Gas
02-03-2015, 09:09 AM
#11
For the extra 20 cents a gallon I'd rather have V Power for Vtec - yo.
02-17-2015, 04:09 PM
#14
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I've always put in Chevron Premium or Shell V-Power. Recently, I've been using Costco gas for past couple months and noticed MPG dropped from 29-30mpg to 26-27mpg from trips to Seattle. (I go to Seattle often)
I thought it was the new tires or something, but the very last tank I filled in with Chevron Premium got me 30mpg again. So I am convinced that while Costco does not create problems for the car, it does lower the mpg.
Bummer!
I thought it was the new tires or something, but the very last tank I filled in with Chevron Premium got me 30mpg again. So I am convinced that while Costco does not create problems for the car, it does lower the mpg.
Bummer!
02-18-2015, 08:29 PM
#15
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I am the original poster here. Passed DEQ yesterday, no problem, on Chevron Premium.
I am also the Senior Crash Test Dummy at the Institute of Empirical Blunders. What I presented was empirical experience. If you don't buy it, I don't care. I'm just telling you what happened.
I do wonder how one determines that Costco is top tier gasoline. It runs well in my Subaru, but burning Costco gasoline was the only change I made before the CEL illuminated. It was a 0420 code as I remember, didn't write it down and I could be wrong, which is to say the O2 sensors before and after the CAT did not find agreement. Or something like that.
Costco is one of my favorite places for most things. I have been a devoted member for several decades. As I said, I'm simply reporting what happened after two tanks of Costco Premium (and it was premium, I always check) gas. YMMV.
I am also the Senior Crash Test Dummy at the Institute of Empirical Blunders. What I presented was empirical experience. If you don't buy it, I don't care. I'm just telling you what happened.
I do wonder how one determines that Costco is top tier gasoline. It runs well in my Subaru, but burning Costco gasoline was the only change I made before the CEL illuminated. It was a 0420 code as I remember, didn't write it down and I could be wrong, which is to say the O2 sensors before and after the CAT did not find agreement. Or something like that.
Costco is one of my favorite places for most things. I have been a devoted member for several decades. As I said, I'm simply reporting what happened after two tanks of Costco Premium (and it was premium, I always check) gas. YMMV.
02-18-2015, 10:12 PM
#17
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http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html
Because they say so?
Realistically, it was probably just a fluke. Maybe you got a bad mix that fill up. Maybe you had a little hiccup in your car (sediment in the fuel got through the filter?).
Regardless, the CEL went away and your car is fine. I'm willing to assume if you filled it up at Costco again, you wouldn't have a problem.
Although the other thing to consider is that MAYBE - and this is a stretch - your cat is starting to fail and this was just the first sign. Just enough to trigger your CEL this one time. It might start to happen more frequently as it breaks down more.
In the same topic, I remember reading an article once, and take this purely as second-hand heresay, that mentioned that all the fuel stations nowadays come from the same depots which all have the same general detergents, and what they do to make each "different" is to put a gallon or so of their special additive (Techron, V-Power, whatever marketing name it is for their unique detergent blend) into the ENTIRE TANKER of fuel. We're talking about an end result of you getting minuscule amounts of actual Techron in the fuel you buy. You get 10, 20, 30 times more Techron from the over-the-counter bottle of additive than in an entire fill up in your tank.
Take it for what it's worth.
Because they say so?
Realistically, it was probably just a fluke. Maybe you got a bad mix that fill up. Maybe you had a little hiccup in your car (sediment in the fuel got through the filter?).
Regardless, the CEL went away and your car is fine. I'm willing to assume if you filled it up at Costco again, you wouldn't have a problem.
Although the other thing to consider is that MAYBE - and this is a stretch - your cat is starting to fail and this was just the first sign. Just enough to trigger your CEL this one time. It might start to happen more frequently as it breaks down more.
In the same topic, I remember reading an article once, and take this purely as second-hand heresay, that mentioned that all the fuel stations nowadays come from the same depots which all have the same general detergents, and what they do to make each "different" is to put a gallon or so of their special additive (Techron, V-Power, whatever marketing name it is for their unique detergent blend) into the ENTIRE TANKER of fuel. We're talking about an end result of you getting minuscule amounts of actual Techron in the fuel you buy. You get 10, 20, 30 times more Techron from the over-the-counter bottle of additive than in an entire fill up in your tank.
Take it for what it's worth.
03-05-2015, 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Agiyo' timestamp='1424323763' post='23511295
I do wonder how one determines that Costco is top tier gasoline
Because they say so?
Realistically, it was probably just a fluke. Maybe you got a bad mix that fill up. Maybe you had a little hiccup in your car (sediment in the fuel got through the filter?).
Regardless, the CEL went away and your car is fine. I'm willing to assume if you filled it up at Costco again, you wouldn't have a problem.
Although the other thing to consider is that MAYBE - and this is a stretch - your cat is starting to fail and this was just the first sign. Just enough to trigger your CEL this one time. It might start to happen more frequently as it breaks down more.
In the same topic, I remember reading an article once, and take this purely as second-hand heresay, that mentioned that all the fuel stations nowadays come from the same depots which all have the same general detergents, and what they do to make each "different" is to put a gallon or so of their special additive (Techron, V-Power, whatever marketing name it is for their unique detergent blend) into the ENTIRE TANKER of fuel. We're talking about an end result of you getting minuscule amounts of actual Techron in the fuel you buy. You get 10, 20, 30 times more Techron from the over-the-counter bottle of additive than in an entire fill up in your tank.
Take it for what it's worth.
03-05-2015, 02:54 PM
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Thanks for your well thought out reply. I may try another tank of Costco gas, because that's the sort of thing The Institute of Empirical Blunders does, and it does deserve at least that.
The cat is new---original fell apart inside---so it's almost certainly OK.
It's experience so old, it's almost irrelevant, but we used to be able to guess the brand of gasoline a car had burned by looking at the combustion chambers when we pulled the cylinder head. It happened a lot more frequently back then! There may be less significant variations between, say, Shell and Chevron now, I don't know about that. Also, our computerized fuel and ignition systems are able to compensate to a remarkable degree for less favorable conditions, and my S2000 continues to amaze me every time I drive it.
I was sincerely surprised by the CEL. Never thought I'd see one in this car, and the only variable I could cite was burning Costco Premium. Adding the Techron extinguished the light and it has not reappeared on the last several tanks of Chevron. Could be coincidence, I am simply reporting what happened. We'll see what the next tank of Costco gas does, now that DEQ is OK for a couple more years.
And thanks again for the civility.
The cat is new---original fell apart inside---so it's almost certainly OK.
It's experience so old, it's almost irrelevant, but we used to be able to guess the brand of gasoline a car had burned by looking at the combustion chambers when we pulled the cylinder head. It happened a lot more frequently back then! There may be less significant variations between, say, Shell and Chevron now, I don't know about that. Also, our computerized fuel and ignition systems are able to compensate to a remarkable degree for less favorable conditions, and my S2000 continues to amaze me every time I drive it.
I was sincerely surprised by the CEL. Never thought I'd see one in this car, and the only variable I could cite was burning Costco Premium. Adding the Techron extinguished the light and it has not reappeared on the last several tanks of Chevron. Could be coincidence, I am simply reporting what happened. We'll see what the next tank of Costco gas does, now that DEQ is OK for a couple more years.
And thanks again for the civility.
03-05-2015, 03:17 PM
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