What is good gas for the car?

[Cilia]

DH is a scientist, which means he wants scientific proven statistics for anything I say . He has this idea that "cheap gas" is not good for the car, and pretty much only fills up at Chevron. Good gas for DH is Chevron, Shell and maybe some other company. DH prefers Chevron because it is an American company.

So... Is there such a thing as good gas or bad gas for a car? Is gas from the cheap place around the corner really bad for the car or is it just as good for the car as expensive gas from Chevron? Will filling up with cheap gas eventually cause more wear on the car and will it eventually run worse than it would have on the more expensive kind?

Is DH just full of it?

 

[robbertbobbert]

I have no idea. I'm sure somebody else knows.

BUT... I can't afford to care which is better for my car at times like these! Gas is outrageous even at its cheapest.

 

[Cilia]

I have no idea. I'm sure somebody else knows.

BUT... I can't afford to care which is better for my car at times like these! Gas is outrageous even at its cheapest.

I agree. I drove past kind of where you live today and I kept my fingers crossed for making it across the border to OR before I absolutely had to fill up. The cheapest up in WA is the most expensive down here in OR...

 

[robbertbobbert]

I agree. I drove past kind of where you live today and I kept my fingers crossed for making it across the border to OR before I absolutely had to fill up. The cheapest up in WA is the most expensive down here in OR...

It's AWFUL. I'm hearing rumors that it's supposed to go up 40 cents a gallon OVERNIGHT tonight. I have no idea why, but I hope it's not true.

 

[TXDani]

Yes there is "bad" gas and "good" gas. Bad gas can leave behind crud that builds up and can cause damage to your car. Some cars also preform better with good gas...like you never want to put "bad" gas in a VW

If you want a more specific answer I can ask my husband tomorrow. He works for an oil company and one of his good friends used to work doing all the gasoline additives for BP and so he knows more than he needs to about gas/oil.

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[QuassEE]

I actually get better gas mileage from both "good" gas and higher octane gas. It makes the prices pretty much the same as cheap gas.

-N.

 

[skiersnowboarder3]

The check engine light comes on in our car every time we fill it up at Sheetz. It doesn't seem to matter as much in the van.

 

[EmmaGrace'sMom]

Yes there is "bad" gas and "good" gas. Bad gas can leave behind crud that builds up and can cause damage to your car. Some cars also preform better with good gas...like you never want to put "bad" gas in a VW

If you want a more specific answer I can ask my husband tomorrow. He works for an oil company and one of his good friends used to work doing all the gasoline additives for BP and so he knows more than he needs to about gas/oil.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org

I would love to know more!

 

[krasota]

I get better mileage in both the Crown Vic and the Buick when I don't buy gas at Sam's. It's a major difference. And that's with just basic 87 octane.

 

[SafeDad]

DH is a scientist, which means he wants scientific proven statistics for anything I say . He has this idea that "cheap gas" is not good for the car, and pretty much only fills up at Chevron. Good gas for DH is Chevron, Shell and maybe some other company. DH prefers Chevron because it is an American company.

So... Is there such a thing as good gas or bad gas for a car? Is gas from the cheap place around the corner really bad for the car or is it just as good for the car as expensive gas from Chevron? Will filling up with cheap gas eventually cause more wear on the car and will it eventually run worse than it would have on the more expensive kind?

Is DH just full of it?

I think back in the 50s, 60s and even 70s, there was a lot of bad gas, gas with too much water, junk, etc. Standards are higher now. In fact, in many areas, your gas simply comes from the nearest refinery, even if the refinery is owned by a different company than the station where you fill up. They simply make it to the minimum specifications. Even on the odd chance the tanker that fills up the station has the same brand name on it, you don't really know where the gas inside was refined. Unless you happen to live really close to a Chevron refinery, I wouldn't assume the gas at a Chevron station is made at a Chevron refinery or comes from a Chevron well. Maybe it does, most likely it doesn't, or at least not all of it. It's likely a mix of gas from all nearby refineries that distribute through a local terminal/storage facility, with any required additives added before it goes to your brand's station. As for the additives, a lot of that is marketing I would guess, but perhaps they are a genuine selling point. You could always buy the cheapest gas available and throw in a bottle of Chevron Techron once or twice a year and still come out ahead;-)

Going to a specific brand's station probably does mean a little bit more of the profits go to that parent company, though. For example, if you don't want to support a dictatorship in Venezuela, you might send a few pennies less to their government by avoiding Citgo stations.

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=gasoline_where

Keep in mind that if you see differences in fuel economy over time from one station to another, it could be differences in the pumps. Most states require them to be within a certain range of accuracy, but a pump that gives you a little less gas for the money can also make a difference.

