Fuel Question - NOT OCTANE RELATED!

[Yellow2002Kat]

I've done a search, but come up empty.

Anyway, I always buy my gas at Mobil - force of habit.

However, I thought I read a thread in here a while back saying that some stations (i.e., Chevron, Shell, Hess) actually carry better gas than others. Is this true or are all the major stations pretty much selling the same quality gasoline?

Now I always assume that buying gas at the 7-11 or Circle K is a no-no so I never buy gas there, but I'm wondering are there overall "best" and "worst" gas stations out there?

[WildKat]

I never get gas from anywhere but an actual company station like Mobil or Sunoco. That convenience store gas, atleast around here is complete junk. Ive got a buddy who works for a refinery in MI. He's got the 411 on gas stations and I trust his word. Its interesting to note that when you get a grade other than 87 or 89 octane, for example if you get 93 octane..the gas is mixed just before it gets to the pump so you dont always get 93 octane until you get about half way full on your tank.

I stay away from Hess completely, that stuff is pretty brown water. Even the Hess fuel truck drivers say their gas is pretty terrible quality and would never put it in their cars.

[FloridaKat]

I've had nothing but good results with Kangaroo and Citgo.

Not to change the subject, but it looks like the latest craze is the inline cleaning additives which are injected during re-fueling (at an additional charge).

Did you guys/gals see this? Is this new?

[Dan Dubeau]

Only shell for me. Car/bike/truck all run great, and I have a nice pile of air miles too

[StevieB]

Why did the turtle cross the road...?

A friend and business associate (whom I have lost contact with since I moved from New Orleans) was a Shell Oil fuel Depot manager, with full-charge responsibility for everything that goes on there- it's basically "his" facility. He told me they routinely fill up 18-wheeler tankers that deliver to the convience stations- they buy the same fuel from the Shell depot that goes to Shell stations. The "buddy that works at a refinery-" what does he do there? Lots of jobs a a refinery, few whom would really know what fuel goes where. Not trying to impune your friend's advise, but folks like to talk about things they really don't know that about, sometimes.

And I NEVER buy Exxon/Mobil products, including Mobil1 oil. I remeber the Exxon Valdez, and Exxon/Mobil's lack of responsible cleanup to Prudhome Bay.

... To get to the Shell station.

[BarMatt80]

well there is a very interesting show on the discovery channel that i seem to catch on and watch each time it is on. I over look the mobil refinery in ashland kentucky when i go for a ride, pretty cool place but pretty much despise it when i live no more than 300 yards from the place and the gas is 20 cents more than it is 40-50 miles away.

the movie on the discovery channel states that ALL gasoline is the same. they pump 85/86/87/89/91/93 all those gasoline octanes all in the same gas lines and when they pump 93 and then like 87 there is some comingling of the fuels, that comingled part goes into a tank so they can be seperated. they also run a1fuel, kerosene, diesel all in the same lines and they take the comingled fuel and put them in special tanks for further seperation. i think they might even pump diesel then gas then kerosene(arbitrary order) all through the same pipes.

I have heard on that show that all gasonline is the same from manufacturer to manufacturer until the part where the semi trucks come and fill up to deliver to stations. so before them they aren't brand specific. when filling the tanker trucks that is when the detergents, and all that other stuff is added.

also in my home town there are like 10 gas stations, but only 3 refineries(mobil, exxon and one more) deliver to the town...so someone is selling the same fuel. i know this because i have followed truck from one station to the other.

i think i would be more concerned about the tanks of the gas station, doesn't matter if it is 100 octane fuel the best ever made, if it is put in a tank at a station that is old and half full of water, well that 100 octane fuel is going to burn crappier than the 85 octane at the ritzy gas station, so i wouold be more worried about the station than the actual fuel.

stevie, good point about the exxon/mobil thing and lack of corporate morality or whatever it is called....ethics maybe. but look at ford with the pinto, it was cheaper for them to pay out than recall and fix the cars. you own a ford?

