Contaminated fuel!!!! Not wrong fuel put in! Be aware!!!!

[OldWomble]

And whilst on the subject of fuel, anyone know why we are getting an extra 4.3 mpg from French fuel?

 

[The Wino]

And whilst on the subject of fuel, anyone know why we are getting an extra 4.3 mpg from French fuel?

Less traffic longer straight runs not driving in a hurry?

 

[DuxDeluxe]

A tanker driver who delivers to all the supermarkets once told me their fuel should be about 10 - 15p Ltr less than main fuel companies because they do not put any additives in. The main one being the one that stops the diesel forming jelly like lumps if left in your tank for a few months. So, no. They are not all the same.

Sorry. Your tanker driver friend is simply not correct. It does not form jelly like lumps unless put in a freezer and it goes below the cold filter plugging point (which would happen with any diesel fuel) and all fuels have additives in them.

 

[Hettie's Crew]

I thought that but don't know where on the tank the fuel is taken from I assume either the bottom or very close to it in which case it won't matter.
It's like when there was a fashion for lifting the hose to get out the last bit of fuel seems like a good idea until you realise the valve is the bit you hold the pipe is still full of fuel anyway!

I would guess it’s very very near the bottom but the gunge could only be millimetres spread across the base of the tank.

 

[OldWomble]

Sorry. Your tanker driver friend is simply not correct. It does not form jelly like lumps unless put in a freezer and it goes below the cold filter plugging point (which would happen with any diesel fuel) and all fuels have additives in them.

I’m not talking about cold diesel, I’m talking about what many people refer to as the diesel bug. I’ve experienced it myself in small storage tanks that sat for 4 or 5 months. The additive was not put in red diesel either although it may be now as that was some years ago.
He also says when they deliver to supermarkets they fill from a different area at the refinery.

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[OldWomble]

Less traffic longer straight runs not driving in a hurry?

We came home with a full tank and we are still getting the better milage here

 

[meanders]

I used to work in retail systems including having to link to PFS systems. Coming from an environment with EPOS that could trade non-stop 24x365, I was gobsmacked to find they operators had to stop serving at all pumps for a couple of minutes to change shift, for all tank refills and dipping, and for ten minutes overnight to close the day. Ok, that was 30 years ago, but the fuel industry was light years behind mainstream retail. I suspect were it not for the supermarkets saying it was unacceptable, most fuel station would still be closing for deliveries, and at quiet times you might again be experiencing the A board sign saying temporary closures while you could see staff fiddling in the office, but they would not start the pump.

 

[63720]

With many years of inside knowledge of the fuel industry I'll continue to fuel up our 3 vehicles at Sainsbury's as I've always done. Other supermarket retailers are available.
DuxDeluxe you're wasting your time .

 

[gus-lopez]

I have to say that I've never experienced problems with fuel. Aren't fuel filters designed and manufactured to separate water and solids from the fuel before it reaches the injector pump??

Yes, but if you have just put in 50 litres of mixed sludge the filter isn't going to be able to stop the sheer amount of water in the fuel

 

[ChrisL]

I have always used supermarket fuel in my diesel vehicles with no bad experiences, however I filled up my new (to me) motorcycle with e10 petrol from Sainsbury and immediately found the bike was cutting out when approaching traffic lights and roundabouts so had to adopt a technique of keeping the engine speed up so it didn't cut out, no problems with it running rough otherwise, so at the next fill up i filled up with BP E10 and now no more problems so it could be just a slightly dodgy batch from Sainsbury but i won't be using supermarket petrol in the bike again just incase.

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[Lucky]

Just a thought, but I wonder about the maintenance regimes at forecourts.

If practices vary, regardless of approved standards, that may account for the reported incidences of dirty fuel.

I couldn't say whether the 'major' brands such as Esso or Shell actually manage such things better than supermarkets, but I suspect it might be a factor.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I’m not talking about cold diesel, I’m talking about what many people refer to as the diesel bug. I’ve experienced it myself in small storage tanks that sat for 4 or 5 months. The additive was not put in red diesel either although it may be now as that was some years ago.
He also says when they deliver to supermarkets they fill from a different area at the refinery.

