Do you guys think gas is different from station to station??

[elwesso]

Ive always wondered this, and Im starting to think this way.......

Basically, I have 2 stations I normally go to..... The main one I go to is payless (its part of a supermarket), and when I swipe my shoppers card, I get 5c discout/gallon..... Its not much, but it adds up......

When I went there to fill up, I got about 13mpg

My last 3 fillups have been (same driving conditions, city with many redlines) 12.9, 12.8, 15.6..... The 15.6 was I think when I went to another gas station (which if I recall correctly was a marathon).... Granted, it could have been just a really good tank..... Interestingly enough, I usually got around 14 BEFORE i used BG44k.... Now im around the 12 area......

I need to keep better track, as I have just recently started keeping my receipts........

So what do you think?? I have a gas station nearby that sells this new Amaco ultimate or something......

[elwesso]

Oh... BTW, the payless gas station only has 92, whereas the other one has 93........

[PalmerWMD]

Usually gas in a small community all comes from the same refinery just with diffeent additives added.BUT there are exceptions.

Your sample isn't large enough, to be <sure> there is an improvement..

But an explnataion could be that you were running on the edge of knock perhaps (combustion chamber deposits?) enough for your knock sensors to be kicking in, on the one gas w/ the lower rating.

And this could affect your fuel economy.

This is however assuming that the gas in teh 92 ocatne station and teh 93 octane staion arent the same octane really ( it happens)..In summary I cant give you a conclusive answer except to alternate gassing up and compare results.

Fred..

[Jeff Williams]

I would suggest trying a single station, other than the payless one, and keep your driving habbits the same, for a bout 3 tanks of gas. If your mileage doew not improve, then go back to the payless place, and save some money.

I get 21 to 22 MPG continuosly, driving relatively calmly, using Chevron Premium, and most of my mileage is highway(75%). I do not drag off of lights, and do not drive in hardly any traffic.

When the wife drives the car, it drops below 20, to about 18. She also burns up the brakes, too. She has that racing in her blood, and it is hard to get her to calm down.

If I stay below 75 MPH on the interstate, it gets above 22.

[elwesso]

FYI..... my knock sensors are bad (via the OBD)......

Im sure that explains my pretty bad mileage as it is...... Fred, doesnt your Q get about 17mpg city......?

I guess Ill just stay at the same one for the next few fill ups.......

Im sure I could get better mileage if I cleaned my plenum and replaced my knock sensors...... Dang, I dont have any money!!!!

[nuQ]

jeff, wish i had your control when behind the wheel!!!!LOL i'm more like you, wes! our mileage is about the same. jeff

[PalmerWMD]

My in town milage is 14-18 mpg.My hiway milage (70-80) is 23 mpg.My hiway milage ( 85-100 mph) is 17 mpg.

Fred..

[elwesso]

So I guess im not too far behind....

Its not something im too terribly concerned about (i just grin and bear it, 12mpg or 20 mpg)....... But it would help to be a little better......

Most of the problem is, I cant resist hearing and feeling 32 valves at 7000rpm..... Its better than any song ever produced, and it can only be heard live!!!!!!

[elwesso]

I dont know about you, Jeff, but theres no way I could have the control of Jeff Williams...... He is a MATURE adult, not 17yrs old with a heavy foot... Godspeed to him, and speed to me.......

[G-ealousy]

[new guy no one knows speaks up] You know, I think that it vary's a lot. I think you really have to take into consideration of who uses the stations. Not to be mean mind you, but we do have to remember some places are more wealthy, and some are not. It's my theory and it's just that, that when you go into a poorer community, you're lower grade gas is going to be used up more, therfore fresher, where as the premium probably RARELY gets emptied, making the fuel old. Now at a lot of stations, the gas all comes from the same tank, and they "add" the octane to it from a diffrent well.. if it's that kinda station, then I don't think the gas would be any diffrent from a richer area, but if they fill each low/mid/high into individual tanks where the octane is already mixed, then in the poorer areas, the premium isn't going to be as good as in the rich area of town, and in the rich area of town, the less expensive gas isn't going to be as good as it is in the poorer parts of town... but like I said, it's just a theory... [/new guy no one knows speaks up]

[elwesso]

Welcome to NICO......

Well, this gas station (payless) is defintely not poor, per se...... It has like 8 pump, all brand new with pay at the pump, and a big area to buy drinks and stuff...... its not the "ma and pa" special, its nice........

I think maybe it was just a couple bad tanks...... Ive been getting gas there all summer, and as I recall id get from 13-15 from there with ac on........

[nuQ]

wes, there is NO way i can be conservative behind the wheel of my Q. there is nothing better than the sound of the Q in second gear approaching 90mph!!!! even my girlfriend loves it, WITH NO COMPLAINING!!!!LOL in your defense jeff williams, since i have a company car, mileage and fillups are not a big concern! jeff

[elwesso]

*sniff* I sometimes get a little choked up about this... im sorry *sniff*

Thats true.... Every other car ive driven sounds like its about ready to 'splode when it gets to the redline...... The VH is so smooth it feels like it could make laps on the tach...... I love how, when cruising, its just sleeping silently, and then you give it some throttle and the beast awakens.......!

