Vpower In The D4D

[Daveyonthemove]

Yesterday i filled the car up with Vpower instead of my usual 'Fuel save' mainly because i had a grumpy 3 year old in the back an the only pump without a queue waiting by it was the dear stuff, but i also wanted to give it a try anyway.

I was in Bristol and travelled across the city a few times while visiting my dear old mum, and then i drove back home. I topped up the car this evening after the car had covered a total of 158 miles with yesterdays town driving, and todays motorway driving.The MPG on the computer read 45.6, and the actual was 45.63, so its fair to say that the computer is accurate!

The car felt a bit more responsive, although it wan't a huge difference, and the engine note was slightly quieter, but over all i have achieved the best MPG so far since owning the car 2 months ago.

So this has got me thinking.... IF Vpower is a cleaner burn as Shell claim it to be, could this be part of the reason for better MPG? If there is less soot being produced, the CAT is collecting less soot, meaning there should be a reduction in the amount of fuel the car burns in the regeneration process.

The improvement on my MPG isn't enough to claim back the extra cost per litre, but if it is cleaner as they claim it is, then i feel it could be worth the extra as it should reduce build up in the EGR and prolong other parts.

Has anyone else had any good or bad findings on Vpower?

[forevered]

i use v-power Shell petrol on my 1.6 sr and i seem to get a small improvement in mpg,and hopefully keeping the engine cleaner

[Cyker]

It's most noticeable when you go from a nearly-empty tank of supermarket diesel to a full tank of V-Power :D

The engine clatter is noticeably smoother on my Yaris, and the engine is more free-revving.

I do find there is a noticeable torque loss at low revs vs normal diesel; It's not huge, but enough that I have to shift slightly later to avoid labouring the engine.

However, you get it back at the high end, and I find I can take the engine to higher revs than I can with normal diesel (The engine vibration gets slightly alarming with normal diesel )

For motorway driving, V-Power does seem to give better mpg but for town driving it is worse.

I don't use it regularly as it's too much money for little benefit; The only reason I use it is to help keep the engine clean. I'm usually doing town driving, but the D4D needs motorway runs now and then to help get the soot and crap blown out of its system or you start to notice a loss in power.

V-Power burns cleaner and has additives to help clean out the crud, but I want to try some 'Fuel save' diesel to see if the cleaning agents in that have a similar effect...

[Daveyonthemove]

I use Shell fuel religiously so it has only run on fuel save up to this point.

When i topped up yesterday it took exactly 50 litres, so i run it as low as i dared while the light was flashing.

I haven't seen any loss of power low down, but it has a Kingo tuning box fitted so its not short of torque anyway

[Cyker]

Ah, I just realized you're driving the SR180 which, IIRC, has a 2.2L D4D vs my Yaris' ickle 1.4 so I am thinking any low-end torque loses would be a lot less noticeable!!

They don't even sell that version any more (I only see them with 1.4 D4Ds now, which must be horrible to drive by comparison!)

[Daveyonthemove]

It would be interesting to see if the 1.4 and 2.2 did suffer and gain in the same range, but it would be pretty hard to tell i would think.

[dervdave]

So this has got me thinking.... IF Vpower is a cleaner burn as Shell claim it to be, could this be part of the reason for better MPG? If there is less soot being produced, the CAT is collecting less soot,

I occasionally use V Power in the Verso but use nothing else in the Jag for that very reason ie the engine runs cleaner so the DPF doesn`t regenerate as often.

It does run a bit smoother and quieter but it is only pennies a litre extra so cannot expect a massive difference can you ?

[Cyker]

It's something like 10-12p more over here than the cheapo Sainburys stuff I normally use, so that does add up to quite a big difference over time!

Have you tried Fuelsave diesel? Supposedly it cleans and burns cleaner too so that might work in the Jag. Doesn't have any synthetic diesel in it tho'. (V-Power is basically semi-synth diesel with cleaning agents! )

I still want to try biodiesel for comparison but noooobody sells the stuff round here!

(That and I would probably forget to change the fuel filter until the car stopped working! )

[dervdave]

It's something like 10-12p more over here than the cheapo Sainburys stuff I normally use, so that does add up to quite a big difference over time!

Have you tried Fuelsave diesel?

Fuelsave Shell is 7p cheaper and I use it in the Verso.

[Daveyonthemove]

Fuel save is good fuel, i normally use it, but after reaching a peak of 48mpg tonight on A+B roads, then seeing it settle at 47.1 after a few hills, i'm convinced that Vpower is working better with my engine.

Its roughly 10ppl (at most) dearer than fuel save at my local fuel station, so if i go off my usual mileage and top up costs, it will only be an extra £10 a month for me, and i can find that without raiding the back of the sofa, so i will stick with it for a while.

If it starts to become a bit too expensive later in the year i might alternate between the two.

[wastedagen]

I don't know if it's me but when I used Shell Fuel save or V-Power my car starts and runs terribly. I find Esso runs best in mine.

[Daveyonthemove]

Its been starting ok so far, and i've had no running issues either, but i will keep an eye on things.

