New Shell FuelSave Fuels Promise Improved Efficiency
Shell has just launched two new fuels to replace its standard (regular) pump fuels. Shell FuelSave Unleaded and FuelSave Diesel contain new ingredients that promise to provide fuel savings of 1 litre per 50 litre fill up (the marketing is aimed at family car drivers!).
The new fuels have been in development for five years and will replace regular unleaded, regular diesel and Diesel Extra at all Shell filling stations in the UK. Pricing will be exactly the same as the old fuels. This isn’t a premium fuel – the V-Power lineup will continue unchanged – it’s a normal fuel for normal drivers to use in all types of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Obviously the diesel fuel will be most relevant to van drivers, but for anyone who is interested, here is the technical story behind the new fuels.
FuelSave Diesel
Diesel engines are around 30% efficient – that is, 30% of the energy created by burning the fuel is used to drive the vehicle forwards. The rest is wasted in the form of heat, noise and so on.
Shell’s scientists identified irregular injector spray and slow ignition as two key factors affecting diesel engine efficiency. Shell’s existing diesel already contained detergents to help prevent dirty injectors (and hence irregular spray patterns) but what is new in FuelSave Diesel is an “Efficiency Improver” that increases the speed of fuel ignition. Shell claims that this improves combustion efficiency and helps reduce fuel consumption.
FuelSave Unleaded
As anyone who has driven both petrol and diesel-engined vehicles in winter will know, the heaters in petrol-engined vehicles always warm up faster than those in diesels. The reason for this is that petrol engines are even more inefficient than diesels – just 20%-25% of the energy created when the petrol is combusted gets turned into forward motion – petrol engines get hotter, faster, than diesels.
When it came to improving the efficiency of petrol engines, Shell’s scientists identified a different area to target – lubrication. They found that the top of the cylinder and the piston heads were often inconsistently coated with oil – resulting in greater friction. The solution they came up with was focused on improving the lubrication of the piston rings. The new unleaded formula contains a lubrication agent that coats the top of the pistons when fuel is injected into the cylinders, reducing friction and thus improving combustion efficiency.
Does It Work?
Shell has had extensive independent testing done on its new FuelSave fuels and claims that they work from the first tankfull, saving up to 1 litre of fuel per 50 litre fill. I’m going to try and test this out for myself with my Transit but it could be difficult to work out a way of doing it scientifically enough – I don’t have an accurate way of measuring fuel used (other than by brimming the tank) or the ability to drain the tank of one fuel and refill it with another. If I do manage to reach any conclusions, you can be sure I’ll post them here.
In the meantime, if you try FuelSave Diesel or Unleaded and reach any conclusions of your own, leave a comment below – I’d be really interested to hear from you. Remember that if you fill up at a Shell station from Wednesday 21st July, you’ll be filling up with FuelSave (unless you use V-Power).
Shell is also running a competition for drivers to win a year’s supply of FuelSave fuel – click here for more details.
July 21st, 2010 at 1:47 am
[...] I won’t blind you with science, but Shell says that both the new fuels have special, completely new ingredients that help petrol and diesel engines work more efficiently, therefore reducing fuel consumption. Such claims are notoriously hard to prove, as so many other factors – like the type of car, the roads and the driver – can affect fuel consumption. (If you are interested in the technical details, click here) [...]
July 25th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
I run a collection of Triumph cars as daily transport and for shows, it’s my hobby.
I have just been to fill up at my local shell station and was wondering what all the yellow stickers were. On paying I was given a smelly thing to hang in my car and a sheet of yellow paper telling me “SAVE up to 1 LITRE per tank”. It was my mistake to even think the till person knew what it was that is now in the petrol. I tried to explain about rubber pipes, copper and brass fittings in the pump, etc I remember a good few years ago shell had a “new” fuel that caused a lot of engine damage. Which shell had to pay a very large amount of money to have the engines repaired. So does it work without any problems? time will tell, but I am going to find out all I can about it before I buy any more. Mike
July 29th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I drive a 3.0 diese VW Phaeton and had the EGR valve replaced some 3500 miles ago after an exhaust fault was identified by the engine management system. I filled up with 80 litres of fuel save 5 data ago and end drove 00 miles on my to Hwahhrow before parking up for 40 hours. 25 miles after getting back I have now have an exhaust/emmisons fault. Getting it checked fully this weekend and will report back of it appears on any way fiel related.
My next will be Total or BP standard fuel when I hey close. To empty. this might clear the fault if fuel related. Will post again on this too.
August 2nd, 2010 at 8:56 pm
i drive a 4 year old freelander td4 which runs like a dream, on average i get 470 miles to a tank of fuel. i do lots of miles a week(work in mobile phone industry).
i decided to try the new diesel, first tank i got 500 miles to the tank(happy days) so i thought. next tank my engine began to sound very rough when hitting 70 mph and i only got 450 miles to the tank. i filled up again but the engine just did not sound very good but got 470 miles to that tank. filled up at esso, and after about 70 miles into my journey my car began to sound as good as new…….i would be interested to hear from others with the same problem.
August 3rd, 2010 at 9:13 am
I drive a 17 years old 325tds which runs like a dream on normal derv, better on the performance stuff and not to bad on B100 but this car dose not seem to like this new fuel save fuel from shell. The engine sounded rough after a couple of hundred miles and power is down also more smoke is being chucked out on boost. I have not filled up a full tank so could not say if its anymore efficient. Put some normal Derv in this morning from BP and now the car is back to normal, engine running smooth, very little smoke on boost.
My car preferred there older normal Derv, had been using it for years as Shell is the cheapest in my area.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
I have a 54 plate diesel Freelander. I put fuel save fuel in it on 26 July by 30 July the engine was pinking alot, it ran very erratically on 31 July and by 1 August it would not start at all. The garage thought I must have filled it with petrol not diesel – the fuel smells very odd. Is this just a co-incidence?