Its GOLDEN!!!!!

[maxnix]

One thing you might be assuming in error is that all underground storage tanks have the same structural integrity. I always look for a newer station on the assumption the tanks are newer and maybe installed under a higher code requirement than tanks that have been in the ground a number of years. EPA regulations have forced almost all UST to be replaced over the last six years, but large plazas are probably built better than mom & pop stations.

[Mayhem_J30]

elwesso,i believe people in INdiana are getting the 'good' gas at least in comparison to what we're getting here in Louisville and Southern INdiana (New Albany).

[elwesso]

So I hear...... I was more/less referring to like "old" gas, or that of lower quality..........

[G-ealousy]

Welcome to NICO......

Well, this gas station (payless) is defintely not poor, per se...... It has like 8 pump, all brand new with pay at the pump, and a big area to buy drinks and stuff...... its not the "ma and pa" special, its nice........

I think maybe it was just a couple bad tanks...... Ive been getting gas there all summer, and as I recall id get from 13-15 from there with ac on........

Well, I was more saying, not the gas station it self, the area the gas station is in. It can be an old station and still have premium gas go faster then lower grade just cause it's located in a rich part of town, vise versa, it can be a nice *** gas station, brand new, but in a poorer part of town, and the lower grade gas is going to get used faster then the "premium" gas just because the economics of that area don't really allow for people to fill up with premium... know what I mean?

[elwesso]

I see what your saying... Thats an interesting idea...... And it makes sense.......

I remember looking at the pump meter, and a certain pump pumped like 100k, and only 20k for premium.....

Unfortunately, its about the same all in town..... its not really a rich town, and everyone is about the same....... Sometimes, I think I am the only one that buys premium.........

[Jesda]

Three things decide where I fill up:

1. Newness of equipment2. Cleanliness of station3. Brand: Chevron w/Techron or Amoco Ultimate

I've never had bad gas that way... I smell a fart joke coming. Ha Ha! Bad pun intended.

-Jesda

[elwesso]

Well..... Im going to fill up tomorrow, so Ill let you guys know.....!

[Jeff Williams]

in your defense jeff williams, since i have a company car, mileage and fillups are not a big concern! jeff

My company car is the Q. I use it for work, and write of the 30,000 miles each year. It is tough to keep it in line, but I do let loose, once in a while. The K&N Filter charger give me the growl I like, when I do cut loose. Most of the time, i am trying for the best mileage I can, by coasting a lot, and staying below 80 MPH. Once in a while, I make a quick trip to the store, and "play" with the local Mustangs (I think the Mustang is the "Official car of Alabaster"). My goal now, is to get another 60K out of the transmission, so 7000 RPM shifts need to be few and far between. Cruising at 110 is not out of the question.

LOL:D

[elwesso]

Well.... I filled up with amaco ultimate yseterday, and Ill report on how it goes.......

My last mileage (from payless) was around 14.... Thats with city driving and spirited highway driving (to the NICO meet).......

[PalmerWMD]

btw both of those cars have the OEM BBS wheels.Evgen though they are only 15inch they are good and good-looking wheels.

Fred..

[Altiman94]

only 14 mpg in a Q? Glad I got a 240!

[Jeff Williams]

only 14 mpg in a Q? Glad I got a 240!

Yeah, but screamin' around in a 4 door V-8 is more fun.

[maxnix]

only 14 mpg in a Q? Glad I got a 240!

With fried knock sensors, so timing is very retarded and mixture is very rich. Soon, catylysts will be very expired.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

Discover the power of the button!

[G-ealousy]

I see what your saying... Thats an interesting idea...... And it makes sense.......

yeah, the only reason I even came up with the idea is that I only use Connoco Gas... I hit this one by my house down town (not a wealthy part of town) and the premium seemed bad... so I filled up at my normal gas station for another bit (like a month or so) and no problems, then I hit that gas station again, and sure as ****, car started runnin a little diffrent, and I got like 270 on that tank (normally between 300-365 on a tank) so, I came to the conclusion their premium must be old and never used.... hence, my theory...

[maxnix]

yeah, the only reason I even came up with the idea is that I only use Connoco Gas... I hit this one by my house down town (not a wealthy part of town) and the premium seemed bad... so I filled up at my normal gas station for another bit (like a month or so) and no problems, then I hit that gas station again, and sure as ****, car started runnin a little diffrent, and I got like 270 on that tank (normally between 300-365 on a tank) so, I came to the conclusion their premium must be old and never used.... hence, my theory...

Or the underground storage tank has lost its integrity and is contaminated! Heed your lesson well. I doubt if the tank knows in which socio-economic part of town it is located.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

Discover the power of the button!

[G-ealousy]

Or the underground storage tank has lost it's integrity and is contaminated! Heed your lesson well. I doubt if the tank knows in which socio-economic part of town it is located.

In some circumstances you could be right, however, in my case, the Connoco that I got the "bad" gasoline from is a new station (2 years old or so)...