Poor Fuel Quality in Applegreen?

Jesus.

Filled up at Applegreen last week and the car's not starting half the time again. Gonna go with Topaz next time and see if its any better

delahuntv

Jesus. wrote: »

Filled up at Applegreen last week and the car's not starting half the time again. Gonna go with Topaz next time and see if its any better

as above - applegreen Topaz, TPOP, esso etc DO NOT MAKE FUEL.

They SELL it.

It is all identical except for additives - same oil, same refinery, same tanks.



Maybe your car needs servicing? - (by a reputable garage who will actually replace the filters and not just give them a clean!)

Kenny Logins

delahuntv wrote: »

... identical except...

:pac:

5W30

Filled up a full tank at the exact station. Car is running fine, should I be worried?

Jesus.

delahuntv wrote: »

as above - applegreen Topaz, TPOP, esso etc DO NOT MAKE FUEL.They SELL it.It is all identical except for additives - same oil, same refinery, same tanks.Maybe your car needs servicing? - (by a reputable garage who will actually replace the filters and not just give them a clean!)

I agree with what you're saying Delahunty but why the sudden resurgence of the problem? Its just weird.

I had the car serviced and they said they changed the filter. No reason to disbelieve them.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

delahuntv

Jesus. wrote: »

I agree with what you're saying Delahunty but why the sudden resurgence of the problem? Its just weird.

I had the car serviced and they said they changed the filter. No reason to disbelieve them.

Its just not possible - I understand the way oil is refined and how the industry generally works (I did some work on the industry a few years back) and it is just impossible (except for additives which franky do feck all except cost you more) for any difference between one garage and another in terms of standard fuel.

What can affect is old tanks, but that's a rareity these days due to maintenance processes.

Most likely issue is bad servicing as every mechanic is different. Some take short cuts, some don't do everything properly, some give basic jobs to badly trained juniors.
After bankers and politicians, they are one of the least trusted trades.

delahuntv

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

nope - additives are primari;ly a marketing tool. May make slight difference to high performance cars, but general concensus is they do very little if anything for the everyday motorist. - Plenty of research on it, just google it.

Of course many will claim they get a difference, same as many will believe Gerry Adams was never in the IRA.

Kenny Logins

delahuntv wrote: »

What can affect is old tanks, but that's a rareity these days due to maintenance processes.

There's another difference where you claim they are identical. I don't think you know what identical means.

delahuntv

Kenny Logins wrote: »

There's another difference where you claim they are identical. I don't think you know what identical means.

Try reading fully - that's a "Rarity" these days.

There are maintenance schedules carried out by all garages. This means any issue with tanks are rare - very rare if at all.

And yes, the base fuel is IDENTICAL is ALL instances.

Some places put an additive - this doesn't make the fuel worse (or better imo), hence the base fuel is IDENTICAL. The engine is set up for standard fuel. It works best on standard fuel, hence there should be no noticeable difference between fuel no matter where you purchase it.

Do you really think that a massive refinery is going to stop production to make a few hundred thousand litres of different fuel of one small operator in a country of just 4.5m people?? - If you really think this, well then.....

5W30

delahuntv wrote: »

Try reading fully - that's a "Rarity" these days.

There are maintenance schedules carried out by all garages. This means any issue with tanks are rare - very rare if at all.

And yes, the base fuel is IDENTICAL is ALL instances.

Some places put an additive - this doesn't make the fuel worse (or better imo), hence the base fuel is IDENTICAL. The engine is set up for standard fuel. It works best on standard fuel, hence there should be no noticeable difference between fuel no matter where you purchase it.

Do you really think that a massive refinery is going to stop production to make a few hundred thousand litres of different fuel of one small operator in a country of just 4.5m people?? - If you really think this, well then.....

I fully agree with you that the base fuel is the same, and I myself see no difference with Applegreen fuel.

The problem is when small fuel stations in the countryside begin washing green diesel and selling it. If I recall correctly it's not possible any more because they tag the diesel or something?

jimgoose

delahuntv wrote: »

Try reading fully - that's a "Rarity" these days.

There are maintenance schedules carried out by all garages. This means any issue with tanks are rare - very rare if at all.

And yes, the base fuel is IDENTICAL is ALL instances.

