Gas: does it matter where you buy it?

[03_uni-B]

This has probably been talked about before but I feel its an important topic.

Where should I buy gas? Who has the cleanest, and best performing fuel?

I ask this as I had a fuel gauge problem and after using BP fuel it is no longer faulty. Also my mother's Touareg has flashed an engine light, she usually uses Kroger and Sam's fuel but since switching and using BP or Shell it has not been an issue.

I've heard all sorts of things about which company to use but I would like to hear everyones opinion and backed up why.




P4c

[teklord69]

This has probably been talked about before but I feel its an important topic.

Where should I buy gas? Who has the cleanest, and best performing fuel?

I ask this as I had a fuel gauge problem and after using BP fuel it is no longer faulty. Also my mother's Touareg has flashed an engine light, she usually uses Kroger and Sam's fuel but since switching and using BP or Shell it has not been an issue.

I've heard all sorts of things about which company to use but I would like to hear everyones opinion and backed up why.




P4c

They are all the same thing..just different additives. I prefer Chevron because they use Techron. Shell uses V-Power (not sure what it does).

[WakusPakus]

This has probably been talked about before but I feel its an important topic.

Where should I buy gas? Who has the cleanest, and best performing fuel?

I ask this as I had a fuel gauge problem and after using BP fuel it is no longer faulty. Also my mother's Touareg has flashed an engine light, she usually uses Kroger and Sam's fuel but since switching and using BP or Shell it has not been an issue.

I've heard all sorts of things about which company to use but I would like to hear everyones opinion and backed up why.




P4c

nice fast back.

this has been talked about to the moon and back lol
good luck keeping this thread from being locked

[mariok2006]

popcorn.gif

[Bixmen]

Locally, Super America or Speedway gas is the worst. Seriously, I KNOW they are all supposed to be the same or whatever, but SA gas would always cause our 3.0T Saab to diesel out. no one else's gas would do that.

[03_uni-B]

Super America/Speedway is what I had been using.

I had heard things but had never experienced such. I have to run 93 and the 10 cent increments on the fuel is appealing.

Until now I would've have said it doesn't matter. Maybe I'm wrong.

[bzcat]

Sure, it matters where I get gas because I get 1% back at Costco

[curvedinfinity]

The station with the newest tank will have the best gas.

[BetterByDesign]

Like motor oil, I try different brands and grades until I find the combination that works best for my car. Hard to say if there is a best oil or gas.

I can feel a difference and who knows if its just me but perception is reality.

[RacingManiac]

I've been using Mobil/Exxon primarily. Nothing like CEL or something ever happened using different gas, but I do notice I get noticeable less mileage on BP. All 93 also.

In Canada I have to use Petro Canada/Sunoco, since they are the only 94 around(running chipped 2.0T, I could run 91 tune though if I need to).

[Aonarch]

I use a triad to prevent additive deposits. For one tank I use Shell, then Chevron, then Sunoco.

I've had bad luck with Marathon gas in my area.

Stage II GTI.

[BeBop!]

I've been filling up at either Shell or Holiday stations. No trouble with gas from them (91 or 93 octane).

[2.0T_Convert]

It shouldn't matter but I notice certain stations that give bad tanks of gas. I suspect that since these are always the sh*tty ghetto stations they have older tanks with more debris leaked in.

[tobin_bass]

I always try to find a BP as they always have 93

[jettaaddictionII]

i ALWAYS use exxon/mobil gas, even so i always use the same pump at the one down the road from me

[ThreadBomber]

Shell or Chevron for me, other than that any name brand is fine if one of those two are not convenient. I like Shell 91 as it has no ethanol here.

[03_uni-B]

The station with the newest tank will have the best gas.

I think this definitely plays into the equation. I just think or would like to believe that these different companies actually carry different fuel with different additives etc.

Like motor oil, I try different brands and grades until I find the combination that works best for my car. Hard to say if there is a best oil or gas.

I can feel a difference and who knows if its just me but perception is reality.

This is how I feel also, its my perception.



Is there anyone who has some solid facts? Maybe someone who works with or around one or more of these companies?

[Gus Polinski]

I've only ever got bad gas once. About 20 years ago at a Texaco near San Antonio. Now, I go with whoever is cheapest. But, unlike my late Dad, I will not drive 3 miles to save a penny

[03_uni-B]

I've only ever got bad gas once. About 20 years ago at a Texaco near San Antonio. Now, I go with whoever is cheapest. But, unlike my late Dad, I will not drive 3 miles to save a penny

I have played the cheapest gas game for a while, now I have a 24v VR with a C2 tune and i can only run 93. I'm not sure what triggered the fuel gauge to fail but I do know when I filled up with BP the problem went away.

[RCKEV]

Not sure what part of the country you're in. I am in Ga and use Walmart for all of my gas. Walmart uses Murphy oil. Murphy oil is drilled and refined in the US. They do not use or buy any foreign oil.

[ThreadBomber]

Not sure what part of the country you're in. I am in Ga and use Walmart for all of my gas. Walmart uses Murphy oil. Murphy oil is drilled and refined in the US. They do not use or buy any foreign oil.

Good thing Wal-Mart uses that same philosophy

[tall tex]

If you are using a major brand (i.e. Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP) the brand doesn't really matter. It's when you start getting into the cheap variations is where you can notice a change in the performance of the engine.

