Fao - Dtcwordfan

[Bazile]

Re the discussion about petrol additives last week and your advices that you only use Shell or Chevron petrol .

Which one of the following do you use which deal with the interjector clogging issue ?

-Shell V Power Nitro + unleaded

-Shell Fuel save unleaded

[DTCwordfan]

V-Power Nitro Bazile, apart from its detergency treat level, it has a higher octane and will help ensure a better burn overall in your piston head if you have crud around the injectors. Fuelsave has more on the friction modifiers.....

[Bazile]

Thanks
So that should give an improved mpg - yes ?

//..Fuelsave has more on the friction modifiers..... //

What do you mean ?

[DTCwordfan]

In theory yes, the octane boost helps avoid any pinking (knocking) effects with the crud dislodging itself and a cleaner film should help. I would say/expect at least 5%, even if you are on stop-start.

What age is your car?

The friction modifier - in terms of percentage in the additives package for lower octane fuel. Fuel Save is 95 RON I believe. V Power probably has more in it though overall, such is the treat rate of additives in there. It's a good fuel if you are looking for overall economy and less on top performance, hence the question about what model/age....

[Bazile]

it's a 2010 registered

[DTCwordfan]

should be fine on the V Power.....

[Bazile]

So to sum up then -

1.The VPower is best , but the Fuel save is also a good fuel - yes ?

2.Would it be ok to alternate between the two types or would it be best to stick to the vpower ?

[DTCwordfan]

If you want economy, yes as to mixing the loads....I do that with an old Audi at the moment, if you want performance then the V-Power. My suspicion, knowing the Shell psyche is that the Fuel Save will be a down-treat of the V-Power package - that's easier for the Addco to blend (probably Infineum).

Yes to the Fuel Save as being a good product. What I don't like and have seen the results of is that s-market fuel, though it passes national tests, doesn't have the full friction mod and detergent packages of major fuel brands like Shell and Chevron, along with other additives for promoting NOx and SO2/3 reduction, especially in diesel fuels.

These additive packages which do add some brand distinction to the fuel get added in at the loading gantry for the trucks in the refinery/depot, hence you can have common pooling of the raw gasoline/diesel for pipeline transfer and then the addition of the specific ads.

[Bazile]

apologies to keep asking questions .

So , if you couldn't afford the vpower all the time would say two purchases of vpower then one of fuel save and then back to 2 purchase of vpower be ok OR would you purchase in some other ratio ?

( i say purchases because i dont fill up when i buy fuel - i usually put in half a tank )

[DTCwordfan]

start with three of V to wash the system, then two of Fuel, one of V - if you are going away for the weekend etc, then move to V, more oomph and it helps the cleaning with some good acceleration on a dual carriageway/motorway - let your rev counter go up before changing.....helps burn off the crud - which is usually carbon.

[Bazile]

DTCwordfan - Thanks for your advices .

I was about to go out and buy some V Power nitro + unleaded

However i saw on a few forums that some people are saying that it could damage your engine .
They are also talking about ECU /engine timing advance / deposits left in engine when petrol is used up - stuff like that . (most of it is over my head )

In your opinion is there any truth in what they are saying that it could cause engine problems ?

I drive a Ford Focus Zetec , 1.6 - 2010 registered

[Bazile]

i should have also stated - ' petrol engine '

[DTCwordfan]

The risk is extremely low and to put it another way, if there was exposure and you were exclusively on Shell and could prove it (receipts), they would be deemed as being liable. The other issue that you would have to prove is the lubricant that you are using and that you change according to recommendation.

To reassure you, before a new fuel package or lub is announced, it undergoes multi-testing regimes with both dynometers and live tests and both for short term benefits and long runs - maybe up to 150000 miles and in several climes - taxis are good test beds for the endurance testing. Shell takes this extremely seriously - yes, occasionally things go kaibosh such as with the launch of Formula Shell in the 90s when they had issues with Porsche and VWs coming to a halt - not so good for the Dutch motorway police. However, there they withdrew the additive for an older one, reformulated and tested and it was out of the consumer mind within 6 months whereas in the UK, they made the mistake of withdrawing the brand and ending up with confusion of the difference between 'Formula' and 'Advanced' - I saw the mkt research behind this.

Such testing programmes are almost as rigorous as drug testing programmes, partly as the car is our 2nd biggest spend after the house. The States, the EU/UK/Germany/France/Sweden and Japan all have separate test protocols to sate before international launch, reflected in all the different type of specifications ascribed to the fuel/lub.....

Residues are far more likely with poorer quality fuels and are usually carbon sludges, the detergent to loosen and take to the filter or they are burnt off with high temp, such as with the enforced acceleration I described earlier.

There are always the doubters as we in the industry know and a lot of effort to get things right is taken!

[Bazile]

thanks for that - i'll go and give my little focus a drink of the stuff :-)

Am i right in saying that my focus's ecu will automatically adjust the timing to take acciount of the different fuel ? ( just trying to gain knowledge on this subject )

[DTCwordfan]

should do....