Car is a 2003 Passat 1.9 TDI 130 - thought I'd try it on BP Ultimate diesel to see what it was like. Plus side was a very quiet engine when cold... and that was about it.
Performance fell off, economy dropped by about 10%, and it developed a really irritating surging in second gear when feathering the accelerator pedal, something I suspect is due to the fly-by-wire system.
Anyone else had a similar experience?
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Shell V Power diesel slightly less economical (about 2 mpg) than standard Shell Extra in my Honda Accord.
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Anyone know why? I never buy it, but naively I thought it would, if you wanted to pay the extra, give similar benefits to super-unleaded.
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Did it revert to normal with its normal tipple DH?
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The PD motor is, I think, fairly insensitive to the type of diesel you feed it, because of the super-high injection pressures it generates, and because it doesn't need a high-lubricity fuel.
I tried pretty much everything in my 2003 PD130, from Diesel Extra, V-Power, Ultimate, the new Esso stuff, to Stanadyne / Millers and a super Cerium-based catalyst and ....... none made ANY measurable difference to performance or economy. Certainly no difference that couldn't be explained by ambient temps or driving mix.
Sure, I **thought** I felt a difference, but the calculator said no.
I ended up just using whichever fuel was cheapest (Shell or Tesco, if I had a 5p- off voucher) and giving it a weekly blast through the gears to clear the soot :)
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Likewise, my 130 PS AWX engine is fuel insensitive - as all good diesels should be. It runs on a diet of Tesco's finest (5p off when available) which meets EN590 as stipulated by VAG.
659.
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@659 -- one tweak that does seem to be worthwhile on the PDs is to clean the MAF connection.
When I got mine in March 03, MAF failures on these engines were common. I used a contact cleaner / enhancer (Caig Deoxit) to clean the MAF pins etc, and never had a problem in 5 years.
Many owners on SeatCupra.net and TDIclub treated their MAF connectors with dielectric grease.
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Craig, thanks for the tip. Having worked in both the diesel business and the automotive electronics business for a number of years, it's my standard practice to inhibit oxidation and electrolytic corrosion on all connectors in vulnerable locations.
Silicone grease is ideal for engine mounted equipment as it will not run out at elevated temperatures. Surprisingly, petroleum jelly ("Vaseline") gives a better performance under acidic conditions and I use this for tail light connectors and other internal low temperature applications.
As I treated the MAF connector with silicone grease (and lots of others) on day 1 of owning the car, I can't comment on the performance change - but it does go very well indeed.
659.
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@659 - we have a similar approach, I also like to do such checks / housekeeping tasks as soon as I get new car ...
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Likewise my 130 PS AWX engine is fuel insensitive - as all good diesels should be. It runs on a diet of Tesco's finest (5p off when available) which meets EN590 as stipulated by VAG.
And I suspect every other manufacturer selling cars in the EU.
I notice no difference in performance or economy between fuel brands in our common rail either.
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Ran two tanks of Shell super expensive diesel back to back through Yaris diesel.. Net change if mpg : within the normal margin of error: about 0.5mpg.
Waste of money.
Use anything now - and drive hard once a week to clear it out..
Edited by madf on 18/11/2008 at 11:46
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when I first had a Mondeo TDCi it was more convenient to use Shell because I went past it most days. The car did seem smoother but not more efficient. I now use Tesco because we collect the clubcard points (Airmiles) and also take advantage of the 5p off offer when it happens. As a company car we are also encouraged to use supermarket fuel because it tends to be cheaper - we have a fuel card and pay back the proportion of private miles.
Edited by rtj70 on 18/11/2008 at 11:53
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Similar experience here, used to use V-Power diesel when it was only a few pence more than ordinary diesel and recently changed to Sainsburys with Nectar points and their credit card with 0% interest on purchases (food and fuel) and seem to be getting a very small improvement in mpg on the computer by maybe 1 or 1.5 over the last couple of months and no lumpier or smoother.
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I always use Shell Diesel Extra because it's the cheapest here and I get >5p off with their credit card and points card combined. If I fill up with V-power (because sometimes they do try it days where it is the same price as standard diesel) I can hardly tell the difference, it is a bit less dieselly, a bit less smoky, but not worth paying a premium for. If I'm caught short and fill up at J SAINSBURY'S, it is noticeably rougher and I start to wonder what's wrong.
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As we're entering a winter period it could just be diesel fuel is being mixed with an anti waxing agent lowering the calorific value?
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Nope, I filled it up with the usual bog-standard Esso and economy returned to normal after about 40 miles. It was obvious - when on a motorway or dual carriageway, 80mph was averaging 44mpg on the expensive stuff, when it's usually 50+.
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However, I disagree on one point. I tried using Tesco diesel last week (because of club points and airmiles) and got a return of 36mpg (brim to brim estimation) for car that normally returns 53+ mpg on Shell Diesel Extra. I have now returned to Shell Diesel Extra with the return of the mpg to 53+. Thus at least for my own car there is a difference between Tesco and Shell Diesel.
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My Ford 2.0 (140) TDCI runs quieter on this fuel when compared to Shell V-Power.
I've experienced similar economy between BP Ultimate and Shell V-Power and so just stick with BP.
Other benefits include reduced harmful emmissions but that's not something the majority are willing to pay extra for.
Ford also recommend the use of BP in the TDCI.
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I find that the only detectable change in my MPG appears to be caused by the difference between summer/winter. A gradual deterioration, from August thru to now, of about 5 mpg.
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