Well guys... we pretty much all agree that to reduce knock, go to a higher octane... my car actually gets near 2 more MPG's with 93 over 87. So my question is, has anybody ever noticed a difference in the BRAND of fuel? I've done some research and heard good and bad things about all brands. I am interested in the opnion of the MCF'ers.

 

 

Sunoco, Shell, and BP.

I avoid Kwik Trips at all costs.

 

Why avoid quick trip?

 

I always use shell unless I'm nearing empty out of town where I know there isn't one around. I used marathon, and a couple other fuels before. The marathon worked pretty well, and the generic ones just sucked. Shell definately seems much better to me. My friend who drives a 67' Ford LTD thinks so to .

 

Sunoco 93, always... Looking into buying 260 GT bulk and mixing it with 93 to make it higher octane :-)

 

BP (Amoco) or Shell, usually, but sometimes Citgo. I ALWAYS avoid the independents and their generic gas. And I always run 93 octane.
I have had too many problems in the past with dirty injectors. That's why I stay away from the ind's.

 

I wish I could find the article about never stopping at Citgo... if you go up the chain, the company basically belongs to Hugo the Horrible, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, so when you fill up there, you are only directly funding terroriism. But anyways, here is an articel I found a few minutes ago by a Corvette user. In summary, he says all major bransd are just as good. However, he says that you should switch major brands ever 5,000 miles. He says all additives cause build up, but switching fuel every 5,000 miles will cause one fuel to cancel out the other and the cycle goes on and on.... You can find this very article here: http://www.vettenet.org/octane.html


A Chemists View on Octane and Gasoline Brands
From Tom Johnson, tjohnson@FLEX.NET
[hr]


Someone in the octane thread asked for a chemist's view on the subject, so here's mine. However, first a view necessities and background:
Credentials:
Ph.D. Organic chemist, 21 years as a practising chemist, 28 US patents (many on gasoline additves), work for a major oil company that is a leading (by volume) retailer of gasoline in the world. I've had engine tests (meaning an engine on a fixed engine stand run by a computer) and road tests (meaning cars driven by humans -- some on a course, some not) run on gasoline additives I've invented (while employed at the oil company). These additives have been tested in the US, England, and France under a variety of conditions. Many of my additives have also been tested in the BMW test (10,000 miles). I'm still employed by said oil company.
Disclaimers:
The views expressed here are my own and not the company I work for (which is why I don't mention the company, although I realize any enterprising person could easily find out).
Copyright:
This entire note is copyrighted by the author. Participants in this mail group may store and make one copy for their own use. Participants may refer to, copy, send, and re-send to particpants of this mail group and post or re-post sections of this note as long as this copyright notice is attached. Except for these specific exceptions, this note may not be copied, quoted, or transmitted in any form for profit or non-profit, or used for any type of publication without written permission from the author.
Corvette:
Mine is a 1979 that is on its second trip through the odometer (and its second engine, and third interior). I've owned it approximately 12 years, love it, and may never get rid of it.
Octane:
I've seen many consummer magazines tell their readers that they are wasting money to buy a higher octane gasoline if their car doesn't knock. If octane were not related to any other feature of the gasoline, I would agree. However, how companies get higher octane gasoline does make it different than regular and mid-grade gasoline. So the question to me then is, do these differences make a difference? The short answer is what do I use, and I use regular in all my cars and my truck. I use premium in my Corvette. Why? Because as any Corvette enthusiast (to separate us from people who merely own one -- no flames, please) knows, a Corvette is not a car, it's an experience. If you want to know the long answer keep reading.
Base gasoline:
Crude oil differs depending on where it's from, and consequently, what comes out of it when it's refined also differs. There are books on the subject and I can't possibly do the subject justice here. As the oil differs, what is available for blending and cutting is different. In the end, however, the refiner has to make economic choices, based on what's available to him from the oil he is refining, on how to get the required octane to sell (as well as meet MANY other criteria that make gasoline, gasoline -- again I can't do justice to it here).

 

They just sell a cheaper gas. I don't know if it is additives or what, but they are typically 3 cents less than everyone else, but there are alot of problems with their gas.

I personally know a guy whose car stalled shortly after fillup and it was tons of water in the tank. Same situation when I went to Stark Automotive, they drained half a tank of water from his tank.

But when I had my Fiero I used Kwik Trip all the time and when I switched to BP (amaco) my fuel filter needed to be replaced a few times because of junk in the tank. I checked out my best friends 82 Grand Prix when we changed the fuel pump and the tank was kinda dirty. He switched and had the same fuel filter problems, but we had a pump problem again and found the screen dirty. The tank itself was much cleaner through.

So going back, I think Kwik Trip just has dirty gas. Where BP and Shell really do clean the injectors.

 

shell, all the way when Im at college


I do BP when Im back home in WI