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Exxon vs. Chevron...FIGHT!
Nohbody8
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Greetings H/A. Long time PA fan but just recently discovered the forums. Anyway, I recently purchased my first car and I'm in a bit of a pickle as to which brand of gas to use. I'm not sure how pertinent this is but the car is an '06 Ford Focus with a little over 15K miles on it. I've always been a big fan of Chevron 'cause of the Techron additive. However, I was not too concerned with the appearance of my previous vehicle because it was old.
Now that I have a newer and nicer vehicle, I want to keep it clean but I don't know of any Chevrons in my area that have car washes. There is a very nice and conveniently located Exxon with a car wash though. I've tended to avoid Exxon whenever possible 'cause of the whole Valdez thing but I'm willing to forgive if the gas is clean. Anybody have any thoughts?
Now that I have a newer and nicer vehicle, I want to keep it clean but I don't know of any Chevrons in my area that have car washes. There is a very nice and conveniently located Exxon with a car wash though. I've tended to avoid Exxon whenever possible 'cause of the whole Valdez thing but I'm willing to forgive if the gas is clean. Anybody have any thoughts?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] "We're the middle children of history, man."
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All gas is pretty much the same thing (apart from octane content), they're just selling you marketing.
Chevron and Shell have had the Nigerian army assassinate Nigerians who protest for reform or regulation of the oil sector there. Exxon has done the same in Indonesia. Unocal was really chummy with the Taliban and are still that way with the Burmese junta.
I think BP is the least ethically compromised, though they're all so evil you're better off buying a bicycle. BP sells retail gasoline from ARCO.
I threw in some of the Sunoco super premium stuff and it cleared it right up.
Most gas is the same but you've got Wawa at the bottom of the barrel and Sunoco at the top.
But honestly the difference between those two is hardly noticeable either and wont make a difference on a lot of cars.
As for octane rating, use the lowest level that doesn't have your engine pinging under heavy load.
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
I think I can attest to that...I think. My previous vehicle was a '92/'93 (never cleared that up properly) Chevy Blazer with about a sixteen gallon tank. Granted, it was mostly highway miles but I'd routinely get over 300 miles out of a full tank. Is this more a result of the highway or only using Chevron for years? From what I've seen so far, around 300 miles seems to be what I'll get out of the Focus, albeit on a much smaller tank with less fill ups.
The majority of problems you get with fuel systems come from sediment in the car's fuel tank that clogs the fuel filter, or incorrect spark timing on your plugs that doesn't allow the fuel to burn cleanly and completely, leaving deposits in your engine.
That said, newer gas stations are better. Why? Because the underground tanks are newer, and more likely to be problem free. The older the station, the more likely the tanks are starting to rust and corrode, or even have leaks allowing water or dirt to get inside. While little mom and pop stations often have cheaper fuel, you run the risk that they don't maintain their tanks and pumps as well as the corporate chain stations do, or even screw you by putting 87 octane in the 89 and 93 tanks, which has happened in the past.
Most cars will run just fine on 89 octane. I've had 4 cars in my lifetime, an 87 Toyota Celica, a 91 Chevy Blazer, a 97 Honda Passport, and currently an 08 VW GTI. The Celica would get nearly 40 mpg on just 87 octane, the Blazer and Passport never had a single engine problem using nothing but 89.
On older cars, it doesn't hurt to run a tank of 93 octane in them every 2 or 3 months, or to buy a fuel additive/injector cleaner like STP once or twice a year.
your car is designed to run on 87 octane.. unless it has a higher compression ratio, such as a turbo car would have. Hotter weather could also increase the 'knock' factor (premature detonation) so higher octane could prevent knocking, but all modern cars for a long time have the electronics in place to detect and retard timing on the fly.
Back to the stations, they order a certain adative package and octane level from the refinery, and that is the ONLY difference in the gas from station to station.
Condensation is bad, true, but gas comes from the refinery at a certan temp, and the depth and design of the tank pretty much keep the temp stable, so while ambient temp affects gas volume, its not to the extent that would cause gallons of water to form in your tank. Plus, water is at the bottom of the tank, and gas is syphoned from the top. Between the stations filter, and your cars, its very very rare you will have a problem with sediment. And any problem with the filter is nothing that can't be fixed by changing it .
There is no reason to run high octane gas in a standard car, no matter how old. The detergents would be helpful, but nothing you can't add anyway.
Older gas stations aren't a problem, tanks are replaced every few years.
Librarians harbor a terrible secret. Find it.
Also a protip: don't buy gas at a station while the tanker is filling it up. Unless you want a nice amount of sediment to be pumped into your tank.
I don't know how common these are South of the border, mang
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Well, before everyone was adding ethanol you might experience a difference depending on whether or not your fuel station of choice was one of the ones adding it, but I think everyone does now.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Totally an urban legend... or something that was true decades ago. This is exactly why there are filters on the stations intake lines and why you have a fuel filter in your car.
Its not like your pumping rocks and other gravel into your tank when the tanker is there...
Librarians harbor a terrible secret. Find it.
Wash your car by hand. And if you have alloy wheels don't forget them. A cleaner like Simple Green and a paintbrush to brush them works wonders.
I'm pretty sure this one uses soft cloths but I'll be sure to check before I use it for the first time. Is there a specific paintbrush type you recommend? Thanks for the tips.
Any sort of paintbrush that isn't caked in old paint. I use a regular horse hair or equivalent brush.
http://www.global-b2b-network.com/direct/dbimage/50293515/Paintbrush.jpg
The size of the one in the center is generally what I use but if you have complicated wheels you might prefer a smaller one.
Then that entire bill to fix it must have been all in my head.
Then again, all the local stations, at least once or twice a year, start pumping water into people's tanks..
Basically any of those special wheel cleaners that say "Spray it on, wash it off" are a joke. I've tried them all. What I do is spray a little water on the wheel, take some Simple Green at full strength (you can water it down a bit if you want), spray it on the wheel and let it sit for a few seconds. I then use the paintbrush to loosen any brake dust and dirt that may be stuck to the wheel hitting pretty much every surface because brake dust will adhere wherever it lands. If you see a BMW with particularly dirty wheels you'll see what I mean. Then, rinse the wheel down with water. Repeat for the other three.
It's best to do this before washing the car so you don't get brake dust and Simple Green all over your freshly cleaned car. :P
My reason for doing this is that brake dust that sits on the wheel too long will cause pitting in the alloy. Basically it will look like little black dots and leads to the wheel looking dull and dirty forever. That and you will start noticing how few people actually take a few minutes to clean their wheels.
Well.. not all stations are up to snuff... but I am comfortable saying that if it did/ does happen, then the station is up to shenanigans. Shit stations = shit quality control , not Tanker fill = car goes boom.
Librarians harbor a terrible secret. Find it.
Unsuprisingly, it's always Sinclair stations.