Anyone notice that Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking/loss of power/under-perf/ mpg?

I

irishpancake

Guest
Hi

I was just wondering has anyone noticed whether Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking or loss of power/under-performance.

I am asking because I have stopped using Tesco, as my 2004 Peugeot 307 was pinking and losing power when I used this petrol.

I had it in the garage, and they could find nothing wriong with ignition/timing etc.

Since i have gone back to my old Texaco petrol supplier, these symptoms have disappeared, and the car feels better to drive, with more power and no pinking.

I just wonder whether the Tesco petrol is just a little inferior.
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

its the very same petrol, comes from the same oil rig, same ship, same tanks... Only difference is some companies add different additives and cleaners which can be both good and bad for your car...

Tesco Petrol is usually supplied by Statoil, their tanks are usually fairly new and tehy get deliveries every few days as they are pretty busy so petrol would be fresh enough and not stale stuff.
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

Thanks Ronan

I kinda knew that the source for the different companies would be more or less the same, didn't know about Statoil connection, but my symptoms have definitely disappeared, just can't explain it.

Maybe I will get another fill from the Tesco outlet, just to confirm this for myself.

I just should also mention that my MPG seemed to disimprove with the Tesco branded petrol, so what you save on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts.
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

irishpancake said:
Thanks Ronan

I kinda knew that the source for the different companies would be more or less the same, didn't know about Statoil connection, but my symptoms have definitely disappeared, just can't explain it.

Maybe I will get another fill from the Tesco outlet, just to confirm this for myself.

I just should also mention that my MPG seemed to disimprove with the Tesco branded petrol, so what you save on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts.
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I dont notice Tesco to be any cheaper than anywhere else to be honest.... Tesco Clarehall on Saturday was 115.9. Statoil at Newlands Cross and Laurels Filling Station in Clondalkin Village (i need to get out more i know!!) were also 115.9 and not a Tesco petrol station in the area...
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

Yes Tesco Petol is far from the cheapest around this last few weeks. 114.9 or 115.9. KellOil in Tralee were 111.9 at the weekend.
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

Tesco in Mullingar were dearer than Texaco on Castlepollard Road in the same town when I drove by approx 3 weeks ago. .
 
Re: Tesco Petrol

The garage on the Rathbeale road in Swords takes the biscuit it is 122 for petrol at the moment. And it was 119 before they announced it was going up awhile ago. I never fill up there i get mine in Asbhourne or Donaghmede as they are only 115 at the moment. You have to shop around
 
irishpancake said:
engine pinking or loss of power/under-performance
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Can't dirty petrol cause this. Many moons ago my brother's car behaved in this manner either because of dirty petrol or a hairline crack in the distributor cap - not sure if cars still have these?
 
This website compares petrol prices http://www.irishfuelprices.com/

It always makes me laugh when I see a big line of cars waiting to fill up at Tesco Clare Hall when the Shell station beside Tesco match the price...and is usually empty:D .
 
Kiddo said:
It always makes me laugh when I see a big line of cars waiting to fill up at Tesco Clare Hall when the Shell station beside Tesco match the price...and is usually empty:D .
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Noticed something similar with regard to Tesco Clearwater. One thing that might make a marginal difference is the Tesco points, which in effect makes their petrol 1% cheaper.

Also Tesco came in with a reputation for consistently having cheaper petrol that was usually available, so rather that worry what is being charged elsewhere we just go to Tesco every time.

We were being ripped off and knew that we were being ripped off for so long by the established garages that we leapt at the chance of giving them a bloody nose.
 
Sunnyboy said:
.... rather that worry what is being charged elsewhere we just go to Tesco every time.

We were being ripped off and knew that we were being ripped off for so long by the established garages that we leapt at the chance of giving them a bloody nose.
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But if you are going to Tesco, and Tesco are dearer than their competitors (as in Mullingar) then, by that logic, you are giving yourself a bloody nose!
 
irishpancake said:
I was just wondering has anyone noticed whether Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking or loss of power/under-performance.

I am asking because I have stopped using Tesco, as my 2004 Peugeot 307 was pinking and losing power when I used this petrol.

I had it in the garage, and they could find nothing wriong with ignition/timing etc.

Since i have gone back to my old Texaco petrol supplier, these symptoms have disappeared, and the car feels better to drive, with more power and no pinking.

I just wonder whether the Tesco petrol is just a little inferior.
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By any chance were you letting your fuel tank run almost to empty before refuelling at Tesco? I'm not a motor expert but I understand that running low on fuel can cause the dregs in your fuel tank to dirty the fuel. For that reason it is usually a false economy to let a fuel tank run low in order to maximise cheap petrol purchases.
 
I've noticed the same thing happens with petrol from those Apple garages. Cheaper but I won't be going back.
 
Re: Anyone notice that Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking/loss of power/under-perf/ m

Thanks folks for all the answers/opinions :)

I know it's very subjective, but I am finding the problems outlined in my OP only when I use the Tesco Petrol. I am not allowing the fuel tank to run low, etc.

There seems to be an on-going controversy in the UK, as I have found out when I Googled "Tesco/Supermarket petrol".

However, there are no definitive answers, just as many opinions as there are ppl. A lot of ppl seem to think that there are additives/lubricants which may not be added to the deliveries to Tesco.

I don't know this for a fact, and don't claim any scientific knowledge, etc.

But, I do know that my car runs better, without pinking or lack of power, and i have better fuel economy since i have stopped using Tesco fuel.

So, it's not all about the price.

Some links pro and con here:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=6701

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=88615

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060615044723AA5QY6T

Very good FAQ which provides some basic information on gasolines and other fuels for spark ignition engines used in automobiles:

http://members.tripod.com/~miniwww/gasoline.htm#4.12
 
Kiddo said:
This website compares petrol prices http://www.irishfuelprices.com/

It always makes me laugh when I see a big line of cars waiting to fill up at Tesco Clare Hall when the Shell station beside Tesco match the price...and is usually empty:D .
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there are clubcard points to be taken into account. even 15 euro off your food bill helps every so often.
 
Re: Anyone notice that Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking/loss of power/under-perf/ m

irishpancake said:
But, I do know that my car runs better, without pinking or lack of power, and i have better fuel economy since i have stopped using Tesco fuel.
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have you tried Statoil Petrol lately??? I've seen them deliver to Tesco on more than one occasion. Additives are added at the fuel depot which is in Dublin Port. They are not added at the petrol stations. And the amount of additives added is not much really.
 
europhile said:
What's "pinking"?
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Just to quote Wikipedia Article:

Knocking (also called pinking or pinging)—technically detonation—in internal combustion engines occurs when fuel/air mixture in the cylinder has been ignited by the spark plug and the smooth burning is interrupted by the unburned mixture in the combustion chamber exploding before the flame front can reach it. Combusting stops suddenly, because of the explosion, before the optimum moment of the four-stroke cycle. The resulting shockwave reverberates in the combustion chamber and pressures increase catastrophically, creating a characteristic metallic "pinging" sound.
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You'll know it if you hear it :eek:
 
Re: Anyone notice that Tesco Petrol causes engine pinking/loss of power/under-perf/ m

Any sign of Tesco petrol coming to Galway? Cheapest I can find in Galway is 119.9 for weeks now, I filled up in Tesco Tullamore at the weekend for 114.9, getting fed up of the petrol prices here in Galway
 
The first couple of times I used Tesco Petrol (Yellow pack) a couple of years ago, I could have sworn that my engine was under performing. Then one day, sitting on the Tesco forecourt, I saw to my surprise a Statoil Tanker. The under performance must have been in my head! Strange!!
 
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