TypeTSX

What gas stations do you guys/gals fill up at? I have yet to fill up yet, 290 miles from factory fill with quarter tank remaining. I've been hearing mixed reviews about gasoline and its effectiveness and differences among differing brands. Mobile/Exxon, Sunoco, BP and Shell are among the recommended and discussed. Shell is supposedly suppose to give you slightly better gas mileage. Some people swear by it, some call it bs. Another concern is about Acuras and Exxon fuel. It was posted on another Acura forum that an was told by a Acura service rep to NOT use Exxon gasoline or your will develop problems with the fuel system. I don't know what truth there is to this claim. Comments?

Y2K4 TSX

Chevron, all the way. It's all about Techron.

tehCOW

Fooman

I can testify to this, not scientific in anyway though. On my previous car, ('98 Integra), I used Chevron all the time...almost religiously. I didn't use any other gasoline brand except once, (Shell), and that's cause I had no choice since I was running low on fuel.

Anyway, my car had 87k miles on it. The only service I got for the car was the basic 30k and I even skipped the 60k mile service. When I finally got around to it (around 80k miles), the Acura mechanics commented that the inside of my engine was one of the cleanest that they had ever seen (for my mileage)

The only other variables was the motor oil I used which started out with Castrol, then switching to Mobil 1 Synthetic. Keep in mind that I never got my fuel injectors cleaned either. I like to think that the fact that I used Chevron consistently made a big difference.

Now with my TSX, I use Shell when I'm in Erie and BP when I'm in Pittsburgh visiting my gf....and this is only because the entire state of Pennsylvania doesn't have a single Chevron that I've seen. Back in Alabama, they were all over the place.

tehCOW

yet another reason why chevron r0x.

TypeTSX

Most forums gives the thumbs up to Sunoco gasoline. Also the Sunoco 94 is very much desired for the higher compression engines, ie NSX, Type S's....also was surprised that Citgo is a decent brand considering how relatively inexpensive it is.

dnb

You should be able to buy bottles of Techron from auto supply stores. Good stuff.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Yup, Chevron all the way. No need for any additional fuel treatment additive.

larchmont

Wow. I almost didn't even look at this thread, because I was so sure it doesn't make any difference.

And I've been around since about 1492.


BTW: Just to help settle this: Is there anybody who's knowledgeable about this who wants to say it doesn't make any difference???

eyescream

I've been using Chevron ever since the first day I got my car, I switched to Mobil recently to see how the gas is. And my car's been acting a little weird, RPM goes up and down when I step on the gas.(Before I shift) I think it's time to switch back to Chevron.....:'(

James

76 and chevron are my top picks. im more on the 76 side...

larchmont

Just goes to show, some of you just know how to notice stuff better than the rest of us. I've never noticed any difference no matter what I've ever put in, even a couple of times when I used beer.

Crazytree

Techron? I havent' seen any scientific evidence to prove it is anything but snake oil.

Personally I prefer ARCO... it's consistently 10% cheaper than the other brands and like they say... "the only difference is the price". Considering that every gas station buys their gas from the same distributors... this statement is completely accurate. Also... COSTCO is good... but ARCO is closer... just remember that both take debit cards or cash only.

Brad

I've used Costco mostly, when I'm too busy or too lazy to drive to Costco, and sometimes Valero if the price is right.

All of my previous Accords have been long-lived cars. I never needed to have the fuel injectors cleaned.

State and Federal requirements for petrol mandate certain specifications that all manufacturers have to meet. I would like to see some hard facts that one brand is better than the other.

larchmont

I would too -- but I don't think it's necessary. If we get a whole lot of people saying that one brand or a couple of brands are better, and they have stories that seem to be reasonably consistent and make sense, that would tell us something, even though it wouldn't prove it.

tehCOW

http://www.vettenet.org/octane.html

http://www.jsonline.com/wheels/peak/feb03/119491.asp

for your reading pleasure

larchmont

Great links, Cow.

And, in my usual "public service" capacity, here's the skinny.

The second link is a non-technical brief overview. The first link is fairly technical, but very readable and more useful.

The bottom line is, different brands ARE different, and you do best by switching among different brands. The dude says flat-out that it's best to stay with each brand for an extended period of time before switching to the next one (he says 5000 miles for each), and he explains why this is better than switching at every fill-up.

Real good stuff. But I'm not convinced on that last point. Once upon a time I went to college and I was a chem major, and my sense of it tells me it probably doesn't matter squat whether you switch every 5000 miles, or every 500 miles, or randomly.

