Gas Quality question
 

I've been trying to figure this out for awhile and I thought I should ask the ppot braintrust. I live near a Shell Station that sells VPower for a very cheap price ($2.95/gal) so I have been filling up my car with that gas. Is it worth it to try and always buy a name brand gas like Shell/Mobil/Sunoco/Gulf/Etc for the additive packages or should I save a little bit of money and just go to BJs or Costco?

Personally I would never use Costco or Wal-Mart gas. I am lucky enough to have a gas station right down the street that sells 100% gasoline, 0% alcohol gas. It is Conoco brand and has the additives. Real gas cost more since it does not have the federal subsidies to pay for part of the gas. Pure gas is usually 20 cents per gallon higher around here where we have a choice.

Why? They sell top tier fuel. I suppose it depends on where you live but finding ethanol free fuel around here is not easy, doesnt matter if its Costco, Shell or anyone else.

"Top Tier Gas" sounds like a marketing thing

south FLa get gas off tankers

they pull into the same port and pump into the same tanks

all local gas is only branded when it goes into a truck for delivery
additives may vary some
but the gasoline is all the same no matter the brand

As far as performance goes, octane is probably all that matters.

My data point about additives:

The gas gage on my 2001 Chevy truck used to drop to empty and stay there for extended periods, to the point where I would just buy gas every 300 miles on the odometer instead of going by the untrustworthy gage. Drove it this way for months.

I heard (isn't the internet a wonderful thing) that Chevy's sending units were susceptible to getting gunked up, and Chevron's "Techron" would solve it.

Started using Chevron gas. After several tanks, gage started working normally again. Been fine ever since.

Costco only now was deemed to be a major oil company, based on their sales.

Until now, there were zero detergents and no additives. Just the cheapest gas available.

But since their volume makes them an oil company, they must fire in the additives, at least in California. But, rather than buying it already mixed into the gas, they are mixing it on site at each Costco store.

Would I buy Costco gas?

Not if there was any other gas available. Especially if you have a nice car.

Gas is NOT THE SAME, across brands.

I only use Shell V-power whenever possible. I have no idea why though. Never grocery store brand gas or no-name gas.

Not only does ethanol muck with 2 cycle stuff, but at 10% it also reduces gas mileage. I can now find non-ethanol 87/90/93 pretty easily, but never at the major retailers. I live near a major tank farm....the gas in those tanks is all the same from what I've been told, ethanol and other brand additives are just that ;)

Sheetz is my go to place for a high volume low cost 10% E fill up...F150 don't care :)

Every time I drive past that Colonial Pipeline storage facility, I think of the 1812 Overture. :D

It's all the same here. Ethanol is added per regulation. But the only gas I buy is for the bike, and then I use Sinclair.

I bet every car forum website has a thread like this. And everyone of them has the same posts. I never know who to believe. :confused:

If you only knew, who I knew, who worked on the Sherron Harris nuclear facility back when :D

I have used BJ's gas for the last 15 years in ALL of my cars, Saab, BMW, Porsche, Dodge, Subaru and Chevy without ANY problems whatsoever.
Diesel on the other hand, I only buy at Sunoco who I know uses the correct anti-gel additive in the winter. Ever had a completely gelled fuel system in the winter ? Believe me you don't want to have to go through it. I got Hess Diesel one winter instead, bad move.

The following does not account for ethanol, which s horrible crap.


In So Cal, one refinery makes the gas that is sold at 650 shell stations, hundreds of thrifty and USA stations, dozens of mobil and exxon stations, and almost all the ARCO stations. About 16 million gallons a day of it.

In So Cal, I can say for sure that IT IS ALL THE SAME STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no difference between shell gas and arco gas.

Even the additive packages are nearly identical. In fact if one of them was measurably better than any of the others, the AQMD would make everyone use it!

And if ya really think that ounce or two of additive per gallon makes a big difference, dream on.

See, marketing people know that regular folks are GULLIBLE.

They know that if they say "you only get what you pay for" some yap will over-pay for the same stuff and actually BELIEVE what he got was better, even if it was the exact same product.

Instead of letting those marketing people think for me, I try to think for myself.

Its all off the same rack...

I posted the below a few of days ago, still going strong at the half tank mark but I'm already used to the improvement.

Link:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/869144-ethanol-verse-octane-3.html#post8736091

V-Power premium gasoline by Shell, I just discovered it - WOW!

The manager of a local cigar lounge recently told me he uses the premium gas at a Shell station in his compact 4-cylinder car because the gets better gas mileage, and that the extra cost of the fuel pays for it's self.

He recommend that I give it a try in the Porsche, and told me the best station to go to.

I was doubtful but soon found myself near empty and not too far from that location, so I decided to give it a try.

This has got to be the most expensive gas in the area, at least 20 cents more a gallon than the Costco gas I typically fill up with (maybe 30 or 40 cents more). I was sort of shocked to see the total rally up so quickly, but just put it on the credit card.

