I swpa between base gas and Shell

 

I use Canadian Tire gas, same stuff as Esso as best I can tell...

Get about 2$ and change each fill up in canadian tire money

Chado

 

thats is right near me opie, made plenty of late night runs to carls on the weekend as its so dang close and open 24hrs

 

I've heard that, too. I also heard that the different companies bid on who gets the first off the top, that being the better quality. The bottom of the barrel going to the low bidding, off brand companies.

 

87 octane will result in better mileage than 93 octane because it's lower quality and therefore burns slower. By the same principle, if you compare stations against one another, the ones with the lowest quality fuel will result in better mileage.

The moral: Shell might result in better mileage, but the flipside is it's not as healthy for your engine.

 

Higher octane burns slower. That is why it is less apt to cause pinging.

 

I use Chevron or Amoco (BP) mostly. Howver I will use other stations if they are cheaper.

 

87 actually burns faster and sloppier. The reason 93 is used in high(er) performance vehicles is because 93+ octane has very consistent burning characteristics (on a chemical level, of course - it all burns when you light it on fire!) and burns slower, allowing engineers to use more aggressive timing and compression settings.

XXL

 

My dads 68 F100 with a rebuilt 390 requires Exxon el primo. Anything else and is hisses and farts uncontrolably. It barely runs, when sitting at a stop light he has to keep reving it so it won't die. I dont know why it does it but it does. He also gets about 13-15 mpg.

 

The main thing about octane is the temperature that the fuel need to be at in order to spnataneosly combust. some fuels like gas 87-93 octane have a low temp ignition, you throw a match in it, it will ignite. where as diesles is alot higher, hence being able to run an 18:1 compression WITH a turbo, whereas a gasoline car can only run, say a 10:1 compression iwth THE best of parts....and then you have jet fuel, JP4 and JP8, you can throw zippos and matches in it all day long and never fear.



and my friends 89 bronco with a 302 is like that. 91 oct only, or higher,

 

Last time I filled up, I used Unocal 76 gas. Was able to go 250 miles, and still have 3 gals left in tank.

Then I filled up at AMPM, was able to go 220 miles, and have 4 gals left.

So last night, I noticed that Shell was the cheapest in town. Which is a first. $1.99 for 87, and $2.09 for 89, so went with the 89. Hopfully that will increase mileage. Like I've read.

 

You can not check mileage by the above method. Divide the miles you travel by the number of gallons you used. For accurate highway mileage be aware that a little city driving will skew the results.

 

I'll try Shell, too... it might be a while before I can give it a shot, though. My sister's out on the west coast for two weeks, so I'm taking advantage of her absence by driving her Focus. It's nice to spend less than $20 to fill the tank for a change... last time the F-250 came to the trough, it cost me $62. Ouch. I just filled her focus with Shell yesterday -- 90 miles so far, and the meter shows about 3/4 full. From what I remember, this seems better than usual.

Since we're on the topic of gasoline, would it be safe for me to bring up the use of fuel line cleaners & fuel filter/air filter changes? Personally, I use Chevron injector/fuel line cleaner in my truck about every 5,000 - 8,000 miles (whenever I remember). I also don't let the fuel filter go for more than 25,000 miles, and change the air filter at no more than 15,000 miles. I have noticed a difference in mileage when these steps are performed. In fact, my father's schedule for changing the air filter on his Expedition is whenever the onboard MPG display falls below 14.2 MPG. It always climbs up again afterwards.

Some may argue the benefits of the maintenance items I perform & their relatively high frequency, but I have seen a difference. You guys might want to try for yourself... doesn't cost much when you do it yourself.

 

I use the STP fuel treatment about once every couple of months. I really like it. I can notice a difference if I go a long time without it, and then add it.

The fuel filter I try to change every 15,000 or so. They are not expensive so why not do it.

I use a K&N air filter, so I never have to change it. Just clean it once a year.

 

I'm not really checking the mileage. I can tell just when I filled it up, that I went futher on unocal 76 brand gas than AMPM. I drive the same route almost everyday. Work, and school

That one extra gal wouldn't have gotten me to 250 miles.

It's just my method of knowing when to fill up.