I used to fill up only at one of a few select major brands for the same line of reasoning that it would be better for the car. Now I generally fill up at Costco or Meijer or whoever is cheapest, assuming that I have no idea who really makes the gas to what quality levels anyway. I have generally avoided BP stations since the gulf incident. Sadly, I'm sure this sentiment hurts the local owners more than the company, but there seemed to be a corporate wide level of negligence, unlike the Exxon fiasco. Too bad, because Amoco used to be my preferred brand years ago before BP bought them, as they were a local Chicago company.

 

[murphydog77]

Take this FWIW, but where I live , there's one pipeline that brings gas here for all the gas stations from Chevron to Shell to Sams to Costco to use. It's those individual companies that take that gas and add their stuff to it to make it "theirs." We buy Costco gas because it's .7 miles away from our house and really, how easy is that?

 

[AustinMusic]

DH is a scientist, which means he wants scientific proven statistics...

So... Is there such a thing as good gas or bad gas for a car? Will filling up with cheap gas eventually cause more wear on the car and will it eventually run worse than it would have on the more expensive kind?

I don’t know too much about gas however I think the answer depends largely on the vehicle or more specifically, the engine and the engine management system.

From a scientific perspective…

Some engines require higher octane fuels, and if such is required, it will be specified in the vehicle owner’s manual. Fuel classed as “high octane” or more commonly ‘premium’ gas, has a higher resistance to pre-ignition/post-ignition. Simply put, it won’t ignite in the cylinder when it is not supposed to do so. Lower octane fuels have less resistance to pre-ignition/post-ignition so may ignite through compression before or after the spark arrives in the cylinder. This results in the engine becoming rough when running and not providing a smooth application of power; technically this is called “knocking”.

An engine can be damaged by “knocking” because the components are essentially being misused as they are not performing their dedicated tasks when they should. Moreover, if the engine is ‘knocking’, when the parts perform their tasks they do so fighting against factors which they should not have to such as uneven temperature or loss of compression. This means the parts can wear out or break. Using a higher octane fuel can help avoid knocking and can prolong the life of an engine by helping it to run smoothly and more efficiently. So in this case, where applicable, the answer is yes - some gasoline is better than others.

Higher octane fuels are identified at the pump by the RON rating; the higher the number - the higher the octane rating. If you do wish to experiment with using different octane fuels, I would think it wise to consult the vehicle owner’s manual to ensure the use of such fuels is permitted and/or approved by the vehicle manufacturer. Nearly always, higher octane fuels will cost more than ‘regular’ fuels.

In terms of gasoline brand evaluation, regrettably I cannot help. There are numerous factors involved in the finance and pricing of gas and I honestly do not know enough about the US system to answer the question with regard to fuel brands. All I can say is that fuel quality standards worldwide are very strict and thus evaluating fuel quality simply by using it in your own vehicle is very difficult without specialist equipment.

I hope this helps answer your question in one way or another and that I haven’t waffled on too much!

 

[TXDani]

I think back in the 50s, 60s and even 70s, there was a lot of bad gas, gas with too much water, junk, etc. Standards are higher now. In fact, in many areas, your gas simply comes from the nearest refinery, even if the refinery is owned by a different company than the station where you fill up. They simply make it to the minimum specifications. Even on the odd chance the tanker that fills up the station has the same brand name on it, you don't really know where the gas inside was refined. Unless you happen to live really close to a Chevron refinery, I wouldn't assume the gas at a Chevron station is made at a Chevron refinery or comes from a Chevron well. Maybe it does, most likely it doesn't, or at least not all of it. It's likely a mix of gas from all nearby refineries that distribute through a local terminal/storage facility, with any required additives added before it goes to your brand's station. As for the additives, a lot of that is marketing I would guess, but perhaps they are a genuine selling point. You could always buy the cheapest gas available and throw in a bottle of Chevron Techron once or twice a year and still come out ahead;-)

Going to a specific brand's station probably does mean a little bit more of the profits go to that parent company, though. For example, if you don't want to support a dictatorship in Venezuela, you might send a few pennies less to their government by avoiding Citgo stations.

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=gasoline_where

Keep in mind that if you see differences in fuel economy over time from one station to another, it could be differences in the pumps. Most states require them to be within a certain range of accuracy, but a pump that gives you a little less gas for the money can also make a difference.

I used to fill up only at one of a few select major brands for the same line of reasoning that it would be better for the car. Now I generally fill up at Costco or Meijer or whoever is cheapest, assuming that I have no idea who really makes the gas to what quality levels anyway. I have generally avoided BP stations since the gulf incident. Sadly, I'm sure this sentiment hurts the local owners more than the company, but there seemed to be a corporate wide level of negligence, unlike the Exxon fiasco. Too bad, because Amoco used to be my preferred brand years ago before BP bought them, as they were a local Chicago company.

