Poor Fuel Quality in Applegreen?

166man

I also noticed a difference in the running of my petrol and diesel cars using their fuel. I only use Esso/maxol/Texaco now these days.

Guffy

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Low grade how? What is the standard you are using? Let's see some numbers.

Low grade in that it is not as clean or efficient as the final product used at a topaz garage

AA back topaz fuel. According to them it gives u 24 km at least per tank more and is cleaner for the engine

Jesus.

Bandara wrote: »

Applegreen are the most professionally run service stations in this country.

I have to agree regarding their service stations. The facilities they have (shops, restaurants etc) are the best in the Country. I'd doubt they'd skimp on their fuel quality tbh

Jesus.

pippip wrote: »

There's been a few polls done on here over the years and the results are always pretty much the same

Heres one for example.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=93572238

Applegreen never does to good. Maxol always tops it.

I'd stand by it to Maxol always gives my car more miles, runs smoother and better performance.

Wouldn't mind but it was a Maxol station (Donabate Co Dublin) where I got my dodgy fuel a month or two ago

polan

166man wrote: »

I also noticed a difference in the running of my petrol and diesel cars using their fuel. I only use Esso/maxol/Texaco now these days.

Esso poor quality, low range on car

pippip

Are any of yous like me in that you wont go into a garage if you see a tanker on the forecourt refilling them?

Someone once told me it disturbs all the crap in the bottom of the tanks which would then go up through the pumps.
It makes sense but not sure how true it is.

I was just thinking it would explain possible one off problems people experience like Jesus above after a fill.

creedp

gufc21 wrote: »

Low grade in that it is not as clean or efficient as the final product used at a topaz garage

AA back topaz fuel. According to them it gives u 24 km at least per tank more and is cleaner for the engine

Do Topaz further refine the fuel they acquire from the refiinery? Where do they do this? Are they the only company that does this?

316

Are some stations still buying the washed diesel and mixing it with road diesel?

Zubeneschamali

gufc21 wrote: »

Low grade in that it is not as clean or efficient as the final product used at a topaz garage

AA back topaz fuel. According to them it gives u 24 km at least per tank more and is cleaner for the engine

I do understand that Topaz and other companies put different amounts of detergent into their fuel.

This can indeed mean your engine will be cleaner with long-term use and give a small increase in efficiency, and it costs a small amount more. So you pays your money...

It does not mean that one tank of Topaz makes your car pull better or give 20% better mpg. That is all in people's head.

mikeecho

I personally know a person who had issues with diesel from applegreen, and after a little bit of a discussion with them, he received a cheque to cover some work he needed to have done to his engine.

Kenny Logins

I'm sure I can feel the difference from Amber to Applegreen to Texaco. Could be all in my head though, I have no evidence to suggest otherwise.

Sabre Man

I've filled in Applegreen Youghal a few times. Never had a problem.

Edit: petrol

pheelay

I consistently got about 10% less distance from a full tank from Applegreen (500km) petrol than I would from Esso/Maxol (550km). I don't shop there anymore. I put it down to ethanol added to the fuel which is all the rage now in the EU, but does not seem to be clearly marked on the pumps in Ireland.

Living in France with the same car for 6 years, the pumps are clearly marked 95 and 95E10. E10 over there is about 5¢ cheaper than raw 95 but would get the same result in my car - about 10% less distance per tank. It seems to depend on the car - some burn ethanol perfectly fine, others don't.

Zubeneschamali

pheelay wrote: »

I put it down to ethanol added to the fuel which is all the rage now in the EU, but does not seem to be clearly marked on the pumps in Ireland.

So you think Maxol does not contain ethanol, that's what you are saying? Or contains less than Applegreen?

5W30

pheelay wrote: »

I consistently got about 10% less distance from a full tank from Applegreen (500km) petrol than I would from Esso/Maxol (550km). I don't shop there anymore. I put it down to ethanol added to the fuel which is all the rage now in the EU, but does not seem to be clearly marked on the pumps in Ireland.

Living in France with the same car for 6 years, the pumps are clearly marked 95 and 95E10. E10 over there is about 5¢ cheaper than raw 95 but would get the same result in my car - about 10% less distance per tank. It seems to depend on the car - some burn ethanol perfectly fine, others don't.

I don't think 50 km is worthwhile to get excited about. I doubt you drive the exact same routes with the exact same conditions with the exact same load every day to be able to perfectly measure such a difference.

pheelay

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

So you think Maxol does not contain ethanol, that's what you are saying? Or contains less than Applegreen?

All I am saying is that, like many others here seem to be experiencing, I get a considerable amount less from a tank from Applegreen than I would from Esso or Maxol.

I believe Maxol state 5% ethanol. There are older threads on here about the ethanol additives. On the whole, I find the ethanol content is very badly labelled on Irish petrol pumps, in contrast to France where you are almost always given a choice and it's labelled very clearly.

pheelay

5W30 wrote: »

I don't think 50 km is worthwhile to get excited about. I doubt you drive the exact same routes with the exact same conditions with the exact same load every day to be able to perfectly measure such a difference.

Yes, you're right. It's a long way from a scientific measurement. But it is consistent - I'm not talking about just 1 or 2 fills here. Some day, I must test it more thoroughly on a long distance return trip.

Guffy

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I do understand that Topaz and other companies put different amounts of detergent into their fuel.

