Who has the best Quality Diesel Fuel in the US.

greenjetta

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Georgia. US Army Retired
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2001 Jetta GLS TDI//2005 Passat GLS TDI
I have use Shell Diesel fuel in both my TDI's 2001 Jetta and 05 Passat. It may cost a little more but I feel confident int he Brand name.

I observed lower MPG's when using BP or off brand Diesel from like El cheapo (which I heard is BP fuel).

However my neighbor who owns a twin cab Dodge Cummings Diesel he watch some TV news show and that PB actually had a higher quaility Diesel then other brands.

Anyone read any different.

GreenJetta
 

Dimitri16V

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I always felt a diference with Shell but I don't use it often
 

NB_TDi

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Since fuel prices here are regulated we see the same price no matter where you go.

I found Shell boosted my MPG over Irving.
 

wjdell

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Getting real Shell fuel you must be near Shell dist. Other wise you are getting whatever Brand X diesel with a % of additives Shell calls for. So it depends on your area, in some places it may be Shell and other places it may be BP, Sunoco etc.

Seems to me the people claiming the highest mileage with 06 BRM engines are using BP.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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This discussion comes up a lot on here. Shell, Chevron (on west coast), and BP premium blends (northeast and midwest and Canada) seem to be popular choices. If you happen to be near a military base that offers B20, it is available to the general public by law, and I have found it to be of excellent quality. I run either Navy Exchange B20 or BP Amoco Power Blend exclusively in my cars.
 

Joe_Meehan

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With few exceptions the diesel quality available at any brand name station is very high and differences are small.
 

WVU TDI

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Beckley, WV
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I usually run BP, mostly just because their credit card pays me 5% back nd I can usually depend on every BP station having diesel.
 

rcracer

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chapel perilous
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hi everyone . . . i am a newbie to the forum :)

i emailed HESS regarding their cetane rating on the pump and received this reply:

From: "Retail Web Master" <RetailWebMaster@hess.com>
Date: 2007 8:15:10 AM EDT
Subject: RE: CETANE rating?

We have to post the minimum which is 40 but our fuel will test between
42 and 45 cetane in most areas. Thank you for writing.
 

Blinder

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Mar 5, 2008
Location
Williamsburg, VA
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2006 Jetta
If you happen to be near a military base that offers B20, it is available to the general public by law
Do you have a reference for this? I was checking the EPA "biofuel locator" thingy and their entries for the bases here said "military only." There are a couple bases right along my commute so if I can get a pass for using their pumps...

Best I've found around here (going by posted cetane) are some (not all) Texaco stations that carry 45 stickers and give me at least a nice placebo effect if not an actual MPG gain... Shell stations seem to be expensive, 40-rated, and no different than any other 40-rated "big name" fuel I've tried.
 

Jack_Berry

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Racine Wis
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02 jetta sedan
i use bp when i am home otherwise on the road the fresh fuel at flying j/ta/pilot is good. all that is about 40c. cannot always get the premium bp fuel. last couple 1/2 tanks around town have been 35mpg on bp.

newbie just be careful in fueling up at a truck stop. feel the hose. if it is warm take a pass. that fuel will be expanded and fill the tank but when it cools down you will have less in the tank. always use cool fuel hoses and fuel in the morning and NEVER when the re-fueling truck is there as that causes sediment to float in the tanks.
 

mrGutWrench

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rcracer said:
hi everyone . . . i am a newbie to the forum :)

i emailed HESS regarding their cetane rating on the pump and received this reply:

From: "Retail Web Master" <RetailWebMaster@hess.com>
Date: 2007 8:15:10 AM EDT
Subject: RE: CETANE rating?

We have to post the minimum which is 40 but our fuel will test between
42 and 45 cetane in most areas. Thank you for writing.
__. THe "most areas" is where you get real Hess fuel. The other situation is when the local pipeline is closer/cheaper than transporting real Hess fuel. You NEVER know what kind of fuel you're getting by the name on the sign out front.

