BP Ultimate v Supermarket diesel

[MattR]

Mate we could go on about this for weeks. At the end of day 1 x vehicle doing a test PROVES NOTHING. If the reports are true, why oh why are they selling so much of the cheaper fuel. The reason is this it works fine.

Sorry to butt into your argument but most people don't look at the long term costs, just the short term; so much supermarket fuel is sold because the pump price is cheaper than non-supermarket fuel and it is located close to where peeps have shopped: convenience. Also, supermarket fuel attracts loyalty card points.

Shoppers often don't know that supermarket fuel can give fewer mpg or cause more engine wear or they don't care because the prefer the convenience, lower displayed price and shopping points from supermarkets.

There are a number of reports showing better results from non-supermarket fuels and one vehicle doing the test does prove something - even if just for the person who pays for the maintenance and fuel . Adding my findings , my vehicles run better and sound quieter with BP diesel compared to Tescos diesel.

 

[Don Quixote]

Mattyjwr, it is NOT an argument purely discussion NOTHING else. One vehicle test only prove that that vehicle seams to run different for that one owner. I stated that until proved otherwise by national results across ALL vehicle types that you should NOT USE cheap fuel, I PERSONALLY ( thats was point from the start ) will not be changing my habits. At the end of the day it's your vehicle to run as your like and see fit.

 

[MattR]

Mattyjwr, it is NOT an argument purely discussion NOTHING else. One vehicle test only prove that that vehicle seams to run different for that one owner. I stated that until proved otherwise by national results across ALL vehicle types that you should NOT USE cheap fuel, I PERSONALLY ( thats was point from the start ) will not be changing my habits. At the end of the day it's your vehicle to run as your like and see fit.

Your vehicle, your choice. I don't think that anyone was saying don't use supermarket fuel but many are saying that you get better performance if you don't and these results come from more than one test.

 

[Don Quixote]

Yes I understand "many are saying this and saying that" however they are NOT running a scientific test. They are stating what their personal findings are.
Thats like saying your batteries are better than mine because they last longer.......... but they are the same amp hour battery! however you paid 2000 quid and I paid 1000 quid, but we all use our batteries differently. The battery question has been going on here for years and still no one as said use this battery ONLY. The same thing with the fuel it will never be resolved.

 

[Jean-luc]

Is French supermarket fuel better than UK/Irish supermarket fuel.

I ask this question because the vast majority of motorists in France seem to buy theirs at the local Auchan/Leclerc/Carrafour/ SuperU, etc.
When you see ancient Peugeots, Renaults, Citroens, etc still on the roads when such vehicles have long vanished here it seems to point to their supermarket fuel being OK.

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[MattR]

Yes I understand "many are saying this and saying that" however they are NOT running a scientific test. They are stating what their personal findings are.
Thats like saying your batteries are better than mine because they last longer.......... but they are the same amp hour battery! however you paid 2000 quid and I paid 1000 quid, but we all use our batteries differently. The battery question has been going on here for years and still no one as said use this battery ONLY. The same thing with the fuel it will never be resolved.

The point is that we are sharing our personal experiences, backed up with knowledge of reports from others. You can wait for the results of a scientific study undertaken with controls that meet your satisfaction if you like but in the meantime, I am happy with the cost benefit of non-supermarket fuel.

 

[Wombles]

Our experience over the last year using Sainsburys diesel vs Shell V-Power & BP Ultimate versions is that our 13 year old Citroen Picasso pulls better, runs quieter & smoother & achieves higher mpg with the premium stuff Only tried it after filled up with it instead of standard diesel by accident at poorly labelled pump at BP station as normally too tight with money to pay 10p per litre more! Now use it in the motorhome too & again engine is quieter & pulls even better but not done enough miles to judge if that also has increased mpg yet.
Think it's a case of you get what you pay for...

 

[Chockswahay]

I have watched this thread with interest. I have searched on the 'net and so far I have not found a single convincing case for the use of 'Premium Diesel'

I have always used the cheapest fuel available in my cars and for the 23000 miles that I have driven in our 2013 Fiat Ducato camper van. I am not aware of any problems associated with supermarket diesel..... all fuel sold in the UK and Europe does have to meet minimum specifications regarding performance and quality etc.

