Always a heated topic, but was wondering what brands of fuel people on here prefer, and why?
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Always a heated topic, but was wondering what brands of fuel people on here prefer, and why?
Costco, always the best price and I get generous cash back with the platinum Am-Ex.
I always buy petro Canada's bronzeeeee...I have almost 500k in petro points lol
I guess everyone has a reason;), I used to like esso until one time i filled my fathers 98 protege and got some water in the tank.... mind you it was an old station, but now i prefer shell. Mostly because all the cars that i have driven in the past are super high mileage when i get my hands on them ( 250k plus )... i find that after burning a few tanks of shell and a little bit of wot, the engines run much better than when they were running off other brands.
I run whatever in my cars. I've never seen a big difference, and I track mpg and stuff quite carefully.
Crappy Tire, for the points!
I also buy premium because it's ethanol-free (= slightly higher energy density = slightly better fuel economy). Probably doesn't offset the added cost, though. I don't worry about the extra expense because I only buy gas about 4 times a year. (Don't drive a lot.)
Hmm, according to this site, they add ethanol to premium to boost the octane:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/premium-vs-regular-0
According to Edmunds, only one car tested got better mileage from premium, it was the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze:
http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/...g-premium.html
This site states there is no difference in energy content between both grades:
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/...s_premium.html
It certainly is an interesting topic deserving greater exploration and discussion.
May be the case in the U.S.
But I actually called or emailed the big Canadian fuel companies and each one told me that their premium grade had no ethanol. (Which is one reason they recommend it for use in older vehicles/engines that can be harmed by ethanol.)
I believe Sunoco 94 (Petro Canada) has ethanol. I've used it quite a bit, a lot of guys prefer the all dino Shell though.
I'm careful where I buy my gas though. I always buy name brand, mostly Esso for daily driver stuff. All the gas comes from the same tank farms, but it is blended/additives according to each customer before it hits the truck. Some premiums are blended at the actual pump.
Some operators run their tanks really low and/or with higher water content than is supposed to be allowed...this is almost always a smaller station or one that is a discount brand. In such a case, the frequent deliveries can stir up the crap. Even if the risk is low, I figure it isn't worth the few cents savings on a tank, and I don't want to reward questionable practices at any rate.
What is your take on shells nitrogen enriched? I hear its just a filler, does hardly anything to "clean deposits"
Yea...that's why I steer clear from shell
Don't know about the nitrogen, or any other additives for that matter lol...but a lot of guys like Shell's ''V-Power'' premium because it does not have ethanol. I don't have a problem with ethanol (I use Sunoco 94 when ''needed'') but perhaps I'm just blissfully ignorant :)
I don't mean to make too big a deal about ethanol (unless in older machines that have plastic/rubber parts that can be degraded by it). The reduction in energy density is very small -- not enough of a difference to show up in fuel economy under everyday conditions.
This may be old info (2010), but Petro Can told me this via email:
Quote:
At Petro-Canada branded gas stations, not selling Ultra 94, the Premium 91 Octane gasoline does not contain ethanol. This is for stations up to the Muskoka area and from Windsor to Belleville..
In Northern Ontario, North Bay, Sudbury, S.S. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay areas and in Eastern Ontario for the Ottawa areas, including Pembroke, Cornwall and Brockville, both Regular and Premium gasoline currently do not contain any Ethanol.
Yes, you have to be careful if you want to avoid putting the corn in your tank, because if your PetroCan't station does sell Ultra 94 they use that to blend the 91 octane grade at the pump.
Whatever the owner's manual reccomends. Well thats the bronze stuff for me.
I buy the lowest grade pioneer gas in canada and does well for my car
I actually ran a tank of premium 91 octane Esso gas through my micra from dead-ass empty, and found that in comparison to regular 87 octane esso gas, (from the same station), I managed a whopping 12 km more before the low fuel flasher came on. So really there is no difference. I put premium in regularly because I feel like it's a better fuel to use. The price difference is negligible considering I waste way more money on way more useless crap. lol
I usually buy Shell V-Power.
Hum good question. I know I hate ethanol as it contains more oxygen molecules, meaning quicker burn and therefore less mileage. I'd have to look at the gas composition and read on the burn rate. It's less compressible, I wonder if at high temperature (read summer) it would yield higher MPGs than non-enriched gas.
I recall writing somewhere on the subject of the OP. Are there stations that sell 89 octane, or even less probable, 87 octane that has no ethanol now?
whats your odo? mine just hit 5000....and i have had it for almost a year. I barely drive, as im fortunate my new commute is so nearby.
with newer cars, it's recommended to fuel w/ whatever the manual says. otherwise you're basically wasting money.
The Esso near my house has had a deal on since the fall that if you buy 25 litres the touchless car was is $2.99. So for thirty five bucks I have been filling the Micra and getting the wash ticket. On days when it is raining or snowing I have been just throwing the wash ticket in the glove box. Considering a fill up last me two days I have lots of tickets for washing it over the spring summer. With the low CR of the micra using high octane fuel is doing nothing but lining some ones pockets. For all of my toys it's either Sunoco 94 (now petro canada),Shell v-power or race gas.
Im gunna chime in here.
Shell v power 91 contains no ethanol. It also contain over 92% straight gas. The rest is cleaners and aromatics like toluene.
All or most of the additives in vpower have equal or more btus and octane values then the gasoline.
Just about all other gas contains some percentage ( 5-20%) ethanol... Which contains less btus and energy..
In fact it takes 1.5 ltrs of ethanol to equal the same energy as gasoline. ..
Now that being said if the engine and ecu is tuned and designed for e10 87 aki (base) gas then thats all you need and nothing more.
