Date:         Wed, 11 Aug 1999 19:31:39 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Fwd: Need help!
Comments: To: Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

This is an old rumor which is not the case any longer. All gas in Baja
is now unleaded. Even premium unleaded recently became available in the
population centers although with the current economic problems down
there it is not selling well and may disappear. All Mexican production
of leaded fuel has ended. A San Diego paper recently did a story on gas
in Baja and they found that much of it is actually refined in California
to California State mandated formulation and then sold in bulk across
the border. At the time it was a minor scandal because it sold for less
in Mexico than the same oil companies sold it for here. The government
owns the oil production and gas stations in Mexico and they have since
raised the pump prices to higher than US prices. As to the quality of
gas in Baja, I have driven about 30,000 miles down there with no fuel
problems whatsoever, and no problems with my catalytic converters.

Mark

Otmar Ebenhoech wrote:
>

> Do you still have a catalytic converter? I've heard that unleaded gas is
> not available in Mexico. If that is the case, the cat will be clogged with
> lead. This would slow you down quite a bit, maybe it would kill your
> mileage. It will have to be punched out and emptied for driving in Baja and
> then replaced when you return to the land of unleaded gas.
>
> HTH
>  -Otmar-
> 82/86 Stretch Vanagon Westfalia Syncro GTI. "Power of two"
> http://www.evcl.com/strvan/strvan.html
> Several EVs (Electric Vehicles)
> Electric Vehicle Components Ltd. (650) 494-9255