I have not had any issues with DPF filters and always been happy with the performance and MPG when using cheap diesel.

HOWEVER......... I can't help but wonder if I am missing out, so the next time I fill up with a tankful of diesel in the van I will use BP ULTIMATE

Then I can judge for myself Mind you, I will need convincing at an extra £14 per tankful over and above Asda diesel.

Back in a few weeks with an update

 

[robnchris]

Supermarkets buy their fuel from the nearest oil refinery, the difference between the branded fuel stations like Esso, Shell and BP is their fuel has the extra additives.
Shell fuel has always been at the top of the octane ratings, whilst over fuels are lower but still inside the required limits.

Most people talk about how many MPG`s they are getting, they don`t see the benefits to the internals of the engine, i.e.. cleaner burning, better lubrication qualities.
So saving a few pence at the pump could well cost £1000,s in the long term.

 

[lesr48]

Supermarkets buy their fuel from the nearest oil refinery, the difference between the branded fuel stations like Esso, Shell and BP is their fuel has the extra additives.
Shell fuel has always been at the top of the octane ratings, whilst over fuels are lower but still inside the required limits.

Most people talk about how many MPG`s they are getting, they don`t see the benefits to the internals of the engine, i.e.. cleaner burning, better lubrication qualities.
So saving a few pence at the pump could well cost £1000,s in the long term.

Supermarkets get their fuel from exactly the same place as other outlets. Fact! Just stand outside the IPC on Immingham docks for an hour and you will see for yourself.
Yes, premium fuels do have a detergent added, but that alone will have no effect on the mpg and the octane rating is determined by the EN number and if this is exceeded the refineries are in breach of EU law.

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[ambulancekidd]

I owned a Mercedes C class 270 diesel (2.7 5cylinder) & used it commercially. I filled it up every two days without fail. The car did 52mpg most days but every now & then it'd drop to 42mpg. It drove me nuts as I tended to think that I might have binding brakes or some other mechanical fault. Eventually I found out that supermarket fuel was the culprit. My better half had given me a 5p off per litre so I filled the car at Tesco's in the middle of the journey & that's how it came to light! The car didn't feel any different to drive so if I'd only used the car privately I might never have noticed.

 

[gus-lopez]

Is French supermarket fuel better than UK/Irish supermarket fuel.

I ask this question because the vast majority of motorists in France seem to buy theirs at the local Auchan/Leclerc/Carrafour/ SuperU, etc.
When you see ancient Peugeots, Renaults, Citroens, etc still on the roads when such vehicles have long vanished here it seems to point to their supermarket fuel being OK.

the same vehicles here are in better condition, more of them, to the extent that you don't even notice them as 'old' & 90% run on red!

 

[Jean-luc]

My MH has over 90,000kms on the clock, most of it done on mainland Europe using supermarket diesel and it's still running like new, I do use https://www.dipetane.com/ most of the time.
My Volvo S40 with over 220,000 miles on the clock, into which I also put Dipetane, went through its most recent NCT (MOT to you guys in the UK) and gave a smoke reading of 0.78 when over 3.0 is the failure figure.

I do wonder however is the 'secret' Dipetane merely dressed up two stroke oil as both seem to espouse the same benefits when added to modern low sulfur diesel, see discussion here

 

[Chockswahay]

Well I filled up yesterday with 100 litres of BP Ultimate (£122 ).................. now to see if it was worth it

 

[Theonlysue]

£120!

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[Chockswahay]

£120!

Yeah (well actually I just realised it was closer to £122 hence edited the post) so I'm hoping for positive results!

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Yeah (well actually I just realised it was closer to £122 hence edited the post) so I'm hoping for positive results!

Chocks, my experience is that the first fill cleans the bits (don't ask I've no clue) and I have to say I've noticed smoother running and less smoke on starting and under acceleration after half a tank. By the time second fill is done I'm getting better mileage as well as smoother and quieter running.

 

[Wombles]

Good to see Funsters trying the expensive stuff - we only did £50 first time (by accident too) as we have to watch the pennies. From the online chat looks like it's worth having at least 50% in your tank if mixing fuel. Even if only choose it every few tanks of fuel then reported as having benefits for the engine. Can't knock it until you've tried it!