August 4th, 2010 at 9:04 am
OK – quick update. I had my Phaeton 3.0 TDi checked by a garage on Saturday when it was still fuelled by the original fill of Shell FuelSave. It had “lower limit reached” as the reason for the exhaust fault indicator triggering and it’s worth noting that this is usually a problem with exhaust gas composition. Anyway, they reset the system and the indicator was off when I got it back. It stayed off for around 30 miles then came back on and stayed on for several more trips. Anyway, my tank was down to the last couple of gallons so I refuelled to full from Morrisons. Within a minute of restarting the engine the exhaust fault warning went off and has stayed off for the subsequent 400 miles I’ve driven since.
I must also agree with other posts on here – on reflection it wasn’t running that smoothly on FuelSave and had a horrendous engine rattle (sack of spanners)immediately on start-up but which dispapeared after 2-3 seconds. It has disappeared altogether now.
It would be foolish to think Shell had not researched this fuel but I’m wondering if the problem we appear to be experiencing is limited to older and/or high mileage cars? I’ve had my 05 plate car from 6 months old/4000 miles until it’s current 111,000 miles. Just acquired a new Mondeo, Passat and 3 Series on the company fleet so I’ll ask the drivers to monitor performance then switch to FuelSave and compare. Will report back…..
August 4th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Some interesting reports here… keep them coming. So far, all of these comments relate to FuelSave Diesel – has anyone tried FuelSave Unleaded and noticed any changes at all (good or bad)?
Roland
August 6th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Have had to fill up with their fuelsave Diesel today, only when I arrived at work did I think ‘wonder if anything on internet about it’… so mine is a 5 yr old 535D, which I get on average 440miles from the tank. I’ll report back on any noticeable difference but mine has always sounded like a bag of spanners at startup for first 3 secs so doubt i will notice any difference there, but pickup and smooth running over distance should be noticeable, albeit subjectively. I would consider a 5yr old car to have a ‘modern’ engine….
August 6th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Some of the replies above are complaining of the diesel engine sounding rough on the new fuel. This could well be due to the fuel which claims to speed up combustion. This will raise temperature and pressure in the combustion system in an engine tuned on a normal fuel and hence raise noise and roughness. Shell statement is –FuelSave Diesel is an “Efficiency Improver” that increases the speed of fuel ignition. Shell claims that this improves combustion efficiency and helps reduce fuel consumption.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
I first filled up with Shell fuel save last week and after 1 day of using it in my 55plate Megane coupe it began having starting problems. After a full service I again used the fuel save and the starting issues came back.
At first I thought the starting issues was due to the car nearing it’s service.
I am now using Esso unleaded and the starting problems have gone.
Shell must have researched this and I am curious to find out if anyone else has had similar problems with the new unleaded fuel.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:47 am
got a astra 07 plate 1.3 tdci (notmy choice) had 2 fill ups on shells new fuel, noisey engine from about 4000rpm lack of power in 5th and 6th, especially under load. Been in garage twice ecu reprogrammed, still the same, new egr valve, seems like a slight improvement. Filled up at Sainbury’s will let you know if and improvements
August 11th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Sounds a bit grim, Johno. Look forward to hearing whether there is any improvement now you’ve changed fuel.
Roland
August 12th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
I have a Toyota Avensis T3 Diesel. I filled it up with Fuelsave last week and the acceleration has been very sluggish, especially in 3rd and 4th gear. I have had the car serviced, and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. This evening after another frustrating journey where my speed dropped 15 mph when going up a hill despite the accelerator being on the floor, I decided to fill up at the BP garage… my range had drop to 14 miles so there wasn’t much fuel left in the tank. The garage was 20 miles from home and the last 5 minutes, the acceleration seemed to improve. Going on a several hundred mile round trip – and I am hoping that the problem was just with the fuel.
August 13th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I have now had two tankfulls of Fuel Save unleaded in my 4 year old 2.0l Turbo Astra. It seemed ok on the first tankfull, but I’m getting strange noises now like slight pinking on very light throttle openings, particularly in 5th and 6th. It’s done 78k miles, I’ve had it from new and it’s always run like a dream. I’m going to put someone elses fuel in at the next fill and see if the noises go away. I’m not at all sure about this fuel.
August 14th, 2010 at 8:14 am
I drive a 51 plate mk4 Astra 1.8 16v SRi, filled the tank with this stuff the other day…
Within 5 mins of leaving the garage my emmissions light was on and the engine wasn’t sounding right. I gave it the benefit of the doubt as my car needed serviced anyways, but after new plugs, filters, etc, etc, the emmissions light remains on and the engine is sounding worse and worse.
Don’t know if thyis counts, but i took the plugs out and cleaned them, when i took them out the next night to change them, there was an almost greasy black look to them (It wasn’t oil).
Mot on the 25th, desperately trying to run this rubbish out of my tank so i can fix the problems it has caused. I won’t be filling up at shell for the forseeable future.
August 14th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I too have had problems with this new diesel in a 52 plate Citroen Relay.
I filled the van up from 1/4 of a tank on the 1st day that it came out.
After running the van for around 100 miles, I noticed a distinct lack of power, and the Speedo going haywire, even when stopped and just Idling.
I refilled the van from 1/2 and then a 1/4 of a tank with different fuel, and still the problem remained.
On Monday eve (9/8) I decided to drain the fuel filter, and collected the drained diesel in a glass jar, and noticed bits of dirt floating about in the fuel.
I refilled again from 3/4 of a tank yesterday, as the problem had started to ease off, and put in a dose of Millers Ecomax diesel treatment, and fingers crossed, the engine has quietened down and running much smoother, no more rough idling.
No more Shell Diesel for me for the foreseeable future!!!
August 14th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
can confirm 2 knackered injector valves, diagnostics also showing 2 sensor faults.
Would be a major coincidence that these things only went wrong after i started using this fuel.
