Questionable gas stations
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Dark side of the sun.
Questionable gas stations
There's a couple gas stations here by the house,one is 10 cents (Sometimes) cheaper than the other. But I go to the more expensive one because its a more known brand. The other is a local joint that doesnt look the greatest.
I did get gas there one time for the truck when Rita came through and no one else had gas,I never left so I put the gas in my camry. It ran fine. But I don't know if burning that shady type gas is hurting the engine. Would you pay 10 cents more per dollar for the name brand stuff or cut corners?
The brandname i'm talking about is "Diamond shamrock" or Valero and the cheaper one is called "Super quick." Don't know if ya'll heard of them.
Which would ya'll go to?
Sorry for the long post.
I did get gas there one time for the truck when Rita came through and no one else had gas,I never left so I put the gas in my camry. It ran fine. But I don't know if burning that shady type gas is hurting the engine. Would you pay 10 cents more per dollar for the name brand stuff or cut corners?
The brandname i'm talking about is "Diamond shamrock" or Valero and the cheaper one is called "Super quick." Don't know if ya'll heard of them.
Which would ya'll go to?
Sorry for the long post.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
Likes: 4
From: Oak Harbor, OH
Usually the "cheaper" gas has water in it. I used to run "swifty" gas, that was until my van started to run bad. Now I use pilot gas (ashland oil), and I get better mileage for around the same price. Tonight it was 2.39 a gallon. I paid 2.37 at teh sunoco tho.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,728
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Oddly, my fleet seems to run best on whatever the local Safeway is selling- and they're significantly cheaper than anyone else around except the 76 next door. $2.42 last time around (but diesel's still sitting at $3.18- wassup with that?)
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Southern MD
I think you'll find your No-Name gas comes from the same supplier as the Name Brands. Just may not have all the additives as Name Brands.
I use the least expensive I can find, and have never had a problem. Never get gas when you see the tanker unloading. Thats when all the trash in the underground tanks get stirred up and could cause problems.
I use the least expensive I can find, and have never had a problem. Never get gas when you see the tanker unloading. Thats when all the trash in the underground tanks get stirred up and could cause problems.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,940
Likes: 2
From: Eastern WA
There are roughly 350,000 people in the county in which I live. You can go to Chevron, Shell, Conoco, Texaco, Union 76, Tesoro, Safeway, Albertsons, Costco or the independants with a guy from the cannon royal family behind counter, but they all get their gas from the one and only one supplier in the area. The difference between the brands/stations are the additives (water is not a deliberate additive). BTW, that Safeway gas works great.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
BIll, some of the places I used to go it was. It was their way of charging less. IT was a known fact around the town.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,155
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From: Southern Louisiana
Originally Posted by pfogle
BIll, some of the places I used to go it was. It was their way of charging less. IT was a known fact around the town.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> but they all get their gas from the one and only one supplier in the area.
Yep, I know that was pretty much true when I lived in MA. There are only a few sea coast areas where they have 10 million gallon tanks. The AG took a few gas station owners to court around 1999-2000 and closed them down (one a Shell station) that was filling up on generic and selling it as Shell. Believe it was Saugus MA if you want to Goggle. Came from the same distributor, only a few cents cheaper per gallon.
Yep, I know that was pretty much true when I lived in MA. There are only a few sea coast areas where they have 10 million gallon tanks. The AG took a few gas station owners to court around 1999-2000 and closed them down (one a Shell station) that was filling up on generic and selling it as Shell. Believe it was Saugus MA if you want to Goggle. Came from the same distributor, only a few cents cheaper per gallon.
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,043
Likes: 4
I've heard of another way to charge less for gas. Steal it. There was an independant gas station in CA that was topping off their in-ground tanks with stolen gas. They had blank credit cards, a credit card writer and of course a reader. When a customer came to pay for gas with thier credit card, the thieves recorded the info off the card and then copied it to one of their blank cards. Then the got in their tanker vehicle (a gutted pinto with a big tank in the back seat area) went to a local gas station and filled it up with the stolen card info. Then they just dumped the gas into thier own holding tank.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,779
Likes: 873
From: Foothills of NC
When I owned my station I was unbranded, (not a name brand). I bought my fuel from my regional supplier and always got Phillips unbranded gas. It was 2 to 4 cents a gallon cheaper than Phillips labeled gas.
The difference in the gas? Phillips charged the Phillips branded stations more for national advertising, internal benefits, and the privilidge of having a Phillips sign outside.
I checked my tanks several times a week for water, pumped the bottoms of the tanks clean every year, and changed pump filters more often than needed.
I never had a problem. Some of the big places with teenagers working don't go to this trouble and expense, but some of the independents don't either.
Get to know your gas provider if you are concerned about contamination.
The difference in the gas? Phillips charged the Phillips branded stations more for national advertising, internal benefits, and the privilidge of having a Phillips sign outside.
I checked my tanks several times a week for water, pumped the bottoms of the tanks clean every year, and changed pump filters more often than needed.
I never had a problem. Some of the big places with teenagers working don't go to this trouble and expense, but some of the independents don't either.
Get to know your gas provider if you are concerned about contamination.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,448
Likes: 2
From: CA Central Coast
Yardbird had it right on. You can have an independent owner who runs a quality biz and a brand name owner who doesn't. Somehow you just figure it out.
If the priceof cheapo vs name is within $.05, I run Chevron, Shell, or Union 76 (no MTBE). If I run a cheaper gas (Safeway, Beacon, NoName) on a regular basis, I'll run a bottle of Chevron Techron gas additive every 10th tank or so.
Seems to make a difference in our TC and our Taurus. Smoother idle and better acceleration.
If the priceof cheapo vs name is within $.05, I run Chevron, Shell, or Union 76 (no MTBE). If I run a cheaper gas (Safeway, Beacon, NoName) on a regular basis, I'll run a bottle of Chevron Techron gas additive every 10th tank or so.
Seems to make a difference in our TC and our Taurus. Smoother idle and better acceleration.
