I was near the Amerada Hess refinery yesterday and I noticed Exxon tankers pulling into the driveway. Are gasoline brands all the same? I know Exxon and Mobil merged, but Hess and Exxon?

 

From what I understand, gasoline is produced regionally and then farmed out to the different brands, just like you noticed at the Hess refinery. There are different additive packages to a particular brand, but the stock fuel is all the same.

 

well.......

unless you're in the southeastern US and buying gas at a shell station its all the same. shell apparently had a "SNAFU" in their recent formula. the gas was killing fuel pumps in cars that used it. i believe this happened last weekend. other than shutting down all the shell gas stations in the SE i don't know what other actions shell took for the damage the gas caused to car owners. bummer.

 

Really, I want to know more, have a link? I use shell that's why. Although I'm in the SW.

 

It only affected a area of South Broward and North Dade. I'm in SW Dade (West of City of Miami) and we weren't affected. Try www.herald.com.

 

thank god I was in orlando that weekend

 

check the "Sulfer Shuts 500 Shell. Texco Stations" post in the Automotive News forum on this site.......

 

Seems to be that way.

However, the additive packages are important.

Also, SOME discount stations that seem to have way-too-low prices may be getting less than optimal gas. IOW, stick to a station that you know – if possible. If you’re on the road -- good luck. Many years ago, I left Lost Vegas headed across country and got some really BAD gas. It was loaded with water and there was just enough gas mixed in to keep the car sputtering until I could purge the tank with fresh gas.

Useful link (where the quoted sections below came from):

http://vettenet.org/octane.html

A few vignettes:

I've noticed better performance with 100-octane 76 mixed in with 91-octane Shell. Now that my corner Shell station is undergoing renovations, I've noticed less punch with the Mobil 91 sold on a nearby corner. The nearest Chevron seems to be OK. Maybe it’s the station?


Chevron note of possible interest:

Link: http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuel...cessbig3.shtml

 

Gasoline is gasoline. The difference is the additives. Use a brand name with good detergents. This is critical with fuel injection. Nothing will screw up the drivability faster than a gummy or clogged injector.

Some of the real el cheapo stations have all kinds of junk in their tanks. Some from neglect and some on purpose. I've heard of stations buying cheap waste oil and mixing it in the tanks to lower the cost (to them) of the gas they sell. With gas prices where they are now, there may be more of a tendency for some unethical stations to do more of this.

 

Don't matter to me. I buy whatever is cheaper. Gas is gas. Except the shaddy in the middle of nowhere back country road ones. I don't have any by me.

 

Though I buy Hess (full service-NJ, cheapest name brand and all), I totally agree. So long as my car isnt sputtering or knocking, the gas I get is doing the job.

 

This saturday's star had the article in which shell was reimbursing vehicle owners whose car were damaged with their gas. They aren't reimbursing any owners here in Canada, but there was damage done.

here is the article:

"Shell pays drivers for tainted gas
Sulphur harms gas gauges in Florida
Canadians denied help for problem


TONY VAN ALPHEN
BUSINESS REPORTER

Oil giant Shell is reimbursing motorists in Florida for fuel gauge repairs made necessary by contaminated gasoline, something its Canadian subsidiary wouldn't do here last year.

An official for Shell Oil's refiner in the United States has confirmed it will start sending cheques today to customers who complained about faulty gauges after buying gas containing corrosive elemental sulphur from the company and Texaco.

Johan Zaayman, a spokesperson for refiner Motiva Enterprises, said yesterday Shell has received more than 9,000 claims for the cost of repairs in less than a week from customers in Florida and nearby states after the company acknowledged a problem.

"We're accepting claims from customers to get reimbursed for the cost of the repairs of the gas gauges," Zaayman said in a telephone interview from Motiva's offices in Houston.

"The cheques will begin to go out tomorrow (Friday)," Zaayman said.

In the last week, hundreds of Shell, Chevron and Texaco service stations have sold gas with traces of elemental sulphur, which quickly corrodes the contacts on sending units in tanks and, in turn, triggers faulty gauge readings.

Motorists have run out of gas and stalled when fuel gauges read full but tanks were actually empty.

Like Shell, Chevron says it has set up a special customer hotline and will cover the cost of repairs. Costs could range from $300 to $600 (U.S.), dealers say.

The reaction by Shell in the United States differs from how the company handled customers in the Toronto region last spring and summer.

A Shell official in Canada said yesterday the company handled customers appropriately here by sending them to their dealers for reimbursement of expenses.

"When we learned of the problem, we co-operated with our mutual partners (the auto industry) to understand it," said Simone Marler, manager of public affairs for Shell Canada Products.

"We then added an ingredient to our gasoline. We directed our customers to their dealers for assistance. Our goal was to make sure our mutual customers were looked after. And they were. The issue has been resolved."

Marler said she was unaware of the circumstances in the U.S. incident.

Unsuspecting motorists bought gas tainted with elemental sulphur at Toronto-area Shell and Petro-Canada service stations in the spring and summer of 2003. They got inaccurate gauge readings and stalling, a safety hazard on busy roads.

After a lengthy investigation, Shell and Petro-Canada concluded months later their gas contained elemental sulphur.

The two oil companies denied responsibility for the faulty fuel gauges. They stressed their products exceeded industry and government standards.

At one point, a Petro-Canada official said General Motors was responsible because it used an inferior part, but later the oil company said it wasn't sure what the problem was.

Shell sent customers back to their dealers, primarily GM, for reimbursement of repairs. But many customers expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment by dealers and GM's refusal to pay for repairs.

A Star investigation showed that GM had encourntered the problem in 2000 in parts of Canada and the United States.

GM sent a notice to customers warning them about the problem and corrective action but it did not issue a recall.

It redesigned the fuel sensors so they could tolerate elemental sulphur. However, the company only started using the new sensors in models last year. GM confirmed it accelerated the installation of the redesigned part in more models late last year.

The investigation found GM notified dealers on how to handle customers in last year's incident, but the company never warned customers.

Earlier this year, GM offered a free oil change and a Petro-Canada cash card worth a total of about $55 to customers who had gauge problems.

In Tampa yesterday, Skip Greaney, fixed operations manager at Gordon Chevrolet, said the number of repairs of fuel gauges in his shop shot up to 42 in May and 10 to 12 in the first two days of this month. There were only nine similar repairs in the first four months of the year, he added. "There's been a huge spike," he said.

Meanwhile, two women from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who say the sulphur in the gasoline damaged their cars, have filed a lawsuit against Shell Oil Co. and Motiva, alleging the companies violated state law by engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices. Shell owns half of Motiva.

The lawsuit says the companies "knew or reasonably should have known" that the gasoline with the sulphur would have damaged the vehicles but they continued selling the fuel to motorists."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...=1086300609655

 

Interesting article Baby. I hope it didn't make it over to Louisiana.

 

Thanks chopper just like to inform fellow members regarding things that can affect our cars

 

That is all over the news here in FL. However that is more of a quailty control mistake. I really don't think it was intentional. And it only effected a small % of Sun stations.

 

i always use amoco/bp stations, 93 of course

 

Wierd... how come the oil company does not market or at least explain to the consumers what kind of additive it uses that makes its gas brand better!

 

Chevron Techron.
Texaco System 3.
Amoco Gold.

just off the top of my head

 

Since all gasolines, at least here in central FL. come from the same refinery the differences are not so great. Its just the additives that make the difference. That's why I carry Amsoil PI in the trunk.