[pajjy]

Fuel save is good fuel, i normally use it, but after reaching a peak of 48mpg tonight on A+B roads, then seeing it settle at 47.1 after a few hills, i'm convinced that Vpower is working better with my engine.

Its roughly 10ppl (at most) dearer than fuel save at my local fuel station, so if i go off my usual mileage and top up costs, it will only be an extra £10 a month for me, and i can find that without raiding the back of the sofa, so i will stick with it for a while.

If it starts to become a bit too expensive later in the year i might alternate between the two.

i run a auris 1.6 vvti myself,but i see many comlaints of poor fuel consumption on the diesel versions but you seem to be getting better results than most others.but not what one should expect from a diesel,cmpared to other makes.

you mentioned having a tuning box fitted.these are noted for affecting fuel consumptiomn readouts making them optomistic.but the you are using the fuely site.what kind of mileage have have you done the consumption tests over.

i ask only out of interset,not doubting your results at all.

[Daveyonthemove]

Yes, i do seem to be getting reasonable MPG when compared to others, although its not as high as i had hoped.

The tuning box was fitted less than 2 hours after i picked up the car, so every drop of fuel i have recorded with fuelly has had the Tuning box fitted.

I think the problem with most peoples MPG is how the car is driven. I know so many people who are in the habbit of driving in the highest possible gear they can, and this isn't always the best way.

If i'm in a 30 zone i know the car will drive ok in 4th, but the revs are low and the engine is almost labouring. Driving at 30 in 3rd keeps the engine in the torque zone, and this means the car is using more of the energy and makes it easier to drive along, and usually the MPG on the computer will rise so long as i'm not going up hill.

I tend to use 5th more on 60mph roads as this also keeps the revs at 1900rpm and the mpg rises gently, then 6th is used for downhill's or motorway driving where i find 70mph has the engine sat at 1900rpm again....

My highest MPG's have been on Vpower so far, so i may stick with it for a while.

I should also add, if you look at my fuelly i took a pic of the dash after a fill up, and the mileage matches the fuelly recording, and the MPG is spot on, so i'm satisfied that the computer is pretty accurate.

[Daveyonthemove]

Oh yeah, i nearly fogot... For those eagle eyed people who spot that i put in 60litres on the 31st, i actually only put 50litres in, but put 10litres in the day before and it didn't like my part fill entry and refused to give MPG figures, so i put 60litres as an entry to keep it happy

[pajjy]

Yes, i do seem to be getting reasonable MPG when compared to others, although its not as high as i had hoped.

The tuning box was fitted less than 2 hours after i picked up the car, so every drop of fuel i have recorded with fuelly has had the Tuning box fitted.

I think the problem with most peoples MPG is how the car is driven. I know so many people who are in the habbit of driving in the highest possible gear they can, and this isn't always the best way.

If i'm in a 30 zone i know the car will drive ok in 4th, but the revs are low and the engine is almost labouring. Driving at 30 in 3rd keeps the engine in the torque zone, and this means the car is using more of the energy and makes it easier to drive along, and usually the MPG on the computer will rise so long as i'm not going up hill.

I tend to use 5th more on 60mph roads as this also keeps the revs at 1900rpm and the mpg rises gently, then 6th is used for downhill's or motorway driving where i find 70mph has the engine sat at 1900rpm again....

My highest MPG's have been on Vpower so far, so i may stick with it for a while.

I should also add, if you look at my fuelly i took a pic of the dash after a fill up, and the mileage matches the fuelly recording, and the MPG is spot on, so i'm satisfied that the computer is pretty accurate.

your correct about driving style, makes a lot of difference to fuel consumption.driving quickly with driving smoothly is the key if you want use available performance without sacrificing fuel usage.also not braking at the last moment at r/abouts,junctions etc.

computers can vary from car to car.as other things in a car.its pot luck.

a lot of others on these forums who have diesel are getting little more than the 1.6 petrol are managing.not the perfoemance though.

just a thought,if you buy a new car,it has valued added tax (vat)as part of what you pay.so if you have troubles with this new car that cant be sorted to your satisfaction.you would consider the car not good value for the money.why cant you claim the vat back,if its a value tax.

[Daveyonthemove]

No idea about the tax.

Just topped the tank up again today after 300+ miles, and quite happy with the figures.

Vpower certainly seems to be working well for my car.

[RossGCX]

I just use normal diesel and put Millers Eco max in

[Daveyonthemove]

I just use normal diesel and put Millers Eco max in

How is that working for you?

Whats your average MPG? How much extra per tank is millers?

[TOMTOM8891]

i used to fill my tank with tesco fuel.... but after using shells fuel ders a lots of difference!!! smoother and quieter. last week went a trip to bristol drivin at 55 mph 6th gear and the screen shows 60 mpg avrg!!!

[Cyker]

Is that the V-Power or the Fuelsave diesel you're using?

I think when my next Shell trip comes round (Next tank I think?) I will try Fuelsave instead of V-Power to see how it compares...