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11.09.2015, 21:30
| Banned | | Join Date: May 2010 Location: geneve
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| | Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
Dear petrol heads, a month ago I got another car, it's a Audi 2.0 TDI engine which runs on diesel, of course. Now, previously I had petrol so this was never an issue as I was always pumping fuel in Switzerland due to the same price or almost same price, but traveling in France today I noticed diesel price is about 1.00 EUR where in Switzerland it's 1.56 CHF!
On a 75 liter tank it does make some difference
While I like to save, I wouldn't want to screw up my engine. This being Switzerland and all, we must have better diesel than the French? Or no?
Looking long term, should I keep on pumping at Shell in Switzerland or start using the French pumps, like Avia and BP?
I wonder if French diesel is as suited as the Swiss one for a modern TDI engine.
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11.09.2015, 21:46
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Aargau
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
In 2012 approximately three new diesel passenger cars were registered in France to one new petrol passenger car. It appears that only Belgium had a slightly higher rate of registration of new diesel passenger cars than France: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statist...cars_in_the_EU
I wouldn't worry about buying diesel fuel in France.
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11.09.2015, 21:47
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: At home
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
French air alone will ruin your precious car. Stay home.
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11.09.2015, 21:51
| Banned | | Join Date: May 2010 Location: geneve
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France? | Quote: | |  | | | French air alone will ruin your precious car. Stay home. | | | | | But I need a tin foil hat for that. Do you have one?
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11.09.2015, 21:52
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: At home
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France? | Quote: | |  | | | But I need a tin foil hat for that. Do you have one? | | | | | Germany has one. You have an Audi, the car knows the way.
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11.09.2015, 22:40
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Zurich Unterland
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
First world problem..... again....? | The following 2 users would like to thank smoky for this useful post: | | 
11.09.2015, 22:49
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
Swiss diesel and gasoline is produced in a special refinery, that produces higher quality especially for Swiss cars.
Swiss cars are also produced on special production lines (all car makers do that) and have a much better quality.
If you drive your Swiss car with Swiss fuel on a Swiss road, the experience is like an automative orgasm.
Never buy fuel in a foreign country because it will ruin your Swiss car.
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11.09.2015, 23:17
|  | à la mod | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: ZG
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France? | Quote: | |  | | | Never buy fuel in a foreign country because it will ruin your Swiss car. | | | | | I never drive to the UK without one of these | 
11.09.2015, 23:45
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: CH
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
There is a norm for diesel fuel EN 590. Most important points are:
- flash point: should be higher than 55°C
- water quantity: max 200mg/kg
- proportion of fatty acid methyl esther: max 7%
On the long term it can have an impact on your engine. Main risk is for the injection pump. Luckily there is a TCS test on diesel quality for different european countries (I assume ADAC has same type of test report).
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12.09.2015, 00:13
|  | RIP | | Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Murten - Morat
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
Quoting the above link, TCS test on diesel quality for different european countries France
Von insgesamt 31 Diesel-Stichproben wurde bei 6 Proben ein zu tiefer Flammpunkt gemessen. Bei einer Probe war zuviel Bio-Diesel beigefügt. Dies ist ein mässiges Resultat, 28% der gemessenen Proben erfüllen die Norm nicht. Es gilt festzuhalten, dass sich sechs Proben innerhalb des Toleranzspielraums des Tests befinden, auch wenn sie nicht der EN 590-Norm entsprechen. Eine Probe der Autobahntankstelle in Les Adrets de l'est war beim Flammpunkt deutlich zu tief. France: It roughly states that 28% of the samples taken from a total of 31, had a flash point below the norm. One in Les Adrets had a very low flashpoint. This can happen when too much bio vegetable derived diesel is mixed with the usual mineral diesel. Switzerland:
In 28 samples, only one narrowly failed the norm (a 3.5% failure rate) I believe a lower flash point will result in misfiring in the engine, leading to abnormal wear on the bearings. So you pays your money and takes your chances...
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12.09.2015, 00:40
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Verbier
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
I suspect you won't notice a difference, I do t believe a misfire will effect the bearings in any way. I would be more worried about Pistons but the car would be un drivable long before any damage would be done.
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12.09.2015, 00:50
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: May 2010 Location: north
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
We have been running a merc diesel van on jet fuel JET A-1.. similar to paraffin for years.. it works perfectly fine so wouldn't worry about french diesel ( Wtf anyway? )
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12.09.2015, 00:51
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Kt. Zürich
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| | Re: Quality of Diesel fuel in France?
Problem with French diesel is it is full of garlic, you need to chew a lot of mints.
Actually diesel cars will run on almost anything, I had a friend who ran his on used oil he bought from fish and chip shops.
I believe modern diesels are more particular about their diet?
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