Petrol quality

Interceptor

Has anyone noticed that not only is the cost of juice climbing but the quality is deteriorating? I filled up from empty in Galway, drove to Wexford and then to Dublin and back to Galway and couldn't overtake due to the loss in power over 4k revs. The car started ok and ran fine but wouldn't make power at any stage. I filled up again at a different station and within 5 miles the problem was gone. The car got a new fuel filter last month, it has been recently serviced and is running perfectly. I mentioned this to a mate and he says he had arrived at the same conclusion - both his and his wifes car both down on power lately for no reason.

'ceptr

DivX

Could there have been water in the fuel, wouldn't be surprising after all the floods we've been getting lately.

I have noticed differences between petrol stations in the past but it usally affects consumption and not so much difference in performance.

HashSlinging

Stick some of that STP fuel additive into the tank. Could be clogged injectors or something...

Tommy Vercetti

if you're using Super Unleaded then the garage is probably putting 95 Octane into the SUL tank and ripping you off.

mike65

Where did you buy the bad fuel and which brand?

Mike.

Interceptor

I was hoping lots of people would post with 'oh yeah, I always use Brand X and I've noticed that' so that I could confirm my suspicions - the station is one of the busiest in Co.Galway and had the lowest prices in the county for a long time. If no-one else noticed, then it might be my car so I'll go away quietly...

DivX - Its not water in the tank or fuel lines

Hashslinging - I rebuilt the carb a month ago and put a can of Forte system cleaner (€15 a can!!) into it so it should be right.

Tommy V - I only use ordinary UL so no dice but I'm sure it happens.

Cheers,

'ceptr

mike65

I think ppl tend to buy where its handy at any given moment rather than stick to a brand, most of the fuel I buy is sold by TOP but who actually "distills" it is another matter.

Mike.

ShiverinEskimo

interceptor wrote:

the station is one of the busiest in Co.Galway and had the lowest prices in the county for a long time.

cheap price - cheap petrol. If they are selling it cheap they must be buying it cheap. And like any pub selling cheap drink, the stuff your gettin is probably watered down...

ando

hmm I've heard rumors about tesco's petrol quality, they seem to always have the lowest prices in Ireland and their stations are always full to the brink. I usually get my petrol/diesel there but am a bit wary as the rumors are always there

ShiverinEskimo

tescos import all their oil from the same source as they do in the uk.
They use their buying power and couple it with added revenue by placing them attached to supermarkets. thats why they sell it so cheap. They are willing to take the hit that all the others aren't.
Tesco petrol has never been a problem for me. both when i lived in the uk and now back home in ireland.

Tommy Vercetti

ando wrote:

hmm I've heard rumors about tesco's petrol quality, they seem to always have the lowest prices in Ireland and their stations are always full to the brink. I usually get my petrol/diesel there but am a bit wary as the rumors are always there

Several people have posted here and at other boards that Tesco's petrol stations in Ireland are serviced by Statoil, I recall someone posting that they saw the Statoil tanker actually going to Tesco in Finglas just after it was in the Statoil down the road. I'd hazard a guess that it would suit the rip-off garages for this rumour to be going around. I use Tesco whenever I'm near it and I have never had a problem with it.

Re: my earlier post, I bought a car recently and when I asked the garage where I bought it to fill it up with SUL at the station in front of their showroom, he laughed and gave me €50 and told me to go somewhere else because their "SUL" is exactly the same as their 95 octane stuff.

ShiverinEskimo

We really are a nation of scumbag retailers.
(sorry for the generalisation, but i see more posts on here reporting bad deals, rip offs and conmen than lavising praise)

Is there measures in place to try and police/monitor the output of petrol stations at all? Do the cops know/give a ****?

BrianD3

Is there measures in place to try and police/monitor the output of petrol stations at all? Do the cops know/give a ****?

AFAIK, petrol stations are subject to inspections by Legal Metrology Inspectors who check that the volume of fuel dispensed by pumps is the same as the volume stated on the pump display

A few times at stations I have been suspicious that pumps have been dispensing less than the stated volume. I have no proof of this. Does anyone know if this is a known scam?

Easy enough to check though. All you'd need to do is dispense petrol into a 2 litre graduated cylinder or some other container for measuring volume, then compare the reading on the pump display with the volume in the container. If the two values are not reasonably close (they will never match exactly due to errors, temperature etc.) then there could be a scam going on....

