Tier 1 Gasoline is a scam? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ps2cho · #1 05-29-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

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 percent of the time it was. “There’s little difference between brand-name gas and any other,” says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom.

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.

Anybody else agree with this?

source: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/107117/10-Things-Gas-Stations-Won%27t-Tell-You?mod=family-autos

Mike D · #2 05-29-2009, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ps2cho

Anybody else agree with this?

source: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/107117/10-Things-Gas-Stations-Won%27t-Tell-You?mod=family-autos

Yup, the days of "Sunoco 260" are loooonnnnggg gone! The main difference now is the quality of the local stations' storage tanks. Gas is gas. Go to any refinery. You'll see a line of tankers waiting to fill from the same pipeline. Shell, 7-11, Amoco, etc. The drivers drop in their little packet of dye and "additives" and off they go. It's the norm to see a "no-name" transport dropping its load into a name brand service station.

As a side note, why is it when we brewed ethanol from corn and put it into US and drove we got arrested? Now, we put it in our cars and we are being "green"? Sigh, life is funny like that, I suppose.

ps2cho · #3 05-29-2009, 10:15 PM

Man I hate it when no names drop their loads in my station.

All seriousness, guess I'll fill up from Arco from now onwards! Would it even be worth running a bottle of Techron through every 1000 miles or so?

Hatterasguy · #4 05-29-2009, 10:15 PM

Thats how it works, high volume stations are the best to purchase from, they have a high turn over. Which usualy means cheap gas.

I talked to an engineer a few years back that designed additive packages for gas, he pretty much said its all BS. He said that what you want to do is buy all different brands because they pretty much clean eachother out.

I have always bought the cheapist gas I can find and don't notice a difference.

Larry Delor · #5 05-29-2009, 10:21 PM

Makes me curious about Diesel fuel.

Hatterasguy · #6 05-29-2009, 10:22 PM

Same thing, it all comes out of the same pipe.

Emmerich · #7 05-30-2009, 12:41 AM

There are something like 29 different formulations in the US for regular. Diffretn areas have different requirements, most metro areas have more crap added, supposed to be cleaner but makes cars run like ****.

And this doesn't include that joke of a chemical called ethanol....

cmbdiesel · #8 05-30-2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Same thing, it all comes out of the same pipe.

Exactly.

Oracle12345 · #9 05-30-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Same thing, it all comes out of the same pipe.

almost true except for the additivies they add to the gas. for example 91 and 93 octane is the same as 87 in regards where it initially comes from but when it comes to the refinerys the amount of additives added to gasoline is different when comes to 87,91 93. Each gas grade is designed to ignite at different times. Premium gas is designed to ignite later than 87. Thats why if you put premium gas in a car that should be taking regular it will knock. However on the newer cars knock sensors pick this up and retard the engine timing via pcm.

Jim H · #10 05-30-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oracle12345

...Thats why if you put premium gas in a car that should be taking regular it will knock.

Other way around, eh?

Oracle12345 · #11 05-30-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim H

Other way around, eh?

try it some time. Put premium gas in a car that should take regular it will ping/knock. Ive done it before and the engine pinged/knocked.

cmbdiesel · #12 05-30-2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oracle12345

try it some time. Put premium gas in a car that should take regular it will ping/knock. Ive done it before and the engine pinged/knocked.

Pretty near every gasoline car on the road should be using RUG. Premium is unhealthy for most engines, and is a total scam. Unless you have built the motor or bought something with very high compression, you have no need for premium.

Premium will knock less, not more, as a general rule. Your experience may be due to unusual circumstances.

suginami · #13 05-30-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ps2cho

Anybody else agree with this?

source: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/107117/10-Things-Gas-Stations-Won%27t-Tell-You?mod=family-autos

I don't agree with this.

My dad worked for Union Oil (Unocal) his whole working life from age 18 to retirement, and was in charge of their refinery operations for a time.

Even though a refinery will supply gasoline for the different brands, the formula and amount of their detergents that each brand calls for is different, so yes, you do get what you pay for.

Hatterasguy · #14 05-30-2009, 01:09 PM

They just call it premium to make you think its better. You only need a higher octane if you have a car with a high compression engine, like a Mercedes. Run whatever octane the car calls for, most need only 87.

Gas is all marketing, people's imaginations fill in the rest.

suginami · #15 05-30-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

They just call it premium to make you think its better. You only need a higher octane if you have a car with a high compression engine, like a Mercedes. Run whatever octane the car calls for, most need only 87.

Gas is all marketing, people's imaginations fill in the rest.

No, premium is the name that is used to designate 91 octane, and it's the additive package that makes gasoline different.