Sainsburys Super Unleaded
Discussion
I was short of petrol yesterday and as there was only a Sainsburys petrol station nearby, I filled up with their Super Unleaded (97 Ron). I wasn't expecting to notice much difference, but within 5 minutes the car was sounding much more 'burbley' and 'woofley' (excuse the technical terms), particularly on the overrun.
Driving it again today, the acceleration seems to have noticeably improved as well, with a much cleaner pick-up.
I normally use Shell VPower or Tesco 99, or sometimes BP Super. They do seem to vary a bit in character in the car, but nothing huge. But I have to say I'm really impressed with the Sainsburys stuff.
A one off do you think? Somebody told me that the octane in petrol can drop off as it gets older. Maybe the stuff I got from Sainsburys was straight off the tanker? Anyway, I thought I would pass it on.
Driving it again today, the acceleration seems to have noticeably improved as well, with a much cleaner pick-up.
I normally use Shell VPower or Tesco 99, or sometimes BP Super. They do seem to vary a bit in character in the car, but nothing huge. But I have to say I'm really impressed with the Sainsburys stuff.
A one off do you think? Somebody told me that the octane in petrol can drop off as it gets older. Maybe the stuff I got from Sainsburys was straight off the tanker? Anyway, I thought I would pass it on.
TUS 2 CON said:
I was short of petrol yesterday and as there was only a Sainsburys petrol station nearby, I filled up with their Super Unleaded (97 Ron). I wasn't expecting to notice much difference, but within 5 minutes the car was sounding much more 'burbley' and 'woofley' (excuse the technical terms), particularly on the overrun.
Driving it again today, the acceleration seems to have noticeably improved as well, with a much cleaner pick-up.
I normally use Shell VPower or Tesco 99, or sometimes BP Super. They do seem to vary a bit in character in the car, but nothing huge. But I have to say I'm really impressed with the Sainsburys stuff.
A one off do you think? Somebody told me that the octane in petrol can drop off as it gets older. Maybe the stuff I got from Sainsburys was straight off the tanker? Anyway, I thought I would pass it on.
I used to put v power plus a octane booster from halfords in my v8 chimera,but still havnt tried in my tuscan yet.whot do you recon to this .Give it a go? it gave my chimera a lot more go in it,you could tell the differance ok.Driving it again today, the acceleration seems to have noticeably improved as well, with a much cleaner pick-up.
I normally use Shell VPower or Tesco 99, or sometimes BP Super. They do seem to vary a bit in character in the car, but nothing huge. But I have to say I'm really impressed with the Sainsburys stuff.
A one off do you think? Somebody told me that the octane in petrol can drop off as it gets older. Maybe the stuff I got from Sainsburys was straight off the tanker? Anyway, I thought I would pass it on.
Octane levels will drop over time, yes, but not in the short period time that it will sit in the holding tanks below your average petrol station - assuming that it is not in the middle of nowhere and takes deliveries once every year!
Much will also depend on the additives that are also put in such as engine cleaning agents, (bio)ethanol, olefins and many more that I cannot remember. These will differ from supplier to supplier and also from country to country. Cheaper petrol often has lower quality cleaning additives so you will get deposit build-ups in the engine that, over time, may slightly reduce economy and performance.
Not all refineries have the same processing procedures and processes so slight differences may also occur, especially is someone like Sainsbury is shopping around at the moment as prices are rocketing to find the cheapest supplier.
Much will also depend on the additives that are also put in such as engine cleaning agents, (bio)ethanol, olefins and many more that I cannot remember. These will differ from supplier to supplier and also from country to country. Cheaper petrol often has lower quality cleaning additives so you will get deposit build-ups in the engine that, over time, may slightly reduce economy and performance.
Not all refineries have the same processing procedures and processes so slight differences may also occur, especially is someone like Sainsbury is shopping around at the moment as prices are rocketing to find the cheapest supplier.
Hate to say it, but as a good old cheap skate I've used Sains 97 in both my Tuscan, Subaru WRX and Sag.
