Do you notice a difference when alternating gas

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I use 2 stations in my area - Mobile and Aamaco. They both come out of the same refinery......

I went for a fillup at *BJ's Wholesale club*. Local price for premium is hovering 4.25 and BJ's (not local) to me is $3.59.

Anyhow, there is a difference in PEP and I can't explain it.
It's as if she gained a extra horse or two !

Shame on me, as I was in the *all gas* is = camp.
 
My Harley is very sensitive to shoddy fuel so over the years I've weeded out specific stations and brands.
Shell is consistently top quality,as is co-op. Esso is getting Bette,petro Canada is getting worse.
I prefer shell over the rest.
 
Where do you get shoddy fuel? I'm not being combative, I just don't know what people mean when they say "I got bad fuel" or something. Are these stations no-name places run by chimpanzees or what? I don't think I have ever had an issue that I could attribute to bad fuel, but maybe it's just because I just gravitate to the majors.

Originally Posted By: Clevy
My Harley is very sensitive to shoddy fuel so over the years I've weeded out specific stations and brands.
Shell is consistently top quality,as is co-op. Esso is getting Bette,petro Canada is getting worse.
I prefer shell over the rest.
 
You could have gotten ethanol in your premium. For all its faults it releases extra oxygen that your engine can use-- it's harder to get more air in, and all too easy to add fuel.
 
Hello, I'm with kschachn in that I don't read any difference between fuel brands except for one car I owned years ago.

As God is my witness, Gulf and Getty made my 1976 Chevy Nova 250 cu. in. 6 run badly.

Also, in the early 1990's I drove a bit in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the same car. I can remember only Shell and Irving (Sunoco) being available. Their fuels produced sluggish performance.

Otherwise, that Chevy of mine ran beautifully. Kira
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Premium can sit as there isn't as much turnover.


My local Costco gets a delivery everyday. All out of the same pipeline around here as well. Costco does add it's cleaning agents at the station.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Premium can sit as there isn't as much turnover.


I think that greatly varies based on the area you live in. Here in downtown Chicago, where there are a lot of very wealthy people with high-end cars, the premium is in demand. In a more rural area, I'd I agree that the premium might sit a bit more (though I assume stations size the tanks based on factors like these).

To answer OP's question, I've never noticed any difference between different stations' 93 octane. My Fuelly data doesn't show anything significant either. I just buy whoever has the cheapest 93 within reasonable distance of me....Shell, Mobil, BP, Citgo, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Where do you get shoddy fuel? I'm not being combative, I just don't know what people mean when they say "I got bad fuel" or something. Are these stations no-name places run by chimpanzees or what? I don't think I have ever had an issue that I could attribute to bad fuel, but maybe it's just because I just gravitate to the majors.

Originally Posted By: Clevy
My Harley is very sensitive to shoddy fuel so over the years I've weeded out specific stations and brands.
Shell is consistently top quality,as is co-op. Esso is getting Bette,petro Canada is getting worse.
I prefer shell over the rest.



Fasgas,some esso stations,some petro-Canada stations(the creeway ones for sure) would cause ping in my bike. Bike is far from stock and very picky about fuel.
Shell and co-op were always great,no ping. In BC I loved chevron stations. It was almost as if the bike was turbo charged filling up there.
The Mohawk/husky stations are so hit and miss I quit using their fuel altogether.
All my vehicles are tuned for high octane. Shell and co-op are always consistent and pure gas,no ethanol in the premium flavour.
I never knew how poor fuel could be til I built my Harley,then it became painfully clear that not all fuel is the same.
Fresh fuel is important too. A station with a high turnover rate is a good place to go.
 
My Ducati runs best on the Marathon 93 that is sold here. My Subaru could care less about what fuel, happily purrs along on anything called regular unleaded.
 
A few years ago I had a friend that got 40+ when he purchased Shell, vs 35 or so when he bought elsewhere. He tested it for more than a couple years to verify.
 
The only bad gas I ever got was from a Standard station here in town long ago. For some reason all of my cars/trucks really seem to run smoother on our FS gas station here. But, they aren't sure of the detergent % in the gas, so only fill up every 3rd/4th tank.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Where do you get shoddy fuel? I'm not being combative, I just don't know what people mean when they say "I got bad fuel" or something.

My experience is similar to Clevy's. And, one of my businesses do some consulting with the oil companies here. In any event, yes, the base fuel often comes from the same source. But, the additive packages are decidedly different, and some stations are doing some strange things.

Some put no more additives in than they have to (and probably less than they have to). That has caused Clevy pinging issues, and done the same with taxis in the past. I've had problems with Petro-Canada's winter fuel as of late, so I guess I'm going to have to avoid their winter fuel, at the very least. In that regard, I've learned a valuable lesson about Top Tier fuel and E0. Neither of those designations mean they're not doing something very obnoxious when they switch to winter fuel. Here's a hint for you all. E0 means no ethanol. It doesn't speak to methanol content!

I've had good luck with Esso, contrary to Clevy's historical experience; he does note it's getting better. We've both had bad luck with Husky/Mohawk stuff, but that seems to depend on the age of the fuel.

When I do use Husky fuel, I stick to the truck stop because it is very high traffic. The worst batch of fuel I ever experienced was the 94 octane from the closest Husky to my house. I put it in the old Audi and the thing barely ran. And no, it wasn't diesel in the gas tank, either. I don't know if their ethanol was contaminated with a slug of water, or what, but it was an experience I never wish to repeat.

I also prefer stations that are newer, as in having newer tanks, and that have some decent traffic. My bad Husky experience involved a station with older tanks and much less traffic. So, problems aren't unexpected.
 
In 20 years of driving, I got bad fuel one time.

It was at an Indian Reservation in Irving, NY.

Got my f150 home, and plugs were all fouled.

Needed to change fuel filter, put in fresh plugs, and lots of dry gas.

Lately I stick to the big boys. Out here it is HEB grocery store, or Costco.

Always pick a place on my ride home from work, I never go out of my way for gas.

Costco is top tier.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Premium can sit as there isn't as much turnover.


My local Costco gets a delivery everyday. All out of the same pipeline around here as well. Costco does add it's cleaning agents at the station.


A delivery of premium, or a delivery of something?
 
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