Some places put an additive - this doesn't make the fuel worse (or better imo), hence the base fuel is IDENTICAL. The engine is set up for standard fuel. It works best on standard fuel, hence there should be no noticeable difference between fuel no matter where you purchase it.

Do you really think that a massive refinery is going to stop production to make a few hundred thousand litres of different fuel of one small operator in a country of just 4.5m people?? - If you really think this, well then.....

You are partially correct - it's all the same base gasoline, with 5% or so ethanol, from the refinery. However, this is the very reason that very clever people in white lab-coats and impossibly thin spectacles are paid to dream up additive packages such as Chevron's Techron, and the better ones make a big difference to how the fuel behaves under running-engine conditions. This is the differentiator, the value-add, the "beef" of legend, if you will. This additive is added after the truck has filled with base fuel, from a pump on the way out of the refinery, or in some cases by the driver from a five-gallon drum.

Zubeneschamali

5W30 wrote: »

The problem is when small fuel stations in the countryside begin washing green diesel and selling it.

Yes, that is a problem.

But the problem discussed in this thread, that Applegreen or other major brands cause changes to engine running power after a single fill, is not a real problem.

It's all in people's heads.

Kenny Logins

delahuntv wrote: »

Try reading fully - that's a "Rarity" these days.

There are maintenance schedules carried out by all garages. This means any issue with tanks are rare - very rare if at all.

And yes, the base fuel is IDENTICAL is ALL instances.

Some places put an additive - this doesn't make the fuel worse (or better imo), hence the base fuel is IDENTICAL. The engine is set up for standard fuel. It works best on standard fuel, hence there should be no noticeable difference between fuel no matter where you purchase it.

Do you really think that a massive refinery is going to stop production to make a few hundred thousand litres of different fuel of one small operator in a country of just 4.5m people?? - If you really think this, well then.....

Yeah, we know the base fuel is the same, or "identical" but that's where it ends. That's not what we are buying. I don't think you know what "rare" means either. :rolleyes:

Zubeneschamali

jimgoose wrote: »

the better ones make a big difference to how the fuel behaves under running-engine conditions.

The Techron guys do not claim that.

They say long term use gives better engine cleaning, which leads to better efficiency.

They do not say that you'll get a perceptible increase in power or smoothness with one fill, as many people here will claim.

Because you won't.

gerrybbadd

I had a problem with my car after getting a fill from an Applegreen also.

The tank wasn't running on empty, but I did fill the car up. Got about 5 miles out the road, and the car starts jumping all over the place. Then the engine light came on.

I came to a village, and slowed to 50km, and the car didn't have the power to accelerate back up to 100km coming out of the village. Major bunny hops. I didn't think i'd make it home.

So i syphoned the fuel out, and put in some petrol from a local garage I always go to. Drove it out the road, and when the shyte from the Applegreen place was burned out of the pipes, the car was back to normal again. And has been perfect ever since.

I spoke with the Applegreen regional manager about the incident, hoping i'd at least get my money back - I still have the ****ty fuel in drums in the shed if he wants it back. Of course i've heard nothing since.

I reported it to Customs too, becuase that particular garage has been caught selling dodgy fuel before. Of course I thought, being Applegreen, that it should be sound.

Never again will I buy from Applegreen

jimgoose

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The Techron guys do not claim that.

They say long term use gives better engine cleaning, which leads to better efficiency.

They do not say that you'll get a perceptible increase in power or smoothness with one fill, as many people here will claim.

Because you won't.

Did I say anything about an increase in power or smoothness? I don't believe so. What I said was that some of these additive packages "make a big difference to how the fuel behaves under running-engine conditions".

Kenny Logins

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Yes, that is a problem.

But the problem discussed in this thread, that Applegreen or other major brands cause changes to engine running power after a single fill, is not a real problem.

It's all in people's heads.

Yep, I agree, I really don't think it's a brand thing, but could be related to how the fuel is handled and/or stored locally. It could be coincidence that one brand seems to pop up more often than others. As I have said earlier in this thread, there's simply no evidence to support the OPs claim, yet I don't agree that it's purely a figment of our imaginations. I have noticed a small difference in how my car drives that does relate to where I fill up.

