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andylee



Member Since: 29 Jun 2016
Location: South East
Posts: 94

United Kingdom 
Fuel Types and Additives
[2003 TD5 90 CSW 132000miles
I recently had some issues and have resolved them so would like to share this in case it helps anyone else out who may have similar issues.
My vehicle had become noisy and hesitant under acceleration and the wasn't quite driving right for quite a long time, anyway eventually the fuel pump gave up and was replaced. I thought that would fix the issue but they returned almost immediately and I was at a loss of what the problem might be. I had done some reading up on injector seals and then found an article about the benefits of using premium diesel brands such BP Ultimate in modern diesel engines. So before the next trip which was a good 250miles (3/4 tank) I refreshed the fuel filter and bit the bullet and paid up for a full tank of the premium diesel.
Well I can only say the difference was very noticeable, the engine ran so much better, smoother, quieter. I didn't really notice a power difference but the hesitant acceleration disappeared and I was much happier to give it some as the engine sounded so much better than before, less like a clanky diesel and more like a well oiled TD5 should.
So what I've learnt is - don't fill up at Morrisons I'm now a firm believer that although the fuel is cheaper your engine just wont run as well on supermarket fuel and it will eventually kill the fuel pump. Every so often run a fuel tank of premium diesel. Every so often when filling up on Normal branded diesel use some additive such as Millers Oils Diesel Power Ecomax fuel treatment and hopefully like me you will enjoy driving again rather than the constant worry of is it ok? Is it going to die! Instead you can concentrate worrying about everything else that might go wrong or fall off but hasn't yet...!

You can say told you so if you like as I had previously read threads like this and disregarded them, so even if only one person benefits from my experience I will be happy, And why don't you just try the premium fuel once yourself anyway and see if you can notice a difference, after all it cant do any harm.

thanks all
Andy
Post #861517 14th Oct 2020 11:25am
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Mike c



Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Maldon, Essex
Posts: 930

England 2004 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Belize Green
Interesting and thanks for posting that. I always use BP as have one in the village so its convenient 🙂 I dont tend to use the ultimate stuff though that often, it is pricey!

On the rare occasions I have filled up at a supermarket I was always convinced the engine wasnt as smooth quiet etc as it was on branded fuel so always ended up back to branded stuff and stuck with that theory for years!

Mike
Post #861521 14th Oct 2020 11:38am
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10383

United Kingdom 
I run EVERYTHING on BP Ultimate, including my mower.
Thumbs Up
Post #861543 14th Oct 2020 2:10pm
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mk1collector



Member Since: 17 Sep 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 6769

England 2004 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Bonatti Grey
Shell v power or bp ultimate in every tank on our two. Everyone says it’s really expensive but it’s only about a fiver more on a full tank which is about £90 anyway? Well worth it in my opinion! Ray
My build thread
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic17615.html
Post #861547 14th Oct 2020 2:33pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3509

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
I religiously use BP but just the standard Diesel (I use supermarket fuel in my eurobox daily drive and my lawn mowers, GREENI!!)

I dose each tank with Millers Diesel Power Ecomax. I believe that my truck runs smoother on BP and with the additive. I have no proof, and maybe it's my imagination?

Now there are lots of people on here who swear by Millers, and I do too, but it has the smell of the devil. Up until now I have been fine, but last fill up I got some on my hands and it really is evil (I keep it in a sealed plastic box inside the truck). Since then, I have been wondering whether it would just be easier to use the BP Ultimate Diesel and not worry about the faff of dosing the tank every time? I have quite a lot of Millers left Laughing

Off Topic I also really rate BPme. I have the app loaded onto my phone and it means I don't need to go into the shop and meet the people who don't agree with social distancing Rolling Eyes
Post #861548 14th Oct 2020 2:53pm
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roel



Member Since: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Lelystad
Posts: 2039

Netherlands 2003 Defender 90 Td5 PU Caledonian Blue
I played around using different fuels on my td5. Only the very cheap fuels make some difference on the td5. I don't feel or hear anything different on the normal brand fuel and no deiiferent between the normal and V-power or ultimate.