It seemed to work just as well as the pricey stuff, but I never get too "spirited" with my cars anyway, so I may not push the boundary.
Still thinking about the Tesco 99 stuff. Works fine in the Scobbie, but in the TVR...
It seemed to work just as well as the pricey stuff, but I never get too "spirited" with my cars anyway, so I may not push the boundary.
Still thinking about the Tesco 99 stuff. Works fine in the Scobbie, but in the TVR...
a few years ago i read a report in one of the motoring magazines who used a bench engine to test tesco 99 bp ultimate and optimax(now v power) they basically fed in each fuel and advanced the timing just prior to detonation point and measured the power outputs the shell came out on top followed by bp then tesco but this was purely measuring bhp and torque produced.
ever since i have always when possible used shell purely for peace of mind as i only do 5000 miles a year i don't notice the cost difference particularly
ever since i have always when possible used shell purely for peace of mind as i only do 5000 miles a year i don't notice the cost difference particularly
I think it depends on how much you want to thrash your car.
If you drive it at a "normal" rate, then I doubt you'll see any difference apart from what is in your wallet.
I must admit I tend to vary what I put in the Sag depending on what I'm using her for. Normal driving = 97 from where-ever I am at the time - (Shell/BP/Sains) doesn't matter.
But that is just from what I have seen.
If you drive it at a "normal" rate, then I doubt you'll see any difference apart from what is in your wallet.
I must admit I tend to vary what I put in the Sag depending on what I'm using her for. Normal driving = 97 from where-ever I am at the time - (Shell/BP/Sains) doesn't matter.
But that is just from what I have seen.
I have been filling up with premium fuels for a few years now - since retiring, with much lower annual mileage and learning through bitter experience.
My wife's 1 Series BMW is 11 years old and does even less mileage than my car; it has clocked only 26,000 miles. The problem is - I am told - short local journeys so that the engine doesn't often rev for long and there is an accumulation of dirt in the system especially when using the cheaper fuels. This affects the NOX sensor which then fails, demanding attention to restore normal engine operation/performance. The NOX sensor on tis car has failed on three occasions.
BMW then want to charge £50 for diagnosis - even though the warning light is indicating the nature of the fault. Then it's £700 a time to fix which is little short of extortionate! Go to an independent garage and they have to buy the spare part from BMW for around £450. Total cost for three failures - Circa £2000!
I was advised to use only premium fuels and since doing so there has been no recurrence. I am sure the performance is improved, better mpg and much less costly than hefty repair bills every couple of years.
I am told that Supermarkets purchase fuel on the spot market and can't be absolutely sure of the quality that they are getting so I much prefer to use premium fuels from one of the big brands.
My wife's 1 Series BMW is 11 years old and does even less mileage than my car; it has clocked only 26,000 miles. The problem is - I am told - short local journeys so that the engine doesn't often rev for long and there is an accumulation of dirt in the system especially when using the cheaper fuels. This affects the NOX sensor which then fails, demanding attention to restore normal engine operation/performance. The NOX sensor on tis car has failed on three occasions.
BMW then want to charge £50 for diagnosis - even though the warning light is indicating the nature of the fault. Then it's £700 a time to fix which is little short of extortionate! Go to an independent garage and they have to buy the spare part from BMW for around £450. Total cost for three failures - Circa £2000!
I was advised to use only premium fuels and since doing so there has been no recurrence. I am sure the performance is improved, better mpg and much less costly than hefty repair bills every couple of years.
I am told that Supermarkets purchase fuel on the spot market and can't be absolutely sure of the quality that they are getting so I much prefer to use premium fuels from one of the big brands.
ROLVO said:
I am told that Supermarkets purchase fuel on the spot market and can't be absolutely sure of the quality that they are getting so I much prefer to use premium fuels from one of the big brands.
