Knocker
Zorg Addict
I live in mid Wales and lately my local Shell garage are continually running out of Vpower petrol, I have a Z3M is there any alternative that anyone would recommend?
Shell V power petrol
- Thread starter Knocker
- Start date
Tesco Momentum gets a second thumbs up from me too. I used to always use V Power but found that the garages charge a premium since E10.
A few years ago my local Shell garage stopped selling VPower so I went over to Tesco Momentum. Over the next few month I found the car running rough and could sort it out. Called at a mates garage , who commented had I changed fuel, said Yes explained why. Fortunatly the tank was very low so filled with VPower and soon rough running gone and back to normal. Seems he had found the same on two of his bikes. I have found BP a very good alternative. I filled with VPower yesterday at £1.639 litre had been £1.579 since last December. I also use VPower in the X1
My local garage has VPower at 8p above normal but I did call in a Shell garage last year and started to fill until I noticed the difference was 13p litre.
I find the variation I get in mpg figures on different use a bigger impact on cost, the X1 normally does around 38/39mpg but in the welsh hills or The Lakes its down to mid 20's
My local garage has VPower at 8p above normal but I did call in a Shell garage last year and started to fill until I noticed the difference was 13p litre.
I find the variation I get in mpg figures on different use a bigger impact on cost, the X1 normally does around 38/39mpg but in the welsh hills or The Lakes its down to mid 20's
V Power has always been at a premium price over standard , before E10 came along usually around 7-8p per litre more. Not good if the gap has increased to 13p
Havent used anything else in this mota tbh, as the mpg offsets the price . Spoke to our local Shell garage and they regularly sell out of V power now since E10 came along. More and more folks buying it for use generally.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2011
- Points
- 145
If it's a second car that you use for fun, I'd treat it like a prized stallion, rather than a donkey. If you feed it on oats from Aldi (or Tesco), it'll never be a Derby winner.
I only do about 6,000miles, so it costs me an extra £170 per year to use Shell V-Power.
It's probably £170 down the toilet, but I think I push the car pretty hard, so I don't want it compromised. The trouble is that there is very little evidence around the quality of different fuels. All I know is that Shell V-Power has been measured to improve Ferrari engines and has more cleaning additives than Tesco Momentum. They are both 99RON, but that's like saying they are both full fat milk. Milk from Jersey cows is more expensive for a reason .
I've got a Smart car if I want to drive on the cheap.
I only do about 6,000miles, so it costs me an extra £170 per year to use Shell V-Power.
It's probably £170 down the toilet, but I think I push the car pretty hard, so I don't want it compromised. The trouble is that there is very little evidence around the quality of different fuels. All I know is that Shell V-Power has been measured to improve Ferrari engines and has more cleaning additives than Tesco Momentum. They are both 99RON, but that's like saying they are both full fat milk. Milk from Jersey cows is more expensive for a reason
.I've got a Smart car if I want to drive on the cheap.
5th Gear did a test on a variety of fuels, RON95 and up to RON98 IIRC in 3 cars. A city car, a 170bhp Golf GTi and an Imprezza. Zero change on the City car, more BHP, about 5bhp on the GTi and significantly more on the Imprezza. If you discount the imprezza as it's a turbo and align the GTi to a 2.2 Z3 then logic dictates that the 2.8/3.0 & 3.2 should gain more bhp as you go up the engine size and bhp stats. E5 for me all day long as it's a second car at around 7k miles a year. E5 in my bike too when I remember as it's only a 17.5ltr tank and does 80+ mpg.If it's a second car that you use for fun, I'd treat it like a prized stallion, rather than a donkey. If you feed it on oats from Aldi (or Tesco), it'll never be a Derby winner.
I only do about 6,000miles, so it costs me an extra £170 per year to use Shell V-Power.
It's probably £170 down the toilet, but I think I push the car pretty hard, so I don't want it compromised. The trouble is that there is very little evidence around the quality of different fuels. All I know is that Shell V-Power has been measured to improve Ferrari engines and has more cleaning additives than Tesco Momentum. They are both 99RON, but that's like saying they are both full fat milk. Milk from Jersey cows is more expensive for a reason
I've got a Smart car if I want to drive on the cheap.