If I'm right, then I'm back to where I started, because it doesn't matter what you do as long as you don't predominantly use just one brand forever.

gi'me

I know a man who hauls gasoline for a living to all the major brands. He says it works like this: All gasoline for the region comes from the same storage depot. There are two reservoirs: low octane and high octane. Middle grade is a blend of the two. After the truck tanker is filled, the truck then proceeds to an additive station, where additives are added in accordance with the brands' formula. It's kinda like mixing pigments to paint. What brand is better than another? I don't know.

He also drives to NJ in his tanker to bring back motor oil. With respect to conventional motor oil, as far as he knows, all motor oil is the same with the exception of Castrol, which has its own oil. The oil is brought back to the region and filled into different brand containers and retailed.

moda_way

I've heard the same story from a guy my father was friends with and owned a gasoline station.

The gases weren't any different and the additives were only different b/c of the brand sticker.

The only different that was noted from him, if any, were practices by fuel stations to sell gas that was at one point an 87 octane and now was a 93, so the avg. octane was lower. It so nice that Ohio has now dropped the testing of octane levels being sold to the public.

tpyt360

I like a good Quik Trip station.. They are awesome

dabuda

i just go to costco, it's usually 10 cents chaper p/gallon then the cheapest gas station i can find

TypeTSX

Filled up with Sunoco Ultra 94 today. 340 miles with the needle at E. $28....wasn't paying attention and the guy topped it off....wasn't too thrilled about that!

Crazytree

I fill up at about 270-280 with the needle on E. Usually about 14 gallons.

how many gallons for that 340?

TypeTSX

Have the receipt right in front of me. 14.242 gallons fillup.

Crazytree

I'm going to fill up tomorrow morning... but I think I'm still getting less than 20MPG using 93 Octane Unocal.

gogozy

anyone in Canada use gas from Canadian Tires?? i heard some bad experiences but i used them sometimes and no problem yet.. last tank, 650km/59L needle is on top of E...

vwong

I'm surprised that you can find 93 octane in California. I thought the highest octane you can find now (at least in California) is 91. Where is this gas station that you found 93 octane gasoline? I know that there is a 76 gas station in South Pasadena that sells 100 octane (basically race gasoline), but that was a few years back, and I don't know if they sell it anymore.

I use 76 because I have their gasoline card.

Crazytree

my bad... 91. I have always used 87... so this is the first time I've been using premium since I had my sportsbike and used to fill up at that 76 you're talking about on Arroyo Parkway.

19.5 MPG... Automatic w/ lots of AC.

chrisalberts

This is true - gas is basically regional, and in most cases the gas in a given town is pretty much the same wherever you go. The only possible variation is the additives, which need not be the same. Techron is a good additive, and is not snake oil and is particularly useful for motors that tend to get deposits over time.

I alternate between Sam's club gas (cheap) and Chevron and periodically throw a bottle of Techron in for good measure (a couple of times a year only). I've also always liked Amoco and Sunoco (94!!!).

Incidentally, it's worth noting that (except in areas where it's not allowed) places like Sam's and Costco are basically selling at barely above cost, and at prices that are below the cost of competing local (smaller) stations.

C. (enough parentheses for your wife, Larch?)

dnl2ba

You mean 370-380, or are you a really aggressive driver? I usually fill up with 12-12.5 with the needle maybe 1/16 to 1/8 from the bottom at maybe 360-380. Trip computer usually estimates 25-80 miles left when I decide to get gas.

I've actually been tracking my refuel stats, but independently of mileage (didn't occur to me to get trip odom readings at refuels when I started recording data). I'd calculate mpg from the last date when my recordings coincided, but it occurred to me that I record refuels from receipts, so those can be at any time of the day, whereas I check the odometer at the end of the day. Fah. The navi's been telling me 25-26 usually (for mostly freeway driving, albeit in nasty rush hour stop-and-go), though I got 30.6 on my second refuel when I was driving like 48 miles each way for 2 or 3 days.

Vans

Boy isn't that the truth. Find yourself a new Quik Trip and you are in heaven. As far as gasoline goes... gotta go with the Techron. I think we should attack more mideast countries. That way Techron will be like 50 cents!!!!

Crazytree

I'm getting a consistent 20MPG... however I wonder if this is a result of:

-the fact I have the A/C on at 68 day and night
-the hot California summer we had
-the 1.5 hour daily commute on LA freeways

Crazytree

hey... considering what thread we're in... maybe I'm going to switch GASOLINE BRANDS!