With me D3 V8 it was a bit different, it didn't like cheap fuels at all. Bad running and higher consumption.
There was a small difference between euro95 and ultimate / V-power but not enough to make up for the price difference.
In Germany where I most use Aral (BP) the fuel is clearly of a lesser quality, it still run fine but the consumption was a lot higher.


I think if you use a quality branded fuel you don't really need additives. Roel

1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001)
1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009)
2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts.
2003 90 Td5 (2009-now)
Post #861552 14th Oct 2020 4:05pm
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Zed



Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: In the woods
Posts: 3312

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
Rashers wrote:
I religiously use BP but just the standard Diesel (I use supermarket fuel in my eurobox daily drive and my lawn mowers, GREENI!!)

I dose each tank with Millers Diesel Power Ecomax. I believe that my truck runs smoother on BP and with the additive. I have no proof, and maybe it's my imagination?

Now there are lots of people on here who swear by Millers, and I do too, but it has the smell of the devil. Up until now I have been fine, but last fill up I got some on my hands and it really is evil (I keep it in a sealed plastic box inside the truck). Since then, I have been wondering whether it would just be easier to use the BP Ultimate Diesel and not worry about the faff of dosing the tank every time? I have quite a lot of Millers left Laughing

Off Topic I also really rate BPme. I have the app loaded onto my phone and it means I don't need to go into the shop and meet the people who don't agree with social distancing Rolling Eyes


I'm too lazy to mess around with Millers etc. so just use premium fuel. No idea if it's any better but it can't hurt.

I haven't tried BPme but use the Esso app. It's great not having to go in the shop and as a bonus it automatically adds nectar points. Another thing I could never remember/be bothered to do. WARNING.
This post may contain sarcasm.
Post #861553 14th Oct 2020 4:18pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20444

United Kingdom 
Ideally it should be premium diesel aka super or standard with additive.

I tend to use the latter, from Esso with Millers.

You can use premium on its own, instead but finding a supply of it from the same supplier is easier said than done so hence why I do the other method plus I’m happy with it.
If I go further afield, then I use Jerry cans.
Some standard diesel out there is crap from some non premium suppliers.

If you have an active one the stuff that will soot up EGR’s and screw up your VCV amongst many other things.
Once I used a lesser known supplier as I had no choice.
Thought it’ll be fine, even with the additive.

Next day or two I went to leave the drive and she stalled out of the blue randomly but otherwise ran fine.
I think it was water..

Not long after I needed a new VCV I fitted, went to my standard fuel supply and now it’s running lovely as it should be. So I’m pretty sure it screwed up the VCV. Which caused poor MPG, performance and unreliability and VCV needed replacement.

Not sure what the fuel filter looked like as it was changed for me, so I’ll never know now.

If you have a 110, quality of fuel on a long run is not quite so much of an issue but I love my 20L Jerry cans. I have a range of in excess of 380 miles. ☺️

So to cut a long story short, I never use supermarket fuel or independent suppliers as they are cheaper for a reason.
If you have a tune, you really need higher quality fuel and octane level anyway and stick to it as the system learns the fuel quality over time and messing with that will not run well.
Never found the VCV needed programming either, it sorts its self out and mine is running better than ever since it was replaced. An easier job than I thought. No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #861554 14th Oct 2020 4:20pm
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gilarion



Member Since: 05 Dec 2013
Location: Wales
Posts: 5111

Wales 2007 Defender 90 Other CSW Trident Green
Had a bit of time on my hands today so I thought I would have a go at trying to find out if Supermarket fuel is as good as branded with the facts available or is the fact that some think it is not, just a myth.
Sorry for the length of the piece but there are some good details in it.



