I've had a jeep grand cherokee for five years now and i've always filled up my gas tank at Arco gas stations here in So. Cal. The average person might think that Arco is cheap gas but i've talked to many a mechanic & car buffs and they say that all gas is essentially the same (since it must be inspected & approved for quality before it can be sold).

I'm gettting a 2004 TL next month and with out a doubt i will be filling it up with 91 octane but do u guys who know about Arco ....what do u guys think of using Arco gas to save some $$$ since the price of gas is high. I wanna keep my new TL in top shape but i'm not into paying more for something that is essentially the same.

Your advice would be much appreciated.....thanx.

 

you know my friend has a gas station...GULF...and he tells me not to fill gas at a place where it's expensive because it's the same stuff at GULF, EXXON, MOBIL, BP, SHELL and so forth...But for some odd reason, I can't seem to believe that...this is a very interesting topic and would definitely like to hear feedback from others...does it really make a difference WHERE you buy the gas from?

 

that's exactly why i'm hopping the fellas on the message board give us their opinions/knowledge.

 

From what I have read on other threads, it's important to buy gas from busy gas stations. They are constantly refilling the tanks and the gas is fresh. I currently buy from Costco (93 grade and 10-15 cents cheaper per gallon) and about every 10th time I fill-up from a name brand gas. Exxon or Chevron. They add additional additives that help keep the engine cleaner. I'm no expert but that's my two cents worth.

 

so basically the HIGH END Gas stations add additives for the car that can possibly improve the performance and functionality of the car...then in my opinion, i think it's better to get gas from these HIGH END gas stations all the tim....I always get my gas from Exxon or Mobil and it's the highest octane level...I believe 93 or it might be 91...I just say SUPER (SUPREME) lol...a full tank costs around 23-24 bucks...not bad compared to the other cars...if you think about it realistically then you get this figure...you fill your gas about 4 times a month...if you go with CHEAP gas, you will save let's say about 1-2 dollars per FILL UP...so that means you save around 4-8 bucks per month...but multiply that by 12 months so you end up saving around 50-100 bucks a year...and to be honest, that's nothing...if the car costs around 35k-40k, do you really think 50-100 bucks a year IS A BIG DIFFERENCE? i don't think so...so that's my mentality about gas...i think it's always better to put SUPER GASOLINE FROM HIGH END GAS STATIONS rather than some unknown ones...not saying that COSTCO is bad or anything so don't get me wrong...but living on the EAST COAST, i've never seen COSTCO with gas lol...I saw it in Phoenix when I was there and I was surprised but this is just my opinion...that's all...we all have different situations that we need to look at and then make a decision what is best for the car as well as yourself...

 

The highest octane gas I have seen in America is at:

SUNOCO

Only available in limited states... I knowe the northeast.


94 Octane is the highest they sell (not 93)

 

Arizona and California (and maybe some other states) require a special blend of gasoline with MTBE to burn in the summer when ozone levels are high because of the climate and bad air levels. Even Costco and Sam's Club has to sell that type of gasoline here. I've used Arco when I lived in California and use Costco here. Haven't noticed any difference in operating my '01 MDX using both of those brands although one can't tell what is going on inside the engine. Time to trade it???

 

NO You are wrong.. Sunoco discontinued the 94 Octane. Now the highest Sunoco sells is 93 Octane. Ask them and you will see. If some stations still have 94 it is because they are depleting their last supply. This took effect on October 31, 2003.

 

i've heard all gas is the same in CA, but that's not necessarily the case for other states

 

Every gas company starts out with the same gas. But it’s what they do with it after that. Chevron for instance adds stuff to their gas to help keep the injectors clean. That’s who I use.

 

and shell waters their gas down

 

Being from Texas and talking to people in the oil bidness....

All gas is the same at the refinery. In fact, all oil companies sell to others since they do not want to ship all over the place when they can buy the same stuff from someone else.

It is after they put it in the tanker truck when it changes. They add their secret ingrediants, which is mostly cleaners. Buy the cheapest gas from any station EXCEPT for (as someone else pointed out) someone who does not sell a lot of gas. It is not that the gas goes bad, but you might be at the end of the tank and can pick up water and sludge.

I have had a friend fill up at one of these stations and his car stalled right outside the gas station. Seemed he pumped about a gallon of water into his tank with the 15 gallons of gas.

 

On what basis or facts do you make that statement? Up here, Shell had been advertising that their gas will get you better MPGs. They wouldn't be able to make that statement if they "watered" down the gas.

 

OK JEEZ I AM WRONG! Sorry

I know Sunoco DID sell 94 octane as a "4th" grade of gas... it did seem they started advertising it less and less, leaving it off the signs even.

Why did they stop it? I did notice awesome performance from my old car when I used it!!

 

I use Mobil and Exxon (same company anyway)

With my old car i got REALLY bad performance with Texaco and Shell (also same now sort of).

Chevron is supposed to be good with Techron (whatever that is) but there are none around here.

I also got REAL bad results with Amoco... but got OK results with BP... and now Amoco and BP merged but the fuel is supposedly Amoco.

I don't knopw what they do or do not do with these gasses but I do know my results vary... and not depending on station.. all stations I use are very busy.

