Date:         Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:54:49 -0400
Reply-To:     "Sminkey, Scott" <ssminkey@XYPLEX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Sminkey, Scott" <ssminkey@XYPLEX.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon fuel requirement
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain

>I don't know, guys.  I talked to a gas broker, and he says gas is a
>commodity only.  It is all the same.  Right down to the additives.  No
>one even asks who refined it anymore.

You know, I was thinking this, too. I remember that
sometime within the last ten years, some regulation
was changed regarding gasoline brands. It used to
be that if the sign said something like "Mobil" then
that gas had to be Mobil. This regulation was dropped
meaning that stations could buy gas from anywhere
they wanted to. At the time, each major brand still had
their "secret" additive formula that was added by the
station owner to his underground tanks, so there was
some difference between buying gas at say, a Shell
versus a Chevron. Perhaps the additive situation has
changed, too, so that most of that is now generic.

In all the 7+ years and almost 100,000 miles I owned
my '91, I wasn't particular at all about what gas I put in
it except to stay away from gas containing alcohol or
MTBE (Gulf/Cumberland Farms). I always used 87
octane. I'd avoid a particular station only if I thought
they gave my Vanagon a water-in-the-gas problem.
Once in a great while, I'd put in a bottle of Techron if
I thought the injectors needed a good cleaning or
maybe dry gas if it was very cold outside and the
Vanagon had to be outside overnight. I found no
evidence to suggest that one brand of gasoline was
any better than any other brand.

- Scott
  former owner '91 Westfalia Camper