Tesco's petrol stations - Please boycot!

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by loonytoon

well as you say it has to meet regulations yes which it does just they dance right on the limits. having more of the contaminantes in it which most companys take out. its one of the way they can push the price down

Forgive me here, but if a Tesco lorry goes to a refinery that hands out the same fuel as a BP lorry, and loads up their tanker......where the hell in the process does 'more contaminants' come into it? You can't add or subtract anything when it comes from the same source.....I very much doubt that either tanker of fuel goes to anywhere for special treatment once its loaded up, so BP can't be any different to Tesco.

As for DT....hes only been hauling trucks up and down the country for an eternity, knows nowt that bloke

[Messie]

I can see the logic behind what people are saying about one refinery etc; so what would explain the consistent differences I have found in different forecourt suppliers?

Originally Posted by Messie

I can see the logic behind what people are saying about one refinery etc; so what would explain the consistent differences I have found in different forecourt suppliers?

Your daughters right foot.

It's an average reading. If she is averaging 40mpg and you are averaging 60mpg, it will drop to 50. You won't suddenly see it climb back up to 60mpg either by changing the fuel you run on, or by changing the driver, with the change in circumstances it would recover gradually and probably take several tanks to recover back up to 60mpg.

Since you've said you get 50 odd from ASDA fuel, and 60 odd from another fuel, I assume you must be resetting your fuel computer and clearing out your daughters driving data when you fill up? (as an average can't just jump up like this). The fact that you then get 60mpg I suspect has much more to do with the fact your daughters data has been erased, and you are now driving, than anything to do with the brand of fuel in your tank.

I have the same problem with my wife, and I find the good average can get destroyed in one journey with her driving, and no matter how economically I drive, I can't get it back to normal without resetting the computer.

PS: If you want to test it, ignore your fuel computer and don't let your daughter drive the car for a couple of tanks. Fill up at ASDA until the pump clicks off, and reset your trip computer. Drive as normal. Next time you fill up do it at your preferred premium brand until the pump clicks off, note the mileage on your trip and the number of litres you have put in and reset your trip again. When you get home manually calculate what MPG you achieved on the ADSA fuel. The next time you fill up, again note your mileage from your trip, and the number of litres you put in and when you get home calculate your MPG on the premium brand fuel.

You might find your paying a few extra pence per gallon for no gain.

Originally Posted by Messie

I can see the logic behind what people are saying about one refinery etc; so what would explain the consistent differences I have found in different forecourt suppliers?

Chance, wind, temperature, traffic, silly MPG counter and a lot of other variables.

I've been filling the bike from pretty much every petrol station (including ASDA, TESCO, BP, Shell, Texaco, Esso etc.) but I always fill up and calculate the MPG based on miles / petrol used with an app on the iPhone. It has been pretty consistent 55-57mpg since I bought the bike.

With the car however, I tend to fill up at the petrol station near home 90% of the time and the variations are quite large based on the same App, I get anything from 24 to 37mpg. I think cars being much heavier, are much more susceptible to large MPG variations depending on driving style and conditions.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

What is so dangerous about it? Is that sparks from the static can ignite the fuel?

I just ask because I would tend to count "dangerous" as how likely you are to get hurt doing it, ie: driving a car is 'safer' than riding a motorbike, as in a like for like accident, your more likely to be seriously hurt on the bike.

How many riders per year end up engulfed in flames? By my reckoning I'd say riding the bike to and from the petrol station was many, many times more dangerous than sitting on it whilst filling up with petrol. About 5000 riders per year are seriously injured on UK roads. If there were just 1% of this amount (50 riders per year) ending up in a fire, getting off would be a hard and fast safety rule everywhere, and we'd be so used to getting off, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I race, ride bikes and understand dangers, I also understand statistics and also sods law. For the sake of getting off the bike, which really isnt that much hassle, you have to get off anyway to pay!. Id rather not even run the 1% risk of not being able to get away quick enough should an accident occure when filling up thanks.

You ask whats so dangerous about it?. Static, sparks, fuel vapour..

http://youtu.be/IdcPeW1XwKs

One lucky lady!

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I just ask because I would tend to count "dangerous" as how likely you are to get hurt doing it, ie: driving a car is 'safer' than riding a motorbike, as in a like for like accident, your more likely to be seriously hurt on the bike.

How many riders per year end up engulfed in flames? By my reckoning I'd say riding the bike to and from the petrol station was many, many times more dangerous than sitting on it whilst filling up with petrol. About 5000 riders per year are seriously injured on UK roads. If there were just 1% of this amount (50 riders per year) ending up in a fire, getting off would be a hard and fast safety rule everywhere, and we'd be so used to getting off, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

From I rider's perspective I totally agree with you BUT from a petrol station perspective, a single incident where a biker dies in flames as a result of a malfunctioning pump is enough to cause them serious trouble, so coming up with a simple "don't sit on you bike when you fill up" rule is an easy way to cover their backs.

I'm not saying don't sit on your bike when you fill up, just don't be offended when asked not to do it by the station's employes.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by SV650Racer

I race, ride bikes and understand dangers, I also understand statistics and also sods law. For the sake of getting off the bike, which really isnt that much hassle, you have to get off anyway to pay!. Id rather not even run the 1% risk of not being able to get away quick enough should an accident occure when filling up thanks.

You ask whats so dangerous about it?. Static, sparks, fuel vapour..

http://youtu.be/IdcPeW1XwKs

One lucky lady!

Thats a main US phenomenon as most UK and European pumps don't have the holding clips.
Anyways yes she was lucky and got the pump to disengage before pulling it out!

[Messie]

Nope none of the things suggested are the culpit. The average MPG is a constant readout that changes very quickly. For example on cold mornings I see it start lowish (around 56) then creep up as the engine warms up.
Ralph - daughter has filled it up then used half a tank or so then passes it back to me. It reads 50 ish when I get it then stays at that as I drive it. The I fill it at Texaco and within 2 miles it's back up to reading 60 or so.
This has happened twice now (the third time was a lesser amount of fuel)

Originally Posted by Messie

Daughter has filled it up then used half a tank or so then passes it back to me. It reads 50 ish when I get it then stays at that as I drive it. The I fill it at Texaco and within 2 miles it's back up to reading 60 or so.

On my dash the MPG indicator varies from 15 (on acceleration) to 180 (going down a slope) on a pretty normal stretch of road. There are too many variable involved here. Unless you get a full tank of fuel from each petrol station and calculate the MPG as Ralph suggested, there is no way of proving this.