August 16th, 2010 at 4:15 am
Hello, anybody tried this new Shell diesel in an older idi vehicle like my 1997 Peugeot 306 TD ? Also, I normally use V-Power petrol in my bike and had thought about changing over to this new petrol as V-Power is £1.33p a litre locally {Llanelli} but am worried about doing so after having read these postings.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:50 am
I have a 2003 Facelift freelander TD4 HSE, purchased in February this year and been fine, having the TD4 engine very economical for the size and type of vehicle. Up until a couple of weeks ago. Filled the vehicle up with the new shell diesel that says it saves you a litre a tank etc. Drove from Surrey to St Ives in cornwall, didnt feel comfortable at all, engine pinging, hesitant when slowing at round abouts and pulling away, needing to dip the clutch and rev higher. Rev counter up and down when idle and you seem to be able to hear the engine revs jumping up and down when driving. Took the vehicle to my mechanic on Saturday who plugged in and could not find any faults, although you could hear the revs going up and down whilst idle. Whilst scratching our heads, a BMW X3 Diesel which has the same engine drove in with the same problem, he had also filled up with the same fuel and no problems up until that fill up ! So it seems like the formular shell BEWARE ! I will not be filling up with Shell again.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
I have a SAAB 1.8TDi and after filling up at a Shell with the new FuelSave my car has restricted itself by the engine management light (cant go above approx 2600rpm). I have sinced drained the diesel out and replaced with normal diesel… hey presto 20-30 miles later back to its former self.
Wont be using Shell again!
August 20th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Having some interesting issues on this fuel as well, putting it into a petrol BMW 325Ci. The car is far less resposive than it used to be, and seems to lack overall urge, and thats something the big six pot has never suffered from before. The car was less than 1000 miles since having an inspection 2 service at BMW when this fuel went in, and all problems have surfaced since then.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I have a Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI new in April. For the last 6000 miles, brimming the tank every other fill, it has done 57 mpg. I put the new shell in, and the journey that I used to register 65mpg routinely suddenly dropped to 60, and over the next tankful it managed 53overall. Could of course be a coincidence. Have tried the Vmax this time, and must admit it seemed to pick up better. Will check mpg at next fill, of course, but as this is 7p more expensive than the usual stuff, I think I am back to Esso after that
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Getting a bit worried after reading these comments.
I’ve ran 3 or 4 tanks of this stuff in my 54 3.0 BMW z4 and its just died a death with EML and emissions lights on, I’ve ditched it at the bmw garage to be looked at, I seriously hope it’s not done any major damage and can just be flushed. Knew I shouldn’t of just ignored the name change
I haven’t been able to find any info of the octane rating of this fuel but I’m suspecting it’s very low and probably the cause of pinking and engine faults on unleaded engines, very much hope I don’t have melted pistons/rings.
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:08 am
Ryan,
I can’t comment on your car’s other problems, but I can say that FuelSave Unleaded is meant to be 95RON, the same octane rating as all standard unleaded fuel in the UK.
Let us know what your garage diagnoses…
Roland
August 24th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Just an update to my first post, I was able to phone Shell tech dept to try and find out what’s different and its use in my old cars. The lady at Shell was very helpful when I explained my concerns. She said that any car that runs on regular unleaded will run on fuelsave. I asked, what is fuelsave , but she said it’s a trade secret. She then tried to tell me because of new added lubricants how much better it is for the injectors, I had to stop her there as I have carbs, so she asked me to hold while going for help. On returning she was sure it would be fine but could not guarantee it. She then told me that new detergents have been added. I asked will it dissolve old rubber fuel pipes. So she asked me to hold while going for help. Again, on this return she said it has been thoroughly tested and had not caused any problems. I said “on new cars” she said she didn’t know on which cars. So I told her that I will not be using any shell fuel until it’s proved not to cause problems. Now after reading all these later posts I am staying well away from it, what ever this stuff is.
Mike.
August 24th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
BMW phoned today to tell me the car has a failed throttle pedal, so it would seem my issue is unrelated.
400 quid worse off but better than an engine rebuild.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I have a 51 plate peugeot 406 HDI. Supposedly the fuel runs best with the new generation of diesel engines such as the 2.0 HDI in my car and that older diesel engines would not benefit. So far though I have been unimpressed, the engine sounds rough and has lost all it’s power lower down in the rev range. Before I started using fuel save the engine had power from 1000 rpm onwards now I have to rev to about 1700 rpm to get the car to move. I used to get about 80/90 mile out of £10 now it’s more like 60 miles even with price differences that is still a big reduction in mpg. Unfortunately for me though shell have the monopoly in the area.
August 26th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Have a 05 VW golf TDI – total loss of power when I filled up with Shell fuelsave diesel – engine ran as quiet as a petrol (not good news when you have a diesel!) Will get engines emission code checked next week on VAG system – but filled up with BP fuel and light has gone out and car now runs like the usual 130 bhp diesel and has some power too – scarry really as Shell did this some years ago when they changed their fuel and many people had problems with it – will e-mail them today.
August 27th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Spoke to Shell yesterday – They are panicking – TECH team are supposed to get back to me today – forecourts around here are virtually empty – friend of a family member who owns a garage in Bucks has had so many people coming in with the same problem and the unleaded appears to make the petrol engines pink, that he was wondering what on earth was going on but had told all of them that it appeared to be the fuel – Texaco seem to be having a problem too but have links with Shell!.
Shell have said so far that they have had to change the fuel to 7% bio along with all the other fuel providers as it became law this summer. They have also changed the additives and detergents – will fill you in later when I here further. I have also told them that any damage to vehicles linked to their fuel will have to be covered under their liability cover as in the past.
August 27th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Poppy,
Thanks for your comments, very interesting!
I think there are two issues here that aren’t necessarily related. The British Standard for diesel fuel (BS EN 590) was amended in July 2009 to increase the permitted allowance of biodiesel in standard diesel from 5% to 7%. This was apparently done with the agreement of vehicle manufacturers. Since then, the percentage of biodiesel in pump fuels has been able to increase further. This isn’t just a UK thing, though, the appropriate Euro regulations have also changed and I was buying diesel with 7% biodiesel in it in Germany last autumn (without problems).