 

[cranky]

having read this thread after posting about my van smoking on starting the other day, I wonder if there is a connection, as I have been using Tesco's for the last 6 months or so because the consensus seemed to be that there was no/little difference.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Well, I've tried it for the last three tanks after following this thread and I do feel that it is smoother but no way am I getting better fuel economy.

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[robnchris]

Supermarkets get their fuel from exactly the same place as other outlets. Fact! Just stand outside the IPC on Immingham docks for an hour and you will see for yourself.
Yes, premium fuels do have a detergent added, but that alone will have no effect on the mpg and the octane rating is determined by the EN number and if this is exceeded the refineries are in breach of EU law.

I worked at an oil refinery, was involved in the distillation process and also in the filling of the road tankers.
Yes they all fill from the same storage depot but not the same gantry.
The additives do make a difference to MPG, take a look at Jet fuel, basically a waste product from ICI`s distillation process, bottom of all the octanes ratings but within tolerances.

 

[cranky]

I worked at an oil refinery, was involved in the distillation process and also in the filling of the road tankers.
Yes they all fill from the same storage depot but not the same gantry.
The additives do make a difference to MPG, take a look at Jet fuel, basically a waste product from ICI`s distillation process, bottom of all the octanes ratings but within tolerances.

Is that "Jet" as in aeroplanes or Jet the petrol station chain?

 

[robnchris]

Is that "Jet" as in aeroplanes or Jet the petrol station chain?

Jet as in Jet petrol stations.

 

[Bertie Bassett]

I worked at an oil refinery, was involved in the distillation process and also in the filling of the road tankers.
Yes they all fill from the same storage depot but not the same gantry.
The additives do make a difference to MPG, take a look at Jet fuel, basically a waste product from ICI`s distillation process, bottom of all the octanes ratings but within tolerances.

Nice to have the facts from the horses mouth! Thanks.

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Good to see Funsters trying the expensive stuff - we only did £50 first time (by accident too) as we have to watch the pennies. From the online chat looks like it's worth having at least 50% in your tank if mixing fuel. Even if only choose it every few tanks of fuel then reported as having benefits for the engine. Can't knock it until you've tried it!

Wombles, Our local garage (family run) got us on to BP Ultimate, the owner also advised filling on a virtually empty tank to get the benefits of the cleaner fuel quicker. My own experiences as I have recorded above have been positive but based on my impressions. Now, I'm going with @robnchris as his input is based on fact rather than my 'impressions' and others bias. As long as I can afford Ultimate it's what's going in the van!

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[MattR]

I haven't used much ultimate, but have noticed a difference with their non-supermarket standard diesel.

 

[Bertie Bassett]

I haven't used much ultimate, but have noticed a difference with their non-supermarket standard diesel.

After some trial and error BP Ultimate has the edge on Shell Nitro or whatever it's called today. Once again, my opinion based solely on impression. Can't doubt consistent clean starting and extra mpg though. The smooth and quiet running is a strong impression but I can't prove it.

 

[Khizzie]

After some trial and error BP Ultimate has the edge on Shell Nitro or whatever it's called today. Once again, my opinion based solely on impression. Can't doubt consistent clean starting and extra mpg though. The smooth and quiet running is a strong impression but I can't prove it.

I concur Bertie,but then for past two years have always advocated that Sainsbury city diesel is not the right quality to get the best from our engines,and I am so glad that many more funsters are at last agreeing with my personal findings.the !act time I posted a thread on this subject I was ridiculed and it was intimated that I was off my trolley... So result at last..'but yes I must be off my trolley I am a paid up funster.'

 

[Chockswahay]

Well I filled up yesterday with 100 litres of BP Ultimate (£122 ).................. now to see if it was worth it

Well, I ran a full tank of the stuff and my mpg actually went down a little The engine did not feel any quieter or smoother........ so is the new Fiat Euro5 2.3 130 engine simply a better engine?

My vote went back to Tesco diesel after the trial....... at approx 12p a litre more the BP fuel does not attract me.......

 

[Wombles]

Worked better on our 13 year old Citroen & 1 year old Ford engines.... Perhaps the Fiat engine system already has an Eolys additive tank that auto doses the fuel? We had a newer Citroen with this but only used the cheaper diesel then.

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