Leaving the gas station I got in the wrong turn lane to get on the highway, so I decided to punch it and get ahead of an SUV so that I could get over to the right lane.

Dang, the couple of car lengths I expected to see turned to over three quickly, next thing I knew I was on the entry to the highway just whisking away like the car weighed 100 lbs lighter.

The sound of the engine was even more "race car like" than usual, it sounded really good.

I then picked up a friend for dinner and a cigar, on the ride back I told him I was trying some new gas, he interjected right away and said; I can tell the difference, the car really pulls well and the engine sounds so good.

The extra weigh of my heavy passenger seemed to just disappear, like I said the car sort of felt 100 lbs lighter or as if I had an extra 10 HP.

On the way home by myself there is a stretch of road I go from 0-50 mph quite often, letting up on the gas near this one building. This time when I let off the gas I was doing 60 mph, not 50 mph.

If you think gas quality does not make a difference, give the Shell a try, it should change your mind.

I'm not sure I can go back the the lesser premium gasoline sold by others, and it was just one afternoon/evening of driving.

I'm sold, will be interesting to see what the gas mileage of this tank-full turns out to be.

Shell V-Power
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_V-Power

What can Shell V-Power actually do for your car?
What can Shell V-Power actually do for your car? - CNET
New premium-plus gas offers lower wear, for a price
By Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press Auto Critic 4:57 p.m. EDT June 4, 2015
New Shell premium-plus gasoline promises lower wear, for a price
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WPfLnVuQyM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Video says 60% of carbon deposits removed after first tankful.

This means I can look forward to future improvements I suppose.

Is nitrogen-enriched gasoline good for my car?
by John Fuller
Fuel Quality vs. Alternative Fuel - HowStuffWorks

Thank you for proving my point about the power of suggestion, the force has a strong influence on the weak mind.

Shell doesn't even make most of the gasoline sold at shell stations.
Shell only owns TWO refineries in the entire US of A, although they have joint ventures in 4 others.
They do not make enough gasoline to supply the shell stations.
A large portion of shell gas stations in the US are owned by OTHER OIL COMPANIES and get their gas from OTHER OIL COMPANIES!!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NITROGEN ENRICHED GASOLINE.
it's a marketing gimic. And it is working.

I was working at a Shell refinery in 2008 when they came out with their super-duper new and improved V-power premium gasoline.
I asked my buddies in the lab, what changed? They shook their heads and said nuthin, the gas is the same as it's always been. The marketing people just keep dreaming up new names for it.



There is absolutely NO WAY that you could tell the difference immediately qwhen switching ot shell gas, unless you were using too low of an octane before and your car tuned itself up to use the higher octane you put in the car. That is the only way.
Any other claims are simply hogwash and fantasy.

Even shell will admit the gas is the same, but they claim their 2 ounces per gallon of additive are BETTER because they use one ounce of two different detergents (solvents) instead of using 2 oz of one. Again, hogwash.
It's just a brand name and a marketing campaign.


bull ****.


BTW, the same marketing people who came up with V-power also came up with the idea that you need to change your oil every 3000 miles, at a jiffy-lube (shell owned).

Lots of mush-heads bought into that gimic too.

My go to fuel used to be Chevron - I too believed the marketing.

For the last 15 years I have bought gas from whoever is cheapest and convenient. That would be Costco, Vons, and a sampling of no-name stations in North county San Diego. Never had a problem with any of our vehicles. Have not noticed improved performance or MPG when using name brand stations on road trips. YMMV.

Oil changes are @ 5K miles too.

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

USA
76 Stations
Aloha Petroleum
ARCO
Beacon
BP
Chevron
Conoco
Costco Wholesale
CountryMark
Diamond Shamrock
Entec Stations
Express Convenience Centers
Exxon Hawaii Fueling Network (HFN)
Holiday Stationstores
Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
MFA Oil Co.
Mobil
Ohana Fuels
Phillips 66
QuikTrip
Road Ranger
Shamrock
Shell
Sinclair
Suncor Energy Inc
SuperAmerica
Texaco
Tri-Par Oil Co.


There are lots of other retailers wjho sell top tier gas, but their name is not on the list because they haven't paid this company to test their gas and give then that certification yet.

I buy almost exclusively ARCO gas.

I like chevron gas too, but I don't pay for it.
I get a $4 bottle of techron from the local auto parts store and add a couple cap-fuls at almost every tankful.
The $4 bottle lasts a year and I save about $15 a week by NOT paying for chevron gas with Techron tm.

Does it make any difference? Not that I can tell, but getting techron gas for basically the same price as arco gas makes me FEEL good. ;)

Say what you want, I already have more miles on this tankful than normal, and there is still over a quarter tank to go.

More miles, more smiles.

Like I originally said, my friend was very specfic about which Shell station to go to.

Next thing you boys will be telling me is all Vodka is the same because it's just alcohol.

We make a fine living testing fuels and oils...we also have amazing relationships with all the majors....gas is gas is gas. All from the same rack...