FuelSave, on the other hand, is a new bunch of additives and detergents in Shell’s standard unleaded and diesel fuels that are designed to improve efficiency. FuelSave fuels were launched on July 21st. I don’t think that the percentage of biodiesel changed with the introduction of FuelSave (although I’m not certain) – certainly this was not mentioned by Shell at the press launch for the FuelSave fuels, which I attended.
Roland
August 28th, 2010 at 7:34 am
Hi guys, down to ~5l of the Shell stuff and decided to top up with Esso at 112.9p a Litre. Will let you know if any improvement after this tankful, but it was 10p a litre cheaper than the super Shell Diesel
Can anyone remember http://www.timesonline.co.uk:80/tol/comment/columnists/article6932374.ece
Wonder if that is one of the super ingredents, like the 7% biodiesel?
August 30th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Update on my car, 2 valves later, it still runs badly rough, took the brand new plugs out after i got rid of the shell in the tank and found an oily film on my plugs. My mechanic has been over the vehicle and can find no mechanical reason for this. Has stopped since i changed fuel.
The fault has progressed into something worse now, the vibrations caused by the dodgy running of the engine have damaged my ECU which has, in turn, spiked my coil rail. (Mk4 Astra ECU’s are bolted to the side of the engine mount)
£250 to get the ECU sent to be repaired, £170 for a new rail.
Even my mechanic refuses to believe all of this could just be bad timing.
August 31st, 2010 at 11:25 pm
i do a 60 mile commute to work everyday usually in a BMW 520 1993 MODEL.I have become more and more convinced that Shell fuel save is not very good for my engine.The engine is pinking all the time and i have noticed its only doing the pinking when on Shell fuel save .It appears im not the only one with this problem.NO MORE SHELL WILL BE BOUGHT BY ME UNTIL ITS SAFE .IM 99% SURE SHELL FUEL SAVE IS A MAJOR COCK UP.
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Update on mine, I have a real issue with availability as local Shell is cheapest by far and the closest by far! So in a way I have no choice. Now to the experience. For my 2005 535D no noticeable difference in economy or performance, although you could argue performance would be harder to spot given the torque. I’ve tried assessing if it’s noiser or not, clearly its a big engine with a lot going on a startup, I can’t honestly say it is any noisier. BUT everyone else’s concerns worry me.
September 7th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Problems again – now having flashing engine managment system light (glow plugs on in amber) and engine workshop! warning. Will be going in on Thursday to garage with diagnostics on VAG system and I will update you as to what is wrong – timing belt changed in June and car was running brilliantly until Shell fuelsave diesel went into vehicle – will update you when garage let me know – seems far too coincidental for me? Still if there is a link then I will be pursuing costs under Shell liability policy – will update soon.
September 7th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I filled up 2 weeks ago with the new fuel. I have a 2.0 lt 55 reg Focus ghia deisel. I am experiencing very erratic power. I was driving at 50, foot depressing the accelerator and I was watching the mileage needle dropping! This is quite scary when in 3 lanes of rush hour traffic. It goes very sluggishly and then suddenly takes off.
I’m going to contact the Ford dealer to see if they’ve had any problems. It seems a coincidence to me
September 8th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Thought I would try FuelSave again… just in case it was a coincidence…
Engine management light back on after 50 miles and revs limited to 3000.
WILL NOT be doing this again! – thank goodness I only put £20 in!
September 9th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Hi,
I also experienced issues with FuelSave Diesel in an 53 plate Ford Tourneo 2.0.
So, I dropped an email to Shell… here’s the response…
We did not test older vehicles in our test programmes. However, we
can say that we have many satisfied customers in countries where we
have launched FuelSave and that it is generally designed for vehicles
that run on diesel/unleaded. We are unable to provide specific
comments about older engines, if I may advise you to seek guidance
from the vehicle manufacturer about compatibility of older vehicles
with modern fuels that may contain oxygenated components.
So, it’s off to Ford I go…
September 9th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Thanks Ian,
Interesting reply from Shell, thanks for sharing it.
I’m very surprised that they classify the engine in a very common model of van that’s only 7 years old and remained in production until 2006 (I think) as ‘older’. I would call it modern, especially considering how many of them are in use across Europe (in Transits & Mondeos).
Let us know what Ford says…
Cheers, Roland
September 9th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Hi there, i have had similar problems since filling up with shell fuelsave petrol, engine is pinking and losing power, there is also a funny smell, car hadn’t long passed an mot with flying colours . I took it too the garage and got a service done, thinking there must have been a problem with the points, plugs etc, car went well for a day and then back to chugging along and losing power. After seeing all the complaints on the web about fuelsave I thought I would contact shell, the man in the techie dept told me they have been innundated with similar calls and his advice was to log a complaint with shell, keep my garage receipts and not to fill up with shell. Rang the complaints dept and they weren’t even interested in what I had to say, I had to force the person to take a note of of the make and age of my car (6 yrs old)and get a complaint number, my advice to everyone is to report this to shell, only then will they take this seriously
September 11th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Peugeot 406 Estate 1998. Mine 5 years from 71k now 101k. No problems. Regular service/maintainence. Starts all conditions even after days standing. Filled at Shell prior to going to Lakes. Problem at forecourt x 3. Called RAC in Lakes. RAC in Manchester who found no EMS problems. Have noticed water discharge form tailpipe since when running (never there before). Currently will not start but wants to. Have replaced Crankshaft Sensor and F.I.Relay as advised but clearly the problem is fuel related. This car has never let me down so when I am on the bus in the morning I shall have time to reflect. Will update but would welcome any comments.
