[AP]

Out of curiosity, I filled up with BP Ultimate diesel at at the weekend in my 530d. Quite a bit more expensive (around £1.51 per litre - those of you in the states will probably choke when you read that!)
Not noticed any difference. Website doesn't claim any benefitis as regareds performance or fuel economy but its advanatages relate to cleaning the engine.

Anyone care to comment on this fuel? Waste of time?

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by AP

Website doesn't claim any benefitis as regareds performance or fuel economy but its advanatages relate to cleaning the engine.

Anyone care to comment on this fuel? Waste of time?

I have used BP Ultimate in my 330d for most of its life (55k miles) and find when I use regular diesel, or fuel with an unknown additive package (when I use a shot of Millers additive), I notice a difference. Ultimate runs a sweeter engine, gives more mpg on a steady cruise and I notice more of a bite on kickdown when overtaking. BTW, Millers gives a benefit above regular fuel.

I really use premium fuel to help keep the engine cleaner internally. Having seen user pictures of a BMW diesel run exclusively on Ultimate over many miles, the condition of the EGR valve was just black, no soot deposits or coking. Typically on regular fuel the valve would be half full of coke. Imagine injector tip condition, inlet porting, condition around valves. I'm of the opinion, keep combustion at optimum rates if possible.

I suppose a lot will depend on type of trips you make, like steady speed driving with hot running, vs. short cold urban trips. Whether you intend to keep the car, run it out of warranty and/or value slightly cleaner oil through service/oil change periods.

If I wasn't using Ultimate I'd be shortening the oil service intervals and even more concerned about DPF regenerations during local use.

HighlandPete

[islandnipper]

I notice that "Honest John" one of the Telegraph's motoring journalists recommends using BP Ultimate diesel. Don't know how much to read into that, but it's another recommendation at least. I use it when I come across it, but it's not exactly common on the Isle of Wight!

[SomeRandomer123]

I noticed a slightly more eager throttle response when I tried a few tanks of premium diesel but not a difference really noticeable to justify the price.
In my 330d that is, not my 328i!

[AP]

well I plan to keep my car for 10 years and have a mix of 50% motorway and 50% town. I might just put this in the car on an occasional basis.

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by AP

Anyone care to comment on this fuel? Waste of time?

Rather a waste of money. I've never noticed any difference.

[LiveLarger]

I'm willing to bet it has ultimate snake oil added to it.

[psyxologos]

I have been using BP ultimate fuels in all my BMW cars (E46 330Ci Se and F11 530D SE) and I definitely have noticed a smooth engine operation, better response and mileage. I have in a couple of occasions filled the cars with regular fuel and I am 100% certain the car was more sluggish. No placebo effect there.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by LiveLarger

I'm willing to bet it has ultimate snake oil added to it.

There are tests out there which show the 'snake oil' has something in it.

Pehaps "Hissing Sid" only wakes up in some engines.

Here's one test from TV's FifthGear motoring show.

A test report from Car and Driving.

http://www.caranddriving.com/feature...20ultimate.pdf

HighlandPete

[AP]

having second thoughts about this. with the premuim fuel being about 10 pence per litre more , that only works out at about 70 pence per tank. AS a rule, I only fill up my tank once a month or tehreabouts that doesn't equate to much over a year so given from teh info you have posted in thei thread previosuly, its probably worth doing just to keep your engine in as good a condition as possible even if there is not noticable difference in performance or economy (even if there thechincally is a minute difference there)

[amk2912]

Originally Posted by AP

with the premuim fuel being about 10 pence per litre more , that only works out at about 70 pence per tank.

Do you have a 7 litre tank?

[HighlandPete]

There is one factor about fuel use which is often ignored, that is the long term use and engine condition.

We often hear the "I've tried a tank of X, Y or Z fuel and there doesn't appear to be any difference". Possibly not, but what if the engine is not running clean anyway at the time of that trial? Say it is already losing best performance due to deposits building up. Do we really expect to see a marked change?

Engine peformance often tails off and fuel consumption increases over time, so inefficiency builds up over time and use. That is what we really want to prevent.

The better test is using fuel that keeps and engine clean and performs well all the time, then add a tank of normal fuel and feel the difference. An engine can often feel 'flat' doing it that way. Then go back to the premium fuel and you feel the improvement within a couple of miles, usually on the first blast of overtaking.

Personally I don't see the wisdom in a tank of premium fuel "every now and again" hopefully to "suddenly" clean up a coking engine.