The 12km extra is not much but your probably running "rich and retard" and 20,000km a year means 40 fill up ( est.) which is 480km or a free tank of gas per year.
And a sparkling clean engine... Plus if your modded it probably doesnt hurt the one horse power gain..
Just found some more info.
In our manuals it says the maxium ethanol allowed is 10%
And the minimum aki is 87 ..
So it prefers to have zero ethanol ( shell ) and probably wouldnt hurt to use 89.
But, do you know what the jukes with hr16de engines with 10.7:1 cr
Are running ... Minimum 95 ron
92 RON = 87-88 AKI
95 RON = 90-91 AKI
98 RON = 93-94 AKI
I bet the diiference is tuning headgasket and exhaust manifold 109>117
Then again, they could have programmed all ecus the same.. Im gunna talk to some aussies..
I always use Top Tier gas . You can look them on google toptiergas.com and they tell you Why it is a better quality gasoline . I think Shell,Esso and Petro are toptier.
So Petro Canada's ultra 94 has ethanol? Shell V-Power doesn't?
Does Ultra 94 contain ethanol? Does Petro-Canada still offer an ethanol-free gasoline?
Ultra 94 contains ethanol. Due to the fact that various fuel grades are blended at the point of sale, most grades of Petro-Canada fuel may now contain up to 10% ethanol. This represents a change from the previous state, where premium fuel was ethanol-free at Petro-Canada.
http://retail.petro-canada.ca/en/ind...ee%20gasoline?
10% ( rumored more to make 91 up to 94 )
http://import-era.com/threads/shell-v-power-msds.520/
(0%)
I buy what ever is cheaper.
Afaik... Shell meets the 15% requirement by 10% in 87 and 5% in 89 because there is 0 in 91 and its mixed 50:50
Petro is 10% across the board . 87-10% 89-via 50:50, 91 -10%, 94 - rumored e20
Sunoco 94 was 15% so its not unfathomable.
Afaik shell 91 is the only gas ( in ontario at least, besides racegas)
With 0% ethanol.
Holy crap I have been putting that 94 stuff in all my carburated stuff.I knew about the blend at the pump thing but not the ethanol content.
follow your manual.
if it says reg, then going prem is just gonna empty your wallet faster.
Omg... really?!? I dont post for my health eh?
Manual says: MINIMUM fuel requirement. And MAXIMUM ethanol content.
We all know it has adaptive timing.
All over the world its uses 91 aki.
In 15 years when mines still running like a top
And those who belief only in basic engine requirements and dino oils' engine is junked up with varnish and carbon crap.
Youll wish you had listened. But thats okay, what another loan, or line of credit/equity its just money.
The point im making is...they built a swaybar to make this for the canadian market.
Was there an mention of lower grade pistons and different head? No.
Its the same design used in higher comp with higher grade gas WITH NO ETHANOL.
Who wants 10% cut, with less bang? Eat the corn damnit? Or stop subsidizing the gas industry with food.
See how much your corn fuel costs without all the credits and sudsidizes.
Saving a dollar today and costing yourself alot more later is a fools choice.
$0.20 ( difference per litre) x 34 ltr ( avg tank at fill up) x 52 weeks = $ 353.60
Ethanol vs gas -5% ( 1,000km loss per 20,000km = 2.5 tanks @ $1.19= $101.15
$ 252.45 difference.. Omg my wallets gonna die.
How much is an engine / new car?
Also, I grabbed 3 jugs of group 5 oil for $100 and can do 4 changes from that.
So im pretty sure i negated that $250 im spending over a year with oil and using the best gas / oil possible. With zero net difference. So no butt hurt bro.
Just saying. If you were paying attention to the forum lately ive said all this.
/rant. :)
Ps. Manual also says break in oil change at 2,000km or before. I have yet to hear anyone mention this. Dealer said 8,000km i didnt listen. Changed at 1,200km.
We use esso here, because of the points. No other reason. ALL gas in a given region is pretty much from the same place. Contrary to marketing etc. There is one refinery on the island here, I can follow the tanker around town here, it goes to each gas station that needs gas. I also use regular, it makes more power since its lower octane gas, it burns hotter. Unless you start hearing knock or ping, use the lowest grade gas available. Bonus, Its cheaper.
Chevron. I like their logo, their product, they also have FREE AIR at their stations. Anyways, all gas is the same price in Canada. If I'm in the states, it's whatever is cheapest. Always regular, it's what the car was designed for.
in st. John's theres a war on gas prices in the east end. all over the island its a 1.39/L, but in the east end it's 1.29, and Costco has it for 1.23....
I stick to the lowest grade and I go where ever has the lowest price. I have no brand loyalty.
I live right by the border, I dont do special trips just to fuel up. But if i happen to be state side. even with the exchange rate, fuel is a bit cheaper down there.
I've got multiple compressors, a portable one, and ANSI certified gauges , as well as tire plugs etc. It's the principal of paying for air so that a multinational corp which is already paying not enough tax can get a further reduction by "donating" to a cause. I also don't always feel like getting out my rather slow mini compressor. I've managed gas stations. It's more trouble working the coin system than the compressor. Would you be ok with being charged to use the washroom at the same gas station?
I was surprised to find no difference in fuel mileage between the cheap ethanol based Husky 87 or Shell 87 vs Chevron 94 octane.
I read on one of the many threads, that someone got a lot more mileage running on high octane gas. So I ran a few tanks of 94 octane at high, high prices and was surprised to find literally no difference in mileage or performance. In the end, it is a "fuel good thing" (pardon the pun). My Micra has 26,000km on it. I'll try again when I have 100K and see if there is any reportable difference.