This can indeed mean your engine will be cleaner with long-term use and give a small increase in efficiency, and it costs a small amount more. So you pays your money...

It does not mean that one tank of Topaz makes your car pull better or give 20% better mpg. That is all in people's head.

I never said 20% i said 24km which was found through extensive testing by AA to be on the low scale of the range.

The Backwards Man

gufc21 wrote: »

I never said 20% i said 24km which was found through extensive testing by AA to be on the low scale of the range.

Even on a sixty litre tank, Applegreen would only have to be about 2c cheaper to be better value

Bandara

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

If you search boards you'll find people who believe in aliens, think vaccines cause autism and like Gerry Adams.

I've seen people here claim they get 30% better fuel economy from a different brand, even though it all comes from the same sources. It's nonsense.

Exactly

pippip

The difference here is numerous people are making the claim of more mileage.

Bandara

gufc21 wrote: »

I never said 20% i said 24km which was found through extensive testing by AA to be on the low scale of the range.

Stop being silly, your just making random statements on the Internet to look knowledgeable about things you clearly have no idea about.

The point your completely misunderstanding and misrepresenting was one given by Paul Candon MARKETING DIRECTOR of Topaz who are in bed with the AA via their AA branded fuel cards that the AA push and get a kickback commission from Topaz on.

Mr Candon said (and I quote) .....

"Not all fuels are the same. The additive in Topaz fuels makes them more fuel efficient. In fact, Topaz fuels can actually take your vehicle up to 24km further on a full tank when compared to standard fuel. Our fuels' greater engine cleaning properties can clean even the dirtiest engines with continued use. And there's even better news for new cars, Topaz fuels are effective from the very first fill-up,"

Now that's all fine and dandy, except (as Paul kindly says) the 24km further bit is based on STANDARD FUEL. And the rather important fact that Paul is glossing over is that no fuel companies whatsoever in this country use this mythical standard fuel as the product that they sell to the customer. As just like Topaz, all the different companies from Amber to Texaco and everyone inbetween add their own additive blends when drawing the 'standard fuel' from Top or Valero etc, as a result it's no longer standard fuel. The additive loading is done in the gantry as the fuels are being loaded into the respective artics or rigids

It's complete nonsense as are all these ridiculous theories that one fuel company gives you better mileage than another. Fuel companies are in existence to sell fuel. If they sold a inferior product their competitors would let everyone know about it, also the cost to add the additive blend is approx .7 of one cent per litre. It's insignificant in the scheme of production. Every company adds it.

testicle

OSI wrote: »

The poster said they don't have a reputation. The fact that numerous threads about the same subject with multiple people stating the same thing, would suggest they do. I didn't state anything relating to the quality of their fuel as fact.

Gerry Adams has a reputation for not being in the IRA.

pippip

@ Bandara - Seems a bit strange that you acknowledge these fuels all have different additives but don't accept these may yield different results to drivers?

It may only be marginal, not like some claims of 20-30%, but without hard facts about these additives I cant see how you can confidently dismiss them.

Bandara

pippip wrote: »

@ Bandara - Seems a bit strange that you acknowledge these fuels all have different additives but don't accept these may yield different results to drivers?

It may only be marginal, not like some claims of 20-30%, but without hard facts about these additives I cant see how you can confidently dismiss them.

Not really tbh, they are all the same stock formulas in the additives. No one has some 'magic potion' that makes theirs better. It's a bit like premier diaries and avonmore milk in a way. Two different brands, both from the same production plant and are essentially the same thing in a different bottle

Galway K9

Found this out recently, i looked at two diesel samples (not green diesel), one was greener than the other. Esso who get their shipment from Dublin, and Topaz who get their shipment from Galway docks. The one from Dublin, was much clearer than the galway (Topaz) one. Relevance i dont know, it just seemed interesting at the time. I thought the pumps were selling green diesel at the time.

Zubeneschamali

pippip wrote: »

@ Bandara - Seems a bit strange that you acknowledge these fuels all have different additives but don't accept these may yield different results to drivers?

I agree that one additive might give better long term engine cleaning.

A magic ingredient that improved engine running in one single fill would be in every fuel - why would anyone sell without it? Same for a 2% fuel efficiency gain - unless the additive adds more than 2% to the price, everyone would add it.

Now, if a station is run down and has water or filth in the fuel, or uses washed or stretched fuel, one tank could do damage.

But Applegreen are a major brand in ireland, not back street cowboys.

Staph

There is no difference between the various brands. I fill my tank to the brim and do calculations every time I fill up. Whenever I have 1/8 of a tank I call into any branded station on my journey. Below are my calculations, where you'll see actual MPG values rather than having a 'feeling' about your MPG. This is for petrol.
I only have this car since July, so this is all the data so far. It is also a curtailed version of my spreadsheet.

galljga1

testicle wrote: »

Gerry Adams has a reputation for not being in the IRA.

Eh, no he does not.

5W30

Staph wrote: »

There is no difference between the various brands. I fill my tank to the brim and do calculations every time I fill up. Whenever I have 1/8 of a tank I call into any branded station on my journey. Below are my calculations, where you'll see actual MPG values rather than having a 'feeling' about your MPG. This is for petrol.
I only have this car since July, so this is all the data so far. It is also a curtailed version of my spreadsheet.

Use fuelly.com