Gasoline - Is it all the same?

[Sal Lubrano]

Today I driving down a very busy road with many gasoline stations within a half mile of each other. Regular 87 had a price difference of about 30 cents a gallon from the most expensive to the least. There were many retailers we have all seen and new retailers I have never seen before. This brings me to my questions. Is it all the same? Is it like oil? Only a few refineries but many different additive packages? If this is true which are the best? Would using the cheapest be a bad idea? I am not talking about filling our babies with this but just an everyday work vehicle. Is there someone who can help me understand what I am buying?

 

[S10xGN]

I worked in a refinery for 35 years making high-octane blending stock on a Reformer unit. I know that different states had different (legal) requirements as far as blends go, not to mention some metropolitan areas had their own blend requirements. Then there are summer and winter blends, winter having more light-ends for easier cold-starts. I can't really explain what you're experiencing, in one location all prices should be similar. Maybe it's the retailer's markup?

 

[Turbo6inKY]

Unless you buy directly from a distributor that can tell you exactly what batch you're getting fuel from and what the properties of that batch are, you have no idea what you're getting.

All those stations buy from a distributor. There may or may not be more than one servicing your area.
Each distributor may or may not be getting supplies from one or more refineries.
Each station will buy a base fuel plus an additive package. Generally the cheaper the gas, the worse the additive package. But not always. The better additive packages have extra lubricants and detergents in them to clean your injectors and valves.

Older stations are more likely to have crap and water in the tanks.

Octane is variable. The number on the pump is an advertised minimum, but if the station switched to 91 that week instead of 93, you wouldn't know and they won't tell you.

This is why race gas is so much better. It's almost always exactly the same, so your tune will work every time. Pump gas not so much, so you have to be very conservative.

 

[GNRick]

Google Tier One Gas. Supposed to have better additives.

 

[S10xGN]

Additives... Used to be tetraethyl lead for octane, then MTBE, now nothing available but increased severity. Jack up the unit temps and pressures which reduces their lifespans, which costs more due to shorter run-time between turnarounds...