Nope, that is due to anerobic bacteria that sits in the layer of water that should not be in the tank. Oddly enough, I found my bug testing kit when just moving stuff into the garage. It is not uncommon in yachts where the diesel sits in half empty tanks throughout the winter. Once you have it, you have a difficult job getting rid of it. Every single diesel, supermarket or not can suffer that and is usually a fault with the vehicle tank and excess condensation. Anti bacterial additives are not a part of a retail fuel to the very best of my knowledge.

Every Oil terminal I have been into when in the industry has only a single set of loading racks as to duplicate it is a waste of money. The fuel is normally blended on the fly into a storage tank and then batch tested to ensure that it meets the spec. Tankers are then loaded from the racks according to requirements. You see all sorts of loaded tankers coming out of, say Vopak in Thurrock (right outside my old office)

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Just a thought, but I wonder about the maintenance regimes at forecourts.

If practices vary, regardless of approved standards, that may account for the reported incidences of dirty fuel.

I couldn't say whether the 'major' brands such as Esso or Shell actually manage such things better than supermarkets, but I suspect it might be a factor.

You have a good point. Since every retailer has their brand to protect, I would say that they all have a rigorous planned / preventative maintenance system in place in accordance with their safety certification

 

[DuxDeluxe]

With many years of inside knowledge of the fuel industry I'll continue to fuel up our 3 vehicles at Sainsbury's as I've always done. Other supermarket retailers are available.
DuxDeluxe you're wasting your time .

Quite agree

Fuel testing and fuel quality in its various forms has been a major part of my working life

 

[Guigsy]

I suspect that supermarkets sell significantly more fuel than the premium brands. So if a random petrol station has an issue, it's more likely that it'll affect a lot of supermarket fill-ups than a premium name.

Also, I suspect that BP and Shell probably care more about their PR. So if they do have an issue, they'll probably sort people out and keep it quiet better than a supermarket.

I'm also willing to bet that as supermarkets are situated in towns, they service more locals. Whereas the likes of Shell are on main roads where they get lots more distance traffic. If a station has an issue, a supermarket will have breakdowns in the local area and make more of a stink in the local paper. Whereas a Shell is more likely to be dispersed.

So it may be that supermarkets are no worse than premium brands, just you are more likely to hear about it.

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[Spriddler]

No disrespect to tanker drivers but I doubt that they take any notice or are aware of or even interested in the mix of the fuel that they deliver - why should they be?

 

[Jaws]

And whilst on the subject of fuel, anyone know why we are getting an extra 4.3 mpg from French fuel?

I find exactly the same every year ( for the past 14 years )
Tried to explain it with ambient temp, long runs, different driving techniques but all dismissed for various reasons
Def get a better mpg on continental diesel and I have NO idea why

 

[Guigsy]

I find exactly the same every year ( for the past 14 years )
Tried to explain it with ambient temp, long runs, different driving techniques but all dismissed for various reasons
Def get a better mpg on continental diesel and I have NO idea why

I got 40mpg in Scotland on a 200 mile run a couple of years ago. There was very little traffic and I was just bimbling along at 30-40 mph around the shores of lochs the whole time.

 

[Jaws]

I got 40mpg in Scotland on a 200 mile run a couple of years ago. There was very little traffic and I was just bimbling along at 30-40 mph around the shores of lochs the whole time.

When I am on my way down to Spain ( for instance ), my average speed rises.. have done long motorway runs in the UK ( whole length of MM6 springs to mind ) and still do not get the same MPG.. I honestly have no answers and am willing to accept it could simply be coincidence or even doing a head job on myself and convincing myself of te better MPG, but the figures simply do not stack up..
Like I say, NO idea why it happens. one of life's mysteries

 

[Lucky]

When I am on my way down to Spain ( for instance ), my average speed rises.. have done long motorway runs in the UK ( whole length of MM6 springs to mind ) and still do not get the same MPG.. I honestly have no answers and am willing to accept it could simply be coincidence or even doing a head job on myself and convincing myself of te better MPG, but the figures simply do not stack up..
Like I say, NO idea why it happens. one of life's mysteries

My experience has been the opposite.

I regularly travel from Central France to North Yorkshire with a few refills en route and experience 5-10% worse fuel economy in France. I had put it down to France being more hilly, in the sense I feel I'm constantly in an undulating landscape in France, more so than in the UK. Maybe I should find an App that will track my attitude to verify or debunk my theory.

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[63720]

No disrespect to tanker drivers but I doubt that they take any notice of, or are aware or even interested in the mix of the fuel that they deliver - why should they be?

What about milk tanker drivers?

