Date:         Fri, 15 May 2015 12:04:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Gas - Cheap vs Expensive
Comments: To: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAOBs5F5Z+931NCY4S=K4E-U-ep9-4C5tv7CMm0T3sQFU1sNaNg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Costco is now top tier, which has a higher level of detergents to keep carbon suspended: www.toptiergas.com.  You don’t need premium unless you have a Go Westy rebuild where they have boosted the compression and it's required, or if you are climbing mountains in 100 degree weather (which is not a good idea anyway). If it makes you feel good, fine, but the van doesn’t care, and you are in the state with the most expensive gas in the country by big margin.

The Vanagon door sticker uses an old method of calculating octane rating that is no longer used, so it's meaningless. Regular is what our vans were designed for.  

Your mechanic is uninformed and should not be scaring you like this.  I'd look for another one.

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of PB
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 11:24 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fwd: Gas - Cheap vs Expensive

About a year and a half ago there was a thread about which gasoline to use.  If I remember right, there was a general consensus that Vanagons were made to use cheap gas, so I immediately switched from 91 octane Costco gas <http://blog.modbargains.com/what-is-top-tier-gas-and-why-it-matters-its-at-costco/>
to 87.

A few weeks ago, after a tuneup and compression ​ adjustment​ in all 4 cylinders, my mechanic, Bela, told me I was using "BAD GAS."  He told me that Costco gas was BAD, and would ruin the cylinders, and that I needed to use 91 (89 at the lowest) octane *MOBIL* gas for the best performance.  (Mobil gas is extremely high-priced, and averages $.3
​5
 - $1.00 per gallon above all other brands.)  OK.  So I switched to Mobil
91 octane - for my van ONLY, and I actually have been getting better mileage.  (Had to use Gas Buddy to find the lowest priced Mobil, which is ​ on my daily route, and pay cash to avoid credit card surcharge ​.)​


Yesterday, I noticed the dog-eared stickers on my passenger door, and was able to see that 91 octane was recommended when the vehicle was made <http://s74.photobucket.com/user/edtech2000/media/Westy%20Sticker%2091%20Octane.jpg.html>!
  Another online source
<https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5572227> suggests that cheap gas is OK if you supplement with a fuel cleaner every few tanks.

Does anyone agree that cheap gas is OK if used with fuel cleaners?  What about Mobil vs other brands?

Patti
9 Westy Automatic
Los Angeles


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