September 11th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Lexus RX400h, 3.3Ltr hybrid, Sept 2007, 34,000 miles. I started using SFS a day or 2 after it was launched. Since it was what they replaced their usual unleaded petrol with to keep costs low. Now the book spec MPG’s for a RX400h is around 37mpg-ish. I live in Milton Keynes, so you can imagine a fair few number of stop starts with all these round-abouts, but I was managing 28-31 mpg’s with decent steady driving. NOT BAD AT ALL. 2-3 days into using this new FuelSave fuel, my MPG’s dropped to a heart stopping range of mpg’s of 18-21. Talk about say ‘fcuk me’, now having asked myself, ‘do I go to the local lexus dealer’, which i did and chatted with one of the technical engineer I got to know well and talk on the same wave-length. Concurrent talking the the engineer, I was due to fill-up on fuel again in a day or 2, but we did discuss this time using Shell’s V-Power fuel. So 2 days later, I filled up with half a tank (I actaully discovered I get more miles to a half a tank of fuel then I do with a full tank, anyway) of V-Power fuel, costing overall a extra £1.50-2.00, but, guess what, resuming my usual steady driving style, hey-bloody presto, the RX average mpg’s went back up to 28-31, thank god for that. So my conclusion is that (and i strongly believe, no matter how many bloody year of engineering experience is behind this FuelSave Poo), shell need to look their ‘mean of life’ E=Mc Sqrd soddin fuel equatation and get the fact right. Why I say this, well despite i feel they are simply relaunching with mass re-branding campaign for their usual unleaded petrol, is to push most drivers who notice such a difference is drop in mpg’s to use V-Power. RANT OVER…
September 12th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Friend of mine races stock cars, they all use Shell Vpower…
During pumping they noticed it smelt different, during racing, a third of the cars had to retire with engine issues and the rest noted a drop in power and general bad running.
Think Shell may have put the fuel save chemicals into the Vpower also.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Got a 51 plate Citroen Synergie 2.0 HDi (and this engine is in loads of makes / models) with a 106K on it. Been using SFS Diesel for many weeks now and I have to say she runs smoother, quieter and accelerates really well. Totally impressed with the improved change in performance. Not noticed a drop in MPG – usually get around 42.5 to the gallon. Had the MOT this weekend and it passed the omissions test no problem.
September 13th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Hi Tone,
Thanks for the (alternative) point of view! It’s certainly true that the 2.0HDi engine in your car was used in a lot of other vehicles and remains a very common sight on the roads today.
Cheers, Roland
September 13th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Hi chaps i run a 1991 vw scirocco 1.8 on a carb and after filling up my car with the shell fuel save unleaed it has not run right at all, but only on start up and is ok after a few mins of spluttering and miss-firing, so unknowingly i have changed the carb, coil, distributor, distributor cap and rotor, plugs, leads etc etc and thought id hit a brick wall with this, them i put in my other car a 1991 golf gti the fuel save unleaded and it ran exactly the same, slight coincidence i thought until i spoke to friends about this and they told me their cars had done exactly the same!!! i only put £10 in the golf and this quickly went so i then put the texaco supreams in and its never skipped a beat since, so the £60 of fuel save in the scirocco is useless!!! Warning DO NOT USE THIS FUEL………
September 14th, 2010 at 6:58 am
I drive a 10 year old Toyota 1.6 vvti petrol. I alway use Shell and have had the engine mgt light on and off a few times since June/July before it stayed on for over a month. Took it for a service and the light was diagnosed as a too rich fuel mixture and the revs had been dropping noticeably. Had the light reset and then within a few miles of filling up with Shell it came back on.
I’m going to run the tank low and then fill up elsewhere and see what happens.
September 14th, 2010 at 10:12 am
6 weeks ago I had my Land Rover V8 /lpg Discovery professionally overhauled and tuned. It was running like a rocket!
Last Thursday I filled up the petrol with £20 (18l) fuel save unleaded.
Went half a mile and was kangarooing badly. It stalled in a bus stop! Managed to get it going and upped the revs enough to make it change onto lpg – then it ran fine. I had other stuff to do in the town so did another stop. Had severe trouble starting it again but eventually got onto lpg. Decided to get it home rather than risk a “tow fee”.
Phoned around and asked advice. Told to dilute the stuff I’d put in by adding same again of high octane unleaded. Borrow a car and jerry can and went to another garage. Added the high octane. Car starting after 8-9 goes but running very badly. Stinking of petrol.
Got told to keep running it to try and burn off any carbon deposits (shouldn’t have any it mainly runs on the clean lpg!)
Did so Sat, Sun and yset morning. Car got worse to point of cutting out (on petrol) Still fine on lpg. My Dad came over today and we syphoned out 20l then put in another 20l of unleaded, thus diluting the original fuel save unleaded further. Started the car. Lots of blue smoke – eventually cleared. Took it for a run on petrol stopping to get more unleaded. Bad to start even when hot and a little erratic on the move.
Got home. Stopped and restarted her a couple of times. Slightly better than had been but not in any way normal.
Spoke to my LR specialist. He says it sounds very much like contaminated fuel – with those symptoms. And said not to drive it until engine/tank/lines etc cleaned. Could do lots of damage.
Today she tried to ‘catch’ twice then refused to start full stop.
Phone CS. Got someone who could barely speak English and refused to put me thro to a supervisor. Have written direct to the MD.
September 14th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Has anyone got any proof yet that their problem was caused by fuelsave?
September 14th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
I really find it hard to believe that it is a problem with Shell fuels.
Lets be right their must be millions of motorists out their that have used the new fuel and this is the only forum complaining about it.
September 15th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Re previous note about problem with fuelsave, i have managed to get rid of the shell fuel out of my car and filled it up at a different garage, not shell, and guess what car is running great, no mis-firing,no pinking, no funny smells, and the fuel management light has went off. It definately was the shell fuelsave that caused my problems, I am now £300 down and lost £40 worth of petrol, by the way, my car isn’t used much, 4 times a week for journeys under 10 miles and half a tank of fuel was gone in a week, the reason it took so long to get rid of the rest was because i was frightened to go long distances in it. It definatley was the fuelsave in case there are any doubters out there.