BrianD3

rymus

only really bad fuel I've ever noticed was years ago in a Shell station. my bike coughed and spluttered for 100 miles before I burned it all and got some decent stuff in. Havent had a dodgy tankfull since.

Tommy Vercetti

BrianD3 wrote:

A few times at stations I have been suspicious that pumps have been dispensing less than the stated volume. I have no proof of this. Does anyone know if this is a known scam?

I'd imagine that it is, it would be very tempting for a garage owner, although it would be spotted fairly quickly. I'd love to know if quality checks are done.

John R

Tommy Vercetti wrote:

I'd imagine that it is, it would be very tempting for a garage owner, although it would be spotted fairly quickly. I'd love to know if quality checks are done.

Spotted by who?

I know i have had suspicions in the past about incorrect readouts and of all the car owners I know only a small percentage even check the stated price never mind trying to calculate how much liquid the pump dispenses.

I would be amazed if pumps were checked yearly by the authorities.

Borzoi

Tommy Vercetti wrote:

Several people have posted here and at other boards that Tesco's petrol stations in Ireland are serviced by Statoil, I recall someone posting that they saw the Statoil tanker actually going to Tesco in Finglas.

I was one of those who saw this. Plus I've been using their petrol in my car since they opened in Finglas with no problems and no noticeable differnence to using the Shell and Esso garages down the road - except for the price!

As for the pumps, all have a calibration certificate stuck on them somewhere, to verify that they dispense accurately. This used to be a function of an office of Weights and Measures - but they probably have a new title these days! It is unlikely that a petrol station would have the knowledge/capability to fiddle the pumps - it's not like the old days where every petrol station was a garage with a mechanic

Tommy Vercetti

John R wrote:

Spotted by who?

I know i have had suspicions in the past about incorrect readouts and of all the car owners I know only a small percentage even check the stated price never mind trying to calculate how much liquid the pump dispenses.

I would be amazed if pumps were checked yearly by the authorities.

I know that when my fuel warning light comes on that I have about 10 litres in the tank, and I have a rough idea from the mileage I've done how much I can fit in. Not 100% accurate I know, but close. I always check the total litres x cents per litre too before I pay. I don't trust any of em!

Tommy Vercetti

Borzoi wrote:

I was one of those who saw this. Plus I've been using their petrol in my car since they opened in Finglas with no problems and no noticeable differnence to using the Shell and Esso garages down the road - except for the price!

As for the pumps, all have a calibration certificate stuck on them somewhere, to verify that they dispense accurately. This used to be a function of an office of Weights and Measures - but they probably have a new title these days! It is unlikely that a petrol station would have the knowledge/capability to fiddle the pumps - it's not like the old days where every petrol station was a garage with a mechanic

I've noticed those certs on a few pumps alright, I'd be more concerned about the quality of fuel dispensed though. Is that ever tested?

the evil belly

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

We really are a nation of scumbag retailers.
(sorry for the generalisation, but i see more posts on here reporting bad deals, rip offs and conmen than lavising praise)

Is there measures in place to try and police/monitor the output of petrol stations at all? Do the cops know/give a ****?

i doubt they do. they're quick enough to try and check if you're using green diesel though. been through 2 checkpoints in the last few weeks and i always get funny looks(despite driving a petrol car)

DivX

Borzoi wrote:

As for the pumps, all have a calibration certificate stuck on them somewhere, to verify that they dispense accurately. This used to be a function of an office of Weights and Measures - but they probably have a new title these days!

Ya they are legally required to have this calibration sticker present on the pumps, although this could be inside the covers of the machine, AFAIK this is *supposed* to be updated every 12 months.

When the machines are calibrated, a new seal is put on fuel regulator. If this seal (lead tab) is broken for any reason, the dispenser is supposed to be recalibrated.

The whole thing is regulated by the National Standards Authority of Ireland NSAI.

As for the energy released from fuel (or fuel effency to the end user) the energy is often expressed in BTU (British Termal Units), petrol being somewhere around 135BTU, this can also vary from station to station, octane only being a reference to the flash point of the fuel, not the potency or energy content of the fuel.

Fuel additives also make up a considerable cost of the petrol....

So many variables.....