some gets through.

You also find that when a pump fooks up all those bits of pump end up going back down the fuel return line.

Also just for more fun fuel made by cat cracking or similar has free radicals in it that can recombine back into plastic like bits in the tank (as I understand it).

This was my fuel strainer after about ooooh 27,000 litres of fuel
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x383q90/42/4ewu.jpg


No idea what all that crap was or where it came from.

[suzukigt380paul]

I dunno fuel filters only go down to 5 microns or so, and they can only catch so much water before some gets through.

You also find that when a pump fooks up all those bits of pump end up going back down the fuel return line.

Also just for more fun fuel made by cat cracking or similar has free radicals in it that can recombine back into plastic like bits in the tank (as I understand it).

This was my fuel strainer after about ooooh 27,000 litres of fuel
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x383q90/42/4ewu.jpg


No idea what all that crap was or where it came from.maybe domestic and idustrial stuff is to a different spec,the john deere stuff we used to run(all common rail)im fairly certain the fuel filters went down to 1 or maybe 2 microns

[yorkie_chris]

I'm open to being proven wrong on that number... but anyway, bits of pump breaking down seem to be the main cause of injectors breaking rather than fuel contamination, and that would explain the crap in the tank.

Ever known diesel bug in a car?

[suzukigt380paul]

I'm open to being proven wrong on that number... but anyway, bits of pump breaking down seem to be the main cause of injectors breaking rather than fuel contamination, and that would explain the crap in the tank.

Ever known diesel bug in a car?you may be right, a mate who works for the rac,mostly inspecting cars,told me that almost all low pump pressure problems on common rail,can be traced back to misfueling,and as little as a egg cup full in a tank will cause damage,but this might take thousands of miles for the problem shows its self,i have no solid proof this is correct or not,but i do know when they go wrong it can soon cost a lot of money to put right

[leebex]

Nope I will not buy Tesco fuel as its so poor my bike runs like a bag of hammers
99 Ron is slightly better

That's all my curvy would run on in the cold winter months. I use Esso standard unleaded in my pointy, but only because its on my way to work. Have tried other fuels and noticed no difference in performance or economy on the sv, including BP, Tesco, Shell etc

Used to use Super unleaded when I had an Alfa, drove much better on that. Bland car these days so no need for super, lol.

[yorkie_chris]

Aye that's common rails for you.

I think problem is modern ULSD has next to no lubricity so it doesn't take much petrol in it to completely knack the job.

I need to find a tame misfuel specialist to take all that nasty, horrible mixed up fuel off their hands if you know of any! ;)

[maviczap]

Aye that's common rails for you.

I think problem is modern ULSD has next to no lubricity so it doesn't take much petrol in it to completely knack the job.

I need to find a tame misfuel specialist to take all that nasty, horrible mixed up fuel off their hands if you know of any! ;)

Strange you say this & I'd agree with you normally, as misfuelling was the demise of many a diesel fuel pump or top end. I did a Vauxhall cavalier head by sticking petrol in it & driving a couple of miles back to work.

However one of the numpties at work put petrol in one of our VW Crafters without my knowledge. I drove it a good 20 miles, feeling that something wasn't quite right, it still ran, just a bit rough. I couldn't stop as I was on the motorway, but it was still doing 70mph no problem, just no get up & go.

When I could stop, I opened the filler cap & immediately smelt the petrol.

Guy came the next day, took all the bad fuel out, & put a few liters of diesel in it. He said that it was less of a problem mis-fueling modern diesels.

That vans still going strong, and that was August 2012.

It was almost a half a tank of petrol at least.

[DJ123]

Strange you say this & I'd agree with you normally, as misfuelling was the demise of many a diesel fuel pump or top end. I did a Vauxhall cavalier head by sticking petrol in it & driving a couple of miles back to work.

However one of the numpties at work put petrol in one of our VW Crafters without my knowledge. I drove it a good 20 miles, feeling that something wasn't quite right, it still ran, just a bit rough. I couldn't stop as I was on the motorway, but it was still doing 70mph no problem, just no get up & go.

When I could stop, I opened the filler cap & immediately smelt the petrol.

Guy came the next day, took all the bad fuel out, & put a few liters of diesel in it. He said that it was less of a problem mis-fueling modern diesels.

That vans still going strong, and that was August 2012.

It was almost a half a tank of petrol at least.

Did that to my last car. Except I filled the tank nigh on full of petrol. Managed to syphon out all bar 15 litres of it. Over the next few days I was driving it and filling up with diesel soon as I'd used a gallon or so. The horrid part was the random kangooering as a lump of petrol was taken up, or the hesitant starting if petrol was up at the injector rail end. only took 5 days or so and it was back to normal (I don't cover many miles in the car) Car was perfect after and there was no noticeable difference to the car. although I think a large part of that was down to my engine[it was a 1.8 TDCI Focus, which started off in life as the Lynx engine designed between Ford & Peugeot as a Diesel engine which was upgraded throughout the next generation to TDI & TDCI.

[yorkie_chris]

Odd, they should be fully miscible almost immediately.

[maviczap]

Bloke who drained the tank said that the more modern pumps were built to survive mis-fueling.

Don't know if that's true, but in this incident the van is still fine after plenty many more miles since being fed petrol

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

I use Asda diesle in the 4x4 but always try to use Tesco 99ron in the bike anything else and it runs sh*t, my bike is made to take advantage of premium fuels and says use min 98ron, Tesco's are the only ones that use higher than 97 ron.

[shiftin_gear98]

I used to put any old petrol in the bike can't say I every really cared if I needed fuel I'd fill up. However I now have a company Shell fuel card, so my bike now gets the good stuff Optimax all the way!
I've been using it about a year now can't really say I've noticed a whole lot of difference, except that it doesn't feel so bad driving to work when someone else is paying, especially in the summer on the extended detour.
:rolleyes:

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

I used to put any old petrol in the bike can't say I every really cared if I needed fuel I'd fill up. However I now have a company Shell fuel card, so my bike now gets the good stuff Optimax all the way!
I've been using it about a year now can't really say I've noticed a whole lot of difference, except that it doesn't feel so bad driving to work when someone else is paying, especially in the summer on the extended detour.
:rolleyes:

have a read of the below, might explain it, using premium fuel in a standard engine is a waste.

http://www.petrolprices.com/about-fuel.html

[madcockney]

If you do a search of the Internet you will find even more motorcycle specific and deeper technical information on this. I recall reading that only a few road bikes can benefit from "Super Unleaded" fuels and generally those are the ones that run ultra lean which includes some of the BMW machines. Fuel like oil, etc. is a subject where everybody has their own opinion, which is not necessarily based on scientific evaluation.