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Remarkable Price Difference Between Regular and Mid-Grade Gasoline Login/Join 
Legalize the Constitution
Picture of TMats
posted
Had to head down towards Denver today and stopped for gas at a Shell station in Wellington, CO. As most of you know, in the Rocky Mountain West, “regular” gas is 85 octane rather than 87. Here, mid-grade gas is 87 and premium is 91 octane. This morning, regular gas was $2.899 and mid-grade was $3.529, $.63 higher! I don’t think I have ever seen such a wide price differential for 2 points of octane before. BTW, all grades had ethanol added, so it wasn’t that mid was ethanol free. Common elsewhere?


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Posts: 13683 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hop head
Picture of lyman
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what was the price for high test?

when I was in the business, the company I worked for used a 10 point spread, as in reg, 2.00, mid, 2.10, premium 2.20

unless cost was crazy, then maybe more,


midgrade is nothing more than 1/2 reg and 1/2 premium, pumped together into your tank



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Posts: 10636 | Location: Beach VA,not VA Beach | Registered: July 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Never miss an
opportunity to STFU
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Wow. Didn’t know the octane was that low. Some car manufacturers don’t recommend gas below 87 octane. I guess it’s gas stations way to stick it to the buyer. I put low octane in a 70s Suburban once, not only was it slow to respond, but it blew a lot of black smoke out the pipe. I didn’t even know it was legal since it would effect the amount of unburned hydrocarbons. News to me. I didn’t know they sold that gas these days.




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Posts: 2294 | Location: SE Mich-- USA | Registered: September 10, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Savor the limelight
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Is octane rating affected by altitude?

In Florida, there's about a $.30 difference between 87 and 89 as well as between 89 and 93. Except at Sam's Club which only has 87 and 93 with a $.30 difference. I buy my premium there.
 
Posts: 11818 | Location: SWFL | Registered: October 10, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Lawyers, Guns
and Money
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quote:
I put low octane in a 70s Suburban once, not only was it slow to respond, but it blew a lot of black smoke out the pipe.

Probably designed for leaded gas.

“Tetraethyl lead” was used in early model cars to help reduce engine knocking, boost octane ratings, and help with wear and tear on valve seats within the motor. Due to concerns over air pollution and health risks, this type of gas was slowly phased out starting in the late 1970’s and banned altogether in all on-road vehicles in the U.S. in 1995.



"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."
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Posts: 24757 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: April 03, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I just got gas at Quick Trip in Godfrey, Illinois. Illinois gas taxes (and every other tax)are very high. 87 octane was @2.69.9 89 Octane was $2.89.9 and 91 octane was $3.09.9 Quick trip is a top tier gas.
 
Posts: 1506 | Location: S/W Illinois | Registered: October 29, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by trapper189:
Is octane rating affected by altitude?

In Florida, there's about a $.30 difference between 87 and 89 as well as between 89 and 93. Except at Sam's Club which only has 87 and 93 with a $.30 difference. I buy my premium there.


At altitude, air is less dense; therefore the octane requirements of an engine are lower - so at high altitudes, you can get away with using 85 where 87 is recommended.

As far as I am aware, the Octane of gas itself is not affected - gas that is 85 Octane at high altitude is the same at low altitude.
 
Posts: 952 | Location: Glendale, AZ | Registered: February 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Savor the limelight
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Interesting. I learned something new, thank you.
 
Posts: 11818 | Location: SWFL | Registered: October 10, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Legalize the Constitution
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quote:
Wow. Didn’t know the octane was that low. Some car manufacturers don’t recommend gas below 87 octane

You’re right, manufacturers do not recommend octane ratings below 87. The owner’s manual of my truck specifically addresses Rocky Mountain states saying something like, “Some states sell gasoline with lower octane ratings and label it as ‘regular,’ 87 octane gas should be used in your Ford truck.”

When the price difference is more than $.25 it makes no sense to pay for 87 octane.


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Posts: 13683 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
semi-reformed sailor
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quote:
Originally posted by chellim1:


“Tetraethyl lead” was used in early model cars.........and banned altogether in all on-road vehicles in the U.S. in 1995.


What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

[/drift]



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Posts: 11517 | Location: Temple, Texas! | Registered: October 07, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Lawyers, Guns
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quote:
What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

Shell develops new premium fuel for the engines of old cars
Shell V-Power Nitro+ premium gasoline.
https://journal.classiccars.co...el-engines-old-cars/



"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."
-- Justice Janice Rogers Brown

"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth."
-rduckwor
 
Posts: 24757 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: April 03, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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We stopped by Costco in Colorado Springs on Monday as their regular gas was $0.30 less per gallon than local stations, premium (which my wife’s Explorer runs) was a $0.50 spread, which is what I’ve found at most Costco’s.

