Fuel these days... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

tnoice · 10-03-2009, 05:07 AM

So yesterday, I went to my favorite gas station in Champaign and found that they had changed the formula of the gas provided to the gas station. They now had posted on every pump that their gas contained 10% ethanol AND a new STP additive. Maybe I am ignorant to the new ways, but can't we buy normal unihibited gas anymore. This stuff is dilluted crap..

I filled up with a similar gas a couple of weeks ago while I was in Chicago, with our FJ, and within 50 miles it sputtered and the gas milage dropped tremendously. Yesterday I filled up at another gas station, out of town a bit, without all the advertisements, and the fj was back to normal.

Is this what we must look forward to in the future, No gas, just additives!!

Simply had to vent, thanks.. :dance:

Brucelee · 10-03-2009, 05:32 AM

I hear you. Sometimes these formulas are change via compliance with emissions laws. In CA, the law mandates a switch in the summer.

Then, in winter, back again.

blue2000s · 10-03-2009, 06:34 AM

All gasoline has additives. Detergents, anti-gel and stabilizers. Without them gas doesn't last long and your engine becomes a big carbon block. The oxygenators aren't necessary but they're almost always there too.

Cloudsurfer · 10-03-2009, 08:14 AM

If you want "gasoline," try race fuels or avgas (unfortunately, avgas is highly leaded). The crap that they call "gas" that goes in your street car is highly diluted and filled with who knows what. Formulations differ from company to company, state to state, and season to season.

mptoledo · 10-03-2009, 07:36 PM

I try to use the following site(click on retailer) as a general idea what gas isn't crap, but in my small area I am lucky to find a Shell station and Chevron is out of the question.

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

edevlin · 10-03-2009, 10:09 PM

" but in my small area I am lucky to find a Shell station and Chevron is out of the question"

Me too, we only have a Chevron, but it is a small, old facility with low volume. We do have a new Sheetz which I am thinking of switching to. They are supposed to have high-quality fuel storage and delivery systems, but I am not sure about their fuel, as they are not listed as toptier. Anyone have experience with their fuel?

Ed

tnoice · 10-05-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mptoledo

I try to use the following site(click on retailer) as a general idea what gas isn't crap, but in my small area I am lucky to find a Shell station and Chevron is out of the question.

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

wow, we officially do not have a single one of those gas stations here in champaign/urbana. I just do not know what to say, our gas sucks... But being in the mid west we have good dirt and corn. Maybe thats why we have so much ethanol!

d18mike · 10-06-2009, 10:08 AM

Here's the official/unofficial word from a Porsche engineer on non-premium fuels (USA Today, 2003)

... All Porsche engines are designed for premium, but it's not available everywhere. "Our cars must be able to drive all over the world, and so we are able to run on regular," says Jakob Neusser, director of powertrain development at Porsche's research and development center in Weissach, Germany. "You don't have to feel that a mechanical problem or anything else will happen" using standard octane gas, even in the highest-performance, regular-production Porsches.

10-06-2009, 02:29 PM

We keep a drum of race fuel at the shop for a customer who drives a 700 HP 964 Turbo we built. Even he could probably get by on premium pump fuel in it's current tune, but there's certainly nothing to be gained by running a higher octane than what is needed.

HDManny · 10-07-2009, 06:24 PM

I used to get gas at a Sam's Club by my wife's work but they finally went with the 10% ethanol blended gas. I started to keep track of the type of gas I was using when my gas mileage started decreasing. The 10% ethanol gas reduced my mileage by almost 10% compared to straight gas and I found that others had discovered this also. I found this was the same with my motorcycles and one the bikes started acting up when cold, which it never had previously. What I don't really understand is, why the gas with ethanol costs the same as the gas without.

jmatta · 10-07-2009, 06:51 PM

There is a Tri-Par station on the way to Elkhart Lake WI (Road America) that I frequent every trip from northern Illinois in one of the P cars...around town it's Shell V-Power. The Box S likes it as does the '73 with carbs.

Thanks for the link...good stuff to know.

dbw · 10-08-2009, 03:01 AM

I got my 2004 Box last May and since that time have put on 22000 km. I have kept track of every single fill up. Normally here in Winnipeg I use Co-op gas because in Feb they send you a rebate cheque which last year I beleive was for approx $.16 a litre. Anyway, where I am going with this is I recently did a 5500 km road trip over two weeks and I noticed when using Shell I got at least 10% more range (10% less fuel burn) on a tank. I used Sunoco 94 in Ontario where there iss no ethenol in the hi-test and got just as good if not better - the Sunoco was hard to find. Soon as I got back to Winnipeg back to the Co-op gas and my range on a tank dropped 10%. Interesting. Maybe it isn't such a deal.

On another road trip last winter I took my Acura TSX and in one state (WI?) there is ethenol in hi-test and my range dropped 10-15% and picked back up again after I was able to get fuel without ethenol.

My thoughts are that ethenol is crap. If polutants released into the air is a product of volume burned these days then with ethenol you are putting 10 - 15% more into the atmosphere and increasing your fuel costs by a similar amount. No saving anywhere that I can see.