Gas: Chevron vs Shell??

[Old Guy]

Howdy. Personally I've always been a Chevron guy, including buying Techron additive while living overseas and mailed via APO (as far back as the late 80s)...used in our BMWs and other cars. This goes back 30 years for me. Some months ago an extremely handsome, intelligent, worldly - did I mention worldly? - guy...name I don't recall but his initials were RS America and GT3, both in yellow and black, gave me directions to a Chevron station quite near Qualcomm...another guy that only uses Chevron. But now BMW is pushing Shell. Personally, I'm not thinking of switching to mystery gas from 7-11 or USA or even Valero. But...is Chevron still the cat's meow?? Opinions or guidance please?

[JayG]

Costco gas is as good or better than most

[Jad]

My opinion is gas is gas. It basically all comes from the same refineries, then some add 'cleansers'. I think Shell is paying BMW, nothing more than marketing. Techron is fine, but I can't say I have ever heard of someone having car issues because of using 7-11 gas, nor have I seen anything beyond hearsay as to Chevron gas really working better. I am pretty sure if they could really prove something it would be in every advertisement instead of the meaningless claims they all currently make. Cartoons showing dirt being removed from valves is hardly proof one brand is superior in any way.

That is my $.02, but I (actually my dad, a lifetime Chevron employee) will only put Chevron in the racecar.

[jbrennen]

Years ago, a tuner that I used on my car recommended that people bringing him a car for a dyno tune should first fill up with 76 Gasoline of the highest "normal" octane available. However, that was a long time ago and should be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, for years after moving to San Diego, I basically bought almost all of my gasoline from three different 76 stations.

For the past two years or so, I've switched to buying Mobil gasoline -- not so much for any belief that it's the best fuel, but because it's at least good enough, and because Mobil's SpeedPass system rocks.

[Jad]

I believe a few Union stations did sell a higher octane gas, but it isn't a brand thing, it is comparing premium to regular gas. And with a modern car, premium gas can give you more power as the engine will retard less. So if Union 76 is the only company selling 100 octane, I guess you could say brand matters as 100 octane gas can certainly give an engine more power if tuned to take advantage of the higher octane, not so with Techron or other cleaners that I know of.

[jbrennen]

When I said "normal" octane, I guess I actually meant "mass market" octane, meaning 91 octane in California.

Link: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414212

(Shiv, who started that thread, did the dyno tune on my Lancer Evo.)

[Old Guy]

As an aside fact tidbit, I've driven across the USA W to E and E to W several times in the last 4 years and noticed that in middle America the hi octane gas is shown on the pump as 93 octane. As for Techron, I've been advised NOT to over use it because it will wash past the piston rings and dilute the oil. True? Not to mention that nowadays direct injection BMWs miss the valve cleaning effect of "good gas" and one has to walnut shell blast the head/valves from time to time. Now...hmmm...if the gas isn't cleaning the head/valves...just why is BMW pushing Shell?

[pecivil]

Cartoons showing dirt being removed from valves is hardly proof one brand is superior in any way.

Awwww come on Jad! Cartoon cleaning will convince at least 20% of the population it is better!

For what it is worth, Costco says it is "Top Tier" now. Supposedly this makes a difference......YMMV

http://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/study-shows-top-tier-gasoline-worth-extra-price/

[Jad]

That would have been more interesting if every brand I could name and many more weren't all considered Top Tier? What did they use that wasn't top tier?????

The Top Tier list is:

Top Tier retailers include 76, Aloha Petroleum, Amoco, ARCO, Beacon, BP, Break Time, Cenex, Chevron, CITGO, Conoco, Co-op, Costco, CountryMark, Diamond Shamrock, Entec, Esso, Express, Exxon, Holiday, Kwik Star Stores, Kwik Trip, Mahalo, MFA, Mobil, Ohana Fuels, Petro-Canada, Phillips 66, PUMA, QT, Quik Trip, Road Ranger, Shamrock, Shell / Shell V-Power, Sinclair Standard, SuperAmerica, SuperFuels, Tempo, Texaco, Tri-Par, and Valero.

[pecivil]

What did they use that wasn't top tier?????

Pemex?

[Jad]

I guess I will change my answer to gas is gas as long as you have heard of it. Don't use home made gas or anything too obscure.

[JayG]

I guess I will change my answer to gas is gas as long as you have heard of it. Don't use home made gas or anything too obscure.

Damn, I guess I should stop construction of my backyard refinery then

[jbrennen]

I've actually bought gallon containers of Xylene at the hardware store and poured it into my gas tank...

Xylene has an octane rating of 116.5 and blends well into gasoline.

That being said, it's probably at least a little bit questionable and probably violates clean air and gasoline tax laws, and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Integral]

just to throw a "seconded" out there, I've also heard from multiple tuners that they can tell when a car is filled w/ costco gas; it's supposedly great stuff...

[kleggo]

Howdy. Personally I've always been a Chevron guy, including buying Techron additive while living overseas and mailed via APO (as far back as the late 80s)...used in our BMWs and other cars. This goes back 30 years for me. Some months ago an extremely handsome, intelligent, worldly - did I mention worldly? - guy...name I don't recall but his initials were RS America and GT3, both in yellow and black, gave me directions to a Chevron station quite near Qualcomm...another guy that only uses Chevron. But now BMW is pushing Shell. Personally, I'm not thinking of switching to mystery gas from 7-11 or USA or even Valero. But...is Chevron still the cat's meow?? Opinions or guidance please?

what?