[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by pugram

But strangely my SCROSS 1.6 reacts the opposite way. When tanked up with HP or BP diesel the instantaneous FE on the MID does not cross 20. With Diesel from IOC Bunk the MID crosses 22~23 at decent highway speeds (100~110kmph). With Shell Diesel the car becomes a bit difficult to control in the city with acceleration surge and subsequent heavy braking.

For Petrol I find my bike becomes smoother with HP Petrol (Ordinary) as compared to IOC or BP.

I had similar experience on the FIAT MJD engines (Manza and Swift) . BP is smoother on lower RPMs (especially below 2K RPM) while shell is smoother on higher RPMs but surge at city speeds. IOC gave the max mileage. Reliance worked very well across the board and my favorite. On XUV300 diesel, I am having similar observations on BP but Shell is good across the board. I thought Shell sources from HP and a good HP bunk will have same fuel quality as Shell (experienced it as well).

Petrol - I have found Essar to be the smoothest. I had my friends Alto for sometime, tried various vendors including Shell and found that the engine was the smoothest in Essar, while the mileage was generally good in Shell, Essar, Reliance and good PSU bunks. The smoothness on Essar was very distinct and have had felt the same experience in my pulsar many years ago when Essar first came up. The Essar manager at Medavakkam bunk told me that many bikers come there primarily for the smoothness of petrol.

From my days in Reliance Petro in 1999-2000, Reliance used to supply to IOC, BPCL and HPCL and PSUs sourcing was dependent on regions and it was not necessarily from their own refineries

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

What is the reason for avoiding them? Anything we should watch out for?

I had lots of dirt in my diesel, thanks to the IOCL bunk that is close to my home. I ended up spending 3K in remedying the situation at the Mahindra service center. And then I noticed that the same IOCL bunk is engaged in some funny business with petrol as well; my RE Electra returns 30 Kmpl when filled at their bunk. The BP bunk down the road sees my Electra returning 40 Kmpl as usual.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by locusjag

I had lots of dirt in my diesel, thanks to the IOCL bunk that is close to my home. I ended up spending 3K in remedying the situation at the Mahindra service center. And then I noticed that the same IOCL bunk is engaged in some funny business with petrol as well; my RE Electra returns 30 Kmpl when filled at their bunk. The BP bunk down the road sees my Electra returning 40 Kmpl as usual.

Yeaah. The problem is that several IOC bunks seem to sell impure or possibly adulterated fuel, and those that are good .. well, the number of bunks that try elementary scams like distracting you and making the meter jump up are way higher in IOCL bunks for some reason.

[guru_max]

Originally Posted by hserus

distracting you and making the meter jump up are way higher in IOCL bunks for some reason.

A fuel attendant tried to con me this way, but I was alert and caught him during bill. The MO was simple, i asked to fill for 500, one guy initially filled for 300 and went away. Then another guy came in and filled for 200 and casually said that my bill was 700. When i said the earlier guy filled for only 300, he agreed that the bill was 500. The worst thing is this happened in supposedly one of the best pumps in Chennai, The BP pump next to trident hotel in the GST road.

[Yieldway17]

From my observation filling up Petrol for my car, scooter and motorcycle for past 2 years and driving 55 odd KM every day, below is my order of preference.

Smoothness : Shell >= HP CoCo > BP/HP > IOC
Mileage : HP CoCo > BP/HP > Shell > IOC

HP CoCo seem to be the best bang for the buck for me as they are generally cheaper than Shell.

I have not tried Essar much as there is not a single Essar station anywhere near my daily commute route.

[Gansan]

I have been a regular at Shell for so many years, filling V Power petrol. But recently I find it costs just a few paise below Rs 100 per litre. Their regular petrol also costs Rs 90+ per litre. So I have been mulling a shift to a good PSU pump for a while. My wife's office has opened after lock down and I am making two trips every day to drop and pick her up, which is 52 km a day. Mostly by bike in the morning and car in the evening.

As a prelude I filled ten litres of Speed 93 @ Rs 87.42 per litre for my bike at the BP Pump near Radisson hotel on GST Road. My credit card has a fee waiver at Shell but not here, so it will add one rupee more per litre, but still the fuel will cost RS 12 per litre less than V Power. If things are satisfactory for the next week, I will fill the car also here.

Shell fuels used to cost about Rs 2 - 3 more than PSU fuels usually, I don't understand the reason for this much difference now. Even Shell normal costs 6-7 rupees more than normal PSU fuel.

