I always thought the whole top tier gas thing was a bunch of advertising BS, and just read this -

10 things gas stations won't tell you

"My gas isn't better for your car; it's just more expensive."

Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition's. Chevron's gas, for example, is fortified with Techron, and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today, more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don't tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994, the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging.

State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state's gas supply was up to snuff, and 99% of the time it was.

"There's little difference between brand-name gas and any other," AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom says.

What's more, your local Chevron station may sell gas refined by Shell or Exxon Mobil. Suppliers share pipelines, so they all use the same fuel. And the difference between the most expensive brand-name gas and the lowliest gallon of no-brand fuel? Often just a quart of detergent added to an 8,000-gallon tanker truck.

 

While they do have minimum detergent requirements,the different brands add their own to that standard.Pretty sure someone in this day and age would have nailed them for false advertising by now if they cannot back up their claims.However it is true that off brand gas stations buy their fuel from major oil refineries.I t is also true that they share oil/gas transport pipes but they feed the companies own plants where they further refine it to their specs.

 

Fuel is Fuel. Comes out of the same pipeline for different regions of the country.

All refineries no matter what the name on the refinery is dump their fuel into a common pipeline to a common distribution center ( tank farm) to that area of the country.

if you see a BP station on one corner, a Citgo on an other corner and a Hess a block down the street, Prices may very a bit, but fuel is fuel, It all comes from the same fuel depot and fuel pipe line.

Additives are put in at each station and in many cases that 10% Etoh is also added.

Go with the highest volume, low price leader to get the freshest fuel.

I tend to use Hess or Sheetz.

Fuel pipe line info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipeline_transport

Here is the Colonial pipe line map for all fuel in the SE USA ( not FL )

http://www.colpipe.com/ab_map.asp

 

Down load your map for areas of the county here

http://www.rextagstrategies.com/downloads#2

 

I've never had any problems using off brand gas in any of my cars - they all contain the additives/detergents that keep things running well.

 

We have a distribution center near in S.C. and all the local stations get there supply there,all the same.

 

BS or not, my car runs significantly better now that I only use Shell gasoline. When I bought the car, I started out using Wawa super, and the car ran poorly, and I had the problematic fuel gauge. It was so bad that I started out looking for other problems with the car, not even thinking that fuel could be the problem. Ever since I switched I've had zero issues. Night and day difference.

Take it or leave it, think what you will, but I'll stick with top tier.

 

Unless the detergents in the fuel are combustable, I avoid gas with a lot of detergents. Generally speaking, they're usually more expensive (Shell V-power, Techron etc)

Look at it this way: If for every one gallon of gas you buy you get say 10% detergent, that means you're only getting 90% actual fuel per gallon. Less combustable fuel per gallon not only hurts your milage but robs you of horsepower since 10% of what's being sprayed into the combustion chamber won't ignite.

I'm convinced part of the reasoning for all this additive has to do with the ethanol BS that's being put into our gas. Ethanol's corrosive properties actually degrades the fuel system (especially in C4 and earlier cars, but in C5's as well) This is the cause for most fuel system failures in cars today and the logic that oil companies and congress use to sell their detergents. Most of the gas stationsn around here have 10% ethanol. Back to our assumed 10% detergent mix, This means i'm only gettin 80% petrol per gallon.

 

I once purchased off beat gas and noticed my fuel gauge had the problem of reading wrong. I got some techron and Chevron gas and did not have the problem again. These stations are just a few blocks away.

-Alex

 

I used to manage the Hess station in Little Ferry NJ. After sticking the tanks I would call in for a fuel delivery. When the tanker came from Bogota NJ he would go around the Little Ferry Circle to....."Big Johns Gasoline" and fill him up too ! And he would sell the same gas for a few cents less !

 

They add a few gallons or so per tanker. That's not 10% If they wanted 10% detergent, they'd need a separate tanker just for detergent.

I use Shell V-power for these reasons:
1) Our only top tier stations around here are Shell and Chevron.
2) Chevron gas smells like sulfur (a fart) when it burns.
3) I have a Shell card that nets 5% off gasoline purchases and 1% off other purchases, which usually amounts to about one tank of gas free per month.
4) I know where I got the gas if I ever have a problem. 98% of the time (unless I'm on a long trip), I use the same station to fill up.

 

Shell now has nitrogen in its gas - kinda like a milder version of nitrous oxide

I normally use Shell, Arco, or Mobile-Exxon with Arco almost always the least expensive.

 

I usually use,in this order....
Shell
Hess
Wawa
Sunoco
and any other if needed

 

Interesting discussion.

I have no doubt that the gasoline itself is largely the same regardless of the vendor -- and the idea of going with the highest-volume dealer is intriguing, but...

I am one of the dozens on this Forum whose gas gauge problem went away when I added Techron to a couple tanks. Also, I noticed that with the cheaper gas the problem comes back quicker than if I use Shell V-Power, which apparently has pretty good additives but not the Techron (unfortunately, no Texaco or Chevron stations around here).

So, if I did not suffer the gas gauge problem I'd confidently use the cheapest gas (with 91+ octane) I could get. But for the time being, it's Shell....

 

Not really since it's the oxide part in NO2 that makes your car run like a raped ape the N part is just there to reduce the mixtures reactivity(tenancy to burn/explode) as no one in their right mind would drive around with a tank full of oxygen in their trunk.

I spoke with one of my best friends who is a petroleum engineer for Petro-Canada here and he works at the scottsford upgrader. He didn't understand the benefit of added nitrogen but said that it may be in combination with other additives for more detergent properties.


To the OP,

Yes all gas comes from refineries and some refineries produce their own fuel as well as fuel for other stations, however you are dead wrong if you think that no-name brand cheaper fuels have the same detergents as Shell, Chevron, Petro-Canada, Sunoco etc. I can tell you for a fact that they don't and that's why they cost less money.

In AB, Name brand refineries supply to all the mom and pop gas stations however their fuel is mixed in a separate tank from the regular station mix, and less additives are mixed in, which reduces the cost per litre.

I've worked around oil most of my life....it's a pretty big topic for discussion and since I have many friends that are Petroleum Engineers and who work for different oil comp. the discussion often becomes heated.

But it's still your $$$$$ if you want to run no-name gas it's your call. Goodluck with your fuel sending unit

 

 

In my area I see where nearly all the stations have the "May contain 10% ethanol" on their pumps. I usually spread my three vehicles around to "Race-Track, WalMart/Sams, and Chevron," and periodically add an extra bottle of Techron to all three, so far no problems. The Corvette is the only vehicle I put premium (93 octane) in. Oil companies will always have the upper hand, gasoline is the “crack” of the auto industry.

 

When I stop at a station that has etoh added, I notice on my next fill up, the Pick-up's millage drops from 19.5 to 14.5 mpg

 

I haven't seen a gas pump without "May contain 10% ethanol" in years.

 

I live in Florida, we just started adding Ethanol in the last year. I travel to NJ several times per year, and they have been using the 10% $hit for several years. My mileage with out a doubt dropped since the ethanol mix. As far as top tier goes I had gas gauge trouble with using Sam's Club, so its only Shell or Chevron for my baby.