I don't have an opinion either way on Costco gas, but the idea that they "are mixing it on site at each Costco store" is hysterical.

I know all gas sold in Las Vegas is delivered by the CalNEV pipeline in Colton, CA

V-power may be a gimmick, but here it has no methanol. Regular is 10%
Costco premium also has no methanol, so it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same gas.

Likely, it has to do with how clean and sealed their storage tanks are. Certain gas stations, I never revisit, too much water on a consistent basis.

The through put, especially with athanol, is important to. High volume stations, will turn over the content of the tanks faster.

Only a couple of cap full? Aren't you suppose to dump the whole bottle in the tank? I sometimes use the whole bottle at half tank thinking that is more concentrated for better cleaning.

^^ I think that's the recipe for sea foam.

+1 to the high volume stations. Fresh fuel is better then all the gimmicks.

Another chapter in Gullible's Travels.

Not really, you just have a pre-formed opinion that no additives and or all additives are the same...............and I do not.

My opinion is based on my own first hand experience, not a pre-formed opinion provided by others.

The basic stock for fuel is typically the same for a region, no argument there.

And it all comes down the same pipelines from the refineries, no argument there.

At the tank farm before it goes into the tank trucks is where the additive packages are typically added for each brand of fuel, no argument there.

The only argument which exists here is that some of us have tried V-Power by Shell, and some of us haven't.

Please get back to me after you have done your own seat of the pants testing.

Think of it like vodka tasting, the small differences can be very telling, and the cheap stuff will make your head hurt after more than one drink.

An interesting thread on the topic:
Any Real Differences in Gas Quality by Brand? (auto, idle, fuel) - Automotive -Sports cars, sedans, coupes, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, tickets, dealers, repairs, gasoline, drivers... - City-Data Forum

In the olden days, I would add a splash xylene or toluene to the tank in my 911 and M3 - I would swear it make it run better. You can't get that stuff OTC any more :(

A 2009 thread on the topic on marking and additives, not much has changed?


GIVE ME A BREAK, Shell V-power, Now it's Nitrogen enriched, Come on! - Page 3 - FerrariChat.com
An article quote:


http://www.frugalfoo.com/2011/02/premium-unleaded-vs-unleaded.html

kach22i~ I'd be willing to bet you will find that you are getting LESS gas mileage than before. The fact you are enjoying the "extra" power means you are probably getting on the go pedal harder, thus using more fuel [nothing wrong with using more fuel, as long as you are enjoying it]. You may inadvertently have given your car an "italian tune-up", and are now driving it the way these cars are supposed to be driven [a bit on the hard side] and have actually done your engine good by cleaning out some crud. If you are driving these cars for the gas mileage, you are driving the wrong car.

BTW~ I use the Shell V-Power in my car, because that is the closest gas station to my house.

My choice is not about the name brand; rather it's about the fill location. ARCOs around here are nasty. I hear they finally started accepting cards at the pumps, but haven't been to an ARCO for decades. _loath having to go into the store and wait for the cashier to get some losers in line some smokes and a couple lotto tickets, all so I can pre-pay for an unknown fill, only to have to go back and wait again for the cashier to get some losers smokes and a couple lotto tickets, just for the change.

Costco stations are clean and have easy pay, but the lines... and then their pumps run slowly, due to every pump in use; making the fill time take a while. Because of that, I tend to hit Costcos when few are at the pumps; or just make a quick stop at a Cheveron (Clean and fast)

When possible, the old 911 gets non-ethanol fuel from the farm supply store. -a bit of a PITA.

I, too, realize that gas is gas is gas. One of the things that I wonder about is the regularity of filter changes at a given station. When I was a young guy many moons ago I pumped Avgas at the local airport. Clean filters at the pumps was a critical (for obvious reasons). No way to really know what the filter is like at your gas station - however, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, I've heard that if the pump keeps clicking off, the filter may be filthy.

In the old days:
Low cost gas was to be avoided because the cheaper stations didn't maintain their tanks. Dirt and water would screw up your car.

Now:
EPA regulations have forced stations to have seal storage tanks and all have filters to keep crud from getting into your car. All gas comes from the same major refineries. Yes, some put more additive in them than others but, the percentage of Techron in Chevron is so infinitesimal that its more marketing than science. Buy a bottle before each oil change and run a tank of gas after that one before changing oil. Everyone has their own blend of additives but they all have some kind in there.

Oh BTW, as far as Shell's nitrogen enriched gas... 78% of the air your car breathes is nitrogen. :rolleyes:

Have you ever seen a tanker truck pull up to a rack, fill up with 8000 gals of gas, and then pump a few quarts of additive into the tank and mix it while driving to the station? it happens every single day, that's how it is done.

so what difference deos it make if they mix it in the truck or mix it in the tank?
The trucker delivers a thousand gallons or whatever is scheduled, gets out his little measurng thingy, and pours in the correct amount.
Pretty darn simple.

it same same same.