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petrol in sligo - car kicking back/flat spots

  • 26-07-2017 5:44pm
    #1
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,710 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi, anyone on here fill up with petrol from Applegreen in Sligo? - do you get loss of power, rough idling. My wife has a feeling like theres water or dirt in the petrol and that the car runs more lumpy when filling up there. of course it could be just a coincedence and that the car is at fault (blocked injectors or something - have already put a new set of spark plugs in because the car needed them but its made no difference to the power and idling still lumpy) but she reckons the car runs better when filling up from parks's garage or topaz. as I say it might be coincidence. The engine light is not coming on. She having trouble getting up hills, car is hesitant and feels lack of power.
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  • #2
    gerrybbadd
    Registered Users Posts: 10,301 ✭✭✭✭gerrybbadd


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    Hi, anyone on here fill up with petrol from Applegreen in Sligo? - do you get loss of power, rough idling. My wife has a feeling like theres water or dirt in the petrol and that the car runs more lumpy when filling up there. of course it could be just a coincedence and that the car is at fault (blocked injectors or something - have already put a new set of spark plugs in because the car needed them but its made no difference to the power and idling still lumpy) but she reckons the car runs better when filling up from parks's garage or topaz. as I say it might be coincidence. The engine light is not coming on. She having trouble getting up hills, car is hesitant and feels lack of power.

    I avoid Applegreen after an incident I had with their petrol in Frenchpark.

    Car started losing power on the way home, bunny hopping, spluttering etc. Had a real fear I wasn't going to make it home to Tubbercurry, and the car wouldn't go above 30kmph.

    I got the tank drained, put in fresh fuel from a reputable petrol station, and when the pipes were cleared of Applegreen's shyte, the car was back to normal.

    I reported it to Customs at the time, in case there was fuel stretching going on.


  • #3
    tommyamnesia
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭tommyamnesia


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    Hi, anyone on here fill up with petrol from Applegreen in Sligo? - do you get loss of power, rough idling. My wife has a feeling like theres water or dirt in the petrol and that the car runs more lumpy when filling up there. of course it could be just a coincedence and that the car is at fault (blocked injectors or something - have already put a new set of spark plugs in because the car needed them but its made no difference to the power and idling still lumpy) but she reckons the car runs better when filling up from parks's garage or topaz. as I say it might be coincidence. The engine light is not coming on. She having trouble getting up hills, car is hesitant and feels lack of power.
    Which of the 2 Applegreen stations in Sligo, Mail Coach Rd. or Pearse Rd.?


  • #4
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,710 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    gerrybbadd wrote: »
    I avoid Applegreen after an incident I had with their petrol in Frenchpark.

    Car started losing power on the way home, bunny hopping, spluttering etc. Had a real fear I wasn't going to make it home to Tubbercurry, and the car wouldn't go above 30kmph.

    I got the tank drained, put in fresh fuel from a reputable petrol station, and when the pipes were cleared of Applegreen's shyte, the car was back to normal.

    I reported it to Customs at the time, in case there was fuel stretching going on.

    Thats interesting, thanks for that. I have told her to avoid AG stations for a while and use someone else. will see how it goes. - theres an awful lot of that applegreen across the country now, hard to avoid. it might not be their fault but we shall just wait and see. She has half a tank of AG petrol at the moment to get through


  • #5
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,710 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    tommyamnesia wrote: »
    Which of the 2 Applegreen stations in Sligo, Mail Coach Rd. or Pearse Rd.?

    MCR I think


  • #6
    mcgiggles
    Registered Users Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭mcgiggles


    Andy From Sligo wrote:
    MCR I think


    Dunno if is a coincidence but when I used to fill up on mcr before it was applegreen it definitely left the car slower and no oomph to it at all!


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  • #7
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    Petrol and diesel all comes from the EXACT same place. For Ireland it comes from either Whitegate refinery im Cork or Pembrokeshire refinery in Wales.

    It is not refined for specific companies - its simply refined and sold on to every and any fuel station operation.

    Some put additives in after delivery to their storage tanks, but its debatable if these additives do anything except increase the price / profit.

    When you get issues with engines it in nearly all cases caused over a period of time - but normal human behaviour will always put blame on the last filling station.

