Ah, back to Shell again :)

PMKeates

PMKeates

PMKeates

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16 Jul 2004
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For the last few fill ups I've given Tesco 99 a go after using only Optimax previously. Once in the tank it seemed to offer no noticeable difference in performance or running, for less money at the pump and no 20 mile round trip to the nearest Shell garage! Recently I found the engine to be a little "harsh" sounding and returning only 24mpg, compared to the previously usual 26-30. With the release of the new "V-Power" fuel, I thought I'd make the effort and get myself a tankfull... and I am astounded! Instantly the UFO like burble was back and the metallicy thrashing gone. Performance seemed the same - felt a little slower, but I suspect this to be down to the much quieter operation. On top of all that, I got 31 mpg on the way home! VERY pleased now I'm using V-Power! (Please forgive any weird grammar or selling, as I'm typing this on my phone and can't actually what I've written!)
 
PMKeates said:
Instantly the UFO like burble was back and the metallicy thrashing gone.
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So, all the old petrol in your tank disappeared and this is all down to V-Power?

I'm a bit of a sceptic of Super Unleaded, unless your car has been mapped for it, or had other modifications that run better on higher octane petrol (such as advanced timing etc)
 
I think if the car has an ECU capable of advancing the ignition to cope with higher RON fuel, then yes, I think you can get marginally higher fuel economy. I used to get 30 miles or so more to a tank in my cavalier on 97ron fuel - 430/400 miles comparing 97/95 ron fuel.
 
Stonedofmoo said:
Does V-Power really give greater mpg over normal unleaded?
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Well if it's anything like Optimax nope, only returned 45miles for £10 in my Corsa :p

Shell Premium gives me 85 miles to that same £10 :p
 
I had problems when I tried my T4 on three tanks of Tesco 99ron. The car was cutting the ignition under acceleration due to det and it was idling a lot rougher(I though it was one or both of the coil packs failing). I went back to Optimax and pretty quickly the car was back to its old self. Ive seen on some of the Volvo forums that although they T4s and T5s are supposed to run fine on petrol with bio fuel mixed a lot of them don't and mine certainly didnt.
 
Stonedofmoo said:
Does V-Power really give greater mpg over normal unleaded?
Click to expand...

It did for me in the 214 (well Optimax did).

120 miles to £10 instead of 100 miles, including town driving.

In the 220 though, there's no difference.
 
Just pumped my first tank of V-Power, not expecting it to be any different from "normal" super-unleaded to be honest, but for 98.5p/l and the fact that its the closes garage to the house, I decided I might as well.

We shall see just how many miles I get from it in about 4 days time.
 
V-Power diesel did sod all for me after 2 and a half tanks of the stuff. :(

Performance and Economy didn't shift. It was a little less smokey, but this doesn't really benefit me - and besides covering stuff in soot is fun :D
 
Just put my first tank of V-Power in today. No noticeable difference yet, but i've not been pushing it. I always found idle better with Optimax and power better with Ultimate. We'll have to see how Shell-99 goes... (VAG 2.0T).
 
Filled the bike up (the only thing I have that seems to run better on 97+) on the way back this w/e so can't comment yet suffice to say that Optimax made a slight but noticable difference to starting/power so i'm looking forward to getting the same if not more from Vpower. The Diesel from shell also seems to yield slightly better results compared to Sainsbury's stuff but not more than about 5-7% more miles out of a tank.
 
I've decided that I'm going to try and use V-Power all the time now. I have to use 98+ RON for my car anyway, so it leaves me with BP Ultimate + Octane Booster (Too much hassle), Tesco 99 or V-Power. Despite the distance of the V-Power garage from me, I don't think it will cost all that much more to use it in the long run, assuming a small MPG increase:

Tesco 99 - Distance = 6 miles
12 miles @ 24mpg, 96.9p/L = £2.20

V-Power - Distance = 10 miles
20 miles @ 26mpg, 98.9p/L = £3.45

So an extra £1.25 a tank just to fill up with V-Power.

Over a 63L tank:

Tesco 99 @ 24mpg, 96.9p/L = 330 miles, £61.05 = 18.5p per mile
V-Power @ 26mpg, 98.9p/L = 361 miles, £62.31 = 17.3p per mile

Add on the costs of getting the fuel:

Tesco 99 = 19.2p per mile
V-Power = 18.2p per mile

If I can get another 2mpg out of V-Power, it's cheaper! :p
 
Ahhh, sorry :o

Didn't see what you were getting at. I've been using it while over in France, didn't realise it's not out here yet (bought a tank of the stuff back in June).
 
My car feels absolutely fantastic on V-Power. I hadn't driven it for a few weeks when I first filled with V-Power though, so it might just be that rather than the fuel.
 
agw_01 said:
It did for me in the 214 (well Optimax did).

120 miles to £10 instead of 100 miles, including town driving.

In the 220 though, there's no difference.
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you got 100 miles out of a tenner :eek: I only get about 70 in my 214 :(
 
The 214 was great!

I once got 400 miles out of £30 :D And 150 miles of that was going to Wales with a car full of mates... 90mph there and back! (on my private road of course)

I don't know how it did it, but I'm telling the truth with that one!
 
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