We seem to be heading away from the point of the original post, the OP can't always get what he prefers, so wants to know what else is suitable.
This thread seems to have headed into staring wistfully off in to the distance as the clouds pass slowly over a field of daffodils.
This thread seems to have headed into staring wistfully off in to the distance as the clouds pass slowly over a field of daffodils.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2011
- Points
- 145
I use octane booster when I do tours around the north of Scotland. I even add it to Esso 97.
I see it as putting a chlorine tablet in dirty water. I only do because I don't want to die of thirst.
How far is the nearest source of decent fuel?
Get yourself a jerry can and fill it with V-Power when it's available.
I see it as putting a chlorine tablet in dirty water. I only do because I don't want to die of thirst.
How far is the nearest source of decent fuel?
Get yourself a jerry can and fill it with V-Power when it's available.
I've used Tesco Momentum in my Z3 M Coupe for years, it's been fine for me and car runs very smoothly. Could be a few variables as to why some peoples cars run rough with different brands of fuels, condition of underground tanks and pipework, frequency of fuel stations tanks being refilled or debris in car fuel tank.
I usually used the same Tesco garage to fill up which is ultra busy and so I imagine gets a high turn over of fresh fuel. Just my opinion, it works for me.
Give Momentum a try and see what difference if any it makes.
I usually used the same Tesco garage to fill up which is ultra busy and so I imagine gets a high turn over of fresh fuel. Just my opinion, it works for me.
Give Momentum a try and see what difference if any it makes.
Well here's a controversial opinion...
VPower is sh***.
I have been running cars that require Super Unleaded for about 20 years now - and VPower has always been held up as some sort of holy-grail for fuel. And I have tried it many many times and never understood the hype.
Compared with Sainsburys Super & Tesco Momentum I have always felt my cars have been down on power on VPower and my own meticulous MPG records also show VPower never returns the same economy as other brands.
However on trips north I have found my cars seem to run much better on VPower sourced north of Birmingham which prompted me to write to Shell a few years ago to ask why this is... the answer they gave was that depending on which refinery the petrol is supplied from defines the exact mix and that it varies regionally.
Furthermore when living in Watford 3 local garages were prosecuted by trading standards for filling the VPower tanks with standard 95ron unleaded but selling it as VPower - because Shell (like other non-supermarket brands) operate a franchise model, then you're potentially at the mercy of unscrupulous franchisee's who are keen to eek out extra margin in an increasingly tough market.
When I had my AMG I spoke to a couple of tuners who both mentioned they would not warrant their maps if run on VPower because their testing of the fuel had found it to be so inconsistent - some batches testing as low as 96RON while others being as rich as 101RON and the variance really messed up the fuelling. They recommended supermarket fuel as the most consistent...
I only run VPower if there really is no other choice.
VPower is sh***.
I have been running cars that require Super Unleaded for about 20 years now - and VPower has always been held up as some sort of holy-grail for fuel. And I have tried it many many times and never understood the hype.
Compared with Sainsburys Super & Tesco Momentum I have always felt my cars have been down on power on VPower and my own meticulous MPG records also show VPower never returns the same economy as other brands.
However on trips north I have found my cars seem to run much better on VPower sourced north of Birmingham which prompted me to write to Shell a few years ago to ask why this is... the answer they gave was that depending on which refinery the petrol is supplied from defines the exact mix and that it varies regionally.
Furthermore when living in Watford 3 local garages were prosecuted by trading standards for filling the VPower tanks with standard 95ron unleaded but selling it as VPower - because Shell (like other non-supermarket brands) operate a franchise model, then you're potentially at the mercy of unscrupulous franchisee's who are keen to eek out extra margin in an increasingly tough market.
When I had my AMG I spoke to a couple of tuners who both mentioned they would not warrant their maps if run on VPower because their testing of the fuel had found it to be so inconsistent - some batches testing as low as 96RON while others being as rich as 101RON and the variance really messed up the fuelling. They recommended supermarket fuel as the most consistent...
I only run VPower if there really is no other choice.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2011
- Points
- 145
You won't notice on a few tanks, and probably won't notice in the driving (as there probably isn't any), but you will definitely notice if you DIY. The internals are just so clean, you could eat your dinner off them.