H-E-B gas back home usually has a $0.60 spread from Regular to Premium.



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Posts: 5427 | Location: Wichita, KS (for now)…always a Texan… | Registered: April 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

It's been a while, but I used to use an additive that had lead in it.

The last place I saw leaded gas for sale (not counting planes and boats) was in the early 90's... in, of all places, Orange County CA.




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Posts: 17944 | Location: Virginia | Registered: June 02, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Legalize the Constitution
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quote:
Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
quote:
What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

It's been a while, but I used to use an additive that had lead in it.

The last place I saw leaded gas for sale (not counting planes and boats) was in the early 90's... in, of all places, Orange County CA.

or have the cylinder heads worked on to replace the valve seats, enabling the engine to run on unleaded fuel. Easily the best solution for a car that you’d like to drive with any frequency.

FWIW, I sent an email to Shell America inquiring about the price difference.


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Posts: 13683 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeinNC:
quote:
Originally posted by chellim1:


“Tetraethyl lead” was used in early model cars.........and banned altogether in all on-road vehicles in the U.S. in 1995.


What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

[/drift]



I own a couple of older high performance cars that were definitely "Ethel burners". They don't get driven a lot, but do get driven. I purchased a barrel of Trick Gas leaded 112 octane, and just add 1-2 gallons of this with a full tank of 91 octane, and that works fine for my engines.
 
Posts: 6748 | Location: Az | Registered: May 27, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
What do you do if you have an old classic car that needs leaded gas?

There are lots of options. The best is to just buy leaded fuel. Its not available for EPA cars, but you can buy it and use it in an older car. That's what I do. It's easily available. But if you burn a lot of it, its expensive, so you can switch to avgas if your engine is OK with that octane and burn rate wise. Then you can do additives.
And lastly you can modify things.


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Posts: 11219 | Registered: October 14, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shit don't
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quote:
Originally posted by lyman:
midgrade is nothing more than 1/2 reg and 1/2 premium, pumped together into your tank

I worked at a MobIL in NJ for several years. We had 3 distinct tanks in the ground. Gas was not blended at the pumps. I've never seen that.
 
Posts: 5825 | Location: 7400 feet in Conifer CO | Registered: November 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
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Here is a secret, mid-grade is NOT made at the refinery. Instead, it’s either blended at the distribution terminal’s loading rack (traditional) as the tanker truck is filled or it’s blended at the gas station’s pumps (newer method requiring more expensive pumps and controls) as your vehicle is filled. Older distribution terminals pumped one product into tank then pumped 2nd product into tank (called splash blending) but newer terminals blend both at once so if you get a rack shutdown (eg power outage) you don’t have to offload to slop tank.

Here are the 3 main blend formulas:
  • 50% 87 octane and 50% 91 octane
  • 66.7% 87 octane and 33.3% 93 octane
  • 71% 87 octane and 29% 94 octane

    The reason I provided the blend formulas was if the price of 89 isn’t in line (eg 1/2 way between 87 and 91) then make it yourself at the pump. I haven’t had a car in a long time that needed 89, but I’m a cheap bastard so used to splash blend it myself if they weren’t pricing it per ratio of the components.



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  •  
    Posts: 23816 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    Drill Here, Drill Now
    Picture of tatortodd
    posted Hide Post
    quote:
    Originally posted by 1967Goat:
    quote:
    Originally posted by lyman:
    midgrade is nothing more than 1/2 reg and 1/2 premium, pumped together into your tank

    I worked at a MobIL in NJ for several years. We had 3 distinct tanks in the ground. Gas was not blended at the pumps. I've never seen that.
    Both of y’all should read my last post since both posts are correct from your fox hole but won’t be correct everywhere in the US:
  • Goat saw 89 at a gas station that had been made at distribution terminal
  • Lyman provided 1 of the 3 formulas (87 & 91).



    Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

    DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
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    Posts: 23816 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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    Picture of Shaql
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    Supply and demand. Most cars require 92 or higher now. One of the many reasons we don't buy into the you gotta have a turbo option.

    I'm amazed anyone has a motor that still requires lead anymore. I would think that most have been rebuilt since the 90s and would have had the proper rings installed.





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    Posts: 6910 | Location: Atlanta | Registered: April 23, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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