Gas

[jman3232]

*note- didn't really know where to put this, so stuck it here.


My girlfriend will only fill her tank up with Shell gasoline. It doesn't matter the price difference with another station across the street. She will only use Shell. She has some belief that it is by far better for your car and mileage than any other gasoline.

Does her idea have any scientific backing? Just kind of curious.

[Stu Pidasso]

Volvo and Mercedes have TSBs out suggesting the use of concentrated techron for certain mechanical problems.
Cheveron gas has got techron in it already.

Stu

[CORed]

Gasoline is just about the most generic product around. In any given location, all the gasoline in all the gas stations, regardless of brand, is coming out of the same tanks at maybe 3 or 4 refineries or pipeline terminals. Anybody who believes that one brand of gasoline is better than others probably believes that pro wrestling is real.

[Fels krone]

I was told that the actual quality of the station is more important than the brand. If it is an old, washed out gas station, then there is a higher chance that their storage tanks are not clean or may have leaks. I assume this would lead to lower quality gas.

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
Gasoline is just about the most generic product around. In any given location, all the gasoline in all the gas stations, regardless of brand, is coming out of the same tanks at maybe 3 or 4 refineries or pipeline terminals. Anybody who believes that one brand of gasoline is better than others probably believes that pro wrestling is real.



[/ QUOTE ]
Ok, I can agree with this, but I was under the impression that the additives were added at the gas stations. If so, that would make one station's gas different than anothers. Where are the additives added?

[jman3232]

and a side question-
are "plus" and "super" really any better?

[CORed]

[ QUOTE ]
and a side question-
are "plus" and "super" really any better?

[/ QUOTE ]

"plus" and "super" have a higher octane rating, which means that they are less prone to detonation (knocking). If your car knocks on regular, or plus, you should use the next higher grade. If it doesn't knock on regular, there's really no benefit to using the higher grades.

Engines with higher compression or turbochargers are more likely to need the higher octane gasoline. It's best to use the octane rating reccomended in your owners manual (if you have it).

[mjkidd]

The higher octane content in plus and super also result in a higher amount of energy per unit volume. So you'll get better gas mileage, and have a little bit more power. But the difference in gas mileage is not enough to offset the increase in price.

[tsearcher]

[ QUOTE ]
The higher octane content in plus and super also result in a higher amount of energy per unit volume. So you'll get better gas mileage, and have a little bit more power. But the difference in gas mileage is not enough to offset the increase in price.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you have to have a specific type of engine to take advantage of that?

[hlacheen]

I know Shell has commercials where the claim their gas causes less "gunk." I don't know what that means though.