    Think logically - most fuel stations will hold 50,000+ litres.

    That's enough for 1000-1500 cars.

    If there was an issue with any fuel you'd have up to 1500 cars affected and it would be a main news item - an Esso station in the UK had an issue a few years ago and it made most national newspapers.

    Best practice is to drive til near empty as often as possible to keep small levels of impurities going through the engine regularly.
    If like some you regularly fill up with over a third of a tank full left, impurities build up and when you go a couple of times near empty, issues arise.

    Hope that helps, but ALL fuel from all stations come from same source and there is no difference.


  • #8
    tommyamnesia
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭tommyamnesia


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    MCR I think
    Interesting. I've been getting petrol in Applegreen Pearse Rd. since it opened. Never had a problem.


  • #9
    Buford T Justice
    Registered Users Posts: 6,250 ✭✭✭Buford T Justice


    gerrybbadd wrote: »
    I avoid Applegreen after an incident I had with their petrol in Frenchpark.

    Car started losing power on the way home, bunny hopping, spluttering etc. Had a real fear I wasn't going to make it home to Tubbercurry, and the car wouldn't go above 30kmph.

    I got the tank drained, put in fresh fuel from a reputable petrol station, and when the pipes were cleared of Applegreen's shyte, the car was back to normal.

    I reported it to Customs at the time, in case there was fuel stretching going on.

    Lol at this, as though applegreen is a back street shady dealer


  • #10
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,710 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    CeilingFly wrote: »
    Petrol and diesel all comes from the EXACT same place. For Ireland it comes from either Whitegate refinery im Cork or Pembrokeshire refinery in Wales.

    It is not refined for specific companies - its simply refined and sold on to every and any fuel station operation.

    Some put additives in after delivery to their storage tanks, but its debatable if these additives do anything except increase the price / profit.

    When you get issues with engines it in nearly all cases caused over a period of time - but normal human behaviour will always put blame on the last filling station.

    Think logically - most fuel stations will hold 50,000+ litres.

    That's enough for 1000-1500 cars.

    If there was an issue with any fuel you'd have up to 1500 cars affected and it would be a main news item - an Esso station in the UK had an issue a few years ago and it made most national newspapers.

    Best practice is to drive til near empty as often as possible to keep small levels of impurities going through the engine regularly.
    If like some you regularly fill up with over a third of a tank full left, impurities build up and when you go a couple of times near empty, issues arise.

    Hope that helps, but ALL fuel from all stations come from same source and there is no difference.

    Petrol may well all come from the same supplier, but you maybe cannot rule out water or dirt getting into the storage tanks or petrol pumps at the site possibly? - I presume these petrol stations for time to time have to clean/flush their underground tanks out?


  • #11
    rizzodun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    CeilingFly wrote: »
    Petrol and diesel all comes from the EXACT same place.

    Not strictly true, although the difference in fuels could be argued, and it is porbably negligible.

    However, petrol stretching is a very real issue, but not a practice I would expect a reputable company to be engaging in.

    Also worth pointing out that just because a company has a brand name above the door doesn't mean they have to buy from them, if the contract expires with the company they could buy from any source.
    I'm not an expert on all this, but do know someone working for an oil company, and have worked in that business in the past.

    But, more than likely your car is experiencing some other sort of issue that needs looking into.

    Even with that, I only fill up in Texaco.

    oil-infographic.jpg


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  • #12
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    Excellent graphic, but some errors in the brand/supplier list.

    Texaco = Valero
    Topaz = topaz
    Applegreen = Petrogas
    Top = tedcastles now part of dcc
    Emo = dcc
    Esso = defunct
    Campus = Stafford fuels

    Graphic is probably a few years old.


    You say you fill up at texaco- texaco brand is owned by chevron who own Pembroke refinery and supply 70% of Irish market. So 70% chance that no matter where you fill, it's texaco fuel :)


  • #13
    rizzodun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    CeilingFly wrote: »
    Excellent graphic, but some errors in the brand/supplier list.

    Texaco = Valero
    Topaz = topaz
    Applegreen = Petrogas
    Top = tedcastles now part of dcc
    Emo = dcc
    Esso = defunct
    Campus = Stafford fuels

    Graphic is probably a few years old.