It's an everyday debate between some people, who will swear that their Land Rover runs better on fuel from XYZ Company and those who say that all fuel is the same and they just buy the cheapest supermarket fuel.

The problem is that most people don't know how the fuel business works.
So let's start with the simple bit. Premium fuels, such as Shell Nitro and BP Ultimate fuels, these are not the same as regular diesel fuels, we all know that.

These super fuels cost several pence per litre more than regular because they use a different, more sophisticated package of additives for cleaning and lubrication, and have a higher cetane rating

Cetane ratings describe the way a fuel burns inside an engine. Broadly speaking, the higher the rating means fuel will burn more efficiently and effectively inside your engine. This may improve performance and economy slightly although not all drivers will see a noticeable difference.

No supermarkets presently offer their own diesel super fuels at the pumps, in truth, this is because the main suppliers will not allow them to buy the fuel with their secret super package of additives at the refinery.

So is the regular diesel sold by supermarkets the same quality as that sold by branded fuel companies like Shell, BP, Esso, Texaco and Total?

Let's start with some known facts:

All diesel fuels sold in the UK must conform to the relevant British Standards. This means that they should all work in roughly the same way and you can mix them freely in your Land Rovers fuel tank.

The standard diesel that's sold on garage and supermarket forecourts is a mixture of two things base fuel and an additive package.

The base fuel is the same for all companies including supermarkets, in fact, it usually comes from the same tanks at the local fuel refinery/distribution centre. What varies is the additives package that goes into the fuel. These additives recipes are a closely guarded secret amongst fuel companies and combine of extra ingredients that help keep the engine clean and improve lubrication inside the engine cylinders.

Each fuel company has its own additive package. So it is possible (but not common) for some Land Rover owners to feel that their car responds better to the additives used by one fuel manufacturer over those of another.

So what About Supermarket Fuels?

There are all sorts of stories that go round about supermarket fuels, but the fact is that supermarket fuel tankers are filling up from the same tanks as branded fuel tankers e.g. Shell, BP etc. so the chances are that most of the time, the fuel they sell is the same.

However, one common story about supermarket fuel is that some supermarkets don't have a regular fuel supplier. Instead, they buy odd lots of fuel from wherever its cheapest though supermarkets deny this. If this does happen and supermarkets swap their suppliers it can lead to supermarket fuel having a more variable set of additives than branded fuels. However, Tesco state that their supplier is always ESSO as do Sainsbury. Morrison says their supplier is Total.

Right so what do the Supermarkets say?

Tesco
There are minor differences between the additives in regular diesel fuel sold by the different UK retailers. However, I can assure you that it is not correct that Tesco fuel contains inferior additives. In most cases, it will be the same type and dosage of additive that is contained in fuel sold at branded filling stations.
I can also confirm that Tesco diesel fuel does not contain less cold flow improver additive in winter compared to branded diesel.


Morrison�s
Our diesel is supplied to us depending on our store's locality by one of the refiners and blenders that operate in the UK.
We only source from established and reputable refiners and blenders
Our diesel fuels are manufactured and guaranteed to British Standard EN590, precisely the same specifications that will be found in fuel from branded sellers such as BP, Shell, Esso and Total. These current specifications permit up to 5% renewable content in diesel such as Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (vegetable oil).
European law requires all road fuels to contain such renewable feedstocks.
Also in relation to the winter fuel, I can advise that Cold flow additives in our Diesel guarantee the properties of Diesel down to minus 15 degrees centigrade.

The argument

Supermarkets state their specifications; on the other hand, they are the Minimum requirement specification. So supermarket diesel meets EN950 specification, as I see it that does not automatically make it the same as branded fuels, which may exceed the specifications set for EN950. So the supermarket argument could be flawed.

However, every refinery or blender of diesel must meet the British Standard and every production batch is tested and certified before release into the supply chain. Typically, at any refinery or oil depot, you will witness the tankers of all branded retailers and supermarkets filling from the same common wholesale tanks.

