[constipated]

Here in NSW Australia we have standard vs premium (decreased foaming) diesel.

There also appears to be a wide variation in diesel prices but invariably the small independent service stations I have found are up to 10c/L cheaper.

I filled up at one of these independents on this batch of diesel and I have suddenly gotten the feeling that my i30 has less responsiveness.

Is it all in my mind or have other people noticed that this can happen.

I know water is an issue in Diesel, but can there be sufficient variation in uncontaminated diesel between stations to actually feel that the car is not doing as well on one vs the other?

Previous to this I had been filling up at Shell (non premium) diesel and doing fairly well. Peak hour drive involving stop/start suburban driving and brief stretches of motorway had me averaging 5.3-5.4L/100km on trip computer (more like 5.6-5.7L/100km on calculation) with average speed 38km/h. Trip computer had shown me doing 750km or so with 300km to empty so easily over 1000km per full to brim tank.

This "bad" batch of diesel, I'm averaging 32km/hr and trip computer has 6.1L/100km. It's more the lethargic feeling that worries me though.

Why can an independent charge 10c/L cheaper than a Caltex/Woolworths or Coles Express Shell? Does anyone else fill from independents? Should I avoid them due to the possibility of poorer quality diesel? Is premium diesel any better?

Call me paranoid but has anyone in NSW looked at how many of their local service stations are on the list of Office of Environment as a contaminated site: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/clm/publiclist.htm

I had assumed that for contamination of land, it must mean breach of underground tank which also could let water in. I wonder about avoiding those on that list but it almost lists every major brand name service station near where I work.

[Phil №❶]

It seems to me that if the price of diesel is 10c less, then the turnover of the fuel would be high, keeping fresh fuel in their tank.

I think if there was enough water to cause a "sluggish" response then the filter warning light should be indicating a problem, and the response from the engine would be more than sluggish.

Apparently, diesel fuel does go "off", so could it be stale.

There is very little that can be done to diesel to make it better or worse, so I would recommend that you fill at a regular station if possible, I use Caltex & it works ok in our cars.

I wonder from what refinery an independent station sources it's fuel. Could it be the dregs from other brand fuels. 

[Dazzler]

Hi Constipated, (that is not a greeting I would have ever expected to write... )

When we had our CRDi Pemium diesel wasn't readily available in Tassie (is is now at the same price in most instances as regular diesel or instead of) although diesel prices are a bit inflated down here .. usually around the same price as regular unleaded...

Anyway, I used to find a noticeable difference in performance (improvement) when I used Regular BP diesel instead of the Woolies (Caltex) stuff.. But not to the extent you are describing 

I would get a little $3 bottle of Diesel conditioner from Supercheap and shove that in the tank asap or top up you tank with premium Diesel asap (or do both) and see if you are back to normal 

P.S. If we still had the diesel i30 I would probably pay the little bit extra (if applicable) for the Premium stuff ..

[Phil №❶]

dazzler

Is constipated an accountant by any chance. 

[Dazzler]

dazzler

Is constipated an accountant by any chance. 

I don't reckon .. if he was he would have worked it out with a pencil on paper by now 

[Phil №❶]

 

[Ultralights]

i have just ticked over 10,000km on my CRDI, a total of 11 tanks so far, and every time i have filled i have used a different station, and brand, except coles and wollies.  i have found no difference between Caltex, BP, Shell, Mobil or the 2 independents in the area, both of which are Speedway.  fuel economy is pretty even across all tanks, except the the Alpine diesel during my snow trips.  that averaged 6.5L/100 as compared to the 5.2 im getting out of all the other tank refills.  i have not once used "premium"diesel yet.
the only difference i have seem is the Mobil doesn't tend to foam up as much and i always get the most in, sometimes over 53 ltrs when the trip comp tells me i have between 50 and 100km to empty. ,  the Hi-flow pumps are the same, create a lot of foaming and stop filling at about 45 ltrs. same again for BP. Shell and Caltex are in the middle with foaming, sometime good, sometimes, bad.    as for the actual fuel economy, i have seen no real difference that can be attributed to fuel quality, as almost every tank varies between 5.1 and 5.3 ltrs/100 on my regular commute of 45 mins.   of course, a highway run will see 4.5 or so.

[constipated]

Ultralights any difference in how the car feels with each tank?

[Lakes]

