Discount (Cheap) Petrol.

[bignick]

As is the norm, I like to try and save a dollar wherever possible, so I started using Woolies petrol with the discount vouchers. Running a boat, a Toyota Landcruiser and a Ford Falcon, I was saving enough. But, in my opinion, the Woolies petrol is rubbish. It has destroyed the fuel injectors on my wife's Falcon and my outboard (Yamaha 115 V4 2 Stroke) definitely doesn't like it. It misses and farts and smokes up and carries on at low revs from time to time and can be hard to start. So far, the Landcruiser is unaffected. I started to get suss on it when I was fueling up and I got a smell of the petrol and it smelt exactly the same as the fuel that is sold on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, which is delivered there from Singapore. It looks the same, being a dirty tinge of brown/gold, as opposed to the pink or light blue we are used to here. The worst thing is that it seems to be quite oily, and it leaves a greasy residue on your hands if you touch it. That would explain the difficulty in starting and rough low-rev running, probably leaving the same residue on spark plugs and in fuel injectors. My mate is a mechanic and he has seen 2 cars that wouldn't even start on it. Sometimes, you can't even set fire to it with a cigarette lighter. It would only take one bad bit of fuel to stop an outboard, possibly on a bar or in bad weather, and the consequences of that could be fatal. Personally, I'm finished with Woolies petrol. I have about 2 more dockets to use up, then that's it. After my next big trip where I'll burn up most of my fuel, I'll treat the boat to a belly full of Shell Optimax to clean any residue out of the fuel tank and burn it off. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts or opinions of others with regard to this subject, or any similar experiences with Woolies fuel.

Cheers,
NICK.

[caveman]

a mate's fuel pump started leaking when he used it (diesel) and as soon as he stoped useing it the fuel pump stoped leaking no more woolies fuel for him

[Morlers]

It purports to be Caltex fuel but interestingly, I note that Woolies uses Toll petrol tankers to replenish their tanks and not Caltex petrol tankers like the local Caltex service stations do. ???



Morlers

[ScottB]

Hi Guys,

My outboard mechanic was absolutely horrified when he heard that we'd been using woolworths petrol and said that it was just cheap rubbish. (It explained alot of the problems that we were having with the engine at the time as well). I haven't toched the stuff since

Scott

[Derek Bullock]

Bugger, I thought it was Caltex as well.


Derek

[MY-TopEnder]

Not a problem with Woolies because i never use it BUT this time with Seven Eleven.

I've only owned my new Surf for 3 weeks now right... all was going fine. I fueled up at Windaroo on 19l of Diesel... lasted about 160km which isn't too bad. I then noticed that first start of the day, a cold start it was VERY rough, stalling on me once.

Next load of fuel was on Tuesday, filled at Seven Eleven at Coopers Plains, this time even rougher first starts despite glowing till the relay clicked and so on. Stalled on me most mornings. Economy there dropped to 20l for 115km.

By thursday arvo i was fresh out of that 20l, and 2 doors down from work is a BP servo, so i put another 19L in, and so far have 130km on it, no rough starting, alot less black smoke, and still have about 50km left in it.

NEVER again will i be buying diesel at a Seven Eleven, and i am just as concerned because i use their unleaded in the boat, i won't be now.

*** All information is true and correct, there is no intent to reduce sales at any of the previously mentioned service stations.

[imported_admin]

I thought that Wollies fuel came from Thailand ?


BP desiel has a lower level of sulphur, cost me a set of fuel pump seals and BP wouldn't pay for the repair. I had never used BP deisel as I had heard of the problems thay had and all the people they had to pay to replace the seals when they first lowered the sulphur level. But one day I needed deisel and didn't think about the BP desiel and before the tamk had been used the seals went. So if you have a desiel that uses the old seals in the fuel pump, about 10 years old or more then be careful. It is not that the sulpur is lower it is the other stuff they put in it so they can lower the sulpur.

[bigal]

us bp ultimate.

[MY-TopEnder]

For unleaded cars, i swear by BP Ultimate... i've proven it lasts longer and shows better performance.

[bignick]

Petrol from a Caltex Woolies site is Caltex petrol, as opposed to a Woollies site which carries the Woollies petrol, and you should have no problems with it. The Caltex Vortex Premium Unleaded fuel is very good. That's all I used to run through my 1998 Honda CBR 1000 motorcycle and it loved it. BP Diesel has long been infamous for wrecking seals on fuel pumps. It's amazing the amount of dramas and rubbish we have to put up with when it comes to fuel. On top of all that, we then have to pay top dollar for the privilege. These oil companies import all this cheap sub-standard fuel that Australian vehicles are not designed to run on, but the retail price does not come down. It does look as though greed is good.

Cheers,
NICK.

[Volvo]

??? Is it only the petrol Woolies rips ya off on????.

[mini696]

3 Friends, 5 cars, 1 boat... All used Woolies petrol, all had problems with blocked injectors within weeks of changing from another brand.

I use the discount from coles (shell), and had no problems.

I agree with the above post that BP Ultimate is the way to go (If you can afford it).

Always try to keep an eye on the pumps too. I have twice filled at a local station (not a popular brand), with an almost empty tank. I managed to get 32 litres into a 28 litre tank.

Cheers
Mickk

[skippa]

Here's a tip,

You can buy your fuel from co branded Woolies/Caltex petrol stations. These sites are supplied by Caltex only.

Co Branded sites: Woolies/Caltex supplied by Caltex.
Coles/Shell sites supplied by Shell.

It really is that simple.

I've used Caltex in my cars and boats with no problems at all, this includes purchases from co branded sites.

Cheers,
Tony 8)

[littlejim]

I've been using Woolies petrol here in the act since it first appeared without any problems. I guess that's about 5 years ago or so. Prado , Corolla, lawnmower, whipper snipper and blower still work OK.
A few tank full have gone into the Evinrude (it still works) but it gets mainly Shell ULP from Vincentia.

[NQCairns]

I stopped using it also about 8 months ago, I am glad that other people came to the same conclusion I did.

I heard that in a couple of years Aust will have new fuel standards, somewhere above the 3rd world standard we have now, of coarse it will cost us all a few cents a litre more, I thought we were paying quality fuel prices for this rubbish allready!!
Big business conning us all again, they must have the polies in their pockets, I am sure of it. nq