September 15th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Reply to last note: It’s very coincidental that my car has run perfectly, never stalled, always started and since I’ve had Fuelsave, it’s not accelerating, it stalls, won’t start and now the engine warning light has come on! It’s only just been serviced and MOT’d. I’m sure some engines are fine, as quantified above but I have no doubt whatsoever that a number of problems are being caused by this fuel and this is not the only site that you will find complaints about this fuel. I have found several sites and a comparison is being made with the launch a few years ago, again by Shell, of another wonder fuel – this ended up having to be withdrawn as it was ruining car engines. I now have to take my car to the garage and I’m sure it is going to cost me money. I will never use Fuelsave again.
September 15th, 2010 at 8:39 am
William,
It’s true that the majority of Shell customers clearly aren’t experiencing problems with FuelSave – otherwise it would have hit the news by now, given that Shell has (I believe) around 17% market share in the UK.
However, there are more than 50 comments on this page now, most of them fairly detailed. I’ve never done anything to encourage these comments and the article I wrote originally was fairly positive – so people have commented because they have felt that they have a problem relating to FuelSave.
There are also some mentions of problems with FuelSave on other websites, for example here, here, here and here.
Obviously some of these comments on this and other sites could be a very cunning and carefully executed plan to sabotage FuelSave’s marketing success by one of Shell’s competitors – but it seems unlikely to me.
Thanks for your comment, anyway – all points of view welcome here.
Have you tried FuelSave yourself?
Cheers, Roland
September 15th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Like Ian, 9th September, I too contacted Shell re the use of fuelsave in older engines. I run a 1972 MGB and am concerned re the additives found in Fuelsave. Shell replied that they had NOT tested fuelsave in older engines and suggested I contact the manufacturer. MG Rover where are you !
I will not be using any Shell petrol which is a pity as Vpower always worked well in the B
September 15th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Peter, if you need an above normal octane rating and not shell, i would recommend Tesco Momentum, runs great in my car, a real difference.
Reading previous comments i never went the shell route as they take ages to organise a look at your car, you need to go to a garage and get it checked and maybe, if they admit it, they will pay for it.
I don’t have the money to risk that and i’m not willing to place significant finaces in their hands. Also i can’t have my only form of transport off the road for an undisclosed period of time.
Has cost my £500 to get it sorted, but at least i know it is done and fixed inside a small timescale.
September 16th, 2010 at 1:02 am
re continuation from my post on 31st August 2010 .
My BMW 520 PETROL is still running smoothly with no pinking .The only time it did the continuous pinking was when i used Shell Fuelsave .
It was pinking so badly when it was running on SFS that i nearly took it to a mechanic to check the timing ( but then i linked it to shells new fuelsave the timing was to the day on 2 separate dates on using the new fuel ) .
I also run an Evo 6 makinen that was mapped to run on Shell V power ( currently not using the Evo ) .My evo will be using an alternative super unleaded instead of taking the risk of serious damage .
I too find it hard to believe that Shell have made this massive mistake on quality control but how much proof do we need.
I like probably most on this web page are switched on to our cars and spotted this problem early on.Thats why i googled my suspicions and found i was not alone .We are not alone and this problem will be hitting the headlines sooner or later.
September 25th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Cant remember all thats been checked/done/flushed/etc in the last 2 days, but the result is categoric, that there is nothing wrong with my engine and the fuel from Shell has caused the recent problems.
Interestingly we put some of the fuel drained out into a clean glass jar and there is a) a funny smell – bit like turpentine, and b) there is a bubble of something at the bottom of the jar – looks like something you see in a lava lamp….
My D1 is now purring like a pussy cat again – cant wait to go for a run in the morning.
October 8th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Glad I found thsi site I normally fill up with Morrisons fuel but started to use the Fuelsave on my 3.0 Audi Tdi. After about 80 miles when I stopped the engine it shuddered as if shaking on the mountings,this was followed by an emmisions fault code !
October 12th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I use shell fuel save and shell v power, start with the fuel save diesel.
I run a Vauxhall astra H 1.9 cdti 120 (16v) 2005 model, no issues with shell fuel save, and I run half a tank of it down at a time, car still moves quickly enough, pulls great and doesnt run rough.
Onto the V power, I also run 2 Subaru Impreza’s (both JDM imports, one an MY99 and the other an MY03), neither have issues with V Power (I dont think they have done anything with this fuel), no issues noted, so no need to panic.
What would be interesting is what area’s are affected, as no one puts down where they are we dont know if its contamination of a fuel tank/tanker out of one depot or not, which it could be, Im in the Lancashire area and as said, no issues, I also fuel up in the Berkshire area every other week due to work commitments, also no issues with the fuel there.
October 13th, 2010 at 11:54 am
I have been using shell fuel for years and started using the new Diesel whne it came on the forecourt, I drive a year old Jaguar X type estate 2.2 Litre Diesel which ran great on the old Diesel. for the first few weeks the new diesel was ok but I did not notice any difference in performance or milage, but then the engine started to sound rough and noisey, sounds likethe exhaust is blowing but does not happen all the time I am going to stop using Shell as a few friends have also commented on problems since changing over
October 15th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I drive 2004 Lexus IS 200 (petrol engine). As you can imagine the engine is smooth as silk and the ride the same. Very rarely does the car have any starting problems even in the cold. I’ve had a few tanks of shell Fuel save now, primarily because it is cheaper than other fuels. On two occassions within about two weeks the car has had starting problems, nothing major, but unusual nonetheless. Must admit that there hasn’t seemed to be any problem with acceleration or top speed though.
October 20th, 2010 at 6:33 am
Just found this page, I have a Hyundai Santa fe CRDT auto, and despite being very sceptical about these “superfuels” have been using fuelsave for a couple of months now, initially I was happy with it, getting an extra couple of mpg, however over the last few weeks, I have noticed more smoke, a sooty exhaust, and mpg has dropped, power also seems down, as if the handbrake is stuck on, in the last week from cold I get a “splutter” after about a minute.
