I typically run Quik Trip fuel because it is a top-tier gasoline and the station is conveniently located near my home and closely to work.

I need to fill up today and am going to Costco. Is there any harm in running their gasoline in my car? They are not a top-tier fuel.

I have a 2013 Justa and I run premium (91 octane) fuel.

Thanks in advance for your comments and opinions.

 

Don't run costco gas. I can say that from experience. Use Quik Trip !

 

Since the vast majority of gas stations order their supply from the same refineries (with very few exceptions, i.e.: Hess in NE), the only differences between gas stations and brands usually comes from one of three variables:
1). what brand of additives are added to the underground tanks at the gas station
2). how frequently the gas is replenished vs. sits in the tank
3). whether the given station's gas is contaminated due to old equipment (i.e. rusting tanks)

On #2 and #3 you are probably better off at Costco than most gas stations.
On #1, probably not.

However, I doubt it's a big deal if you fill up there once in a while.

YMMV

 

I have been using Costco premium since about day one. That's seven years now for my 06 JCW. Just run a can of Sea Foam through the tank every few months.

 

My service guy whom I trust has always tried to steer me away from gas from the big box stores, costco included. He said it seems to be a common denominator in a lot of his "problem" cars. While certainly not a scientific experiment , he has always been a straight shooter and seems to know what he is talking about.

 

Additionally, all gas has to meet federal and state standards (CA's are different from the rest of the US). It is pumped through pipelines from state to state as a commodity. Afadeev is correct - the only difference as it is coming out of the tanker truck is the additive package that is brand specific. "Top Tier" just means they put in more than the minimum detergents and paid the fee to be called such.

I have filled up multiple cars at Costco pumps for years with no issues, including a BMW and my Mini. Given the volume that Costco pumps and their modern infrastructure, you're not likely to run into contamination issues there.

Having said that, I do prefer Chevron for their Techron additive.

 

+1 for Techtron additive.

 

I wouldn't run any other type of gas into my R56 unless it's Shell. These turbo's are so damn sensitive it's ridiculous. I put in BP and Speedway gas, and the car didn't respond very nicely at idle or on acceleration, I've even had the car choke. But when it comes to Shell, no issues, so I stick with the 93 octane.

 

interesting read from Car Talk forum
http://community.cartalk.com/discuss...her-gas-brands

"Costco's gas contains 5 times the detergent level that is required by The EPA"

http://www.costco.com/gasoline.html

I fill up exclusively at Costco, used to fill up my bimmer there too, ZERO issues!

 

There is also number # 4.

The sale and purchase of second hand fuel available to places like Costco. Happens when in ground fuel tanks are emptied for inspection, removal or when they are foreclosed upon....

 

10% Ethanol can gum up an engine quick ! Buy from a station that does not sell it !

 

Everyone in California is screwed then, most if not all stations here contain 10% Ethanol.

I believe there's tax incentives for gas stations to use a 10% blend.

 

I don't know that you will find any stations that are not 10% in the Dallas metro area. It's a foolish conspiracy if I were asked.

 

I'm running shell premium exclusively. The car gets such great mileage that I don't find it a big deal to buy the good stuff. My old C36 AMG was another story, at 15mpg I used CostCo Premium. But no issues.


I had a shell engineer show me valves from a v8 engine, one from each bank. Two independent fuel tanks installed in a test car and each feeding one bank of cylinders exclusively. Shell fuel in one tank and generic fuel in the other. Amazing the differences in the valves, and you can guess which had the shiny looking valves and which had globs of carbon deposits. I though this was a great apples to apples comparison, one engine, under same load, maintenance, etc...

Since I got my MCS used I've run the mini fuel cleaning additive a few times. Maybe we're over thinking it. I bet fuel quality is insignificant on direct injected mini engines compared to PCV system carbon buildup.

Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

Random question, does anyone know how to get an accurate mpg reading?

I don't think the readings on the car are that accurate.

 

Is the old fashioned way not accurate enough? (divide miles by fuel at fill-up)

 

Yea, had a brain freeze on that post.

I was dividing range by what's left in the tank.
Numbers kept coming out too good lol.

Connected app tells me I have 9 gal left with an estimated range of 308.

 

Your suspicions are correct. Fuel additives will do literally nothing of value on a Direct Injection engine. Fuel never touches the back of the intake valves.

 

Tell that to all the N54 guys running e85 on stock fuels systems. Seems just fine for them!

 

Ethanol, per se, does not "gum up" most fuel systems. It is actually used in fuel stabilizers. However, being a solvent and hydroscopic, it attracts water, comtaminants and can cause changes when in fuel in large amounts to form acids causing corrosion, especially to some metals like aluminum. It is also hard on fiberglass, a big reason it is a problem in the marine industry and may cause the gumming reputation. I would avoid it like poison if you can, and don't store ethanol fuels long term. We are lucky here in Okieland that non-ethanol gas is available. It is also available in the FL Keys as REC 90 gas. It is all I use in lawnmowers and motorcycles. It seems to get superior fuel milage as well, which should be obvious. The Corn Lobby has our politicians in their pockets, and we are paying a high price, IMHO.

 

I just passed the 10k mile mark on my car last week... At least 9000 of those miles were on Costco gas. Feels alright to me.

 

This work. A buddy of mine bought a new truck...A few of us used our 5 gallon cans to put gas in his truck for about a 45 days. He was braggin on his great gas mileage. Well we stopped adding gas and his face fell off . "My truck has a problem, this gas mielage sucks O well we told him

Have fun with your Mini's. They are like airplanes they need maintenance and reward you with the driving experience.

 

Funny you should bring this up.
Here in the NE, we are force-fed 10-15% Ethanol gas all winter long. You federal tax subsidies at work, propping up the corn farmers.
I can't say I can feel the difference, but the mileage does reliably drop by ~10%.

You can't avoid it. All refineries are forced to mix it in, and stations are forced to carry it by law.

 

Here in Michigan, we have three gas stations around my area with ZERO ethanol all year round.

 

From Costco....when I inquired into their fuels.....

As a comparison, you may recognize the term "Top Tier." *In order to qualify for Top Tier an additive must contain about three times the EPA detergent requirement, and Costco's Clean Power dosage is five times the requirement. *However, the physical quantity of additive is only one measure. *The quality of the detergent can affect the amount of additive needed to meet the government requirement. *The EPA standard is performance based, i.e., they require only the amount needed to keep engines at a certain level of cleanliness. *Costco has tested our Kirkland Signature Clean Power detergent so our "5x" claim is performance-based.

Another Top Tier requirement is that it be available in all a company's fuel nation-wide. *Costco does not yet have Clean Power installed at all of our U.S. gas stations. *We plan to do so as fast as we can, at which time we will investigate whether to seek the official "Top Tier" designation. *The Top Tier program is administered by General Motors, and supported by several other automakers such as Toyota, Honda, BMW, VW, and Audi. *Here is a link to their website:*http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

Most detergent additives use similar ingredients, and have the same effect in keeping your engine clean. *As I said above, Costco adds five times the government minimum requirement for detergent additive, which provided the maximum cleaning impact during our engine testing. *The only brand that uses as much additive as Costco is*Shell's V-power,*which is available in their premium fuel only. (V is the Roman numeral for 5, which stands for five times the government requirement). *Our KS Clean Power additive is made by one of the leading additive manufacturers in the U.S. and our*formula*is independently registered with the EPA. *