[POP944]

Gasoline blends are so regulated anyway that I have a hard time believing there's much difference between brands. I typically select stations based on convenience, cleanliness and service (e.g. do they actually keep their paper towels & windshield fluid thingys stocked? Do they actually empty their trash cans once in a while? Do the people working there speak English fluently and do they act like they've got a brain in their heads?) Certain stations always have bums/panhandlers hanging around at them too, so I avoid those as well.

[trinc]

i will 'seat of the pants' this. my truck ( nissan ) runs on anything & seems to run well on all brands.

my 44x4 blazer on the other hand seems to ping a little more on 'cheaper' gas ( aka ARCO ). MPG is hard to track because of the mix of freeway - city - heavy traffic etc. etc. but on average the blazer gets better gas milage on brand name vs the cheaper ARCO gas.

i was told by a mechanic friend to only run chevron or texico. he has worked on more fuel related problem than he care to because of lower quality gas.

the octane is regulated. but the amount & quality off the additives varies by brand.

tim

[Anonymous]

Absolutely do not ever by Arco, especially during the wintertime (with those additives)

[KatanaSoldier]

Arco is bad stuff.
I only put Mobil or Exxon in my baby.

[The CyberPoet]

I think a lot of it has to do with where you live and the distribution method to the area. In Tampa, oil comes into the port via oil-ferries that bring it in from huge tankers too large to come into our harbor (and we don't have a small harbor by any means -- it handles boats like Carnival Cruise Lines). I know all the fuel in our area comes in off the same ships, and the differentiation happens between the receiving terminal and the pumps (almost guaranteedly at the trucks that haul it to the gas stations, adding the detergent loads, etc., just before they top-up).

Thus, I'm with BarMatt80 on this:
The fuel, at least in our areas come from a single comingled source.
The differenciation is, IMHO:
the additives;
the length of time it sits in the gas station (i.e. - whether they are going through their stocks in a couple days vs. a week or more);
What time they refill their tanks (refilling stirs up debris in the storage tanks, so I try to avoid tanking up within an hour or two of them refilling);
the age of the gas station & local construction (I avoid anything that has construction going on at the station or adjacent due to sand contamination, and stations that appear to be quite old, although I know all the tanks have to now be in complaince with the vapor-recovery laws so none should be over a decade old); AND
Whether they are a triple-hose or single-hose dispenser operation (not critical on the Kat, but definitely critical to my Audi which requires 91+).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[iwannadie]

I think a lot of it has to do with where you live and the distribution method to the area. In Tampa, oil comes into the port via oil-ferries that bring it in from huge tankers too large to come into our harbor (and we don't have a small harbor by any means -- it handles boats like Carnival Cruise Lines). I know all the fuel in our area comes in off the same ships, and the differentiation happens between the receiving terminal and the pumps (almost guaranteedly at the trucks that haul it to the gas stations, adding the detergent loads, etc., just before they top-up).

Thus, I'm with BarMatt80 on this:
The fuel, at least in our areas come from a single comingled source.
The differenciation is, IMHO:
the additives;
the length of time it sits in the gas station (i.e. - whether they are going through their stocks in a couple days vs. a week or more);
What time they refill their tanks (refilling stirs up debris in the storage tanks, so I try to avoid tanking up within an hour or two of them refilling);
the age of the gas station & local construction (I avoid anything that has construction going on at the station or adjacent due to sand contamination, and stations that appear to be quite old, although I know all the tanks have to now be in complaince with the vapor-recovery laws so none should be over a decade old); AND
Whether they are a triple-hose or single-hose dispenser operation (not critical on the Kat, but definitely critical to my Audi which requires 91+).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

i cant seem to ever find a triple hose setup they are all single hose anymore.

i never buy from circle K, other than that i go anywhere. all the stations here are all new anyways.

[trojanftbl52]

Maybe it's just living in Wisconsin, but I've never heard of many of those gas stations! I always fill up at Kwik Trip or BP. Kwik Trip has a "top teir" gasoline stamping, if that means anything. Besides the gas, Kwik Trip is awesome - especially for a college kid. A person can buy 3 hot dogs and a 32 oz. soda for $1.98. There is also a lot of candy bar deals such as 2 for $1. They also have their own amazing glazed doughnuts and tons of liquid choices.