The fact that the motor trade uses products like Forte to 'clean' a diesel engine inside and get back some performance and smooth running, indicates we lose performance over time. Some of us are just trying to help prevent that power drop off and the issues that can follow. EGR problems, etc.

HighlandPete

[psyxologos]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

The better test is using fuel that keeps and engine clean and performs well all the time, then add a tank of normal fuel and feel the difference. An engine can often feel 'flat' doing it that way. Then go back to the premium fuel and you feel the improvement within a couple of miles, usually on the first blast of overtaking.

Exactly my experience!

[arnsbrae]

Originally Posted by psyxologos

Exactly my experience!

Right - I'll give it a go while my car is still new.

[LiveLarger]

The "it feels faster" thing is just your brain playing tricks on you. It's called a placebo effect and your brain does it to you to not make you feel like a fool paying for snake oil.

[arnsbrae]

Originally Posted by LiveLarger

The "it feels faster" thing is just your brain playing tricks on you. It's called a placebo effect and your brain does it to you to not make you feel like a fool paying for snake oil.

I'm pretty sure most people here know what a placebo effect is but thanks for a spirited attempt at the definition anyway. That said - you are wrong. The Placebo effect is relevant only in medical circumstances where patients undergo physical improvement even when inert medication is applied.

Nobody here is saying that their car showed improvements even when they used ordinary diesel labelled as Ultimate diesel. That would at least be analogous to a placebo effect.

Now get back under your bridge troll boy.

[psyxologos]

Originally Posted by arnsbrae

I'm pretty sure most people here know what a placebo effect is but thanks for a spirited attempt at the definition anyway. That said - you are wrong. The Placebo effect is relevant only in medical circumstances where patients undergo physical improvement even when inert medication is applied.

Nobody here is saying that their car showed improvements even when they used ordinary diesel labelled as Ultimate diesel. That would at least be analogous to a placebo effect.

Now get back under your bridge troll boy.

Well done sir!

[AP]

amk,
yes got my maths wrong so in the UK if ultimate is 10p more expensive, thats an extra £7 per tank. which is quite a bit.

[chrisdoha]

i was told ur fourth filling could be like a BP Ultimate or Shell V-Power and thts good enuf for the engine.

[LiveLarger]

Originally Posted by arnsbrae

I'm pretty sure most people here know what a placebo effect is but thanks for a spirited attempt at the definition anyway. That said - you are wrong. The Placebo effect is relevant only in medical circumstances where patients undergo physical improvement even when inert medication is applied.

Nobody here is saying that their car showed improvements even when they used ordinary diesel labelled as Ultimate diesel. That would at least be analogous to a placebo effect.

Now get back under your bridge troll boy.

Oh really? Pretty sure some people said their car showed improvements. Let me check.... Yes, they did!

But you can bicker and banter all you want about the definition of the placebo effect. The point still stands.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by LiveLarger

Oh really? Pretty sure some people said their car showed improvements. Let me check.... Yes, they did!

But you can bicker and banter all you want about the definition of the . The point still stands.

Are we debating premium fuel can improve engine HP and/or MPG?

If we are, the evidence is engine HP does increase under dyno testing, so some will "feel" a difference.

MPG tests by Peter De Nayer (fuel economy guru) testing for WhatCar, did find an improvement in economy, with BP Ultimate compared to regular diesel, so some will "report" better mpg.

If that is a placebo effect, then I have the wrong understanding of what test conditions and data are all about, and how it can crossover to user experience.

HighlandPete

[Amleto63]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

I have used BP Ultimate in my 330d for most of its life (55k miles) and find when I use regular diesel, or fuel with an unknown additive package (when I use a shot of Millers additive), I notice a difference. Ultimate runs a sweeter engine, gives more mpg on a steady cruise and I notice more of a bite on kickdown when overtaking. BTW, Millers gives a benefit above regular fuel.

I really use premium fuel to help keep the engine cleaner internally. Having seen user pictures of a BMW diesel run exclusively on Ultimate over many miles, the condition of the EGR valve was just black, no soot deposits or coking. Typically on regular fuel the valve would be half full of coke. Imagine injector tip condition, inlet porting, condition around valves. I'm of the opinion, keep combustion at optimum rates if possible.

I suppose a lot will depend on type of trips you make, like steady speed driving with hot running, vs. short cold urban trips. Whether you intend to keep the car, run it out of warranty and/or value slightly cleaner oil through service/oil change periods.

If I wasn't using Ultimate I'd be shortening the oil service intervals and even more concerned about DPF regenerations during local use.

HighlandPete

+1
I feed mine with Shell V Power and ENI Bluediesel only! Better performance and cleaner emissions.