Which fuel

Educated Scruff

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
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Having had a diesel for the last few years and now I have a petrol engine, I noticed super unleaded is recommended, so what are the pro‘s and con’s over using this to normal unleaded? And which one do others use.
 
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Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
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A bit confusing on the part of SEAT: the manual does indeed say Super, but then states 95RON. That's 'normal' unleaded in the UK.
It seems that the Leon will also run on the inferior 91RON available in some other countries.
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
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London, UK
On the fuel flap, it probably states RON 95 for the 1.0 and 1.5 engines. You can use that from the branded fuel providers (Shell, Esso, BP, Texaco, Jet). Perhaps once every 10th fill, you can put RON97/99, just for the extra cleaning properties to help maining your engine, and then revert back to Ron95. You may get more mpg with the higher RON fuel, or may not, at least you would get a cleaner engine! I always say like having a freshly descaled kettle! VAG's 2.0TSI engines may suggest you use RON98, with RON95 only if there is no other option. You can probably also use the supermarket petrol, but for me, it's like drinking supermarket branded beer and not one from Budweiser, Heineken etc. All are beer, but there's just something about the branded ones!
 

motormadmarc

Active Member
Dec 24, 2020
223
95
Norfolk, Next To The Sea 🐟
You can probably also use the supermarket petrol, but for me, it's like drinking supermarket branded beer and not one from Budweiser, Heineken etc. All are beer, but there's just something about the branded ones!

I absolutely agree with you on that. There's no way I'd ever put supermarket fuel In my car. It's just watered down fuel with added chemicals.
Although there are lots of people out there who will disagree :doh:
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
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London, UK
Yup, can't imagine Shell or Mobil or whoever spends millions on R&D, sponsers motor racing, are leaders in the field etc and the combined fuel package (note, not the base fuel only) they sell to us to put in our cars is no better than the supermarket ones. Although Momentum 99 from Tesco I find decent. Also back in 2014 when I collected my Leon 2.0TDI, i was told by the saleman, try not to put supermarket diesel in it and you will be fine! My diesel ran fine despite being mainly a city car and it ran on Shell & Esso only.
 
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motormadmarc

Active Member
Dec 24, 2020
223
95
Norfolk, Next To The Sea 🐟
I also remember quite a few years ago, Tesco accidently added too much of a certain chemical to their tankers. And this caused quite a few cars here In the Uk to develp engine problems . My own sister was one of them. They had no choice but to admit liability and offered to pay for the repairs. The only time I ever put supermarket filth In my petrol tank Is when I've got a courtesy car, lol ?
 

scuj1

Active Member
Mar 3, 2015
75
13
Edinburgh, Scotland
Super Unleaded will tend give you more MPG but the price difference to me outweighs the benefits unless your vehicle specifically requires it.

Complete nonsense on Supermarket fuel though ? All fuel has to conform to British Standards but hey if you want to go round the corner to your local BP/Shell etc and pay an extra 5p/litre than your Tesco right next door, crack on! You're the only reason they keep their prices higher ?
 

motormadmarc

Active Member
Dec 24, 2020
223
95
Norfolk, Next To The Sea 🐟
Super Unleaded will tend give you more MPG but the price difference to me outweighs the benefits unless your vehicle specifically requires it.

Complete nonsense on Supermarket fuel though ? All fuel has to conform to British Standards but hey if you want to go round the corner to your local BP/Shell etc and pay an extra 5p/litre than your Tesco right next door, crack on! You're the only reason they keep their prices higher ?

At the end of the day you get what you pay for. People think that they are saving money by filling up with supermarket filth. But In fact all you're getting Is watered down fuel with additives. Didn't you read the Info from the above link that I posted about Tesco fuel a few years ago. And that wasn't complete nonsense, that was a fact. It happened ?
 
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scuj1

Active Member
Mar 3, 2015
75
13
Edinburgh, Scotland
At the end of the day you get what you pay for. People think that they are saving money by filling up with supermarket filth. But In fact they are getting what they paid for. Watered down fuel. Didn't you read the Info from the above link that I posted about Tesco fuel a few years ago. And that wasn't complete nonsense, that was fact. It happened ?

