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been using BP ultimate for the last 3 tankfulls and milage has increase from 8.4km/ltr now to 8.8km/ltr ....really impressed that a simple fuel change can give better milage....then again BP is normally 5-10cents higher than any other fuel with the same RON ratings

Edited by fcruz3r

Found this thread on another forum

Which Fuel? Heard the saying "You are what you eat"?

Use the highest octane fuel you can. After speaking directly to fuel distributors, wholesalers etc I found out the following info,

All W.A. fuel comes the BP refinery in Kwinana. Which would mean that it doesn't matter which Petrol Station company you go to to fill up at as all the fuel comes from the same place, right?

Wrong!!!

Its not the refinery that matters. Each company adds in their own 'secret' additives to improve the fuel. Each company states that their mix is better than their competitor but as long as the octane reading is the same, eg; BP Ultimate 98 (98 Octane) then it doesn't matter.

Where the issue lies is with the individual Petrol Station. This means one BP could be different to another.

What am I talking about you ask, well let me explain.

For example, a BP in Armadale (building) could be only 5 years old since the last refurbishment, but how old are the underground storage drums that the fuel sits in? Some distributors I spoke to stated some petrol stations have storage drums 20 to 30 years old. These drums over time have sediment build up, water may of leaked into them and most importantly how often are these drums cleaned and inspected???

This is the place where fuel may be contaminated.

It obviously costs a large amount of money to service and clean the drums, so usually only the distributor owned stations are done. (I'm not saying privately owned ones don't get done, but not as stringent and often).

Why does each companys fuel have a different colour? This is because they put a dye in the fuel as to be able to distinguish between theirs and another companies should there be a complaint received or issue with the fuel.

The best advice they could give me was;

1. Find a Company, (BP, Shell etc) and fuel type (BP Ultimate etc) that your happy to use.

2. Always try and fill up at the same petrol station. (You would then obviously know which station has given you bad fuel)

3. Try not to mix you fuels between companies.

Hope this helps.

Madmax

You are primarily correct max, all major fuels do come from the BP refinery & Kewdale terminals but they don't clean out the tanks at the stations. Rarely they may pump out the water which is heavier than fuel and sits at the bottom of the tanks with the sediments. Each station has alarms for each tank that are set to go off when the tanks get down to 5000L (can't remember exact amount, may be more). The problems with contamination arise when the attendants ignore the alarms and let the tank drain to the sediment level. The somewhat expensive pumps not only fill your tank with shite but also fail within a very short time frame. Also avoid filling up at a station that is doing the same, sediments get stirred up by the tankers.

BP/Shell premiums are actually about as good as it gets. The independants just water it down so to speak.

Courtesy of a conversation about fuels I had with a state manager for BP my brother in law, so it's not BS.

  • 4 weeks later...

from what I understand, the bowser pick-ups actually float on the surface of the fuel, so unless the tank is all but empty water shouldn't enter the bowser.

My Mobil fuel station, has in the past closed the Synergy 8000 (98 Octane) pumps for this reason.

I think that is what a mate told me and he tests the tanks for a living. They also need to be 'leak' tested by using air under pressure with leak down figures to be followed closely, so in theory, nothing can be introduced into the tank.

Pumps are generally submersible. Sediments and water are introduced thru' the filling point of the tank. Like I said, these pumps get dead very quickly when the attendant ignores the alarm and lets the tank get below the minimum level. The pumps at $6-7k each are not something the supplier wants to be replacing too often, particularly when on top of that they have the cost to rebuild a clients motor as well (this has happened to BP).

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