I wouldn't use V-Power in any "normal car", or one that I was going to be swapping in the future. V-Power is only for cars I intend to keep until I'm pushing up daisies.
If you put your finger down the inlet throat of my Smart or my old BMW which run on Asda's finest, you get a yellow gunk. In the M, there is visibly nothing, but you can feel it is smooth (like silicon). I think the yellow is oil from the breather sticking to the intake's internal surfaces. All three use the same Mobil-One. It is the same under the cam covers, the M is perfectly clean, the Smart had yellow gunk that you could run your finger through. I never had the cam cover off the 330, so I don't know what that looked like.
Anyway, none of this is helping the OP source some fuel in mid-Wales!!
I wouldn't use V-Power in any "normal car", or one that I was going to be swapping in the future. V-Power is only for cars I intend to keep until I'm pushing up daisies.
If you put your finger down the inlet throat of my Smart or my old BMW which run on Asda's finest, you get a yellow gunk. In the M, there is visibly nothing, but you can feel it is smooth (like silicon). I think the yellow is oil from the breather sticking to the intake's internal surfaces. All three use the same Mobil-One. It is the same under the cam covers, the M is perfectly clean, the Smart had yellow gunk that you could run your finger through. I never had the cam cover off the 330, so I don't know what that looked like.
Anyway, none of this is helping the OP source some fuel in mid-Wales!!
Asda don't sell super unleaded - they only sell 95RON - what you're describing there is the difference between 95RON & 97+RON fuel, not the difference between Shell VPower (which is their super unleaded brand) and any other super unleaded such as Tesco Momentum, Sainsburys Super, BP Ultimate, Esso Synergy Supreme etc. Honestly if you compare VPower with any of those brands you will find the internals just the same.
Knowing as I do people who work in the oil industry (including 2 that actually work for Shell UK) none of them would ever recommend paying a premium for branded fuel over supermarket fuel and they all fill up at supermarkets due to better fuel consistency and no "brand tax".
Again... knowing someone who works at Fawley refinery.... the super unleaded which goes in the Shell branded tanker lorry is the same as what goes in whatever other branded company tankers choose to fill up there...
And the drivers of these lorries don't put anything extra in their tanks... the detergents are added by the refinery - not the fuel companies.
And the drivers of these lorries don't put anything extra in their tanks... the detergents are added by the refinery - not the fuel companies.
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- Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
@Knocker, I ran the old girl on various brands of high octane fuel depending where I was and what supplier was available, (BMW recommend minimum of 97 RON for the S50) never really saw any difference between the different suppliers fuel, I will say on the very few occasions I had no other option than to splash it in, the old girl did not like 95 RON and didn't run as smoothly on it.
Hope I'm not staring wistfully off in to the distance with the reply.
Hope I'm not staring wistfully off in to the distance with the reply.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2015
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- Model of Z
- 3.2
Not all supermarket fuels are equal though, some are superior to others in my experience. When I ran my own trucks and later when I was responsible for fleet profitability, mpg was an obsession for me, which I carried over into my private motoring. Admittedly my data is nearly 20 years old but at the time Esso fuel at Tesco outlets was very poor quality which made my Z3 run very rough and down on power and lower mpg. Morrisons petrol was much better and on a par with Shell 95 ron. Using V Power at that time gave me almost 10% better mpg and the engine felt livelier. I was using my Z3 as my daily driver at the time so I was clocking up enough miles to make clear comparisons.
People who only had rough seat of the pants estimates about their own experiences often told me that all petrol comes from the same storage tanks and that some supermarkets pass on savings from economy of scale, but my figures came from brim to brim filling and accurate recording over several years.
Probably all totally irrelevant now but I still won't use Tesco fuel.
People who only had rough seat of the pants estimates about their own experiences often told me that all petrol comes from the same storage tanks and that some supermarkets pass on savings from economy of scale, but my figures came from brim to brim filling and accurate recording over several years.
Probably all totally irrelevant now but I still won't use Tesco fuel.
Lol Tesco for me almost every time, never use shell. Tesco is nearer cheaper and the cars like it.Scotland last weekend in the ///m 28 mpg that’s great and much better than what I was getting out of the car when I first bought it. And inside the engine is like new barely any staining and 0 carbon