so, as in my case, if your car is flea-mapped as run on v-power, would i be right in thinking the cheapo stuff would be bad for my car? i have a air-fuel gauge but i doubt it's that accurate? sorry for the numpty question...

proccy,

I agree entirely and hope that it doesn't happen.

Not a lot else you can do really, at one time I think Customs & Excise weights and measures/Trading Standards tested petrol on a regular basis, but don't know if that still happens. (Weights & Measures Act 1985)

http://www.poole.gov.uk/news/ref:1E7F582483834B/

V-Power actually decreased engine's power http://www.wiganadvancedmotorists.org.uk/newsletters/newsletter_313.pdf

I have the full report here (BTW will be upgrading my personal webpages with useful coupe stuff in next few days)

http://www.theplace.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/superfuels.pdf
http://www.theplace.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/whatwefound.pdf
http://www.theplace.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/oilcompanies.pdf
http://www.theplace.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/expert.pdf

I paid £1.30 a litre last night.

Well the pumps are fed from underground tanks and I am guessing that the 95RON tanks are much bigger than the 99RON ones.

I think it's just that if you have two petrol stations:

Stn 1 is Tesco
It sells 200,000 litres of fuel a week, 10% of which is 99 RON

Stn 2 is Shell
It sells 100,000 litres of fuel a week 10% of which is V-Power

Both have 40,000 litre Super Unleaded tanks, the Tesco Fuel will be used quicker and need more frequent refilling. As it is nearly always a "top up refill" of the tanks (Mixing old with new), then the fuel at Tesco would be on average a fresher percentage!

Difficult to explain but hopefully you get it?

I've heard the same rumour regarding 95 ron into V power etc tanks and that was from someone who's father ran a fuel business. Obviously as someone has said it is all rumour etc etc and would have to be proven. I've used V power a few times and have felt an improvement but then again you get differing results from standard 95 ron from different petrol stations too. I find Sainsburys and tesco standard unleaded the best and Asda seems the worst...

I have just tried to fill up with v-power and the garage had run out, they said that it is a national problem with v-power. . . . I had to put normal stuff in which is not good (running gtech 2 hf) need to get me some soon. . . Or an octance booster!?

Me too, run out in Lincoln and Scunthorpe. Should be back by the end of next week, but I'm current getting through a tank every 3 days...

got a mate who works for an oil refinery and he explained what the process is. Lots went in one ear and out the other ear. So again he told me in simple terms petrol is like wine pressing . The first pressing is the best, goes to high end retailers then the rest is watered down and tanked out to supermarkets. Anyone remember in the news about supermarket petrol making car engines die.. that was the reason

Wasn't the silicon that had got in to the fuel supply?! Thought that it only affected tesco stores?!

@ brewster - not sure if the shell garage near asda in scunny has any, the one where I went said they might, I going to try grimsby tomorrow

bp tank out to tesco and other supermarkets. think they use a slighty better grade of fuel at there own stations.. not sure but will ask.

No sorry mate that's not true, I reckon he was pulling your chain. All petrol has to meet a British Standard (Look at the petrol pump it will have the kite mark and say BSI5050 or something, can't remember the actual numbers) . It's the additive package that makes the difference, not the spirit. (Pure petroleum). More on the refining process here http://www.aip.com.au/industry/fact_refine.htm

In fact your mate will probably tell you that to save the costs of transporting the petrol round the country the fuel companies share fuel, which is why you will see, BP tankers at Shell refineries and vice versa and why there is a "spot market" in petrol.

When BP fill up with Shell Petrol, they add the BP additives, which is normally added via a "hopper", the driver or delivery staff, enter how much petrol is required to be loaded on, and the hopper adds the required amount of additives and it is mixed as it's loaded onto the tanker.

A few years ago, the supermarket additives, were put in via a big, plastic bag, (if the driver remembered to add it!).
As I said I have a relation who drives petrol tankers. But not these days.

As for supermarket fuel:

Well silicon contaminated their supplies, also they have a higher percentage of bio-ethanol in their petrol apparently.

Here is the proof from Petrol Retailing Industry that they share petrol

Q: Nearly all the major UK companies have both refining and marketing interests and seem to draw petrol from each other's facilities. Surely this gives market control rather than contributing to low prices and competition?
A:
The short answer is no. The UK's 9 refineries rank amongst the most efficient in the world and coupled with excellent distribution and storage infrastructure, including a number of pipeline networks, the UK market in refined products is well developed. Refining companies have developed commercial arrangements for regional product swaps, which cuts out unnecessary transport of products around the country. This promotes local competition and prevents the owner of a refinery developing a dominant local position.
Companies that don't have a refinery, along with other independent wholesalers and retailers, also have access to this UK market in refined products. In addition, there is a well developed market on the near Continent, particularly in Antwerp and Rotterdam which means products can be imported into the UK with comparative ease.
So, the physical barriers to entry into the petrol retailing market are low and although owning a refinery gives access to and control over the production of products from crude oil, this does not translate to market control.

http://www.ukpia.com/industry_issues/marketing/faqs_petrol_retailing.aspx

fair one, im not great at hearing the great details.. long as the go-go juice works im a happy bunny