This is correct. Gas companies spend billions of dollars on additives for their fuels and these additives and formulas are what can separate the good gas from the bad gas. All fuel has to meet a standard minimum for detergents, additives, etc that they add to their oil before selling it. So while all fuels meet these minimum standards some companies go above and beyond to offer a better product. Motor oil also will all come from the same pipelines but it is what each brand does to the oil once it is theirs to set it apart from the other brands. It's just like carseats...they all have to meet the same minimum standards for testing but some companies go above and beyond these standards. You can use a basic seat or you can buy a seat with extra safety features and hope that it does better than the minimum.
Costco is one of the few companies who regulates their fuel contents and it is pretty impressive...I believe they keep their fuel at 3xs the minimum standard for bleaching/additives which is great. We don't have a Costco close enough to get gas there often but it is a great gas at a good price.

As a total aside regarding boycotting BP. People often don't realize how little this issue had to do with BP. The well was owned by BP, the rig was Transoceans, the BOPs (blow out preventer)were Cameron and the cement job was from Haliburton. These companies may not mean anything to a lot of people but to anyone in Houston you will know these are huge companies in the oil industry. This problem was not a "BP problem"... Haliburtons cement was weak and is what started the whole problem. Transocean didn't follow the proper procedures once the concrete failed which meant that these huge diesel engines continued to run while oil was spewing everywhere. And the Cameron BOPs didn't sheer the pipeline like they should have when the cement failed. So while BP owned the well it wasn't necessarily their problem...it wasn't their rig and it was Transoceans job to make sure it was safely run. After this happened new regulations were put in place for all drilling because they realized that the current rules/regulations did not work for any company.

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[An Aurora]

It drives me crazy that our "premium" here is the same as everyone else's midgrade (90 octane) yet we pay more-than-premium prices. I filled up yesterday at $4.65/gal.

 

[NannyMom]

Yes there is "bad" gas and "good" gas. Bad gas can leave behind crud that builds up and can cause damage to your car. Some cars also preform better with good gas...like you never want to put "bad" gas in a VW

If you want a more specific answer I can ask my husband tomorrow. He works for an oil company and one of his good friends used to work doing all the gasoline additives for BP and so he knows more than he needs to about gas/oil.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org

I would love to know more!

:yeahthat:

 

[Mags462]

I actually get WORSE gas mileage with Shell gas and their lovely additives There is a station literally a block away and i drive to get gas several blocks away b/c the gas mileage sucks that much with Shell gas.

And FWIW i haven't noticed much difference between various brands of gasoline but i never use E-10. I know each state differs in their requirements for labeling and selling.... some states ONLY sell Ethanol gasoline, but here in OK we have choice between 100% gasoline and E10 and each pump must be clearly labeled as to its ethanol content. Both my ford and toyota do terrible when e10 is used.... its a significant difference in performance and gas mileage.

 

[SafeDad]

As a total aside regarding boycotting BP. People often don't realize how little this issue had to do with BP. The well was owned by BP, the rig was Transoceans, the BOPs (blow out preventer)were Cameron and the cement job was from Haliburton. These companies may not mean anything to a lot of people but to anyone in Houston you will know these are huge companies in the oil industry. This problem was not a "BP problem"... Haliburtons cement was weak and is what started the whole problem. Transocean didn't follow the proper procedures once the concrete failed which meant that these huge diesel engines continued to run while oil was spewing everywhere. And the Cameron BOPs didn't sheer the pipeline like they should have when the cement failed. So while BP owned the well it wasn't necessarily their problem...it wasn't their rig and it was Transoceans job to make sure it was safely run. After this happened new regulations were put in place for all drilling because they realized that the current rules/regulations did not work for any company.

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Someone takes the fall, ya know? You own something, ultimately you are responsible for it, even if you have a myriad of sub contractors or other companies maintaining and operating it. If you bought something and didn't realize it was sub standard and continued to own it, that doesn't absolve you of responsibility for it. The buck stops somewhere, both in terms of ownership and consumer spending. If enough people did boycott, then maybe the oil companies will get the message and those sub contractors who may have been initially responsible will start to get less work as a result. Without a boycott of any kind, business goes on as usual.

On a related note, I hate seeing on boxes that something was "Designed and Engineered" somewhere in North America or Western Europe in a prominent spot, but you have to seek out the Made in China designation. This trend is hitting carseats now, like it did electronics a decade or two ago. Of course, it's the factory's fault or a factory supplier's fault when something toxic or poor quality is sent out. I still hold the company to blame if something goes wrong, just for building it somewhere that isn't owned by the company and where they have minimal oversight and language barriers to deal with in regard to making a quality product.

 

[CrazyBoysMamma]

I'm not sure, but I just filled Thursday at Costco which is the cheapest in the area and my vehicle went from averaging 18.5 MPG to 22.2 MPG, so I will be filling at Costco whenever possible!