Gasoline- what's the difference between the stations?

[sam dupont]

I worked in the automotive chemical industry.

Instead of buying a bottle of injector cleaner, how many gallons of top tier would have to be run through to clean things up?

 

[Thrashingcows]

I've been hauling fuel for 7 years now and all the previous comments are correct....the base fuel is the same across the board just the additive package is different. In our area the diesel is the same, no special additives, for everyone...regardless of what the signage at the stations might claim.

As for quality of the fuel in the tanks in the ground you will be more likely get "bad fuel" from an older small volume station than you would from a newer high volume location. The modern fuels degrade and go bad a lot quicker than they used to, even in the 7 years I've been delivering I've noticed this. Not sure why, new chemicals used in the refining process, or some sort of additive that gives the fuel a "best before" date?

 

[69a100]

Instead of buying a bottle of injector cleaner, how many gallons of top tier would have to be run through to clean things up?

In my younger days when I did a road trip, I always would run a carb or injector cleaner just because. I figure at hyway speeds and burning a tank or 2 within a day or 3 would clean things up.

 

[Dajkzo]

I visit a small local airport that is self service. 93 unleaded (alcohol free) and 100 LL. Expensive, however the supply chain and QA on Avgas is an order of magnitude above what you can buy elsewhere.

PS: Avoid the 100LL if you run an O2 sensor.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Instead of buying a bottle of injector cleaner, how many gallons of top tier would have to be run through to clean things up?

no idea, sorry

 

[ckessel]

For the fellow residents of the PRC, here is some info that may benefit those close enough to an Indian Casino.
A friend of mine who I grew up with near San Diego lives in Vegas and hauls fuel. I called him one day to shoot the breeze, catch up etc and see where he was at the time. He said he was in Rincon which a reservation east of where we grew up. I said, wtf are you doing there? That was one of his normal fuel delivery stops. Turns out his company delivers fuel, from Vegas, to many of the reservations in the state especially So Cal. He has delivered into Nor Cal plus the valley also. The deal is, the fuel they bring out of Vegas contains no CARB additive package. Still has Ethanol but thats it. Ethanol is bad enough as it is for old rides but the CARB junk is even worse, causing many additional problems.

 

[F4R/T]

I think marine gas use fuel maybe ethanol free as well.

 

[YY1]

I've had the opposite experience with Sam's/Walmart/Murphy gas.

I did a test to see if the 3-4 cents less price difference was worth the extra 3 miles round trip to get it vs the Sunoco that is closer.

My tests indicted that my nominally 27.5 MPG PT Cruiser got between .5 and 1.5 less MPG with the Murphy gas.

 

[33 IMP]

I've had the opposite experience with Sam's/Walmart/Murphy gas.

I did a test to see if the 3-4 cents less price difference was worth the extra 3 miles round trip to get it vs the Sunoco that is closer.

My tests indicted that my nominally 27.5 MPG PT Cruiser got between .5 and 1.5 less MPG with the Murphy gas.

interesting. Surprising that it's only a few cents.
Here in tri-state az. Name brand diesel just up the street is 4.59. A mile farther away, Indian casino station (in arizona) is 3.89
My nearest Sam's is about 20 miles, one way. If I'm going for other things anyway, I fill up, and take about ten five gallon cans. Sam's diesel is 3.29 right now. So, 50 gallons in the cans, another 35 in the pickup, or 60 in the box truck, saves roughly $135 over local name brand.. I'll give up a half a mile per gallon, or more, for that.
Also, across the border into Nevada, gas/diesel is about $1/gal more (or more). Across the border into california, gas is $2 a gallon more.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

ARCO, damn! That went away along with Exxon (Esso) decades ago!! Gulf & Phillips 66 pops in-out once in a while then gone. Shell & Texaco GONE. Off brands are "franchises & MOST have no pump filters (knew service techs)
Nobody beats WAWA for gas (prices) & hoagies!!

 

[Kern Dog]

ARCO is still a big player here in CA.

 

[MoparLeo]

Chevron, Unocal, Shell. Same base gas, different additive packages.

 

[RoadRunner1970]

have learned over time that using gas with Ethanol in all the small engines like lawn mower and snowblower is not good. Always f's up the carb and is not stable enough to use from year to year.
this garbage can't be good for large engines......

 

[33 IMP]

Non-ethanol is non-available anywhere in california. Cali law requires oxygenated fuel, and alcohol is how the oil companies do that.
Then there is always the california-only brew. 49 other states get something else.