So why is Supermarket fuel cheaper, it is because they sell such vast quantities and their operating costs are spread over higher volumes? Plus they also sell thousands of other products so can afford to offer fuel at a discount and offer as a loss leader.

Conclusion

All diesel filling stations use a standard base fuel which is supplied from the same refineries across the UK no matter what pump it will end up being pumped from into your tank. So going off all the known facts, specifications and statement from various supermarkets, it would appear that supermarket regular diesel is the same as branded fuel, the additive package while slightly different in supermarket fuel is on paper just as good as those added to branded diesel, these additives can affect the MPG and general running of the vehicle that some drivers may experience more extremely in some brands than others including supermarket fuel, but in some cases, you may not even notice any difference at all. BUT the fuel is all from the same refineries which all meets the same British Standards, so you can use any diesel to fill up your Land Rover knowing its all of the same base fuel.
Supermarkets have recently come in for bad press with the quality of their fuel; however, this is due to contamination in their holding tanks and not on the quality of their base fuel.

So there you have it on paper virtually no difference at all with standard diesel from Branded or Supermarkets. Premium diesel has a better additive recipe, but you pay for it and many swear by it, but you cannot compare super fuels with regular supermarket diesel. Personally I use any fuel. both branded and supermarket, but I always add Millers and my engines run sweet.

So what do us, the people who use all the different fuels think? For those who like Welsh Mountains and narrow boats have a look at my videos and photos at..

http://www.youtube.com/user/conwy1
Post #861555 14th Oct 2020 4:23pm
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cee-b



Member Since: 25 Jan 2018
Location: South West
Posts: 117

United Kingdom 
The Td5 engine was designed to run on a wide range of different quality diesel fuel - the fuel you would expect to find in some of the more remote areas of the world.

During the Gulf War, fleets of military Landie Td5s were successfully operated on Jet A1 aviation fuel; Land Rover confirmed that this would cause no problems.

I'm not all that convinced that any diesel that you get out of a pump in UK is going to cause a noticeable difference in performance, nor that it will 'kill' any of the fuel system components.
Post #861556 14th Oct 2020 4:28pm
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Fat Cog



Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Oxfordshire & Devon
Posts: 502

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
My couple of previous 2.4's ran fine on any old crap, supermarket or otherwise, however, my 2.2 runs far better with a shot of Millers after every fill up, as for my Wolf 300TDi, any old crap will do!

Millers...grand stuff. Since 1973...S1, Air Portable's, Defender's, but only my Wolf TUL HS GS remains
Post #861558 14th Oct 2020 4:53pm
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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
Posts: 907

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
I use whichever diesel I happen to find nearby (except BP) when I need a fill up, but I add Millers every time.

BP fuel is consistently more expensive than any other brand everywhere in my experience, and being "fiscally aware", I never darken their doors.

One handy tip I picked up is buying Millers in 5 litre cans and refilling the 500ml plastic bottle it usually comes in.

All you have to do is put a self tapping screw in the bottle's top tank (where the stuff ends up as you squeeze it) and remove it when you refill from the can via a funnel. I used a stainless one. Don't forget to replace it afterwards though!
Post #861583 14th Oct 2020 7:07pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2166

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Main difference I have found is the quality / cleanliness of the actual storage tanks at the garage

Certain sites seem to be far more prone to water issues than most of the 'branded' sites......
Post #861605 14th Oct 2020 8:04pm
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
In 30-odd years of driving, I've only had a problem with fuel from a garage once and that was from a branded place.

I think there are too many sites to generalise, to be honest. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #861613 14th Oct 2020 8:23pm
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
custom90steve wrote:
If I go further afield, then I use Jerry cans.

Blimey Steve, you make it sound like we're living in a third world country where fuel is decanted from drums in plastic pop bottles (I have seen this done!) Laughing Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #861614 14th Oct 2020 8:26pm
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