I will need to fill up today, so might try going back to supermarket “crap” see if that helps.
October 20th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Just an update, had a 250 mile trip today around the M25, and it was behaving like a dog! very eratic, down on power, and smoking badly, even at 20-30mph in traffic, slight acceleration would produce a distinct haze behind me.
I filled up on the way home, and it seems better, not perfect, but I expect it will take a few tanks to clean the cr4p out.
October 23rd, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Does this explain things?
Adverse effects of biofuels on classic car fuel systems
V8 Register – MG Car Club http://www.v8register.net
–Edited by Admin–
Libby’s comment contained the text of an article taken from The Times in 2009 that was a little too long for this site. In brief, it explained that the percentage of biofuel in standard unleaded and diesel has now risen above 5% and is heading towards 10%. There is some evidence that this can cause problems for older cars, especially older petrol cars that may experience engine problems resulting from the increased proportion of ethanol, the biofuel which is added to petrol.
However, it should be noted that these issues are said to apply to fuels from all oil companies. As far as I know, the percentage of biofuel used by Shell in its regular unleaded and diesel did not increase with the introduction of FuelSave.
—End of edit—
October 28th, 2010 at 10:42 am
[...] in July, I wrote an article announcing the launch of Shell FuelSave petrol and diesel – two new fuels that would replace Shell’s regular unleaded and diesel throughout the [...]
November 11th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I HAVE A FORD MONDEO 2006 COMPANY CAR TDCI 115 BHP & THE WIFE HAS A VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.9CDTI 16V 150 BHP DIESEL. FORD ALWAYS USES SHELL FUEL SAVE SINCE AVAILABLE & DONE 90K BUT RUNS LIKE A BAG OF SPANNERS & NO POWER BUT NO ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHTS HAVE COME ON. ASTRA CDTI FUELLED A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH V-POWER & NO PROBS BUT RECENTLY PUT 3/4 TANK OF FUEL SAVE DIESEL & THE SPANNER LIGHT HAS COME ON EVERY DAY ON START UP. BROTHER IN LAW HAS A GARAGE & PUT ON DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT & COMES UP WITH ERROR CODE FOR GLOW PLUGS, WILL DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF SHELL FUELSAVE CAUSING THE PROBLEM & WILL POST AGAIN.
November 12th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I have a petrol 05 plate alfa 156 89K on the clock, new plugs, new timing belt/pullys/variator/tensioners and New head gasket at 79K.
It is well maintaned and has done 70 miles every weekday of its life.
it developed a minor misfire during this summer and OBD says misfire on cylinder 1, the coil is ok, its now on cylinder 2 and i still get misfire on cylinder 1.
it happend very infequently until shell intorduced its new fuel and i was onto 3rd or 4th tank of FuelSave.
i have used my local shell station for 5 years and saw no reason to change given the fact that their Vpower range gives me better MPG (i use it occasionaly)
the car is now down right dangerouse i can’t pull out into traffic without it going into 3 cylinder hop…..or i couldn’t
i changed to esso unleaded about a month ago and the problem has gone on all but the coldest mornings
last week i was stuck and used a tank full of fuel save again and by the end of the week the problem came back with vigour, to pull away i had to bring revs up to 2000 rpm and slip the clutch
this sunday I used Vpower
by wendesday problem is none existant again, and i look forward to an event free slog round the M25 tonight (friday)
my conclusion
in a car with marginal igntion system as mine must have for 1 coil/cylinder (corrosion/resistance in alfas fantatsic connectors in the loom between ECU and coil packs), this fuel must be harder to ignite. i.e when compressed, what is between the plug contacts is harder, than other fuel blends, to turn into a plasma to allow a spark to travel and cause igntion.
the fact that Shell say it burns faster is worrying, low octane fuel burns faster and in an uncontrolled way, but its also much easier to ignite….
well refined high octane fuel burns slower and in a controlled way but has fewer lighter fractions in it so is harder to ignite
artificially high octane fuel i.e low octane fuel with masses of ethanol in it to get it to pass some BS standard is not quite as good as proper high octane petrol
by octane i mean RON
Mmmm
vote with your feet
i must admit my car also runs great on tesco fuel which is usually the fuel that people like to pick on….
why haven’t i just fixed the problem??? i’d have to take off all engine covers and the inlet, injectors and fuel rail to get access to the D9 connector
or take off the engine under tray which involves removal of both wheels and the bumper and inner wheel arches…
Thats a summer job, or one for someone else….maybe Shell R&D could do it for me
i’m sure this is great stuff in a brand new modern car
but a middle aged itallian car…NO
Dave
November 13th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
I drive a VW passat 1.9 TDi.I recently bought the Shell “Fuel Save” diesel full tank on 31 october 2010.Since then I have been getting a very unusual smell and a warning light and message on the dash board saying “Emssions Workshop”. I have spent days looking for solutions and after reading a what others have experienced with this fuel and Peter James story, i suspect the problem could be related to this shell fuel save.I still have full tank.When I get the refuel message I will be my fuel as where and see if the message will go.I will give you an update.
November 19th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
i drive a cit van and since using shell fuel we have had major probs, have broken down , hard to start all the symptoms of a fuel pump breaking down. i had noticed the van having problems with the occasional missfiring and running rough but put that down to using other marques of fuel supply. Only when i started using my fuel card and exclusively shell fuelsave did the problems get worse dangerously stalling on junctions and erratic pullaways .It got so bad that i had to call out the aa for recovery who were very quick to diagnose a fuel pump and what garage would i like it towed to . However not convinced of this i thought long and hard on the problem and suddenly realised that the only fuel supplier now is shell .changed fuel to esso mainly and others and after 50 miles no problems since except now poor starting in the mornings.speaking to other van drivers of all makes and found that newer vans were having similar problems as i was having and so i relayed my diagnosis and remedy which they have tried and not one of them has had any more problems since switching to other suppliers. I have had no problems with shell before fuelsave but there is something they have added or taken out that a lot of vehicles do not like .