__. I live near the Hess Cape Fear importing terminal in Wilmington. We get real Hess fuel here. It's good ... not as good as a real "premium" fuel but good. It's usually a touch more expensive. Whatever ....
 

rcracer

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chapel perilous
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Jack_Berry said:
newbie just be careful in fueling up at a truck stop. feel the hose. if it is warm take a pass. that fuel will be expanded and fill the tank but when it cools down you will have less in the tank. always use cool fuel hoses and fuel in the morning and NEVER when the re-fueling truck is there as that causes sediment to float in the tanks.
thanks
 

lkchris

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Apr 3, 2008
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
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2003 New Beetle
Jack_Berry said:
and NEVER when the re-fueling truck is there as that causes sediment to float in the tanks.
From Snopes ...

If a tanker truck is filling the station's tank at the time you want to buy gas, do not fill up; most likely dirt and sludge in the tank is being stirred up

Most sources agree that deliveries from tanker trucks do stir up particles of dirt and sludge in gasoline storage tanks, but that this isn't really much of an issue for the ordinary motorist. Gas stations are required to have filters that trap dirt and sludge, and modern automobiles also have fuel filters, so a bit of stirred-up dirt doesn't really pose much of a potential to adversely affect your car.

And again, one has to consider the trade-off. On the (probably infrequent) occasions when you arrive at a gas station at the very same time a tanker is filling the station's tanks, is it really worth the time and expense to leave without filling up and drive off to a different service station just to avoid something that likely isn't much of a concern in the first place?
Source: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/gastips.asp
 

mrGutWrench

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lkchris said:
__. Yeah, and if I feel like I can trust Abdul and Mohammed to actually *pay money* to change the pump filters, then maybe I'll go that route. But AFAIAC, I'm taking the "safer route". (On the other hand, if the tanker has been gone for 10 minutes, how would I know? I guess in that circumstance, I'll be depending on my CAT filter. But if I know, I ain't filling up there.)
 

Steve-o

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mrGutWrench said:
(On the other hand, if the tanker has been gone for 10 minutes, how would I know? I guess in that circumstance, I'll be depending on my CAT filter. But if I know, I ain't filling up there.)
Way I see it, in 8 years of TDI ownership, I've only really Really REALLY had to fill up twice. If I even suspect the truck just left, I'll go on to the next station. I've almost always got enough fuel to do that.
 

Sweet Willie

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Dec 28, 2007
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North Palm Beach, Fla
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Best Fuel

I live in South Florida and I usually fill up at Wal-Mart (Murphy). I find the fuel is less expensive here, always a great quality and the pumps are super fast. I can pretty much count on 50MPG from Wal-Mart on my 2001 Jetta with 130,000 miles.

When I go to Miami, I can get bio diesel and I get B-20 or B-50 (i take portable tanks to maximize the purchase). When I drive to Nashville, Tenn, I feel up at Shell/Dailey's Market. They usually have diesel and BioDiesel (the pumps are marked).

When traveling, I stick with name brand only just for the piece of mind.

My best MPG was 54.2 using b-20 from Shell/Dailey's in Nashville.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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Blinder said:
Do you have a reference for this? I was checking the EPA "biofuel locator" thingy and their entries for the bases here said "military only." There are a couple bases right along my commute so if I can get a pass for using their pumps...
Sure. It says it right on the pump.
 

dhdenney

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Kentucky
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wjdell said:
Getting real Shell fuel you must be near Shell dist. Other wise you are getting whatever Brand X diesel with a % of additives Shell calls for. So it depends on your area, in some places it may be Shell and other places it may be BP, Sunoco etc.

Seems to me the people claiming the highest mileage with 06 BRM engines are using BP.
Bingo! There's always been this little urban legend (or is it?) that our local Shells cut their tanks with water, haha.
 

dhdenney

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Sweet Willie said:
I live in South Florida and I usually fill up at Wal-Mart (Murphy). I find the fuel is less expensive here, always a great quality and the pumps are super fast. I can pretty much count on 50MPG from Wal-Mart on my 2001 Jetta with 130,000 miles.

