Tesco fuel

[Dieselman]

There was also a problem in February 2007 with wrong additive in Tesco petrol destroying oxygen sensors in cars all around the South east, causing a massive shortage of replacement sensors and subsequently a backlog of cars off the

It wasn't just Tesco, it was all fuel supplied by Harvest refinery, so the whole south east.
iirc it was silicon in the fuel.

 

[BTB 500]

Independent research has shown that the Tesco 99 fuel is probably the best fuel available on the UK market for performance cars.

Link, please?

According to Greenenergy their additives are similar to other additives produced by the fuel majors.

Similar? Not the same then. Incidentally Greenenergy is an electricity company, so I assume you mean Greenergy.

For you information, the problem with Mercedes fuel gauges failing to register was first caused by Shell with their Formula Shell fuel which had special additives/detergent put in it. The additives reacted with the Mercedes fuel gauges and caused the gauges to misread or fail to work altogether. The fuel gauge on my E55 at the time was changed due to this problem.

Formula Shell was only sold for about 12 months, in the mid-80s. You can't have had an E55 then?


One general point being missed here is that although the basic fuel stock (excluding additives) may be common, the storage & handling processes from the point that it leaves the refinery aren't. The major fuel contamination incidents I can remember have all affected supermarket forecourts rather than oil majors. E.g.

Petrol contamination traced to four tanks | Mail Online

(Greenergy fuel, affecting Tesco and Morrisons)

 

[BTB 500]

Vauxhall. I can't remember what the special Shell petrol was called.

That was Formula Shell.

 

[BTB 500]

It wasn't just Tesco, it was all fuel supplied by Harvest refinery, so the whole south east.
iirc it was silicon in the fuel.

It was silicon contamination. AFAIK it only affected Tesco, Morrisons, and Asda forecourts. Greenergy accepted liability in the end.

 

[markjay]

It wasn't just Tesco, it was all fuel supplied by Harvest refinery, so the whole south east.
iirc it was silicon in the fuel.

AFAIK it was Tesco and Morrisons that were affected, and you are probably right about the silicone. And they initially denied it had anything to do with them...

 

[markjay]

Petrol contamination traced to four tanks | Mail Online

Mail reader!

 

[scillyisles1]

Link, please?

Do a search on Thorney Motorsport - they did an assessment of the various performance fuels in the UK. EVO Magazine also did a report. The Tesco 99 fuel came either top or joint top in both reports. My own personal experience from running Tesco 99 and Shell V power in my performance cars (Porsche, Audi RS, BMW M etc) is that Tesco 99 is slightly better and more consistent than Shell V Power.


Similar? Not the same then. Incidentally Greenenergy is an electricity company, so I assume you mean Greenergy.

Yes Greenergy If you look on their website this is a frequently asked question about additives.

Formula Shell was only sold for about 12 months, in the mid-80s. You can't have had an E55 then?

No there have been a number of problems with fuels introduced by Shell. Formula Shell caused problems with burnt valves etc in a number of countries and was withdrawn and then relaunched. I had an E55 in 1999 and it suffered from the Shell fuel problem with Mercedes fuel gauges. It was probably a variant of Optimax at this date.


One general point being missed here is that although the basic fuel stock (excluding additives) may be common, the storage & handling processes from the point that it leaves the refinery aren't. The major fuel contamination incidents I can remember have all affected supermarket forecourts rather than oil majors. E.g.

Petrol contamination traced to four tanks | Mail Online

(Greenergy fuel, affecting Tesco and Morrisons)

Correct the problem was caused by diesel fuel storage tanks being then used for petrol without proper cleaning. The fault was the storage company rather than the fuel manufacturer or the supermarket. In general however, the fuel storage and handling processes are the same - go to Buncefield and you will see tankers turning up from all the major fuel suppliers. They take fuel from the same storage tanks and the tanker drivers add the proprietary additives to the fuel.

 

[IanA2]

Supermarket petrol/diesel is ****e. vPower all the way to 17mpg....

I get 19.8mpg from my ML500. Must be 'cause I use Tesco petrol

 

[IanA2]

Tesco fuel in particular their high octane fuel is probably the best fuel on the UK market for performance cars.

I use either Tesco high octane or Shell VPower in my SL60. Only difference I find is the price

 

[C240Sport97]

I use Tesco99 for my CLS55 and Boxster S -- and also sometimes V Power.

No discernible difference, except price!

 

[scillyisles1]

There is very little driver discernible difference between Tesco 99 and Shell V Power which is why the reports I mentioned earlier are interesting as they measured actual differences in engine power and fuel economy. I seem to recollect the TMS report used a BMW M3 CSL and a Vauxhall Vectra. In both cars the Tesco 99 produced the most power - the difference being largest in the CSL. The EVO report was similar and found similar results.

 

[artyman]

Now if only I could get the car to run on methane and I could manage a few more pickled onions

 

[crockers]

I wouldn't buy Tesco anything! 5ppl off after you have put it up in the first place.

Sorry - don't understand this, can you elaborate please?

 

[salfordmerc]

We use Tescos to fill up (tesco points) no probs here

 

[br0ke]

errrm Sainsburys diesel is ............... actually BP diesel. lol

It can't be, can it?

Sainsburys foams when I neck it, BP doesn't foam and looks green in the filler neck - yes I really do fill it, but still can't get the top light lit on the gauge.
When using Sainsburys I got lots of black smoke, now I don't
When using Sainsburys I got 32.7494 mpg actual with the computer averaging 38.89mpg
When using BP I've gotten over the past 17 fills 34.92 mpg with the computer showing 41.11
Therefore, the computer is not as far out using BP as I thought but I still swear by the 1st 2 points, especially the foam as that is definitely visible.

I would really dispute that BP and Sainsburys are the same.

 

[crankiejohn]

the other cars were vauxhaul my viva for one

 

[scillyisles1]

It can't be, can it?

Sainsburys foams when I neck it, BP doesn't foam and looks green in the filler neck - yes I really do fill it, but still can't get the top light lit on the gauge.
When using Sainsburys I got lots of black smoke, now I don't
When using Sainsburys I got 32.7494 mpg actual with the computer averaging 38.89mpg
When using BP I've gotten over the past 17 fills 34.92 mpg with the computer showing 41.11
Therefore, the computer is not as far out using BP as I thought but I still swear by the 1st 2 points, especially the foam as that is definitely visible.

I would really dispute that BP and Sainsburys are the same.

Sainsbury's Fuel - Company Information - PetrolPrices.com

 

[BTB 500]

In 2004 Sainsbury's struck a deal with BP and it is believed they now supply all of Sainsbury's fuel.

Even if that was true 7 years ago ("it is believed" on a website isn't exactly proof) there's no guarantee it's still the case now.

 

[scillyisles1]

Even if that was true 7 years ago ("it is believed" on a website isn't exactly proof) there's no guarantee it's still the case now.

I just posted that link because it was the first that came up.

There is a very busy Sainsbury's garage which I pass every night and naturally sometimes there are fuel delivery tankers there - the tankers delivering the fuel are always BP ones.

 

[BTB 500]

As already mentioned though, even if the base fuel is provided by BP it's unlikely the additive package will be identical to what's sold on BP forecourts.