 

[NicandJay]

Tesco’s in Orpington bypass ( Sevenoaks way) is closed changing their tanks

Do you mean the stand alone Tesco Express filling station? Hopefully not the big Tesco by the Toyota and Porsche dealerships as I filledthere the other day although that's more Sidcup I guess?

 

[kevenh]

I have always used supermarket fuel in my diesel vehicles with no bad experiences, however I filled up my new (to me) motorcycle with e10 petrol from Sainsbury and immediately found the bike was cutting out when approaching traffic lights and roundabouts so had to adopt a technique of keeping the engine speed up so it didn't cut out, no problems with it running rough otherwise, so at the next fill up i filled up with BP E10 and now no more problems so it could be just a slightly dodgy batch from Sainsbury but i won't be using supermarket petrol in the bike again just incase.

The ECU may well of adjusted to the E10 fuel by the time you’d gone to BP.
I’m assuming motorbikes have an ECU. Electronics have got into most things
Edit: typo

 

[Vipar]

Yes the express one. Never had any problems with fuel contamination.

 

[jwells]

Update:-
AA took sample from, tank told me it could only have come from my last refuel - Tesco!
AA man took sample to Tesco garage and told them they have a problem!
Tesco told AA man that they didn't have a problem. AA man made comment about it being strange the number of diesel pumps locked off!
Tesco customer services still deny there is a problem.
Local garage has given me information of 2 other customers with diesel fuel problems from the same day!
I am just about to have my fuel tank drained by a company who are coming to my house! Now about to get expensive!!!!!

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[pelican]

I would guess it’s very very near the bottom but the gunge could only be millimetres spread across the base of the tank.

But the pick from the tank is fixed near to the bottom so always drawing from near bottom.

 

[dash300]

Nope, that is due to anerobic bacteria that sits in the layer of water that should not be in the tank. Oddly enough, I found my bug testing kit when just moving stuff into the garage. It is not uncommon in yachts where the diesel sits in half empty tanks throughout the winter. Once you have it, you have a difficult job getting rid of it. Every single diesel, supermarket or not can suffer that and is usually a fault with the vehicle tank and excess condensation. Anti bacterial additives are not a part of a retail fuel to the very best of my knowledge.

Every Oil terminal I have been into when in the industry has only a single set of loading racks as to duplicate it is a waste of money. The fuel is normally blended on the fly into a storage tank and then batch tested to ensure that it meets the spec. Tankers are then loaded from the racks according to requirements. You see all sorts of loaded tankers coming out of, say Vopak in Thurrock (right outside my old office)

Exactly right. I have had diesel bug numerous times in the boat since FAME Diesel was introduced and it's a bu**ger to get rid of. Tried all the snake oils with no luck. Only thing effective is tank washes and of course regular fuel filter changes which gets expensive and it nearly always comes back. Not such a problem with Boat/Vehicle engins in regular use as the turnover of fuel prevents the 'bug' which is a strand like algae from developing. If storing for any length of time the wise will brim their tank to prevent water condensation/diesel interface where the bug develops.

 

[ChrisL]

The ECU may well of adjusted to the E10 fuel by the time you’d gone to BP.
I’m assuming motorbikes have an ECU. Electronics have got into most things
Edit: typo

It does have electronic fuel injection and the manual says it can run on E10, however I don't think think its a case of the ecu learning to use E10 because when I filled up at BP it immediately stopped cutting out, so what happened in practical terms was the low fuel light came on, i stopped at the next fuel station which happened to be BP i filled up, it took 11ltrs, (17 ltr tank) so adding those 11ltrs was sufficient to stop it cutting out. I will try supermarket petrol in it again just to be sure but for the small difference in price on a motorcycle it may be better just to pay the extra.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Exactly right. I have had diesel bug numerous times in the boat since FAME Diesel was introduced and it's a bu**ger to get rid of. Tried all the snake oils with no luck. Only thing effective is tank washes and of course regular fuel filter changes which gets expensive and it nearly always comes back. Not such a problem with Boat/Vehicle engins in regular use as the turnover of fuel prevents the 'bug' which is a strand like algae from developing. If storing for any length of time the wise will brim their tank to prevent water condensation/diesel interface where the bug develops.

Horrid, isn’t it?

 

[dash300]

Horrid, isn’t it?

I dread lifting the hatches to look at the water separators! It's the stuff of nighmares!

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