UK Diesel vs Australian Diesel

**Mike_S** · 24th January 2012, 02:28 PM

I'd go with others suggestions as well with regards to fuel quality. I'm having issues with the 1979 Spitfire 1500 we brought out with us, now on its 3rd tank of fuel (Caltex 98) and it's still running like a bag of nails, so it's off into the workshop next week. After spending a similar length of time in the container, opinion's divided on whether the carbs have gummed up in the heat of the container or if something else is amiss. Don't know about the OP but our container spent 3 weeks on the docks in Singapore, in 90+ degree heat & humidity that's knackered a few items of furniture, so it's certainly feasible that it's had an effect on the car as well.

As others have said, if you have a UK remap then bear in mind it'll be set for UK conditions, humidity & air temps. Totally different conditions here and there's every chance the intercooler isn't now up to the job, even if uprated, because it'll be set to use the uprated cooler in the colder air of the UK. I know our Focus XR5 (ST in the UK) has a different cooler & map for Aus conditions. Shame it still has the crappy european AC though, anything over 28 degrees and it's hopeless.

I've had my RRS ecu reset to Aus spec on the engine map, prior to it going in the container at the weekend. Chap who drove it down from the midlands to the south east commented that it definitely ran differently (can't say his exact words on this forum

)

**Yorkie** · 24th January 2012, 02:34 PM

i think you will find very little difference between uk and aus diesel, with both being ultra low sulphur. ok a chemist might be able to explain the slight variations but really for the average person they are the same.

you will also find what you buy in bp could be the same stuff your buying from caltex or shell depending on your location and each suppliers local infrastructure.

i would change your fuel/air/oil filter and run a few tanks through before getting too serious and ripping the engine apart.

**Yorkshire_Jon** · 24th January 2012, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Just a question for Jon and Alex.

Do your UK spec Defenders have R380 gearboxes with:

the external transmission coolers up front.
The short loop external pipe.
no external gearbox cooling plumbing at all.

I know that was a design difference between the European spec Discos and South African/Australian spec discos with the R380 boxes, but have never known if it extended to Defenders as well.

Yes we all have R380 box. Definately dont have an R380 cooler fitted up front and Im 99.9% certain the dont have the pipe loop either (Id need to get underneath and check to be 100%).

**Yorkshire_Jon** · 24th January 2012, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Yorkie

...you will also find what you buy in bp could be the same stuff your buying from caltex or shell depending on your location and each suppliers local infrastructure.

...

Given the industry your in, I guess you should know! Very interesting.

**LRO53** · 24th January 2012, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

Wollies fuel seems to smoke a lot, but it my local shop/source.

Jon

Interesting as my first tank of Aus diesel was Woolies!

I will see how the second, third, fourth tank goes of BP Ultimate and report back.

**isuzurover** · 24th January 2012, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

Given the industry your in, I guess you should know! Very interesting.

Yorkie is of course correct.

Here is a list of refineries in each state:

New South Wales

Kurnell Refinery, (Caltex), 124,500 bbl/d (19,790 m3/d),[10] Botany Bay
Clyde Refinery, (Royal Dutch Shell), 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d), Clyde

Victoria

Geelong Refinery, (Royal Dutch Shell), 130,000 bbl/d (21,000 m3/d), Geelong
Altona Refinery, (ExxonMobil), about 75,000 bbl/d (11,900 m3/d), Altona North (refinery reduced from 2 trains to 1 train between 2000–2004)

Queensland

Bulwer Island Refinery, (BP), 90,000 bbl/d (14,000 m3/d), Bulwer Island
Lytton Refinery, (Caltex), 104,000 bbl/d (16,500 m3/d), Lytton

South Australia

Port Stanvac Refinery, (ExxonMobil), 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d), Lonsdale (mothballed since 2003 - 239 ha site to be cleaned up and redeveloped for housing)

Western Australia

Kwinana Refinery, (BP), 138,000 bbl/d (21,900 m3/d), Kwinana

The "brands" have product sharing arrangements. So whatever flavour servo you go to, there is a 99% chance the fuel came from whichever refinery is in your state, regardless of brand.

**Yorkshire_Jon** · 24th January 2012, 06:43 PM

So whilst the fuel all comes from the same refinery, what about additives and other stuff they put in to make it specific for shell, bp, caltex etc?

When does that get added?

Or is that all a big con too?

Jon

Sent using Forum Runner

**stuee** · 24th January 2012, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

So whilst the fuel all comes from the same refinery, what about additives and other stuff they put in to make it specific for shell, bp, caltex etc?

When does that get added?

Or is that all a big con too?

Jon

Sent using Forum Runner

Most additives are added at the distribution centres. Very few fuels are refined specially at the brands refineries.

The refineries have no control over what other brands or distribution chains add to the fuel once it leaves the refinery (i.e. bio additions, detergents etc).

Fuel often comes from Singapore too, I'm led to believe mostly to central and northern WA and the NT.

**rick130** · 24th January 2012, 07:03 PM

What we are forgetting is that a fair bit of diesel is imported too, (mostly Singapore, which should be good fuel) and while technically it's supposed to meet the Oz spec, I've heard talk that in practice this often doesn't occur, depending on where it's sourced from.......

[edit] 40% of diesel is imported

Facts about Diesel Prices

To meet Australian diesel demand, over 40% of diesel is imported, mostly from Singapore, Korea and Japan.
Australian refiners must price diesel to be competitive with imports (ie. import parity) from the Asian region; if diesel prices were lower here, this would provide an incentive to Australian refiners to export diesel to Asia.
Growing demand for diesel in Australia will continue to be largely met by imports in the future, further strengthening the price relationship with Asian diesel prices.

**isuzurover** · 24th January 2012, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

So whilst the fuel all comes from the same refinery, what about additives and other stuff they put in to make it specific for shell, bp, caltex etc?

When does that get added?

Or is that all a big con too?

Jon

Sent using Forum Runner

If they blend it, they would need to get testing done to make sure it still complies with the fuel quality standard. So as a result, nothing much other than dye is added, unless significant cost savings can be had.

When I worked at a refinery on the east coast, they bought a few tankers of diesel from a chinese refinery. It was originally intended for NZ, however NZ didn't accept it because the sulphur content was too high, so the refinery got it cheap. They made several million $ by cutting it with other feedstocks to bring the sulphur down, however this was done at the refinery, not the distribution centre.

Originally Posted by rick130

What we are forgetting is that a fair bit of diesel is imported too, (mostly Singapore, which should be good fuel) and while technically it's supposed to meet the Oz spec, I've heard talk that in practice this often doesn't occur, depending on where it's sourced from.......

[edit] 40% of diesel is imported

Facts about Diesel Prices

To meet Australian diesel demand, over 40% of diesel is imported, mostly from Singapore, Korea and Japan.
Australian refiners must price diesel to be competitive with imports (ie. import parity) from the Asian region; if diesel prices were lower here, this would provide an incentive to Australian refiners to export diesel to Asia.
Growing demand for diesel in Australia will continue to be largely met by imports in the future, further strengthening the price relationship with Asian diesel prices.

Rick - AFAIK most of that is used by the mines. A lot of mines are large enough to bypass the refineries and source their own tankers of diesel from asia. I know that is the case with RT and BHP in WA.

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