So my question is, if big gas companies such as chevron and shell are over charging for gas then why do people still get it? The chevron with techron and V power from shell. Does it make any difference? Why doesn't everyone just get RACE TRACK gas or some off brand gas if there really isn't a difference.

When i put some off brand gas in my car i notice a big difference. My car starts and then dies, or has a very rough idle. Anyways people states the gas comes from the same place, is this true?

Does walmart and other off brand gas companies get the reject gas from the big companies?

All these questions and so many different points of view.

I just want to know that truth!

 

All gasoline has the same base formula in order to obtain the necessary specifications for sale in the US. Companies will add additional additives (i.e. detergents) at the distribution hub to claim it is better. In my opinion I don't think there is any difference between the gas you get from Chevron, Exxon or Shell. The WalMarts of the world sell the same base gas, just without the additives.

 

Yep- typically, all gas in one area would come from the same depot. While ifferent name brands have particular mixes of additives, but that doesn't mean that is the only difference.

You could be getting 'bad' gas from a place if they had water or contaminants in their local storage tank. I've always been told to avoid filling somewhere that's getting a truck unloaded, since it stirs up the sediment that eventually makes it to the bottom of the tank. The pumps are required to have filters, so who knows how much difference that would actually make...

 

yah, ive had bad gas from shell where it caused all sorts of knocking
problems on my car where as it never happened when i pumped at another
newer/cleaner shell station.

and i was not surprised when the pos shell station replaced its
ground tanks the following year. i bet there were many folks
that complained. i pump at that pos station now knowing that
their tanks have been replaced and have not had an issue since.

 

Interesting blurb from the Chevron site:

All the major oil companies say their gasoline is great. Why should I buy Chevron gasoline? When North American auto manufacturers design and build a new engine and emissions control system in the United States, they know they must prove to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the car can go a long way and still operate with very low emissions. That's why all three major U.S. auto manufacturers use only Chevron gasoline with the Techron® additive to help their new engines pass the tough EPA 80,000 and 160,000 kms emission system durability tests. They buy and use only Chevron unleaded gasoline, even though they must purchase the Chevron unleaded gasoline in Kentucky and pay to truck it all the way to the Detroit area, because Chevron does not market gasoline in close proximity to Michigan.

 

+1 to Flats

Yes, there is a case to be made for using brand gasoline for the additives. The criticism of "over charging" comes from the fact that big oil companies are raking in record profits on your $$ (see link).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5367090

 

I'm going to resist going political.
For starters, enviromentalists have stopped the drilling and producing of oil from our lands, so we buy from other countries.
EPA makes it damn near impossible to build another refinery, the existing ones have been updated to keep up with increasing demand.
Speaking of increasing demand, from China, India, etc. makes a limited resource more expensive.
I believe the "oil futures" people set the price, not the oil companies.
You all keep driving gasoline powered cars, stop it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUVs idling while the driver is in the store doesn't help either, or drive-thrus, let's-have-fun runs, etc.

So I, as an Exxon stock shareholder (a billionth of what Chairman Raymond owns) am a demon. Thanks alot.

 

I've heard the same thing and avoid stations that are being refilled. Better safe than sorry.

 

I wouldn't call you a demon. I'd say you were an average American invested in a 401K.

 

This is why I just keep 55 gallon barrels of crude in the backyard.

 

niceeeee

 

Hold on to them. They will be worth about $200 bucks each in a few more weeks. Although, with the prices I'm paying for milk these days I'd rather have barrels of milk or better yet - bottled water.

 

My dream - gasoline goes for the same price as bottled water. Life would be in total balance then.
I buy my gas from Sinclare, but that is mostly a western brand I think. I like driving by the Sinclare refinery when I go to Wyoming - kind of like Karma.

 

All the stations in my (kind of small) town set the prices within a penny of each other so there isn't a price jump with Shell-it's with all of them!