vasco527

chevron with techron! only the best!

USCGTO

lol at this thread.

I work in Oil and Gas. Been here for about 10 years now. Trust me folks, you can buy 91 grade from Costco - Shell - Chevron and they'll all perform to the spec.

I get same performance - mileage when I buy gas from Costco / Shell / Chevron / Exxon.

And, BP is tier 1 just like Shell and Chevron. Exxon is the biggest of them all.

jvanbrecht

The biggest issue is not the gas, rather the storage of gas at BJ's/Costco locations. Regular stations have smaller tanks that require more frequent refils. BJ's and Costco have much larger tanks, that get refilled far less often as they purchase in bulk (hence the savings). The problems come in the fact that many of them still use metallic based storage tanks, which results in crud and sometimes rust sitting in the tank, which then ends up in the gas tank of the cars.. this is a problem and does cause damage.

Also note, that because they buy in bulk, they do not change the prices as often as smaller stations when the price of gas fluctuates.. so you are not always saving.

Pickles

USCGTO....G'Day from Oz...I see you own a GTO....GREAT car.....we owned one from new & sold it just before purchasing the C63.
Ours was the HSV version, had 19" wheels & was optioned with the AP 6 spot brakes from new.
Cheers, Pickles.

hingkit

All i'm trying to say is ...

For me, I can definitely feel the difference between 91 and 94 octane ...
I've had many v8 cars where I could not feel the difference between premium and regular ... but for the c63, theres something special.

CoolBDPhenom03

Anyone try the Safeway branded gas here in CA? My buddy told me he saw the gas truck stop at Chevron, then straight to Safeway. I'm wondering if it's the same gas. They're apparently being sued by other gas retailers, though.

Mort

They probably don't have as good an additive package.

CoolBDPhenom03

Perhaps. I want to know which is better - Chevron's Techron additive or Shell's nitrogen additive.

looney100

Guys,
Let me address a few incorrect statements on fuel quality in this thread. First, my credentials - I have worked (in Canada) in the fuels marketing department of one of the largest integrated oil & gas companies in the world for the last 13 years. While not a product quality guy, I worked very closely with our PQ guys for three years recently.

So, to clear up a few misconceptions:

1) Yes, the vast majority of all gasoline originates from one of the majors. However, its the additive package that makes all the difference and they differ greatly between the brands. The original source of the gasoline is not important as the additives are injected at the time the gas is loaded onto the truck based on the specification required by the destination. There are essentially three qualities of additives:
a) 'off-brands' like Costco, Safeway, etc. get the minimum regulated amounts of detergents, etc. in their fuel.
b)non top-tier majors (BP, etc.) will use their own formula that they don't share with other brands, which contains more cleaners. BP is NOT a top-tier retailer. The quality of their fuel is not comparable to those that are.
c)Top-Tier (www.toptiergas.com) stations need to meet very high additive/detergent standards set by automotive manufacturers.
If you're keeping your car for many years and care about longevity use a top-tier supplier. If you're leasing and will send it back in a couple years, buy whatever's cheapest.

2)Virtually all the majors' additive packages contain nitrogen. Shell just chooses to use it as a buzz-word for their advertising campaign. They are a top-tier retailer.

3)The size of a station's storage tanks doesn't matter. Storage capacities are very similar at most major stations. To minimize delivery costs, the trucks that deliver fuel to the stations need to be able to drop a full load, and the tanks need to accomodate that. Busier stations will simply get fuel more frequently.

4)Stations do not set their prices on how much they paid for their last load of gasoline, they charge based on the current prices in the marketplace. If some guy paid $3/gallon for his last load, but the current price is $3.25, he's not going to sell for $3 because he's going to need to pay $3.25 to replace the fuel, and the station across the street is going to charge $3.25 (plus their profit margins, or course).

5)The industry moved to fibreglass tanks many years ago. Steel tanks are still in use, but won't result in reduced quality fuel. Steel rusts from the outside-in, so by the time corrosion meets the gasoline, there's a hole in the tank, and gas is leaking into the ground - which is a major problem, and would result in the tank being immediately taken out of service.

bhamg

Good info looney, but just to clear up one thing - Costco uses five times the minimum regulated amount of detergent in their gas.

otakki

Excellent info! Thanks.

looney100

I'm not sure about the U.S. but I know they don't in Canada. How do they inject the additional additive In the U.S?

bhamg

looney - You can email them as below?

Since 1995, all gasoline sold in the U.S. must include an EPA-approved detergent additive. All Costco gas has always contained these additives. Costco gas stations are well maintained and our fuel has always been 100% guaranteed.

Increasing Federal emissions and mileage requirements, plus the competitive pressures of the automotive marketplace, have led to improved and more complicated engine designs. These improvements make many engines more sensitive to carbon deposits on intake valves and clogged fuel injectors. Dirty engines can sometimes trigger a "check engine" dashboard warning light. Many of the latest model vehicles perform better using fuel that contains more than the minimum EPA detergent requirement.

As our valued member, you expect Costco to always offer the finest quality products at the best possible price. Gasoline is no exception. Costco has closely studied fuel additives and engine deposits, and conducted extensive fuel tests at nationally-recognized laboratories. As a result, we decided to increase the detergent additives in our fuel to provide a better value to our members. Cleaner engines run better, run longer, and they pollute less.

Costco gas with Kirkland Signature Clean Power detergent additives contains five times the EPA detergent requirement. Clean Power doesn't just keep your engine clean - it also helps remove any existing deposits. Costco Gasoline - Something good just got better!

Look for the notice above each pump as we add Kirkland Signature Clean Power detergent additive to the fuel at all our gas stations.

Email us your Clean Power Gasoline Questions CleanPowerQuestions@costco.com

CoolBDPhenom03

Great info! Thanks for providing your industry expertise.

So in turn, does that mean that Techron is some sort of nitrogen-based additive/detergent?

pushemekuratz

Cool video about Costcos gasoline.

looney100

Kudos to them! I guess that would move them into my second category in the U.S. Too bad they don't do the same in Canada.

USCGTO

Wrong on both counts.

Storage - Costco has a VERY high turnover rate - because vast customer base and low rates (Scales of economy). Therefore, the residence time of the gas ( I better not get technical here) is very small compared to some Exxon pumps.

Price: I have paid 4 different prices 5 consecutive different times. There price changes as everybody changes , but the maintain an edge, thanks to the large amt they are able to move.

USCGTO

G'day mate. I spent some three months in Brisbane in 2007. I ogled at **** loads of HSVs all over the place.