Damn, all of this makes me hungry!!!

[Yellow2002Kat]

I think a lot of it has to do with where you live and the distribution method to the area. In Tampa, oil comes into the port via oil-ferries that bring it in from huge tankers too large to come into our harbor (and we don't have a small harbor by any means -- it handles boats like Carnival Cruise Lines). I know all the fuel in our area comes in off the same ships, and the differentiation happens between the receiving terminal and the pumps (almost guaranteedly at the trucks that haul it to the gas stations, adding the detergent loads, etc., just before they top-up).

Thus, I'm with BarMatt80 on this:
The fuel, at least in our areas come from a single comingled source.
The differenciation is, IMHO:
the additives;
the length of time it sits in the gas station (i.e. - whether they are going through their stocks in a couple days vs. a week or more);
What time they refill their tanks (refilling stirs up debris in the storage tanks, so I try to avoid tanking up within an hour or two of them refilling);
the age of the gas station & local construction (I avoid anything that has construction going on at the station or adjacent due to sand contamination, and stations that appear to be quite old, although I know all the tanks have to now be in complaince with the vapor-recovery laws so none should be over a decade old); AND
Whether they are a triple-hose or single-hose dispenser operation (not critical on the Kat, but definitely critical to my Audi which requires 91+).

First, thanks for all the responses. Very interesting.

OK, I'm with you guys, but are any companies known to use higher quailty additives than others? For example, would Mobil be better than Chevron due to higher quality additives? Are the additives "secret formulas"? If so, I guess there really is no concrete way to tell who carries the "best gasoline".

I don't worry about a station having a bad tank since they're all new as CP mentions - I remember going to stations getting ready to pull in and seeing it all dug up. Hell, where I am half the gas stations have popped up within the last 5 years anyway.

The Mobil I always go to has a three hose set-up. I never really thought about it before, but I should have because two of my cars require premium fuel. Ehhh, somehow I always picture one big tank underneath the ground that feeds all three lines with the same gas anyway .

Trojan, don't worry. I've never heard of Arco, or Kwik Trip for that matter. Down here we have Sunoco, BP, Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, Hess, Racetrac, and Citgo along with gas at the Circle K and 7-11. I might be forgetting some, but that just means they should advertise better .

I stay away from 7-11 type gas because they generally don't have strategic alliances with the major suppliers. It would seem that's not the case everywhere, but since I'm not sure and there are gas stations all over the place no need to take a chance.

[The CyberPoet]

OK, I'm with you guys, but are any companies known to use higher quailty additives than others? For example, would Mobil be better than Chevron due to higher quality additives? Are the additives "secret formulas"? If so, I guess there really is no concrete way to tell who carries the "best gasoline".

It's always been my opinion that Chevron had the best detergents, with Shell recently pulling ahead of Mobil (you can get online and ask about their additive packages from their tech reps). Part of this is based on actual engine tear-downs I've done...
The US does have a detergent level requirement, but it is miniscule -- I know Chevron & Shell both exceed that requirement by a factor of 10 or more.

I don't worry about a station having a bad tank since they're all new as CP mentions - I remember going to stations getting ready to pull in and seeing it all dug up. Hell, where I am half the gas stations have popped up within the last 5 years anyway.

That's because as of last year, there was a $5k a day fine for non-compliance on the new sealed-vent-cycle tanks by the EPA. Some stations shut down right away, some used the 6 month grace period that was given to private independents -- but in general, all got changed over.

The Mobil I always go to has a three hose set-up. I never really thought about it before, but I should have because two of my cars require premium fuel. Ehhh, somehow I always picture one big tank underneath the ground that feeds all three lines with the same gas anyway .

There are separate tanks, at least in Florida, for every gas station I've seen. Easy way to tell -- look at the number of feeder covers in the cement for the gas station -- there should be two for each type (one for the connection, one for the valve).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet