Supermarket Vs branded diesel

[RattyCortina]

Maybe a can of worms...

I know some people swear blind there is no difference, others swear blind that their vehicle runs better on 'branded' fuel. Just wondering what the experience is of members, especially with regard to the 1.6 HDi engine. With the small mileage that I do, I would be happy to pay more if it is going to benefit my engine and not result in things getting clogged up.

On the same subject, what about fuel additives...?

[6545george]

I've always used supermarket fuel. Cheaper the better has always been my motto and never had a problem. I would be interested to know others opinions and experiences.

[geoff]

Full on MARMITE !!!

Two of my previous posts on the topic

" My son has a diesel Vito van and he called recently to borrow my code reader, couldn't lend it as the other boy had borrowed it.

When asked he said the vehicle doesn't run as well as it used to - he has had it about 4 months now

He also just potters about locally like some old biddy in a Morris Minor and does a lazy 55 / 60 on the motorway, the antithesis of white van man.

I told him to give the engine some work to do for a change after using a full slug of fuel dosing jollop and converting to " super " diesel until my code reader returns or until he went to a garage to get a code read.

He came back a week later and said the Vito is fine now, drives rather keenly and no dash warning lights. "


" Some folks baulk at using " super " diesel due to the cost and often feel as if they are being ripped off.

My M59 1.6Hdi runs sweeter and gives better mpg on super.

I use Texaco and have signed up to the rewards card which gives a penny per litre discount, this combined with what you'd save with fuel dosing jollop brings the costs much closer together. "

[Sol]

I use redex diesel in mine, full bottle to a tank of fuel and it's much quieter, pulls smoother and generally sounds and feels sweet and torque is good.

I always felt Tesco regular diesel is fine, but get better mileage with super diesel though it's not enough to warrant the big difference in price. Up here in central Scotland it's 1.12 ish for plain diesel vs 1.23 for super at Tesco. Esso diesel felt good, but there's less of those stations about round my way now. Most city centre ones where I live are BP. Too dear.

Mind you, my father in law will drive a few miles to get fuel that's a penny a litre cheaper....I reminded him that for a full 55L tank, he saved 55p... probably spent that in fuel going to the cheapest station out of town.

Tesco always has redex for £2 so I chuck one in every fill up on regular diesel. That tank does me a month commuting to work every day so not bad overall. That and their superstore is a mile from my house so it's an easy decision.

[theraginganarchist]

I'm debating the same thing myself at the moment.

Up until 8 months ago i was driving a 1.4 Volkswagen BBZ lump which was really fussy with petrol, I could tell from the throttle response which kind of petrol I had put it. As such I was in the habit of using the premium (Shell usually) when I started driving a 1.6 HDI.

Still not sure on the benefits of doing so in a citron diesel, lockdown has meant I have been pottering around town mostly so haven't done any long runs to test MPG.

I too have been dropping redex in on the few occasions i have skimped on cheap diesel and it definitely helps with how it sounds when accelerating, anyone know the science behind how redex works? genuinely interested.

I do reset the MPG computer every time i fill up though so hopefully will soon have some better figures to show one way or the other.

In the mean time two pieces of completely anecdotal "evidence":

When I first starting driving a 1.6 HDI i took it to a very experienced mechanic who I trust and asked if there was anything I should know about these engines. After he told me the importance of oil change schedules and oil type he then said "don't use cheap fuel" as he believed it lacked additives which can help protect/clean the various components of a modern diesel.

Completely unrelated to PSA Diesels I know but someone I see often drives a suzuki swift with 80 000 miles and from around 40 000 she started getting the engine warning light, every time it happened I took the car out and screamed the engine at high revs for a few miles and filled it up with premium petrol. Every time this was enough to solve the issue. Since mentioning this to her she has been putting premium fuel in every few tanks I have not had to bounce her car off the rev limiter since.......make of that what you will. But I can say her driving style hasn't changed.

[geoff]

A few years ago my wife filled up the 1.6Hdi with Sainsbury normal diesel on three occasions as she had been using it away from home for some weeks.
When she returned home I drove the car for shopping and it felt rough and noisy so much so that I thought I was overdue with the servicing !
I filled up with " super " and after a few miles all started to get better again, smoother and quieter with a better throtle response.

I liken the difference to using a teflon frying pan - an old worn pan still cooks the eggs but a new teflon pan is much more of a joy to use and such was the difference with the posh diesel.

Unfortunately one becomes accustomed to the improvements and it is easy to forget how it was before.

I have to say my old 1.9D didn't care one way or th other which diesel I used.

[Gryffindor]

If we look at improving performance as opposed to which fuel to use, then I'd like to throw a spanner in the works.

Some of you will know that I;m a truck driver so am used to driving in the mid 50s most of the time. A few years ago for a previous employer I had to commute 53 miles each way in my previous Berlingo (1.6 petrol). That's maybe 30 motorway miles and 20 trunk road miles. At first I had to fill my tank every 3.5 days (roughly 350 miles) but then I began thinking about the 'efficiency' training we truckers get given, and began experimenting on the commute.

The result: if I cruised at around 65-75, I got about 350 miles oujt of a tank.
If I instead allowed an extra 15 mins for the commute and kept to around 55, I got about 450 miles from a tank.

That's a saving of around 30%, or to adapt Zion's anecdote, how far out of your way would any of you go if you found a petrol stn selling fuel at £1.00 a litre or a bit less? I didn't have to go out of my way at all.

I can actually better that with my current 1.4, though not consistently. Before the lockdown I often visited close family in Shropshire, being roughly 170 motorway miles in each direction from here. If I can, I try to plan the journey so there's no rush or deadline, then sometimes (I admit rarely) I stick to about 55 all the way. If so, then on that sort of length of motorway run I have got around 500 miles to a tank, and once or twice about 550 miles. It could be more because the return trip is only about 340 miles and the rest of the tank is mostly used in local commuting at much lower fuel economy.

Plus there's all the unquantifiable benefits - less wear and tear, less agro on the road, fewer garage bills, longer vehicle life, etc.

My usual tactic is to follow a truck at some distance (far enough away so as not to spook the driver - say 3-4 truck lengths away, not right up their pipe) and keep pace with them. That way you don't wind up faster drivers bearing down on you because they're more interested in the truck.

[Daveyboy999]

Hi, I have been using supermarket diesel for years with an additive called Ethyl Hexyl Nitrate A 1lt bottle with built in measuring cup can be obtained from the following link :- 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-EHN-Highest-...Sw1EZe2LyO

It costs £12.95 delivered. This stuff Works. You use it in the ratio of 1ml to 1lt of diesel so a 1lt bottle will treat 1000lts of diesel  Its what most of the diesel additives contain and also your premium diesels. 
Have a look at this link about what Shell use, the article covers both petrol and diesel :-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_V-Power

Here is the safety data sheet for a well know brand of additive 

https://www.forte-nwe.pl/wp-content/uplo....00-EN.pdf.

You will see one of the main chemicals is Ethyl Hexyl Nitrate. The hydrocarbons mentioned will be something like paraffin to bulk it out. 
The naphtha mentioned is as follows.  Naphtha, a volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture used in wick-type lighters and burners. Charcoal lighter fluid, an aliphatic petroleum solvent used in lighting charcoal in a barbecue grill


The stuff I use is Archoil AR6850. It is Ethyl Hexly Nitrate but with an added lubricant and you can get it from :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Archoil-AR6850...SwVNxaFuhf 

It works for me, I have been using this stuff for about 10 years in various diesels ranging  from 1.6Hdi up to a 3.0v6 all with excellent results and mainly using Asda or Morrisons diesel. Using it 1ml to 1lt and filling with 50lt of diesel would only cost 83 pence and the car will drive totally different. 
As always do your own research and read the links I have posted. You will find it interesting. 
Best wishes Dave. 

[cancunia]

Ethyl Hexyl Nitrate is a Cetane improver, if £12 per litre lasts for 1000 litres of diesel that means 1.2p per litre. If it gives the same or better results as premium diesel, it's clearly a better deal price wise. It's a bit more of a faff to measure it each time of course...

[Daveyboy999]

Ethyl Hexyl Nitrate is a Cetane improver, if £12 per litre lasts for 1000 litres of diesel that means 1.2p per litre. If it gives the same or better results as premium diesel, it's clearly a better deal price wise. It's a bit more of a faff to measure it each time of course...

How you keeping Cancunia   ... Your right it can be a bit more effort having to measure it out but I always fill up with 50lt when I get near the red on the fuel guage so its not that often but the effort is worth it and the savings you quite rightly point out certainly make it worth while