LS WON

I like Chevron the best. Shell is just too expensive here.

cochran218

My mechanic for all repairs or service is a Corvette owner himself. He has told me many times to use only Chevron in my Corvettes ( I have had 6 so far, the latest being a C6 convertible). It's a matter of pay now or really pay later!

SASprof

i'm no expert on gas quality, but, in my area, arco stations are cramped, filthy, and disgusting, they do not accept credit cards, only debit cards, and you can't pay at your own pump. you have to go to a central island to pay, sometimes wait in line, and punch in your pump number. why would i put up with all that to put inferior gas in my car and save a few cents.

xs650

The debit card fee also eats up most of the savings.

pmarone

Care to back that up?

pmarone

Thanks for the info

Nifty C6

I think the folks at ARCO will. Suggest you go directly to them at:

http://www.arcogas.com/contactus/

pmarone

Then I call on your

VET4LES

PappyTinker

I thought that I read someplace that the reason that many companies are not on the "Top Tier" list is that not all grades of their gas have the additive package needed to qualify. The premium grade may be equivalent and the mid or regular grade may not.

Anyone have any more information on this?

LS WON

Plus I remember some ARCO stations had the pump nozzles on the sides of pumps so either side could get to them in which case I can easily see a fight for gas pumps...GAS WAR

AJ75

All interesting, but lets look at this from an engineers point of view and back it up with data. 'My buddy told me or chevy mechanic' who probably does not thoroughly understand the dynamics of gasoline and cleansing agents is not data, just heresay. I believe a lot of what i've read here is sales hype. Cheveron is the best, BP is the best, etc. Prove it.

LS WON

After getting 8 new fuel injectors for my 5.0 my mechanic told me to stay away from Arco. That's good enough for me.

brianz

Union 76 is owned by Chevron, summer of 05, oh and I wont use Arco in my lawn mower ...

LS WON

I thought I had heard about this Chevron buying Union 76.

AJ75

we aren't the only ones.. interesting

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...5;t=002231;p=0

LS WON

Let's not forget Costco gas as it changes all the time. Prices are alot less too.
They get whatever gas is the cheapest that day or whatever is available. It is not consistent though every batch of gas is different no matter where you get it.

LDB

From an oil company engineer, as I’ve said in other posts, there’s at least one, and usually two differences from brand to brand. The “always there” difference is the additive package, which controls engine deposits. The top tier brands are best in that regard. The additive package is the whole basis of the top tier designation. Once you are top tier, there is little difference among the brands. One package might be a smidgen better on intake valves, but another will be slightly better on injectors. There is no universally best package. The most publicized one, Chevron’s Techron, is just as good as the other top tier brands, but as stated two sentences ago, there is no such thing as universally best. Actually, the strategy one guy mentioned in his post, namely to rotate among the top tier brands, might conceivably keep his engine a smidgen cleaner than sticking with one brand.

The difference which is usually there (I’ll get to the exceptions in the next paragraph) is the source of the base gasoline. Usually, from the minors and independents, it comes from the low bidder. Usually, from the majors, it comes from their own refineries, or from exchange arrangements with other major refineries (an exchange arrangement means that due to better supply chain logistics, company “A” supplies company “B” stations in one city, in exchange for the reverse in another city). If things are properly under control, there is little difference in the base stock, whether from a major or “source X”. But quality control is generally better in the majors. Obviously, you can have isolated incidents where the majors blow it. And just as obviously, most of the time, there is nothing wrong with the base stock in the minors and independents. But if you believe in playing the odds, you’re better off sticking with the majors.

There are areas of the country (Atlanta being the best large city example) that are served almost exclusively from what are called common carrier pipelines. This means that all the gasoline base stocks from all the refineries arrive in one pipeline, and it is all mixed and mingled. Thus, the base stock is all the same in such areas, whether Chevron, Shell, Costco, or 7-11. But even in those areas, since the additive packages are mixed in by the delivery tank trucks, there is still the additive difference in such areas. And unless you have direct and specific knowledge of the distribution system in your area, you cannot rely on “good old boy” talk that it all comes from the same pipe in your particular area.

Gburg

BP / Amoco and Shell gets my vote for good fuel. No Chevrons in central Ohio. Wasn't Chevron formed when the Feds broke up old Standard Oil? And created Amoco, Standard Oil of Indiana, SOHIO, etc.

What gas does Speedway sell?

Gburg

su8pack1

The history channel has a good show on gas. They all pretty much use each others gas as it enters and exits the line along the way to distribution points. Once they take it from the line that's when each company adds its little secret ingredient, detergents, etc.