Mike

 

Read one of my 3 post in the 3 generation TL part.
I think its the 2nd or 3rd post I made the topic is fuel additives.
If you read it you will find out about gas what I learned about gas brands in a class I took. Also one of our local Washington D.C. news channels did a report this past summer & they said about the same thing. The got there facts from the Petro Industry & other goverment agencies that deal with that stuff.

 

Ok heres the scoop on Sunoco 94 Octane: Evidently only some states still will have it so far but they are phaseing it out state by state. Heres an email I received from Sunoco after I inquired:

The States of NY and CT have banned the use of MTBE in motor fuels. By 1/1/04 all MTBE must be out of gasoline in those states. MTBE had been used for about 25 years as an effective octane enhancing hydrocarbon. At this point in time, without MTBE, we cannot cost-effectively produce a 94 octane fuel.

PA and NJ have not banned MTBE so we will continue to offer a 94 octane fuel in those states.

If you have additional questions, feel free to reply to this email.

Mike Miller
Sunoco Product Development
MMILLER@sunocologistics.com

 

I wrote back to Sunoco and I inquired about other states. This is the email response I received:

California as a state will also ban it 1/1/04. As usual they had some delays in passing the bill. Some areas in CA had seen MTBE removed before, however.

It is hard to say what will happen nation-wide. Parts of the recent Energy Bill may affect the future of MTBE since it has implications for ethanol, another oxygenated hydrocarbon that often competes with MTBE.

I would agree that NJ may follow suit at some point in time but right now there is nothing firm, so it could be years.

Keep in mind I don't get involved with legislation - my background is mostly technical - so I my info on CA and NJ may not be dead-on. I'm sure a search of those states' web sites would net some kind of update on where they stand re. MTBE. You may not know that we don't market fuel in CA.

Because we distribute much of our fuel from the Philadelphia area, the actions of NY and CT have effects on our distribution system to the states north of NY & CT. After 1/1/04 we will be converting those states (MA, RI, VT, NH, ME) to Ultra 93 as well. We are doing them later because we have to make sure that NY and CT are done - all old fuel gone - by 1/1.

Thanks for asking,
Mike / Sunoco

 

That's nice that they took the time to write back that's for sure.

What is so bad about this MTBE?

I DO like that 94 octane...When I get to it... no Sunoco around here.... It is not a real national brand... sort of like HESS and GETTY.

 

MTBE is carcinogenic, highly, and is leaching out of the tanks and contaminatng the soil. Sort of funny that the environmentalists demanded that is get removed, because they are the ones that demanded it (or chemicals that affect the same change) get added in the first place.

 

Two thoughts:

Personally, I don't buy gas at Arco stations because they don't allow me to pay at the pump using my credit card. Gas is the cheapest (in inflation-adjusted dollars) as it has ever been in history, so it's not worth the my time to walk back and forth into the station and stand in line while Jose tries to find the Chesterfield Kings for Joe Sixpack standing in line in front of me.

Also, the gas may be pretty much the same going into the underground tank, but coming out it might be a different story depending on how well the station maintains its equipment. Who needs a tank full of water, rust, and who knows what else?

 

Uh, no, they don't. MTBE has been phasing out for months now.

 

I worked for Bechtel in Northern California and one of our projects was a retrofit of a Shell Oil refinery in Martinez, CA. This $1 billion dollar "Clean Fuels" project involved the additive MTBE which has now been criticized because it is toxic and harmful to humans. Most of the major refineries in the SF Bay area did the same thing in the name of "cleaner burning" fuel. The signs on the pumps at the stations I frequent, still have the MTBE label. There is a movement to ban MTBE, I think someone posted above, as early as 2004. It ain't good stuff -- kind of like methol, ethol death.

 

So would u guys fill up at places like Arco which proclaims good quailty fuel at reduced costs or is there a difference in going to a mobil or exxon (do they really have better/cleaner fuel)?

 

this is what i learned from a Gas Special on the History Channel.

Gas is just gas. Most of the gas comes from texas and they usually have 1 or 2 pipelines to certain cities. For example, there is a pipeline from tx to los angeles. All the refineries make their gas (shell, arco, exon, chevron etc). They take their gas to the pipe station and put it into the pipeline. Whatever amount they put in, they are credited on the other end. So if shell puts in 10k gallons, and arco puts in 5k gallons. Arco gets to take out 5k gallons in los angeles, and at this point they don't know if it's either arco gas or shell gas. The main difference is at the holding station in Los Angeles, each company has their own section which they add their additives to make their gas more unique or expensive. So bottom line if u buy 92 gas from rotton robbie or 92 gas from shell, u are only missing the additives. If you guys don't believe that there is only one pipeline, remember when the pipeline broke down a few months ago in phoniex, and gas prices were sky high??

as for me, i just use the most expensive gas at costco.

 

This is exactly what I said frebay this is like the report one of our local Washington D.C. news channel did this summer.
The additive packages are put in at a holding station for the oil companies some have more stuff than others.

 

Therefore since it seems to come down to additives ONLY then do those additives really effect the cars performance or the longitivity of the engine life?

 

i dont like mobil it loosens residue in the line and clogs my fuel injectors.

 

After your car get about 7,500 miles on it Nicki put a can of BG44K into the gas tank. This is what the ACURA dealer will put in your the tank at your 15,000 mlie service.
This stuff does work & you can by it over the counter at ACURA.
This is the website www.bgprod.com & just click BG Consumer you will see the 44k.