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Offline listo

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Bad fuel
« on: March 10, 2016, 06:58:43 PM »
G'day all,
I filled up our triton a few weeks ago at the local woolworths caltex & I've had the worst fuel consumption I've ever had. So far for 3/4 of a tank (125l) I've just hit 600km. Has anyone else ever had a batch this bad?
I'm fueling up again tomorrow for the weekend at a different servo to see if it is the fuel or if there's something wrong with the car.
Cheers
Listo
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Offline Banjo16

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2016, 07:51:47 PM »
Not sure how the fuel would be the problem.
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Offline Foo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2016, 05:15:22 AM »
Vortex diesel gives me chit  economy.

Foo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2016, 05:29:21 AM »
Quote from: Foo on March 11, 2016, 05:15:22 AM
Vortex diesel gives me chit  economy.

So what do you use instead?  What gives you better economy?

KB
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Offline cruiser 91

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2016, 06:36:03 AM »
Our 4wd instructor seized his engine due to bad fuel 5 years ago. Ended in a court battle with the well known fuel company and lost. The station was a major outlet, meaning it turned over tanks frequently. Fuel (diesel) was tested out of his tank and found to contain water but proving it came from a particular bowser is hard to prove when you're the only one with a seized engine (well, no one else came forward with engine problems that I know of.)
Fuel companies are supposed to take fuel samples on a regular basis and document.
Its a David vs Goliath scenario.   
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Offline listo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2016, 07:12:12 AM »
I'll see what I get out of this one, hopefully it improves or it's back to Mitsubishi... Hopefully not though, it would be easier to get permission from my wife to do a Sydney brothel tour than get anything out of those guys

Listo
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Offline Foo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2016, 02:05:31 PM »
Quote from: KingBilly on March 11, 2016, 05:29:21 AM
So what do you use instead?  What gives you better economy?

KB

Generally use Freedom and I'm not the only one to have found that the Vortex gives chit economy, a few others have found the same for some reason.  ???

Foo
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Offline avotrol

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2016, 10:32:01 AM »
That's strange, as on a trip from Sydney to Cairns and return, I found my economy and power increased quite noticeably filling up with Vortex. I really felt the difference when I filled up at some random servo north of Mackay and lost power and watched the fuel gauge fly down to zero. It was 3.5 years ago, so maybe Caltex have changed the diesel vortex formula  ???.

I should add that the car is a GU Patrol TD42Ti so has old school pump and limited computer input.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2016, 12:08:58 PM by avotrol »
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Offline edz

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2016, 10:52:10 AM »
Our 90 V6 Four runner with very basic EFI chews the higher octane fuels a lot faster than the basic ULP 91, so equals less klicks per liter  and works out about a 1/4 of a tank difference in using STD unleaded as to High octane .
Im no EFI tech but Im guessing its old computer cant adapt to the different O2 and temp readings out side of its presets, so it pumps more fuel in and runs richer to try and cool the fuel burn mix as a safe guard to running too lean ..
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Offline Foo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2016, 04:41:36 PM »
Quote from: avotrol on March 13, 2016, 10:32:01 AM
That's strange, as on a trip from Sydney to Cairns and return, I found my economy and power increased quite noticeably filling up with Vortex. I really felt the difference when I filled up at some random servo north of Mackay and lost power and watched the fuel gauge fly down to zero. It was 3.5 years ago, so maybe Caltex have changed the diesel vortex formula  ???.

I should add that the car is a GU Patrol TD42Ti so has old school pump and limited computer input.

From Bundy up, the fuel is/can be real crap and have a big impact on economy. This is what a mate of mine has found over the last few years.  ;)

Foo
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Offline krisandkev

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2016, 07:17:49 PM »
Filled at a United servo on the way into lakes entrance Vic the other day. Had stopped using that company for a while but did this time because I was low and diesel was only 89 cents a litre!  But I then got really bad fuel economy.  So I don't think I saved much and probably not good for the injectors.  Lessen learnt.  Kevin
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Online GeoffA

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2016, 08:19:31 PM »
I've never used any of the cheapie outlets, except for one time when I got lazy put some petrol into the daughters Telstar. It went like crap and rattled and pinged its' head off until I put a tank of proper stuff in. Just vindicated my view. Never again....
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Offline itchvet

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2016, 06:30:22 PM »
Quote from: listo on March 10, 2016, 06:58:43 PM
G'day all,
I filled up our triton a few weeks ago at the local woolworths caltex & I've had the worst fuel consumption I've ever had. So far for 3/4 of a tank (125l) I've just hit 600km. Has anyone else ever had a batch this bad?
I'm fueling up again tomorrow for the weekend at a different servo to see if it is the fuel or if there's something wrong with the car.
Cheers
Listo

Listo, the way I understand this issue, is you need to check/change your fuel filter which may be blocked and the pump is sucking real hard to get the fuel thru. Try it and see.
The other thing, I NEVER, EVER use Caltex fuel, last time I did, the tanker was refilling the underground tanks and I never paid too much attention to it, filled up the Patrol and took off, half a block from home there was a bang, the engine cut out and there was very strong smell of diesel. Hopped out to investigate, found the fuel filter had inexpicably blown straight off it's thread and was just lying there diesel all over the place.
Moral of the story, excess water/crap in diesel blocked to fuel pump and pressure simply blew the thing off, replaced with a new filter, no further probs.
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KingBilly

