Regular or Premium Fuel?

[edavis000]

Unless it says premium is required (as opposed to recommended) I'll settle for a negligible loss of performance for the significant cost savings of using regular. I had 2004 and 2009 Nissan Muranos that recommended premium and I only ever used regular. I had the 2004 for 237,000km and had zero issues. When I got an Infiniti QX50 with the same engine but tuned for higher performance it required premium so I used premium, same in the Mini Cooper S I had after the Infiniti.

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[Msfitoy]

Can the poll add E15 to the mix? I haven't tried but anyone with E15 experience versus regular and premium would be good to know.

 

[DannyL]

I'm going to throw a monkey wrench into this debate.

I drove a tanker for Shell for a number of years and I can tell you from personal experience that your favorite station sells gas from all the different company's.

Here is how my day normally went....
You come in at the start of your shift, check your truck out and get ready for the day. You go to the dispatcher to get a fill order.

Here is what what most people do not know.
You go to the refinery that they send you to.
Which ever one is cheapest on any given day.
The dispatcher gets his orders from people who do nothing all day but haggle over prices. It doesn't make 1 bit of difference which company it is.

I filled up my tanker with gas at Arco, BP, 76, Chevron, Mobil, of course Shell and a couple of minor private company's. Most were located off Riverside Ave in Colton CA.

All my delivery's went to shell stations. Didn't matter who I got my gas from. That is only because I worked for Shell and that was the stations on my delivery route.
That said you would see ALL the trucks from all the different company's lined up at a particular refinery. Which ever one was cutting the best deal at any given moment.

Just because you pull into a Chervon station or Arco or Shell doesn't mean you are getting their fuel. It could be from anybody and most likely is is from ARCO. Most days that is where I went to load up. That is where most trucks continue to go unless of course a different refinery has a cheaper price.

As for the different grades of gas those are the same at all the refinery's. In CA it is 91, 89 and 87 octane plus diesel . This does not vary any from one refinery to the next, at least here in CA.

Bottom line..... Buy your gas from who ever is selling it for the cheapest price.
IT IS ALL THE SAME FUEL
Premium gas is premium gas and regular is regular.

 

[mike]

http://www.t-r-i.com/gifs/xGasoline Quality.pdf

 

[joeb427]

http://www.t-r-i.com/gifs/xGasoline Quality.pdf

Yep!

"While all of us have suffered through countless television ads claiming superior performance for particular gasolines, the reality is that those claims must be backed by substantial test data in order to meet the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advertising requirements. While there has been a debate concerning the value of premium gasolines in engines that really do not need them (which is the majority of today’s engines),the facts are that major brand premium gasolines generally contain higher dosages of premium additives designed to reduce intake valve deposits, spark plug fouling and keep fuel injectors clean. A number of major oil companies have demonstrated that their additive packages reduce emissions, have the ability to restore engine performance and most take extra care in ensuring that their premium product exceeds customer expectation"

 

[DannyL]

Yep!

"the facts are that major brand premium gasolines generally contain higher dosages of premium additives designed to reduce intake valve deposits, spark plug fouling and keep fuel injectors clean. A number of major oil companies have demonstrated that their additive packages reduce emissions, have the ability to restore engine performance and most take extra care in ensuring that their premium product exceeds customer expectation"

True!
Still doesn't matter where you go to buy your fuel.
Just because you like Chevron or you like Shell or what ever brand you are getting is actually what ever brand fuel was the cheapest on the day they made the delivery.
Most of the time it is ARCO.

If you think you are getting Chevron premium with "techron" because you filled up at a Chevron station you probably aren't.
Same holds true for Arco. The trucks fill up with who ever is cheapest at the time.

 

[joeb427]

True!
Still doesn't matter where you go to buy your fuel.
Just because you like Chevron or you like Shell or what ever brand you are getting what ever brand fuel was the cheapest on the day they made the delivery.
Most of the time it is ARCO.

If you think you are getting Chevron premium with "techron" because you filled up at a Chevron station you probably aren't.
Same holds true for Arco. The trucks fill up with who ever is cheapest at the time.

Raw gas is the same. The additives and the amount of additves differ.
I usually go with Shell 93.

 

[DannyL]

Raw gas is the same. The additives and the amount of additves differ.

Yes Correct.
But I think you are missing my point.

Just to repeat myself...
If you think you are getting Chevron premium with "techron" because you filled up at a Chevron station you probably aren't.
You are getting the grade you want whether it be 93 or 91 or 89 or 87 octane.
You mentioned you go to Shell for 93 octane. Well you are getting 93 octane fuel but it could be from anybody. Shell maybe but probably it is from Arco, or Chevron, or BP or who knows

Yes all these company's have there own special additives.
However that does not mean that is the gas in the Stations tank.

When I worked for Shell driving a tanker I would be in line with trucks from Chevron, Mobil, BP etc. We ALL filled up with who ever was selling it the cheapest that morning (Or night).