 

[MIKESPOLARA]

interesting. Surprising that it's only a few cents.
Here in tri-state az. Name brand diesel just up the street is 4.59. A mile farther away, Indian casino station (in arizona) is 3.89
My nearest Sam's is about 20 miles, one way. If I'm going for other things anyway, I fill up, and take about ten five gallon cans. Sam's diesel is 3.29 right now. So, 50 gallons in the cans, another 35 in the pickup, or 60 in the box truck, saves roughly $135 over local name brand.. I'll give up a half a mile per gallon, or more, for that.
Also, across the border into Nevada, gas/diesel is about $1/gal more (or more). Across the border into california, gas is $2 a gallon more.

Yup, and the same trucks deliver on both sides of the border. I was driving to somewhere in Az and I was getting low ish on fuel we had stopped at a gas station still in Calif and decided I could make it to the Az side to fill up. I was behind the gas truck that delivered to the Calif station and followed it to the Az station which was his next stop. Price for same fuel in Az was like $2.00 less. It's all the same **** just look for lowest price

 

[33 IMP]

I saw a poor schlub putting 200 gallons of diesel in his motor home in needles, at the height of the Biden price hikes. Seven bucks and change per gallon. A mile and a half away (off the freeway/hwy 40) in Arizona, the price was around $4.50
Not knowing any better cost him an extra $500.
He was driving a $500,000 motor home, I figured he wouldn't miss $500.

 

[RJRENTON]

I have been having some conversations with friends about gasoline. What they use in their dailies and their muscle cars.
I was told by my engine builder to use Shell or Chevron for my 383 and to NEVER use Arco.
I've been using Arco in '04 Chevy Tahoe (daily driver) for years and haven't had trouble.

What does Shell/Chevron have that makes it better? And/or what makes Arco so bad?

Another point I hear from friends is that they all come from the same refinery so what does it matter?

This comes from the same catagory as:
1. Which beer is best
2. Which lubricant is best .... engine, transmission, rear axle
3. Which wax is best
4. Which spark plugs are best
5. Which carburetor is best...Carter, Holley, Edelbrock (Eddy), Weber, or fuel injuction
6. Which air for the tires is best
7. Is metric dimensions better than US standard dimensions

Perhaps your "friends" are petroleum engineers who would better know the different refineries recipes for blending the crude feed stock with the alkylation additives and proprietary additive packages to yield a specific brand rather than speculating on what they think, without any substantiation.....much too vague of subject to be specific......
BOB RENTON

 

[64Orange]

This comes from the same catagory as:
1. Which beer is best
2. Which lubricant is best .... engine, transmission, rear axle
3. Which wax is best
4. Which spark plugs are best
5. Which carburetor is best...Carter, Holley, Edelbrock (Eddy), Weber, or fuel injuction
6. Which air for the tires is best
7. Is metric dimensions better than US standard dimensions

Perhaps your "friends" are petroleum engineers who would better know the different refineries recipes for blending the crude feed stock with the alkylation additives and proprietary additive packages to yield a specific brand rather than speculating on what they think, without any substantiation.....much too vague of subject to be specific......
BOB RENTON

You make fair point about which is best. From reading the posts so far it's like the old saying "there's more than one way to skin a cat"

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

@64Orange

 

[1STMP]

A study was conducted by a utility
company I worked for in the late '80s
on the quality of motor fuels from
various suppliers. There were 100's
of vehicles in this companies fleet.
A pattern emerged as to fuel cost
and fuel related engine failures, and
maintenance problems.
Bare in mind that many outside
factors can have effect on a fuels'
overall performance. (water in a
suppliers tanks).
Various additives are added to
gasoline to meet EPA standards,
taking into consideration things such
as altitude, and median temperatures
for distribution.
Shell was the only distributor who
applied the necessary additives at
time of production. All others took
a hit or miss approach and applied
"tank mixes" using a prescribed
formula. The additives were applied
basically on a truck tank by truck
tank basis. Can't say it's the same
applications today, as a vehicles
computers make adjustments to
compensate for a certain fuels
shortcomings.
I do drive a tuned V-8 powered car
that requires a minimum 91 octane.
A definite difference can be felt
depending of the quality of gas in
the tank.
My dear 'ol dad drove a '59 Olds
Delta 88. I don't think that car ever
saw a tank of premium in it's
lifetime. 25 cent a gallon gas
and it still ran like a BOOH.