When I go to Miami, I can get bio diesel and I get B-20 or B-50 (i take portable tanks to maximize the purchase). When I drive to Nashville, Tenn, I feel up at Shell/Dailey's Market. They usually have diesel and BioDiesel (the pumps are marked).

When traveling, I stick with name brand only just for the piece of mind.

My best MPG was 54.2 using b-20 from Shell/Dailey's in Nashville.
I too have had good luck out of Murphy, even when stored for extended periods of time.
 

OkiTdi

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Oklahoma
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I would be very surprised if anyone could tell a tangible difference in fuels from different suppliers. If you expect a fuel to be better, you will notice things that confirm your preconceived ideas. In double blind studies, trained drivers usually can't tell a difference. If you really believe you can tell a difference, have friend fuel your Jetta for several tankfuls without telling you what fuel is in the tank. Then see if you can tell the difference. Actually this is only a single blind. To do it right, have that friend get another friend who you don't know to fuel it. OkiTDI
 

NB_TDi

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OkiTdi said:
I would be very surprised if anyone could tell a tangible difference in fuels from different suppliers. If you expect a fuel to be better, you will notice things that confirm your preconceived ideas. In double blind studies, trained drivers usually can't tell a difference. If you really believe you can tell a difference, have friend fuel your Jetta for several tankfuls without telling you what fuel is in the tank. Then see if you can tell the difference. Actually this is only a single blind. To do it right, have that friend get another friend who you don't know to fuel it. OkiTDI

I have recorded data to back up my choice of fuel. I use excel spreadsheets to track EVERY fill up. I see the differences, black and white.;)
 

Sweet Willie

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2001 Jetta (120K)
Keep Records - You Can Tell

OkiTdi said:
I would be very surprised if anyone could tell a tangible difference in fuels from different suppliers. If you expect a fuel to be better, you will notice things that confirm your preconceived ideas. In double blind studies, trained drivers usually can't tell a difference. If you really believe you can tell a difference, have friend fuel your Jetta for several tankfuls without telling you what fuel is in the tank. Then see if you can tell the difference. Actually this is only a single blind. To do it right, have that friend get another friend who you don't know to fuel it. OkiTDI
I keep pretty good records and there is no doubt there is a difference. I am not relying on a "gut feeling".
 

mrGutWrench

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Sweet Willie said:
I keep pretty good records and there is no doubt there is a difference. I am not relying on a "gut feeling".
__. It would be interesting to compare your data with similar data from other geographic areas. It would also be interesting to see who actually refines the fuel that you get from different stations (and also the same for the other geographic areas). I think you are likely to be right that you see a difference, I'm just not sure that it's correlated to brands and different areas.
 

esteeze

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I pretty much always fill-up at a Texaco station on along my work commute route; it tends to have the best diesel price (vs. BP and Mobil stations along the same route).
 

wjdell

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The best fuel would probably be the fuel used by the person or persons who can show 0% soot levels in all their UOA's. The lack of measurable soot level would show that the combustion is very efficent and clean. On this forum there have been two maybe three people who have shown 0% soot levels.
 
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Bears Fan

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rcracer said:
hi everyone . . . i am a newbie to the forum :)

i emailed HESS regarding their cetane rating on the pump and received this reply:
Just wondering if this "cetane" rating is marked on the pump?

Almost all the stations I have in my area with diesel are Valero's. I have a Shell that's close but it's more of a truck stop so the diesel is higher then the Valero down the street.
 

Bob_Fout

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wjdell said:
The best fuel would probably be the fuel used by the person or persons who can show 0% soot levels in all their UOA's. The lack of measurable soot level would show that the combustion is very efficent and clean. On this forum there have been two maybe three people who have shown 0% soot levels.
Or do they pussyfoot their cars too?
 

wjdell

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from what many guru's say on this forum - XXXXX foot would only cause you to get worse numbers, not better. The one UOA had 10k and 0% soot. I drive 75 to 80 mph on the pike's and get 0% soot my highest UOA test was only 6k. I will test at 7k this round but expect 0%. Its good fuel and good driving conditions, mostly highway. Its also in the oil quality, ULSD, DI, from what Polaris told me.
 
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