Is all gasoline the same?

[scottmandue]

I have always used Chevron because it has techron in it.
My wife want us to shift to ARCO because it is cheaper (and she says all gas is the same).
Long story short the guys at work are telling me ARCO uses low grade oil and their gas is high sulfur and thus will cause engine problems in the long run.

So... is all gas the same?

[Pazuzu]

One of them is now touting the SEVEN additives in their gas, each of which is some complex chemical potion...

I like Chevron, but will go to Shell if needed. I avoid anything else.

[GH85Carrera]

Bottom line, the base gasoline is all the same. The only difference is the additive package added right before it is delivered to the station.

[FLYGEEZER]

Chevron pulled outta Kentucky years ago. Wish it was still here for the Techron. Only use Shell in all of my autos now.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

One of them is now touting the SEVEN additives in their gas, each of which is some complex chemical potion...
.

The way advertising works is to tout some useless facts about thier product that you have never thought of before. I'm sure other gasolines have many of those addatives (and possibly more) but never had the brillaiant idea to name them all in a cute add.

I generally use Shell gas because it is much easier to enter/exit, and alot less busy than the local Speedway station.....price about the same.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

One of them is now touting the SEVEN additives in their gas, each of which is some complex chemical potion...

I like Chevron, but will go to Shell if needed. I avoid anything else.

Same here...other than the 92 octane no alcohol I run in the Mustang. I add Techron every 5,000 miles or so.

[flipper35]

I use Kwik Trip (Top Tier) gas in the Cobra replica because it is ethanol free.

When we lived in CA my wife fed her Cavalier Arco gas and it was still running good when we sold it with 135k miles. My mother in law still sees it running around 10 years later.

[Hugh R]

Sammy, who works in refining in SoCal will tell you that here, its all the same due to emissions standards.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by flipper35

When we lived in CA my wife fed her Cavalier Arco gas and it was still running good when we sold it with 135k miles. My mother in law still sees it running around 10 years later.

Okay, that helps me feel better... my wife is in the "it all is the same except for the additives" camp.

I love cars but in real life I am a electronic tech (as are the guys in the shop who claim "ARCO uses crap oil from Venezuela") however that begs the question does the raw product they start with make a diference after refining?

[Por_sha911]

Decades ago, gas was different at some stations because the cheapo owners had tanks that leaked. Dirt and water = bad gas. The EPA put a stop to that.

The amount of Techron in Chevron gas is MINUSCULE. Buy a bottle of Techron before each oil change as follows: Put the Techron in a half tank. Run it down as low as you can. Fill the tank to full and run it down again. Refill the tank and do your oil change.

Shell markets their gas as having nitrogen. Oooh. Aaah.
News flash: the air your car burns in 78% nitrogen.

Gasoline brand marketing is just that: marketing.

[Nickshu]

I have always looked for Top Tier gas and only used Top Tier certified fuel brands.
May or may not matter but it makes me feel good inside.

Retailers

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/07/aaa-not-gasoline-created-equal/

[pete3799]

Someone once told me there's a difference between summer gas and gas that's sold in the winter.
I called BS but did some googling.
Interesting read
THE TRUTH ABOUT WINTER GAS. BY JOHN HUNKINS

[flipper35]

Scott, all that gas come from one or two refiners and is the same for those states those refiners serve other than what is added for each chain.

[Norm K]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Decades ago, gas was different at some stations because the cheapo owners had tanks that leaked. Dirt and water = bad gas. The EPA put a stop to that.

Damn liberals!

_

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Sammy, who works in refining in SoCal will tell you that here, its all the same due to emissions standards.

LOL don't ask me, I haven't worked in that industry for 5 months.

But if you want to grow green stuff and turn it into bio fuel I'm your man

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

LOL don't ask me, I haven't worked in that industry for 5 months.

But if you want to grow green stuff and turn it into bio fuel I'm your man

You're not on the ethanol teat are you? That would be so un-Sammy.

[JD159]

Not sure about across the border, but up here different companies have different amounts of ethanol as per Ontario regulations. But I could be wrong! Although I did notice better power and far less black soot on my bumper when I switched from petrol 15% ethanol 94 octane to 0% ethanol 91 octane shell.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Okay, that helps me feel better... my wife is in the "it all is the same except for the additives" camp.

I love cars but in real life I am a electronic tech (as are the guys in the shop who claim "ARCO uses crap oil from Venezuela") however that begs the question does the raw product they start with make a diference after refining?

Raw materials are just raw materials.

And until a few years ago, ARCO gasoline was made by BP (British Petroleum) and they used almost exclusively Alaskan North slope crude oil which is about as sweet and clean and light as you could find.
BTW Venezuelan crude is pretty good stuff. The worst crap you can get is good old Wilmington crude (from under Long Beach, Wilmington, San Pedro, etc).

Heavy, mostly tar, with lots of salts and sand and sulfur. But its cheeeep.



Nowadays in so cal all the ARCO gas, all the thrifty gas, all the USA gas, all the Tesoro gas and most of the shell gas all comes from the same big refinery.

Roughly 30% of all the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel sold in So Cal comes from that one refinery.



ETHANOL SUX!!!!!!!!! lol.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

LOL don't ask me, I haven't worked in that industry for 5 months.

But if you want to grow green stuff and turn it into bio fuel I'm your man

Oh sure... the one time I want your opinion you pull out on me!

Ironically ARCO has started advertising some new fancy additive(s)... I also see they are listed as 'top tier' (whatever that means).

ARCO is also 50 cents cheaper a gallon than the premium brands... so I will give it a try.

[nota]

all the tankers to S fla unload into the same tanks
the only branding is once on a truck to the station
I bet other then the brand names like techron
the trace chemicals are about the same