January 14th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I drive two cars, one is a city runabout (VW Polo 1.2 petrol) and the other one is my company car for longer journeys (BMW 320d diesel). I used Shell for a while now and after a couple of months using it for both cars i’m going to give my conclusions.
I can say that my VW Polo don’t have any major problems using Shell Fuelsave unleaded and it does run smoother than the supermarket fuels that are local to me (Tesco). I can’t really comment on the fuel savings however as personally I don’t see much of a difference in miles I can stretch out of the tank. So at this time i’m quite happy using the Shell Fuelsave Unleaded for my little VW Polo.
However when it comes to Shell Fuelsave Diesel when using my BMW 320d then it’s the opposite. The car becomes hesitant on low revs, so much that I embarassingly stalled the car doing 10 mph in 2nd gear when I try to move away from a junction. To rectify this I had to frequently change down to a lower gear as I felt the car was almost going to give up. As an experiment I switched to Shell V-Power Diesel to see if its really the Fuelsave diesel thats giving it problems. Although costly, with V-Power Diesel in the car it was transformed, the hesistation was gone and performance felt more snappy. The trip computer also reported increased MPG as well. Afterwards I switched back to Fuelsave (with some help of Millers EcoMax treatment) and the hesitation returned. So there must be something Shell added to the Fuelsave diesel thats causing problems, so I’m going to say in future that i’m going to avoid Fuelsave Diesel in my BMW and either stick with the V-Power Diesel (which is expensive) or try a different fuel company altogether. Even as a Shell loyalty card holder i’m willing to give up the large diesel points if its means good for the car.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Got an 09 Fiat Sedici running the 120 PS 1.9 JTD. Happy with Morrison’s unleaded for my old Chrysler but switched to Shell after finding the Moggie’s diesel made the Fiat rough under load. It was great for a year and I carried on when they introduced FuelSave. Again, all was well until the start of this year when the power would occasionally disappear at lower revs – slow hesitant pick-up and that “it’s about to break down” feeling until (in lower gears at least) it catches at around 2,000 revs. It feels hesitant under engine braking, too. It’s now doing it pretty much all the time unless I keep the revs up, which is not easy in traffic.
I don’t always use Shell as there’s not always one around when I need it but I’d say I use it at least 75% of the time and I don’t think I’ve used anything else this year. I’ve brought the 18,000 mile service forward to tomorrow so we’ll see.. and I was going to put a tenner in to get me there. I might fill up at a Supermarket instead.
February 10th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I recently filled up my Skoda Octavia 1.6 2003 model with 47 litres of V-power petrol when it was on reserve. After running for 50-60 miles the engine management light ( testing engine electronics) came on. Also there the car was pinking a bit like it needed more rev to the get the same power. Drove another 100 miles with it.While googling I came across this website which made sense . Later I filled 23 litres of normal tesco petrol when the tank was close to half full. Meanwhile I booked an appointment with a local garage to check the error also send a email to shell , didn’t get much response from Shell after updating them on the details of the fuel station and details of my problem. After 60 miles of driving my engine management light has gone off. Praise the Lord! and Hope it stays like that.
February 20th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I have a Renault megane dci and decided to try the fuel save After using v-power for the past year and a half I had done About 200 miles In it when I got a warning saying “check emissions” I ran the car till empty and refilled with v power and I had the ecu reset and since then no problems.
February 23rd, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Well I sent a letter and bill to their General Manager UK Retail on 23rd December. Heard nothing. Sent a recorded delivery letter on 7th February – still heard nothing.
Thinking if they just ignore me I might just crawl away…..
Anyone had a response?
March 31st, 2011 at 10:26 pm
I own a 07 plate V6 deisel vauxhall signum and do approximately 30k miles per year, mostly business.
What made me scour the Internet for this thread is that, I believe, my car shows a regular MPG 3-4 miles lower than with the original shell fuel, or with BP / Esso.
There are no problems in terms of loss of power, it’s just with the same driving style, my mpg is lower than expected.
Is this co-incidence or feasible that the new fuel from shell is actualy worse for mpg, even on a 4yr old car??
June 27th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
I’ve got a 57 plate Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 8v. I’ve been using this since it first came out and almost immediately my MPG went down from an average of 49MPG to around 44. I’ve slowly managed to get it back up to around 48MPG but that’s taken a good 6 to 8 months and I’m definitely not seeing the claimed fuel saving on this petrol. Sadly both my local (and cheapest) stations are Shell and filling up with petrol that’s 3 to 5p a litre more expensive to test the theory that the petrol is naff isn’t in budget.
I’ve not changed my driving style at all, 90% of my mileage is on the urban cycle and as I rely on my car for getting to and from work at unsocial hours it’s been well maintained from when I bought it new so the only variable is the petrol. I only ever fill the tank to half to maximise economy too and I still can’t pull they claimed figures out of the hat. Very disappointing but at least it’s the cheapest near me.
September 27th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
got a 53 plate ford mondeo, filled up with fuelsave drove home, left car on drive. tried to start next morning and it would turn over but not start. Turns out the fuel pump has busted. My brother filled up at same garage but with diesel and had a problem with some valves on his audi a4. Waiting for reply from shell….
November 1st, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Check out this article:
Shell false claims over FuelSave featured on BBC TV Watchdog programme: 21 October 2011
http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2011/10/21/shell-false-claims-over-fuelsave-featured-on-bbc-tv-watchdog-programme/
November 1st, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Thanks John, I wish I’d seen the programme!
Regards, Roland
November 1st, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Roland,
I have not had much replies from Shell other than deny all responsibility. I have sent the report on the car and they refuse to answer.
Should ‘watchdog’ be notified of this page then see if they can get some answers. I am still over £800 out of pocket .
November 1st, 2011 at 5:47 pm
got reply from shell, they say problems with my car are not the fault of shell fuelsave. they said they checked the petrol supplied to the garage and now closed the case i opened with them. so thanks a bunch shell!