What Gas Station Has The Best Quality Gas?
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,871
From: London, Ontario
I heard something about Shell causing a problem with one of their additives, offering people with damaged engines hush up cash.
I never fill up there, but one of my co-workers filled up at Shell and got bad detonation in his Cherokee. Next tank somewhere else and no detonation.
From what I've heard Sunoco has the best quality and highest octane around here, that's all I put in my own car.
I never fill up there, but one of my co-workers filled up at Shell and got bad detonation in his Cherokee. Next tank somewhere else and no detonation.
From what I've heard Sunoco has the best quality and highest octane around here, that's all I put in my own car.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,981
From: NJ
Ok here you go... Like someone said all gas is the same, it's the amount and mixture of addative that varies. I speak from experience. My shop is also a Texaco so I know the in's and out's of the topic. Obviously the higher the octane the better for a performance vehicle. The only real differance is those "no name" stations.
This is how they get their gas. All the major companies will not distribute their "bottom of the tank" gas becouse all the crap settles at the bottom, so theese cheap stations get their gas from companies who buy the "bottom of the barrel" gas, mix it all up from every company and sell it to the cheap places!
This is how they get their gas. All the major companies will not distribute their "bottom of the tank" gas becouse all the crap settles at the bottom, so theese cheap stations get their gas from companies who buy the "bottom of the barrel" gas, mix it all up from every company and sell it to the cheap places!
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 144
From: Rockville, Maryland
Assuming that the stations aren't using old tanks with crap floating about... or deliberately attempting to "water down" their gas in some way, the only difference is in the additive packages.
To make a long story short, my understanding of the situation is that gas is pumped into the big pipelines by all suppliers and that gives them a "credit" to take the same amount out at the other end of the pipe. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that there is some significant mixing of the gas which might have started out from Texaco or Exxon or whoever. The additive package is put in at a local distribution plant owned by each company.
In other words they don't all have their own pipelines all over the whole USA... they share one pipe and add their "secret sauce" additives just before delivery to the stations.
That being said, I like to stick with any of the major brands like Exxon/Mobil, Texaco, etc. I also like to get my gas at as few different stations as possible so that I am minimizing the chances of stopping at some oddball station with really crappy gas and getting engine damage.
To make a long story short, my understanding of the situation is that gas is pumped into the big pipelines by all suppliers and that gives them a "credit" to take the same amount out at the other end of the pipe. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that there is some significant mixing of the gas which might have started out from Texaco or Exxon or whoever. The additive package is put in at a local distribution plant owned by each company.
In other words they don't all have their own pipelines all over the whole USA... they share one pipe and add their "secret sauce" additives just before delivery to the stations.
That being said, I like to stick with any of the major brands like Exxon/Mobil, Texaco, etc. I also like to get my gas at as few different stations as possible so that I am minimizing the chances of stopping at some oddball station with really crappy gas and getting engine damage.