Kenny Logins

BTW, I would love to see some solid research on this, but wouldn't have a clue where to begin.

Zubeneschamali

jimgoose wrote: »

Did I say anything about an increase in power or smoothness? I don't believe so. What I said was that some of these additive packages "make a big difference to how the fuel behaves under running-engine conditions".

A "big difference" that no-one behind the wheel is going to notice in one fill.

The kind of story gerrybbadd relates, how after one fill of Applegreen, his car barely limps along? Dirt could do that. Water could do it. Lack of Techron cannot do that.

And Applegreen (or any other major brand) do not routinely add dirt or water to their tanks.

delahuntv

Kenny Logins wrote: »

BTW, I would love to see some solid research on this, but wouldn't have a clue where to begin.

at least you accept you are clueless - i didn't want to be saying that myself

Jesus.

delahuntv wrote: »

Most likely issue is bad servicing as every mechanic is different. Some take short cuts, some don't do everything properly, some give basic jobs to badly trained juniors. After bankers and politicians, they are one of the least trusted trades.

That's the thing though. The mechanic I use now is quality. I've had some dodgy ones down the years (Advance!) but this guy is tip top. No doubts whatsoever.

Are you saying, Delahunty, that no-one can ever get bad diesel from a petrol station?

Kenny Logins

delahuntv wrote: »

at least you accept you are clueless - i didn't want to be saying that myself

Looks like I can add 'clueless' to the long list of words you clearly don't understand. :pac:

Any more?

keithclancy

Jesus. wrote: »

That's the thing though. The mechanic I use now is quality. I've had some dodgy ones down the years (Advance!) but this guy is tip top. No doubts whatsoever.

Are you saying, Delahunty, that no-one can ever get bad diesel from a petrol station?

How would you know ?

Drive out ... car drives ... good mechanic.
Drive out ... wheels fall off ... bad mechanic.

Do you stand over him and watch him ?

Jesus.

keithclancy wrote: »

How would you know ? Drive out ... car drives ... good mechanic.Drive out ... wheels fall off ... bad mechanic. Do you stand over him and watch him ?

Well its no more or less than when you're dealing with anyone providing a service. The way they talk, what others say about them, the feeling you get when dealing with them etc. I suppose anything is possible but I'm 99.9% sure they're not Cowboys.

(He also came out to my house once when the ignition got stuck, got it working again and didn't charge me a cent )

Zubeneschamali

Jesus. wrote: »

Are you saying, Delahunty, that no-one can ever get bad diesel from a petrol station?

No-one has said anything like that, but some people have said, and the title of the thread repeats, that entire brands of petrol are "poor quality".

That is simply impossible since it all comes from the same sources regardless of the brand, and the additives are just detergents which (may) clean deposits with long term use.

Washed diesel, dirt in tanks and water accumulating in the tanks are possible issues with individual stations, but no brand has a monopoly on those, and it is backstreet/unbranded or no-name branded stations which are the likeliest culprits. A major brand like Applegreen is not going to knowingly stock washed diesel.

Jesus.

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

No-one has said anything like that, but some people have said, and the title of the thread repeats, that entire brands of petrol are "poor quality". That is simply impossible since it all comes from the same sources regardless of the brand, and the additives are just detergents which (may) clean deposits with long term use.Washed diesel, dirt in tanks and water accumulating in the tanks are possible issues with individual stations, but no brand has a monopoly on those, and it is backstreet/unbranded or no-name branded stations which are the likeliest culprits. A major brand like Applegreen is not going to knowingly stock washed diesel.

But it could still be Station specific as opposed to Brand. That's what my problem seems to be. I've filled up at a station that just happens to be Applegreen and the car's playing up again. That could mean that the station has some or all of the problems you've listed.

Only thing to do is try somewhere else next time

Mycroft H

Will preferentially stop at Applegreen. Been using them for years. The toilets are spotless, the coffee is decent and the fuel is like any other. Cant argue with that.

MetzgerMeister

I wonder are people mistaking ppor quality diesel for a hard DPF regeneration?

MuppetCheck

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I wonder are people mistaking ppor quality diesel for a hard DPF regeneration?

How does that work? If you're driving normally you won't even notice the dpf unless you're at a standstill.