Yes I drove for Shell I can tell you I loaded up with and delivered to Shell stations gas from Chevron, BP, 76, Mobil, Shell and roughly 60% of the time Arco.

The additives ARE NOT added at the station. It is done at the refinery

 

[Floyd]

I worked in a refinery for ExxonMobil nee Mobil for 35 years.
Fuel was sold on spec and sent to the local fuel distribution tank farms where it was sold to the open market as Danny said....
Now I will remove the monkey wrench...

Fuel is custom blended per order at the tank farm. to spec for additives, octane, blend stock etc.
Tier One is a real thing and is consistent to the blend ordered by the buyer.
If you see a particular truck at more than one station you can bet the blend meets the highest spec ordered for that load.
Some cut rate stations may receive Tier One fuel occasionally, but not consistently, it will simply be added to whatever is already in the tank from previous deliveries. The result should always meet minimum RBOB standards.
Some stations order only First Tier fuel and consistently deliver it at the pump.

One other point, on which I am sure Danny will concur,
If you see a tanker dumping fuel at your local station... Drive on by!
Wait until another time when the fuel has resettled in the tank.

CAVEAT... I was in Maintenance and in Fleet Mechanics ... I was not an expert in Oil Movements, pipelines or tank farms.
Nor was i ever personally responsible for blending fuel.

 

[joeb427]

I worked in a refinery for ExxonMobil nee Mobil for 35 years.
Fuel was sold on spec and sent to the local fuel distribution tank farms where it was sold to the open market as Danny said....
Now I will remove the monkey wrench...

Fuel is custom blended per order at the tank farm. to spec for additives, octane, blend stock etc.
Tier One is a real thing and is consistent to the blend ordered by the buyer.
If you see a particular truck at more than one station you can bet the blend meets the highest spec ordered for that load.
Some cut rate stations may receive Tier One fuel occasionally, but not consistently, it will simply be added to whatever is already in the tank from previous deliveries. The result will meet minimum RBOB standards.
Some stations order only First Tier fuel and consistently deliver it at the pump.

CAVEAT... I was in Maintenance and in Fleet Mechanics ... I was not an expert in Oil Movements, pipelines or tank farms.
Nor was i ever personally responsible for blending fuel.

Makes sense to me.

 

[DannyL]

I worked in a refinery for ExxonMobil nee Mobil for 35 years.
Fuel was sold on spec and sent to the local fuel distribution tank farms where it was sold to the open market as Danny said....
Now I will remove the monkey wrench...

Fuel is custom blended per order at the tank farm. to spec for additives, octane, blend stock etc.
Tier One is a real thing and is consistent to the blend ordered by the buyer.
If you see a particular truck at more than one station you can bet the blend meets the highest spec ordered for that load.
Some cut rate stations may receive Tier One fuel occasionally, but not consistently, it will simply be added to whatever is already in the tank from previous deliveries. The result will meet minimum RBOB standards.
Some stations order only First Tier fuel and consistently deliver it at the pump.

CAVEAT... I was in Maintenance and in Fleet Mechanics ... I was not an expert in Oil Movements, pipelines or tank farms.
Nor was i ever personally responsible for blending fuel.

Yes this is also correct. Tier 1 blended fuels are made by all the refinery's.
If that is what is ordered that is what goes into the Tanker.

THAT SAID the brand doesn't matter.

Chevron trucks load up with who ever is the cheapest on the exchange at that moment. Same for Shell Trucks and Arco Trucks and BP trucks and so on.

"Some cut rate stations may receive Tier One fuel occasionally, but not consistently"

This is also true to a point. If they tagged the pump to have Tier 1 fuel it is illegal for them to load cheaper grade fuel into that tank.
The fines are HUGE.
Some might try and get away with it but in general I think most don't want to risk it.
Working for Shell I can say we always loaded up with the best available fuel.
I have not worked for them for about 20 years now but I bet they are still just as reputable

 

[mike]

Yes this is also correct. Tier 1 blended fuels are made by all the refinery's.
If that is what is ordered that is what goes into the Tanker.

THAT SAID the brand doesn't matter.

"Bottom line..... Buy your gas from who ever is selling it for the cheapest price.
IT IS ALL THE SAME FUEL"

You dont get to have it both ways. The fuel that comes out of the dispenser is different depending on where you get it based on the additive mix. You, Floyd, the article I linked to, other experts all say the same thing. Why try and confuse the matter? I am going to COSTCO They get Top Tier and thats going to do a better job keeping things clean than whats at the local QuikFill.

 

[Cape Cruiser]

I managed a 550 vehicle fleet and we had a contract with Exxon but the driver said most of his fuel came from Texaco. He always dumped a gallon container into our tanks before filling and said it was Exxon's additive package.The pipeline from the gulf to the northeast carries every bodies fuel and even diesel, they throw a "PIG" into the pipeline to separate the different fuels.

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