[swiftnfurious]

The two BP 'Platinum' pumps near Adyar

1. At the end of Adyar flyover. Also, on the way to Madhya Kailash from Malar hospital signal, on the left side.

2. One near Crown Plaza - you need to take the road opposite to the Crown Plaza entrance gate and at the next junction on the left side. These guys have Speed 97 fuel too.

The platinum pumps are my new favourites on the highway.

[GandalfTheGrey]

Might be OT: We picked up a pre-owned Ignis at Selaiyur True Value. Petrol was filled for 300 Rs, so we had to refill it. There's a Shell near the True Value Selaiyur, but I had to take a U turn to go back to Shell, so decided to fill on the way. We started to Mylapore from True Value, and hit GST via Tambaram flyover. I started mentally scanning for next petrol pump after starting from True Value, but I couldn't recollect finding one till Guindy. Shockingly, the next pump on the GST road, towards Saidapet route, was at Guindy, near ABT Maruti. I found it really strange that though there are plenty of bunks on the other side of GST, Guindy - Tambaram route, but there is none on Tambaram flyover to Guindy side, a good 15-20 Kms. Hope I didn't miss any bunk in between.

Cheers

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

there is none on Tambaram flyover to Guindy side, a good 15-20 Kms.

The previous pump in that direction is the Bharat Petroleum right under Outer Ring Road interchange in Vandalur. Even on opposite side there isn't one from Vharat Petroleum opposite Mount Road Raintree till Shanti IOC and the Bharat Petroleum near Trident after Little Mount-ABT stretch became one way sometime in 90s.

[saisree]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

I found it really strange that though there are plenty of bunks on the other side of GST, Guindy - Tambaram route, but there is none on Tambaram flyover to Guindy side, a good 15-20 Kms. Hope I didn't miss any bunk in between.

There is a HP petrol bunk just next to Pallavaram bus stand on the way towards Guindy . You would have taken the Pallavaram flyover and would have missed it.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

I found it really strange that though there are plenty of bunks on the other side of GST, Guindy - Tambaram route, but there is none on Tambaram flyover to Guindy side, a good 15-20 Kms.

typical "going to highway" v/s "entering city" fuel bunk placement strategy

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by saisree

There is a HP petrol bunk just next to Pallavaram bus stand on the way towards Guindy . You would have taken the Pallavaram flyover and would have missed it.

The HP is towards Tambaram, there is an IOC on the same side as well.

Originally Posted by venkyhere

typical "going to highway" v/s "entering city" fuel bunk placement strategy

Plus the presence of airport and Army OTA on that side of the road.

[Gansan]

There are only two bunks as you drive from Tambaram to Guindy. First one is at Kadaperi before MEPZ. Next one is at Pallavaram a little distance past the bus stand. The second one belongs to lorry owners association. I think both are BP. We will miss this if we go on the flyover. If we miss these two, the next one is the BP bunk abutting Spic building at Guindy. Nothing in between.

The only bunks I trust are Shell at Chromepet, BP near Trident and again BP abutting Spic.

[GandalfTheGrey]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

typical "going to highway" v/s "entering city" fuel bunk placement strategy

Originally Posted by narayans80

Plus the presence of airport and Army OTA on that side of the road.

Yes, could be the reasons.

Originally Posted by saisree

There is a HP petrol bunk just next to Pallavaram bus stand on the way towards Guindy . You would have taken the Pallavaram flyover and would have missed it.

Thank you. You're right, I took the Pallavaram flyover and missed it.

Originally Posted by Gansan

There are only two bunks as you drive from Tambaram to Guindy. First one is at Kadaperi before MEPZ. Next one is at Pallavaram a little distance past the bus stand. The second one belongs to lorry owners association. I think both are BP. We will miss this if we go on the flyover. If we miss these two, the next one is the BP bunk abutting Spic building at Guindy. Nothing in between.

The only bunks I trust are Shell at Chromepet, BP near Trident and again BP abutting Spic.

Thank you. I have fond memories of BP near Trident. It was some time in early 2000s, my dad took me to the newly opened PHD inside BP, and I had my first ever Pizza there.

I'm regularly using Shell in Madipakkam, as it's just few streets away from my place, and also finding the quality to be good.

Cheers!

[Yieldway17]

Seeing that even Shell's regular petrol is now priced at a steep premium, let alone V-Power, I decided to switch to BP regular and Speed which were my second choices before.

I fill from the BP CoCo in Maraimalai Nagar and have no complaints. Shell V-Power definitely has noticeable difference but not worth 13-15Rs./litre premium they ask for.