I was wondering what the difference is between V-Power diesel and normal diesel fuel
Is it like super unleaded petrol but for diesel (i.e. potential to make the car go a bit quicker) ?
Sorry to sound thick but I genuinely do not know.
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I was wondering what the difference is between V-Power diesel and normal diesel fuel
About 7p a litre.
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www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services.../
It's partially made from a different base stock, instead of being refined from crude a % consists of liquified gas. Meant to be a "purer" fuel and cleaner burning.
Whether it's worth the price premium is a point for endless discussion.
For what it's worth, I've tried every type of diesel fuel in my previous Passat and current Mondeo IV, plus a range of additives, and none has made any measurable, repeatable difference in performance or economy.
All diesel on sale from reputable UK forecourts meets or exceeds the EN590 standard that car manufacturers specify.
My 10p worth is, the best way to keep your engine clean and injectors in good shape is to rev hard through the gears once a week or so.
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Some sort of additive I expect...
Different engines seem to react differently to different fuels... I've always found that ordinary Shell diesel makes for more power and economy than Tesco stuff, but the use of Shell V-Power made very little difference over standard, certainly not enough to justify the extra money... but mines only a bog standard 105hp PD, maybe with those 136 and 150hp road burners it might be different!
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In my experience, V power makes a small difference with Renault Dci engines, but not enought to warrant the price difference, and it makes no difference at all in VW 105Tdi engines.
Cant comment if the inside is cleaner, but Like craig above, I work my eninges hard, so never had a problem with gummed up EGR valves.
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There are lots of threads on this if you use forum search.
You won't necessarily get more power or better mpg; but I'm in little doubt based on discussions with a late friend in the technical side of the industry that these synthetic fuels will deposit less crud on the injectors and elsewhere, because they don't contain much, if any.
One of the reasons you would not see an immediate difference in mpg going from V-Power to ordinary diesel, or vice versa, even if there were one, is that injector fouling builds up over time and is not going to be removed by a few tanks of V-power - try a Forte treatment or similar for that.
Conventional distilled diesel is a very variable product, and tends to leave deposits. As stated, it should all meet EN590, but that doesn't mean there is no difference - I dare say luncheon meat complies with food standards but I'm not going to eat it.
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...I dare say luncheon meat...
This is an internet forum, surely you mean Spam?
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>>This is an internet forum, surely you mean Spam?
Excellent wit! - but I have a weakness for grilled Spam and allow myself a couple of tins a year. There, I've confessed.
The stuff I have in mind is bought mainly by anglers for bait and has a slightly jelly-like appearance and a rather spooky colour - main ingredient 'mechanically recovered meat"!
Edited by Manatee on 23/01/2010 at 12:11
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In my experience very little difference, certainly not worth the price premium, IIRC there was a WhatCar or Which test which showed the premium products in both petrol and diesel to have little or no benefit to fuel economy ?
But 'yer pays yer money and takes yer choice', or a 'a fool and his money are easily parted' might be another expression to use.....
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I haven't subscribed to Which? for years, but I don't think they looked at the deposits angle. so they wouldn't see much mpg difference. I'm happy to be corrected, but as they often do they might have precisely measured the wrong thing.
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I have the report - it's a very sketchy thing, and doesn't address the issue of deposits etc. I'm not sure Which is equipped to do worthwhile studies on this topic. Should stick to washing machines:)
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A slight variation on the question:
www.smartmania.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1362
Plus this quote: "Also Fifth Gear did a test on a Clio, 2.0T FSI Golf GTI and a Subaru Impreza with varying degrees of success. What they stated was the more powerful the car the greater the improvement!" from: tinyurl.com/ybupasl
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the more powerful the car the greater the improvement
In my personal experience, Skoda Octavia SDi 1.9 68BHP showed an 8% improvement on BP Ultimate Diesel over 260k miles, ie more than enough to justify the extra cost. Peugeot 406 2.0HDi 90BHP showed no improvement or detriment at all over 170k miles, ie extra cost wasted. Current Escort 1.8 Zetec runs smoother on Shell V-Power petrol but no improvement in mpg hence does not justify cost.
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I've tried it in various diesels (VAG PD, Renault dCi, Ford TD), and not once did I notice any difference in performance or economy over the standard Shell diesel. In fact, I've never really noticed a difference in performance or economy between brands either. Until I have an experience to convince me otherwise, I reckon "diesel is diesel".
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Would agree that in my experience the use of of premium diesel over normal diesel makes very little difference to economy, smoothness or performance but I do see a marked difference in economy between 'brands' of Diesel. I find that my car gives higher mpg on Shell or Sainsbury's diesel fuel when compared to fuel from Morrisons and a smaller (but still noticeable) difference when compared to fuel from Tescos or BP. I guess we're talking 48mpg average (best) versus 44mpg (worst).
Edited by idle_chatterer on 24/01/2010 at 13:41
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Ive used both. Mileage wise no difference, not noticeable anyway. HJ reckons extra lubricants better for engine.
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I recently filled my 406 HDi 2.0 with Shell diesel Extra or something like that. The car was decidedly sluggish and hesitant to ther point where I thought it needed a service but I've got another 4000 miles to go before that's due.
Not impressed at all.
I much prefer BP Ultimate.
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Can't really comment on the power or economy question, since I think I've bought V-power and Ultimate once each and noticed no subjective or measurable difference. (Without wishing to get into PEP territory, this is in a Volvo D5 163, which is plenty quick enough for me and does 47mpg on the regular stuff.) I buy mostly Shell, but second place would probably go to (gasp) Tesco.
As for longevity and deposits, I reckon 103,000 miles and five successive first-time MoT passes for smoke (and everything else) make a pretty good case for a régime of decent fuel, regular maintenance and sensible use. The mechanical bits have never needed more than scheduled maintenance items.
In short, premium diesel (and the additives that make similar claims) are offering to solve a problem I don't think I have.
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