I don't think I quoted that as being nonsense. There's no doubt it did happen and was due to an issue with a storage depot in Essex.

To class the fuel from a supermarket as filth is hilarious when it comes from the same refinery and also has to conform to the same standards as any other retailer's fuel. "Watered down fuel" ?? The above was 14 years ago, so I'm pretty sure we'd know all about it by now if supermarket fuel was any inferior.

As I said if you're more than happy to pay over the odds for the same fuel, made under the same standards be my guest. I'll spend less on the same fuel and get further for my money ?
 

Deleted member 123864

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At the end of the day you get what you pay for. People think that they are saving money by filling up with supermarket filth. But In fact all you're getting Is watered down fuel with addiives. Didn't you read the Info from the above link that I posted about Tesco fuel a few years ago. And that wasn't complete nonsense, that was a fact. It happened ?
Can you describe for me exactly how you water down petrol please? Absolute rocking horse sh..
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
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London, UK
Well once i had to use supermarket diesel, the same trip on Shell or Esso has always been 49-51mpg. I've done this trip about 50 times, 13 miles from east london to west London 8am Sunday, so hardly any traffic. The supermarket diesel gave me 45mpg. So is it inferior? The fuel ran the car fine, if not a bit grumpier, though diesel engines tended to be grumpy anyway. Supermarket fuel got me from A to B and the car still works...not sure about watered down petrol, but maybe just plain boring petrol without any aditives. So if all fuels are the same, companies like Shell and Esso have been telling us one big lie regarding their R&D and 'superior' fuels. I do believe thogh, the base petrol is the same (like beer is all the same), perhaps supermarkets do not add anything to it, where as big fuel companies do.
 

martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
889
Fife
I got a lecture from my boss in one garage I worked in, supermarkets fuel is as advertised, ie 95 octane is just that, Esso, Shell or what ever, will be the minimum on the pump but might be higher grade, the base fuel is all the same from the refinery(nearly typed distillery, what has lockdown done) but the additives put in the tanker make the difference. Hence named fuels may have an advantage over supermarket stuff. A bit like white label beans v Heinz, both have beans and sauce but one might be better than the other.
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
I’ve been using pretty much nothing but supermarket fuel in the cars I’ve owned for the past twenty years or more. It’s convenient for me to do this as I don’t have to go out of my way to refuel, which I would have to if I chose to buy non-supermarket fuel.

I keep my cars on average 4.5 - 5 years and I’ve never experienced any mechanical or running issues in any of them from using supermarket fuel. So I’ll continue to use it as it’s been fine in my cars.
 

mdaw1985

Active Member
Aug 3, 2008
227
27
St.Leonards, East Sussex
Personally out of all of them if I'm using 95 Ron fuel I find Esso to work best in my 1.4tsi. always get good mpg and the engine just feels a bit smoother. It even feels smoother than running 99 momentum from Tesco and again seems to get better mpg. It's not night and day generally 3 mpg difference. I've tried other big brands and they are no better in feeling or mpg than the Tesco momentum. I've only used v power once so can't really compare it much but the car did feel smooth like it does on both Esso 95 and 99 but mpg seemed no better maybe a little less.
Just to finish off the Esso 99 Ron doesn't make any difference to my mpg compared to 95 or feel any smoother. However there is a small power difference in the higher rev range as it does feel like it continues to pull a bit better but I also feel that with momentum 99.
 
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KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
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London, UK
My experience on a 1.0TSI and 1.5T (Volvo) was that all the branded 95RON (Shell, Jet, Texaco, Esso, BP) all performed the same.
Shell Vpower 99 gave me about 2-3mpg more on Volvo, but about 4-5mpg more on the TSI Ibiza, but cost wise, didn't offset. Esso 97 (at the time, haven't tried 99 yet) gave me a smoother engine, and Momentum 99 gave me neither. Possibly a bit more pull at higher revs, but could be placebo.
 
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