    You say you fill up at texaco- texaco brand is owned by chevron who own Pembroke refinery and supply 70% of Irish market. So 70% chance that no matter where you fill, it's texaco fuel :)

    70% is good odds, but 100% certain is better :pac:


  • #14
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,710 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    well, we will have the car looked at, but I will be the first person to set the record straight if there is a mechanical fault rather than questioning the quality of the fuel . Mind you I have heard of this stretching or whatever it is or dirt in the petrol before from other petrol stations so i think it does go on. And I wonder how many people fill up with dodgy petrol and think there is something really major wrong with their engines


  • #15
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    well, we will have the car looked at, but I will be the first person to set the record straight if there is a mechanical fault rather than questioning the quality of the fuel . Mind you I have heard of this stretching or whatever it is or dirt in the petrol before from other petrol stations so i think it does go on. And I wonder how many people fill up with dodgy petrol and think there is something really major wrong with their engines
    All fuel has impurities - if you have oil heating at home the tank is set at a very slight slant away from the outlet to push the sediment / impurities away. (same with storage tanks)

    If impurities build up and don't wash out during normal driving, then one day the car can splutter after a fill - but it is not the fill you just got that is the cause, the problem has built up over time.

    Aa above, best practice is to get near empty as often as possible before filling to keep impurities at a minimum.

    Regular servicing and replacing fuel filters are important too. A fuel filter should be replaced every 30k km or thereabouts.


  • #16
    mayo pixiebell
    Registered Users Posts: 393 ✭✭mayo pixiebell


    Tbh, I went to the MCR one whe it reopened s D never again. The car didn't run like it always did. I'll be sticking with topaz.


  • #17
    mikeybrennan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 869 ✭✭✭mikeybrennan


    CeilingFly wrote: »
    Petrol and diesel all comes from the EXACT same place. For Ireland it comes from either Whitegate refinery im Cork or Pembrokeshire refinery in Wales.

    It is not refined for specific companies - its simply refined and sold on to every and any fuel station operation.

    Some put additives in after delivery to their storage tanks, but its debatable if these additives do anything except increase the price / profit.

    When you get issues with engines it in nearly all cases caused over a period of time - but normal human behaviour will always put blame on the last filling station.

    Think logically - most fuel stations will hold 50,000+ litres.

    That's enough for 1000-1500 cars.

    If there was an issue with any fuel you'd have up to 1500 cars affected and it would be a main news item - an Esso station in the UK had an issue a few years ago and it made most national newspapers.

    Best practice is to drive til near empty as often as possible to keep small levels of impurities going through the engine regularly.
    If like some you regularly fill up with over a third of a tank full left, impurities build up and when you go a couple of times near empty, issues arise.

    Hope that helps, but ALL fuel from all stations come from same source and there is no difference.

    I heard the opposite

    Not to let it drop down you.might have problems with the fuel pump


  • #18
    T-Bird
    Registered Users Posts: 1,308 ✭✭✭T-Bird


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    I heard the opposite

    Not to let it drop down you.might have problems with the fuel pump

    I been letting my tank empty for over 20 years without problem (That's out of being stingy/lazy).


  • #19
    mikeybrennan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 869 ✭✭✭mikeybrennan


    T-Bird wrote: »
    I been letting my tank empty for over 20 years without problem (That's out of being stingy/lazy).

    I was warned on the diesels not to let the level drop right down


  • #20
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    I heard the opposite

    Not to let it drop down you.might have problems with the fuel pump

    "Near" empty - I'll always wait til fuel light goes on (about 100km range). I drive about 70k km a year and have done for 30 years (yep, prob over 2million km) - current car has just over 300k km on the clock. Never care where I fill up (obviously avoid the back yard cowboys) and never had an issue with fuel or fuel pump. Haven't a clue about cars, but did work for a few years within part of the petroleum industry, so have a little knowedge of fuel.


  • #21
    T-Bird
    Registered Users Posts: 1,308 ✭✭✭T-Bird


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    I was warned on the diesels not to let the level drop right down

    Nagh, even done it with diesels I used to drive 40,000+ miles a year for work, always let it run down. Only times I got caught out was when I let it go to far and had to call out road rescue a few times to get it pumped back in :D..... That was a long time ago though.


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