Typically the base formulation for gas is the same across the board, like another poster said, it's the additives that separate the pack. Like you may know, the additives are designed to help the engine run cleaner, prevent buildups, and overall perform better. If you are buying a cheaper or no-name brand gas, then you are not likely getting any additives into the gasoline formulation. There is no reason this would be bad, but you don't get the R&D behind the additives that should help do what they claim to do.

How it usually works is there is a distribution service that has the base gasoline in two octane ratiings (e.g. 87 and 91). The truck that picks up the load will be delivering to a single brand of station, so lets say Texaco. The truck will be filled with the appropriate octance gasoline for the delivery to a certain point, and then the proprietary additives (Techron) will be added into the truck within a tolerance spec range. The theory is that the turbulence created by driving will be enough to thoroughly mix the gasoline with the additives.

Now, where it can get tricky is if the truck is delivering mid-grade gas. The truck driver needs to know how much gas is left in his tank and what grade gas it is. Then he has to figure out how much of the low grade (87) and high grade (91) it would take to roughly average the mid-grade (89) on top of any remaining gas in the tank. Then he has to do the prioprietary additives as well. To me, there is no benefit of mid-grade and I would just avoid it altogether.

[RacingManiac]

Good thing Wal-Mart uses that same philosophy

Ha!

[B3passatBMX]

I used to only run Sunoco 94 in my SVTF because I thought it was the best. Then one day I had to fill up at a Marathon station with their 93 and noticed the car felt much smoother and seemed to run better. I also average about 2mpg more. I switched back and fourth a few times when I would do long drives on the highway to keep it similar and found that the numbers backed up what I was feeling. I've since used Marathon fuels almost exclusively. There's a good chance that on my old BMW I won't notice a difference at all, but I try to keep it consistent.

[Señor Peligro]

I've never noticed one bit of difference anywhere.

[RacingManiac]

For a long time in Canada, Sunoco was the only one that runs 10% ethanol blend all the time, which really kills you on mileage. In my old car I'd avoid that. But nowadays with 10% being the norm I didn't really pay attention to it anymore.

[dmorrow]

If you are using a major brand (i.e. Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP) the brand doesn't really matter. It's when you start getting into the cheap variations is where you can notice a change in the performance of the engine.

Typically the base formulation for gas is the same across the board, like another poster said, it's the additives that separate the pack. Like you may know, the additives are designed to help the engine run cleaner, prevent buildups, and overall perform better. If you are buying a cheaper or no-name brand gas, then you are not likely getting any additives into the gasoline formulation. There is no reason this would be bad, but you don't get the R&D behind the additives that should help do what they claim to do.

How it usually works is there is a distribution service that has the base gasoline in two octane ratiings (e.g. 87 and 91). The truck that picks up the load will be delivering to a single brand of station, so lets say Texaco. The truck will be filled with the appropriate octance gasoline for the delivery to a certain point, and then the proprietary additives (Techron) will be added into the truck within a tolerance spec range. The theory is that the turbulence created by driving will be enough to thoroughly mix the gasoline with the additives.

Now, where it can get tricky is if the truck is delivering mid-grade gas. The truck driver needs to know how much gas is left in his tank and what grade gas it is. Then he has to figure out how much of the low grade (87) and high grade (91) it would take to roughly average the mid-grade (89) on top of any remaining gas in the tank. Then he has to do the prioprietary additives as well. To me, there is no benefit of mid-grade and I would just avoid it altogether.

I agree with most of this but the EPA requires a minimum level of detergent in the fuel so you may get more with some brands but will get some with all.

Next is the driver of the truck/trailer doesn't figure out how to mix mid grade. The normal petroleum trailer has 4-5 compartments and no good way to figure out how much has been drained out (best system is a stick that he can put in a tank). I have always seen it put in the trailer compartment as midgrade or it is mixed at the pump as it goes in your car. That is why Sunoco can offer like 5 grades of gas.

The additives are also injected as the trailer is loaded.

[vmchurch]

Shell V-power ONLY, I've actually planned road trips knowing where the Shell stations are

Why?

Because after using only V-power for three years in three different cars, it really does make a difference IMO

[jreed1337]

I've been driving for 10 years across somewhere around 15 cars, and not once have i put anything into my tank but Chevron 91.

personal preference sure, but theres no way i would use the bargain brands on my cars. im sure shell and 76 are perfectly fine too, but chevron 91 is all that goes in my tanks!

[Aw614]

I'm always wondering when I select 93, I am actually getting 93 octane regardless of where I buy...

[j. Kush]

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

[dmorrow]

I'm always wondering when I select 93, I am actually getting 93 octane regardless of where I buy...

It's one of the few things you buy that you really aren't sure about and if you believe you aren't getting what you paid for have virtually no way to check or do anything about it.

[romanl]

for DIESEL
i only use one of two
CHEVRON or 76/Conoco Phillips

EDIT: i just checked and its been a while since i last used 76/CP , only because there's a very convenient Chevron right of the freeday on my way to work, that gets lots of Trucks through it, so in theory fuel is always fresh there.

but when traveling outside of my normal route, nothing but 76/CP or Chevron

[Blaspherion]

http://pure-gas.org/

The Shell near my house has ethanol free 93 octane. I only use that in my Forester XT and lawnmower. The map on the site above is handy for finding ethanol free gass all over the place.

Stan...

[RacingManiac]

I'm always wondering when I select 93, I am actually getting 93 octane regardless of where I buy...

I guess you'll know when you are getting really bad MPG because of the backed off timing to curb knock, or actually having knock....