well as most would have read me post in the past  i like Caltex Vortex diesel. but only from one Caltex ( non Woolly ) servo & there price is always a bit higher. but i have used BP, MOBILE, caltex & Shell diesel's. i won't use any of the cheap diesel in the independents with different names. as they way i look at it is, if it's working, why change. Betsy my first i30 CRDi 5 speed almost ran on Caltex Vortex from the one servo for the past 30,000k i had her, she had 97,000k up and she seemed to fly. she had the normal  quirky way of runing the CRDI 5 Speeds do, like if you at a lower rev in 3rd gear they sometimes get jerky ( hard to explain , but never really worried me that much but it was there. but give her full thgrotle & shift at 3,200rev she used to fly. she was stock no tuning box or anything. always went about 1,100k to a tank with a 1,200k sometimes & once did 1,300k.
now the new 6 speed has 12,000k up & for the past 5,000k i have just left the trip computer Lt per 100k average as it is i have not re set it. two weeks back i filled with Shell diesel ( same as the work truck i sometimes drive uses ) never had a problem with the work truck due to fuel or anything else its got well over 200,000k & a work m8 with a common rail turbo diesel was saying his runs great on  shell. so i filled with Shell could not notice any different went down south coast with GF then went too & from work for a week covered 1,100k then fuel light came on . had to go way out west this weekend leaving on friday after work. i filled up with my normal Caltex vortex & started to notice it feels more responcive but not that much different just i can feel it. well after 5,000k with out resetting the Lt Per 100k trip computer, useage showed 5.2L 100k on return from south coast & stayed at 5.2L 100k to & from work all on shell with Mobile one 0W 40W oil. and i filled up as i said with my normal Caltex vortex from my normal spot cost $1.50.9 per liter & got back today from out west with 900k up on this tank trip computer showing 5.2L  100k my average speed on trip pc says 55kph, my average moving speed on my GPS from this 900k trip was 78kph average just sitting on speed limit mostly with cruise set. so you can make up your own oppinion from this but. i'll just stick to the same servo & caltex vortex. i might be wrong but as i said if its working why change.
by the way the 6 speed is really performing well no jerky bits at low rev she pulls smooth performs well. i love her.
thought i might add, after 1,100k combination of south coast road two up two full size 180KG combined plus luggage & lot of runing around then two & from work driving i got 57LT to the top in the tank. did not work it out but will see what i get with this tank on caltex & post.

[Dazzler]

Thanks John  Lots of great info there 

[accim]

I so wish we had those diesels here 

[Lakes]

I so wish we had those diesels here 

I thought in Europe you would have good diesel fuel? have you got low sulphir diesel?
by the way was extreamly hot here today or so i thought. i got back to my car about 6pm to go home an outside temp read 40c it dropped to 39c when moving & was 35c at home. not sure how acurate it is but the  CRDi seems to like it. climate control worked great in cooling car off inside.

[Ultralights]

i had the same run home from work, 39 deg at work and only dropped to 35 when i got to the coast, but my fuel use did jump up from 4.8 to 4.9, that was with climate control dialled in to 21 deg.

[beerman]

You didn't get Bio diesel did you?

A number of 'cheap' servo's sell 10% bio diesel, the I30 is only rated for 5% (and by the do not use biodiesel stickers on the cars at work, I dare say even that isn't best practice.

The stickers advising you of the existence of bio diesel are often quite small, and it is only when you specifically check the manual that you find this requirement.

A number of I30 diesels I have seen about to fill up at the local servo (which sells 10% bio diesel) whilst walking the dog have been quite surprised when I have told them this. Hopefully it saved their engine.....

Perhaps this is why your engine is not happy?

[constipated]

You didn't get Bio diesel did you?

A number of 'cheap' servo's sell 10% bio diesel, the I30 is only rated for 5% (and by the do not use biodiesel stickers on the cars at work, I dare say even that isn't best practice.

The stickers advising you of the existence of bio diesel are often quite small, and it is only when you specifically check the manual that you find this requirement.

A number of I30 diesels I have seen about to fill up at the local servo (which sells 10% bio diesel) whilst walking the dog have been quite surprised when I have told them this. Hopefully it saved their engine.....

Perhaps this is why your engine is not happy?

Maybe that's why it was cheaper.

Have stuck a 1/2 tank of Shell to dilute it now.

[Lakes]

i had the same run home from work, 39 deg at work and only dropped to 35 when i got to the coast, but my fuel use did jump up from 4.8 to 4.9, that was with climate control dialled in to 21 deg.

Looks like we are in for a long hot summer!
well if i re-set my trip computer, the L per 100k would go up and down. but since i've just left it as it is for the past 5,000k it has syarted to just stay on 5.2L/100k for the past 1,000+ k. i'll check this tank full when i re fill it see what it works out as.
when you put a load on them the fuel useage goes up, when you go up hill's it goes up too, or if you give it a good boot, or use climate control, but when you go down hills it's all smiles. if you want to impress people just go up to Katoomba then turn around and drive back to the M4 , when you get to Katoomba reset your trip PC drive easy then look at your trip PC when you reach the start of M4


Constipated, if you can get to a Supercheap stor buy some Wynnes Diesel treatment, its not cheap @ around $29  but it could help a bit it also cleans injectors  wash it down with a top up of what ever you normally use try to stick to the one servo keep recepts thats what i do . then if fuel problem you know who to blame.

[bryanj86]

Been reading some posts in different threads. WOndering what people think of Caltex Vortex Diesel. I used to use the BP Diesel but stopped as they were selling it for 154.9cpl and the Caltex had it for 150.9. It's the money that matter but the principle they were charging more. Should I change back to BP OR stick with what i have been using for a while; Caltex.

[Phil №❶]

If your car's economy is the same, use the cheaper fuel. Caltex Vortex is as reputable as BP IMO.

[Dazzler]

If your car's economy is the same, use the cheaper fuel. Caltex Vortex is as reputable as BP IMO.

 

[rustynutz]

I've tried it a couple of times and other than the colour, I never noticed any discernable difference between it and the basic BP diesel I mostly use.....