'pure' Gas Rating Options

[Mizz]

Does anyone know of a way or website to find gas stations in your area that sell pure gas? I mean gas with no ethanol/methanol. It really pisses me off when I know each gallon of gas I put in my truck is only 90% gas and the power losses and mpg loss is ridiculous.

[DV2000NJ]

If you are seeing 'ridiculous' power and fuel economy losses, chances are it is not from having 10% ethanol in your fuel, something's up with the truck.

[merlin5577]

If you are seeing 'ridiculous' power and fuel economy losses, chances are it is not from having 10% ethanol in your fuel, something's up with the truck.

Ethanol has fewer BTU's then gasoline, but at 90% gasoline to 10% ethanol the difference should only be (at most) a 5% loss in fuel economy. If you normally got 20MPG, the most you should see is a 1 MPG loss. I would start by checking the normal wear items (plugs, filters, etc...) to see if anything is fouled.

Back on topic; I would suggest running a search through google. I havent heard of any sites, but there may be one.

[Mizz]

Ethanol has fewer BTU's then gasoline, but at 90% gasoline to 10% ethanol the difference should only be (at most) a 5% loss in fuel economy. If you normally got 20MPG, the most you should see is a 1 MPG loss. I would start by checking the normal wear items (plugs, filters, etc...) to see if anything is fouled.

Back on topic; I would suggest running a search through google. I havent heard of any sites, but there may be one.

20 mpg always beats 19 and that 1 mpg is enough to piss me off lol The truck has 8k miles on it and the major difference is when I go out of town to somewhere that has a better gas. I always get better mileage coming back to town than leaving. Normally I try to get bp or exxon gas which we don't have around here.

Google maps was some help but still did not answer my question. I'll just have to check with the local performance shops.

[Texas Jim]

You don't say where you are located... but some areas are mandated by the EPA, to have Ethanol in ALL of the gas in that area.

[Darkanion]

20 mpg always beats 19 and that 1 mpg is enough to piss me off lol The truck has 8k miles on it and the major difference is when I go out of town to somewhere that has a better gas. I always get better mileage coming back to town than leaving. Normally I try to get bp or exxon gas which we don't have around here.

I'm sure someone else with more knowledge on this will correct me, but... As I understand it, gasoline formulations are based on the regulations (emissions and otherwise) for your area. A couple of years ago, I drove up to Paris, Texas, for a family get together. While I was there, I got gas. My car seemed to run better, coming back than it did going up. I was later told that Paris was in a county that didn't have as strict of emissions testing as Dallas County (where I was living at the time). As a result, they did not "have" to run the ethanol blends, like the DFW area does. So, I got better performance (and/or would've seen better mileage, if I had kept it under 100, coming back.)

I have been "told" (but I do not know if there is any truth to it) that if county "A" has the more strict emissions regulations, the counties that border it also use the ethanol blends, so that people can't easily "skip over to the next county and get 'good' gas." My guess is this... If you're not finding any "pure" gas where you live, you'll probably have to drive way farther to go find "pure" gas than it would actually be worth, to get the 1 mpg or so increase in mileage.

If you find a website that lists stations / areas that run "pure" gas, though, please pass it along. Worst-case, I can use it on my road trips to try to get some "better" gas, from time to time.



This post has been edited by Darkanion: Nov 29 2008, 06:58 PM

[qualicas]

There really probably are not very many different gas formulations available in any given area. (I used to make gas in a refinery and then was involved in gas marketing) There are a few refineries pumping out gas. They will make 3 grades and at most a second variation of each of the three. These then, will supply almost all of the service stations in a given area. All the brands. There might be distribution terminals from farther refineries in your area as well. If so, that might double the gas choices. Also, every time I used to make a gas mix, 20,000 barrels at a time, it would be a different recipe depending on what the refinery had on hand and if we were going to winter season. Winter gas usually had more "light ends" so it would vaporize easier. Of course mileage will suffer.

[Mizz]

My guess is this... If you're not finding any "pure" gas where you live, you'll probably have to drive way farther to go find "pure" gas

That's exactly what I'm trying to do. Find pure gas in my area without trying every single gas station or drive really far away to get it.

[Darkanion]

My guess is this... If you're not finding any "pure" gas where you live, you'll probably have to drive way farther to go find "pure" gas

That's exactly what I'm trying to do. Find pure gas in my area without trying every single gas station or drive really far away to get it.

Well, I guess my point was more that if "pure" gas isn't available "everywhere" around you, it's liable to be quite a ways away to go "get" it. I think someone else asked before, but.. What part of the country do you live in?

[Mizz]

Well, I guess my point was more that if "pure" gas isn't available "everywhere" around you, it's liable to be quite a ways away to go "get" it. I think someone else asked before, but.. What part of the country do you live in?

Western Arkansas, Ft. Smith area.

[slomo007]

For you Fort Worth guys, there is a Texaco in Cresson Texas (about half way between Benbrook and Granbury) on Hwy 377 that has 100% gas. Also they have 105 octane fuel (it's located near a race track). Thought about having Justin tune my truck for 105 but decided against it, lol.

The station is too far away for me to make it economically viable but I wish I lived closer to it.

[ZZ327]

Well, I guess my point was more that if "pure" gas isn't available "everywhere" around you, it's liable to be quite a ways away to go "get" it. I think someone else asked before, but.. What part of the country do you live in?

Western Arkansas, Ft. Smith area.

Ive never been to arkansas. Every other state Ive stopped to get gas in had 3 choices. low octane(87) Mid grade octane usually with 10% ethanol (89)

and High octane(91) Or usually there was a 10% ethanol mix with any one of the other octane ratings. So Are all your gas choices at the pumps marked with 10% ethanol?

[norsemanberg]

It is actually something like 92% gas and 8% ethanol because they have to make the alcohol unconsumable by humans so they have to add gasoline to the mix

[GARB55]

Invest in a extra fuel tank and fill it up when when out of town with 100% gas?

[Darkanion]

For you Fort Worth guys, there is a Texaco in Cresson Texas (about half way between Benbrook and Granbury) on Hwy 377 that has 100% gas. Also they have 105 octane fuel (it's located near a race track). Thought about having Justin tune my truck for 105 but decided against it, lol.

The station is too far away for me to make it economically viable but I wish I lived closer to it.

Thanks for the info!