I agree with using premium fuels, but what you have been told about supermarkets is nonsense. Where do you think they buy it from? ebay? China? A local car boot sale?Do you think that each oil company has it's own refinery in the UK? The supermarkets get the same petrol from the same refineries as Shell, BP etc. It's just that the proportion of ethanol and some of the additives that make ordinary petrol into VPower are missing.
It alll comes from the same place with different addatives as I understand. I have used them all, more for the E5 rqting and increased octane than for any performance benefit.
I remember years ago I had a friend with a Chimaera. He was worried because TVR stated the car must be run on what was then Super Unleaded not normal unleaded and his concern was that it wasn't always available everywhere. He contacted TVR (this was in around 2002) who sheepishly told him that any fuel is fine but they recommend Super to keep the performance up as they didn't want their cars beaten in street races! So all marketing I guess!!
I remember years ago I had a friend with a Chimaera. He was worried because TVR stated the car must be run on what was then Super Unleaded not normal unleaded and his concern was that it wasn't always available everywhere. He contacted TVR (this was in around 2002) who sheepishly told him that any fuel is fine but they recommend Super to keep the performance up as they didn't want their cars beaten in street races! So all marketing I guess!!
You could say that a car tuned to run on super or 99 needs to be driven less hard on 95 to keep it safe. Tvr run better on 99 but can be run on 95 with no issues other than a slightly rough tick over and less power.
Modern thinking would say run 95 for your burbling about and 99 when you want to give it the beans but more recently I’d only run 99 to be safe.
Modern thinking would say run 95 for your burbling about and 99 when you want to give it the beans but more recently I’d only run 99 to be safe.
But that isn't how 95 -v- 99 works. Unless the ECU is sufficiently intelligent to be able to advance and retard the ignition to deal with 95/99 then it isn't going to make much difference to performance or running. And we know that the ECU wasn't so intelligent in the RV8 cars, because when the RR Cerbera was launched, there was a 95/99 button to press depending on which fuel was being used.
The real benefits of VPower are the cleaning agents, and the lack of ethanol, and that is what you want regardless of how the car is being used.
The real benefits of VPower are the cleaning agents, and the lack of ethanol, and that is what you want regardless of how the car is being used.
LucyP said:
But that isn't how 95 -v- 99 works. Unless the ECU is sufficiently intelligent to be able to advance and retard the ignition to deal with 95/99 then it isn't going to make much difference to performance or running. And we know that the ECU wasn't so intelligent in the RV8 cars, because when the RR Cerbera was launched, there was a 95/99 button to press depending on which fuel was being used.
The real benefits of VPower are the cleaning agents, and the lack of ethanol, and that is what you want regardless of how the car is being used.
And the extra power almost every owner notices when using 99 regardless of button or ignition system. The real benefits of VPower are the cleaning agents, and the lack of ethanol, and that is what you want regardless of how the car is being used.
If Tvr Power mapped the original chips it was on 99 I bet you a penny to a pound. Just more stable to map and power run with but I’m happy to be corrected.
Later cars with more mappable systems and instant advance changes can just utilise the nature of the more stable fuel and hence risk more advanced timing for power settings using 99 was always my understanding.
TVR bought in stock, non-mapable ECU's. You think they had a mapping department? They sent out cars with whatever parts they had lying around, sometimes there was brand A on the left-hand side and brand B on the right. They didn't even have a cold start program for the Speed 6 engine.
That is why various companies including Power's Performance now offer various alternative chips and ECUs.
That is why various companies including Power's Performance now offer various alternative chips and ECUs.
LucyP said:
TVR bought in stock, non-mapable ECU's. You think they had a mapping department? They sent out cars with whatever parts they had lying around, sometimes there was brand A on the left-hand side and brand B on the right. They didn't even have a cold start program for the Speed 6 engine.
That is why various companies including Power's Performance now offer various alternative chips and ECUs.
So your saying there was no difference between the Ecu installed on a 4.0 Griff or Chim and it’s 5.0 big brother including the fuel chip. All the same chip were they? That is why various companies including Power's Performance now offer various alternative chips and ECUs.
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