Is all gasoline create equal?

According to everything I've seen, read, and heard (and learned about from my dad, who spent 25 years with Mobile Oil) the only difference between the gas at an Exxon station and the local mom and pop joint is the additives they put in. As long as you're at a big name gas station, the stuff is probably 99% identical.

-R

 

Robin is correct. There is only one way to make gasoline. (It has something to do with cracking oil molecules.) Different companies put in different additives, but the value of these additives is somewhat doubtful.

However, freshness does count. Due to all the junk that they put in gas now-a-days, it can start going bad in about 30 to 60 days. This is why buying at a high volume station is important. If you have an occasional driver, (having multiple trickle chargers running in your garage is a sign that you need help) this is why it pays to drive it around the block every month or so and then top off with some more fresh gas.

Dale

 

Robin is right on target, from what I've read (not on the Internet) all the stations get their gas from large distillation facilities, the tanker drivers put in their special cocktail of additives\ detergents, then top off their trucks thereby mixing the contents. So most gas is basically the same hydrocarbon makeup.
But I don't know if these additives are what's responsible for the higher octane rating like 87, 90 or 93, maybe another F- Chatter has better knowledge on that.

BUT !! What is mostly important is that NEVER-EVER gas up your car when the tanker is at the station filling up the underground storage tanks, the turbulence of the filling process stirs up the crud/water from the bottom, which you then pump right into your expensive car.

Go to another station if you can, or wait till the next day after all is settled.

Happy motoring
Mark

 

everyone is basically correct. I priced gasoline for 500+ 7-eleven stores in TX and East Coast and our supplier was Citgo where I also worked. All gas is the same from various refineries up to the rack then the brands put in their additives. Most cars don't need additives and detergents, but a study done by a coworker who worked for Tosco a big refinery said that Chevron was rated the best in tests they did. No data on that, but I believe him. The UST's (underground storage tanks) have filters on them to catch the crud, but stuff can get through usually water. If the pump is pumping really slow it is usually because it is filtering out alot of water. All tanks have some water in them. Go to a high volume station for fresh gas and Friday is the busiest day of the week so if you fill up sat morning you get fresh gas that has settled down.

 

Buy the cheapest gas you can find from a high-volume retailer (for freshness). I generally buy from Costco and have never had a problem.

 

Some 25 years ago I owned a Phillips 66 and the fuel delivered was from the same truck the Amoco across the street got theirs from. They usually filled the tanks very early in the AM so no one would see this. Averaged around 135 gals of water in a 3500 gal delivery. Took around 3 days before it settled out so I could pump it out of the tanks. Stored the water in 55 gal drums and made the refinery pick it up, and sure enough they charged me for haz. waste removal.
Dave