Costco gas....... yeah or neh

Best post in this thread. Additionally, what differentiates seasonal gasses is the RVP (Reid vapor pressure); lower rvp in the summer and higher in the winter. This is due to the fact that gasoline expands when it's hot so the summer months require a lower RVP (both physically and for purpose of satisfying the EPA mandates). All other variables (end point, gravity, octane and sulfur content) stay the same.

 

shut up knocker who repped me.

the member know's what I was talking about

go pull a tampon out and replace it

 

No not all gas is the same. Don't count on the epa to make sure your gas is good either. Their rules and regulations for gas were made in 1995. I've played with different stations on my motorcycle. I had my friend drive it away, fill up at a station without telling me which. After a year we found the arco, and no name gas stations would get me 95-105 miles per tank (3.3 gal). 76 and Chevron got me 135-145 miles per tank. The bike also ran better with those stations.

I treat my truck like I have all my vehicles since then. The difference in price between arco and chevron tends to be 10-15 cents max. That's an extra 3 bucks per tank, but I have the assurance of a toptier station. Here is some additional info on the subject http://www.toptiergas.com/

 

That's patently false because EPA phased in their requirements for reducing sulfur in years 2004-2007. Rules regarding E15 are still being changed. Nobody ever said EPA's keeping your gas good. Indeed: it is to be increasingly counted on to keep our gas bad, but consistently bad.

1995 is the year they started making rules regarding reformulated gasolines.

Toptier sounds more like a sales gimmick than anything else. Read the words carefully, use some critical reading skills. You don't need to consistently use a gas with a high levels of detergent additive. If it's important to you, just dump in a bottle of fuel system cleaner that contains PEA at oil change and avoid the expense of burning unecessarily expensive gas. That works far better for removing and keeping deposits removed anyway.

But, in the end what's good is what makes you feel good. Enjoy your favorite gasoline! That's the beauty of the free market and why I own stock in cigarette companies even though I'd never put that shite in my mouth.

 

The EPA only dictates the sulfur and rvp of the gas; that has very little to do with the quality. The ASTM sets the standards for measurables like end point, and that was established in the 60's. The EPA also has NOTHING to do with assuring your gas meets all the specified criteria for quality.

Every drop of gas shipped to every station will meet the octane requirement for the grade, the rvp standard for the season, and the ASTM standard for end point. Period.

Want me to really blow your mind? All gas has a little bit of ULSD #2 mixed in with it.

Edit to add: that link is purely marketing bullshit.

 

Did you know the standard octane level in gas in Europe is 95, and that the only other option they have is Plus98? vroom vroom !

 

The EU does not use the same octane rating system as the US... we use an 'average' of the RON and MON. I believe EU uses RON only, but could be wrong.

Also, don't equate octane with 'more powerful gas'. That's another of the incorrect beliefs people have acquired by being educated by advertising.

 

Oh I have no illusion of knowing what I'm talking about. I just like throwing numbers out there like every good pundit out there ;-)

 

I don't know that's entirely fair to say. I have to imagine the increasingly harsh penalties refiners face for failing to meet EPA rules pretty much force refiners to follow stricter quality practices than they might previously. The spin off would be a higher level of quality.

At issue, I suppose, is what constitutes a 'quality' fuel within the permissible range allowed by the rules, ASTM standards and refining technology.

 

Quite a mix of informed and oblivious posts in this thread.

Costco gas is fine. It is always about .20 cheaper than nearby stations. And the 3% rebate with Amex is great. I avoid lines by going at less busy times. And I avoid non-Costco stations by being aware of my tank level and errand route for the day. Not that hard.

The only thing I do not like about their stations is that on the pump buttons for each grade, there is a blue light. Once the pump is ready and you need to select the grade, only the premium button light flashes. I think this is a devious marketing ploy to get people to select premium, whether they need it or not.

 

After running Pemex for years in my trucks, I know a little about inconsistent fuel sources.
I have found Toyota 4 cyls run fine on low octane fuel. Our manual states 87 or higher, so my only rule of thumb is I run 87 and I try to fill up at newer built gas stations regardless of brand, but whoever has the lowest prices.

 

Yup, that part sucked

But we used it for camp fire fuel for a summer, i managed to get my hands on about 40 Litres of the stuff, twas a good summer

 

When I was in the AF the flightline guys would always refill their Zippo's with JP4. They claimed it was the best fuel for the lighter.

I didn't smoke and never verified their claims.

 

What I meant was the quality is not ensured by the EPA, only mandated. They're regulation but they don't do anything "hands on".

The refineries typically have more stringent guidelines than the EPA requires to ensure they have some "wiggle room". The refiners I deal with won't ship a product even close to off spec.

 

Haha, back in June my FBO had a group of four F-18 Marines come in, and they stayed at our FBO. We have Air National Guard F-15s based at our airport. Long story short the guard base didn't have enough room to house these four F-18's, so we had the honor of taking care of them for an entire weekend. We got to fuel them and everything it was really cool, the pilots were nice as hell too. But anyways, I digress, everytime we fueled the F-18s we had to get out or 5 gallon buckets and place them in various spots underneath every one of them. They were there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so over the weekend we accumulated at least 50 gallons that were just pissing out of the damn jets. We can re-use fuel according to FAA regulations, so somehow all this jet fuel mysteriously disappeared the next weekend. I had no part in using it, but I know who did, and all I can say is he had a hell of a camp fire up in some mountains in Western Massachusetts lol. . . So yes, it is good for camp fires, but working with it day in and day out really blows.

 

Thats the point. The epa is not hands on. If you believe everyone, everywhere follows the rules then go ahead and live in your ignorant bliss. I envy you. The problem is I still have the numbers to back my claim. Cheaper stations such as arco were getting me 28-31mpg. Chevron gets me 41-43mpg. I've been challenged by my friends on this at least half a dozen times. One time I even drained my tank, put in one gallon of arco, drove til empty. Loaded it on a trailer, drove back to the same spot, filled it with a gallon of chevron and it took me 10.6 miles further. The base gas may be the same, but the additives do make a difference. As for the top tier, My friend's dad used to own a 76 station. He used to get tested monthly just to make sure the additives were at the correct amounts. This was in addition to any other tests.

 

So working in the refined petro products industry is less conclusive than your non-scientific test results? Got it.

Anyone who posts a marketing link as a factual basis for evaluating "top tier gas" has zero credibility. But hey, I'm sure you know the differences between gasolines. What test did your buddy's dad run on his gas? I'd sure like to know the methods.

 

why people soo paranoid for?