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2016, 08:28:59 PM »
Quote from: itchvet on March 14, 2016, 06:30:22 PM
Listo, the way I understand this issue, is you need to check/change your fuel filter which may be blocked and the pump is sucking real hard to get the fuel thru. Try it and see.
The other thing, I NEVER, EVER use Caltex fuel, last time I did, the tanker was refilling the underground tanks and I never paid too much attention to it, filled up the Patrol and took off, half a block from home there was a bang, the engine cut out and there was very strong smell of diesel. Hopped out to investigate, found the fuel filter had inexpicably blown straight off it's thread and was just lying there diesel all over the place.
Moral of the story, excess water/crap in diesel blocked to fuel pump and pressure simply blew the thing off, replaced with a new filter, no further probs.

Humbly suggest the problem was not with the fuel being Vortex, but the fact the tanks were being filled and all the crap and water in the tank was being stirred up.

KB
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Online GeoffA

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #14 on: March 14, 2016, 08:30:32 PM »
Quote from: KingBilly on March 14, 2016, 08:28:59 PM
Humbly suggest the problem was not with the fuel being Vortex, but the fact the tanks were being filled and all the crap and water in the tank was being stirred up.

KB

Agree with that KB

 :cheers:
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Offline listo

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #15 on: March 14, 2016, 09:03:53 PM »
A bit of a report back so far.
I filled up at BP on Friday, we've done almost 400km & have only just gone under the 3/4 mark. I know the rest will drop quickly, but it's already looking better, fingers crossed. I worked the last tank out to being 15.01L/100km. We'll see how we go now... No more woolworths fuel for me though, that was terrible!
For the record, it wasn't vortex, we can't get that in Roma... Sounds like we don't want it anyway
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Offline bergersau

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2016, 09:39:02 PM »
Never ever fill at a servo whilst a tanker is dropping its load.  Too  much chance of water or other crap from the bottom of the tank being picked up and being pumped into my tank.

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Offline Fizzie

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #17 on: March 15, 2016, 07:11:32 AM »
Not trying to be a smart-a here, but how long would it take for the tank to settle again?

If that's the only servo in town / the area & you manage to crack it for the time the tanker is there, how long would you have to wait before filling to avoid getting a load of dirty vroom?
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Offline chester ver2.0

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #18 on: March 15, 2016, 07:42:44 AM »
Im the opposite i find vortex gives me the best economy
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Offline RebsWA

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #19 on: March 15, 2016, 10:00:02 AM »
Quote from: Fizzie on March 15, 2016, 07:11:32 AM
Not trying to be a smart-a here, but how long would it take for the tank to settle again?

If that's the only servo in town / the area & you manage to crack it for the time the tanker is there, how long would you have to wait before filling to avoid getting a load of dirty vroom?

Not sure that it is such a problem. A tanker must stir up the fuel in the tank a bit sure, but the pick up pipe to feed the bowsers is at the bottom of the tank down with any crapp anyway.
Bit like folk who don't run their vehicle fuel tank too low for the same misguided logic.
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Offline BaseCamp

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2016, 10:58:09 AM »
Not sure about that???

If you're down to your last 10ltrs  of diesel at the bottom of the tank; and you have a lot of crap in there....   you are in a worse position than if same said amount of crap is diluted with say 50 ltrs of vroom... -- Right.

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Offline bergersau

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #21 on: March 15, 2016, 11:16:43 AM »
As a policy, assuming I'm not desperate I won't pull in to fill up if there is a tanker dropping it's load.
If I have no choice, I'd personally wait for 10-15 mins to give things a chance to settle a bit in the tanks.  Good excuse to check fluid levels and tire pressures and wash the windows down anyway.

Of course if the tanker is decanting petrol and you need diesel - no problem.  Just need to look at the labels over the tanker hoses to see
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Offline Straitened Out

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #22 on: March 15, 2016, 11:33:19 AM »
I switched from Wool1es to BP and noticed the difference, especially towing. Won't go back.
Cheers
S.O.
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Offline Beachman

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #23 on: March 15, 2016, 12:21:51 PM »
I’m not disagreeing with what people are saying about the negatives of running your tanks down to nearly empty, but seeing I have 2 tanks I always run them down until the fuel light comes on and then switch over.

My 4WD is now 12 years old and I’ve owned it for 6 of those years and it has close to 190 000 kms on the clock. Last year I decided to run both tanks until the fuel light came on and drain both tanks to see what came out.

I have to say I was very surprised as neither tank had any visible water and only a couple of fine grains of dirt came out.
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Offline cardinal28

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Re: Bad fuel
« Reply #24 on: March 15, 2016, 12:29:20 PM »
Had to do a trip to Bundy last Friday and as I went to pull into the BP they had a sign out the front 'No Efpos'. So around to the Caltex and filled up with Vortex (Non Premium). Drove to Bundy (from Gladstone) and used 1/4 tank. Topped up in Bundy with BP Ultimate Diesel and used less than 1/8 of a tank for the same trip home. Go figure. No more Vortex for me.
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