Premium Diesel

Woden

Woden

Woden

Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2011
Posts
6,859
Location
Oldham, Lancashire
So this is my first car, so don't really know.

It's a 16 plate 2.6 Peugeot 208. Got it at the end of February when I passed my test. When I got it it was on less than a quarter of a tank and at my dad's advice I filled it with shells v-power. Since then that's all I have ever used. Every payday I top up (use about a quarter of a tank, no doubt that will go up as lockdown eases). I rarely go over 30, can't on my drive to work. But weekends I take the lad out so get it up for a bit.

Am I getting any benefit?
 
Unlike super-unleaded you won't really be seeing a performance benefit from "premium" diesel. You will be getting additional cleaning agents and additives designed to keep the engine healthier though.
 
Woden said:
I rarely go over 30, can't on my drive to work. But weekends I take the lad out so get it up for a bit.

Am I getting any benefit?
Click to expand...

That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen with a diesel. Do you go on long drives at the weekend?

Any particular reason you got a diesel?
 
Semple said:
That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen with a diesel. Do you go on long drives at the weekend?

Any particular reason you got a diesel?
Click to expand...

Sorry forgot I hadn't replied yet. It does get longer on a weekend, about an hour. In the next few weeks I'll have to make regular runs to Stockton (I'm near Manchester) so it will get a good run.

No real reason for a diesel. It's my first car, but I knew I wanted a 208 or a Fabia, and this was a good price, good condition and a fairly low mileage (23k when I got it). I didn't ask about the engine until I was on the test drive.
 
Woden said:
So this is my first car, so don't really know.

It's a 16 plate 2.6 Peugeot 208. Got it at the end of February when I passed my test. When I got it it was on less than a quarter of a tank and at my dad's advice I filled it with shells v-power. Since then that's all I have ever used. Every payday I top up (use about a quarter of a tank, no doubt that will go up as lockdown eases). I rarely go over 30, can't on my drive to work. But weekends I take the lad out so get it up for a bit.

Am I getting any benefit?
Click to expand...

What kind of mileage are you doing?

I normally use premium diesel ever so often to help with clean the engine and hopefully the longevity of the engine. I have been using it for about the last 8 weeks as the price of dropped during the lockdown and was still cheap when i went back to work. It certainly helps with the MPG and increased range using it. The engine is a little more responsive compared to cheap supermarket diesel.
 
I see pretty much no to <2mpg advantage of using premium diesel (Shell V-Power), however still put a full tank in every 4th or 5th tank.

Anyone see using Costco premium diesel as an advantage? The cost is cheaper than normal Shell Diesel!
 
Savan_P said:
I see pretty much no to <2mpg advantage of using premium diesel (Shell V-Power), however still put a full tank in every 4th or 5th tank.

Anyone see using Costco premium diesel as an advantage? The cost is cheaper than normal Shell Diesel!
Click to expand...

You are probably not doing much of motorway miles if you see only that difference
 
ver01@ said:
You are probably not doing much of motorway miles if you see only that difference
Click to expand...
I’d say it’s more likely that you aren’t seeing the increase you say.

The occasional tank to help clean the fuel system will help the engine burn cleaner, but I’ve never seen a noticeable difference between a clean engine on normal diesel and a clean engine on super. Reference being two Audi 2.0 TDIe A4s (a 2012 and a 2013 owned from new) and a 330d.
 
There is a measurable increase in horse power so there is a difference. You will see that difference in motorway miles.
 
ver01@ said:
There is a measurable increase in horse power so there is a difference. You will see that difference in motorway miles.
Click to expand...

I don't think any of the fuel suppliers claim increased horsepower with premium diesel. Higher cetane rating and more detergents definitely but not more HP.

Also making more HP is no guarantee of increased fuel economy. Ethanol has a higher octane value than petrol and can increase power but it has a lower calorific value so can reduce fuel economy.
 
Last edited:
ver01@ said:
You are probably not doing much of motorway miles if you see only that difference
Click to expand...

I do about 90% motorway miles. My commute is a 80 mile motorway journey round trip. However I guess the reaction is always going to be dependent on your car. Different cars and engines will react differently.
 
I think the main saving in fuel is not from the engine using less in normal use it’s from the DPF going longer between regens as the engine is burning cleaner.

I put the odd tank in I don’t notice any performance difference but it does lessen the cold start vibrations/noise. Over the life of the car is not worth the extra the DPF will likely go longer before end of life but you will have spent the cost of a DPF on the premium fuel.
 
Savan_P said:
I do about 90% motorway miles. My commute is a 80 mile motorway journey round trip. However I guess the reaction is always going to be dependent on your car. Different cars and engines will react differently.
Click to expand...

You are in a good position to confirm if premium fuel makes a difference as you are not introducing many variables (same engine, same trip, can possibly use cruise control for most of the journey)
 
Minstadave said:
I don't think any of the fuel suppliers claim increased horsepower with premium diesel. Higher cetane rating and more detergents definitely but not more HP.

Also making more HP is no guarantee of increased fuel economy. Ethanol has a higher octane value than petrol and can increase power but it has a lower calorific value so can reduce fuel economy.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tTlbAzEHLQ
 
Minstadave said:
Convincing, high quality evidence - a youtube video from a company that sells diesel additives and makes some nebulous unquantified claims.
Click to expand...

You can watch the other video that quantifies the difference unless you have another explanation for the difference?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom