I hear complains that the gas available in California causes drivability problems with carbs and requires special tuning... Some of you live in Ca and take long trip to other states. Do you notice any difference when using gas in other states of the same octane ?
I go to California and drive around about once a year, and never notice it being any worse than normal. and the only place I recall someone I know having trouble with gas recently, was when he got "pure gasoline", the poor gasahol addicted car didn't know what to do with it
About 20 years ago I drove cross country form SoCal to PA and back on vacation. I kept a complete record of gas used and miles traveled. After I filled up in Vegas my recorded mileage went up around 2 MPG. It stayed this way all the way across the country and back until I filled up in Phoenix and mileage went down about 2 MPG. Other than that I don't see any difference in CA gas verses other states.
It's most likely just like a lot of other states. Buy your gas at newer high volume name brand stations and don't get gas at old stations converted to mini marts, or those quaint out of the way low volume stations. My brother in law drove fuel truck for several years delivering all over the east side of Puget sound and says that your best chance of good gas is at Costco. They don't allow the drivers to stick their tanks and make a serious effort to prevent contamination. I don't know how it is now but on a daily I had I lost 2 mpg if I filled at an AMPM rather than a Conoco. That cheaper gas ended up being more expensive in the long run.
I hate having gas. Ca has shit it it, things you don’t want to even touch. Used to use gas as a cleaner/ solvent as a kid. Now I don’t even like to pump it in my tank.
The only difference I have noticed is that gas in Southern California (and Arizona, Nevada, and the rest of the desert Southwest) has a much lower vapor pressure than gas (especially winter blends) sold in the Northern tier of the US. This makes sense since you want to minimize evaporation rates in hot, southern climates. Case in Point: I used to work for a ATV manufacturer based out of Northern Minnesota. We would spend a good portion of the winter testing in Arizona and Southern Cali. Of course, we would pack up the semi and leave southern Cali with a load of test units with at least a partial tank full of California gas. When the semi would get back to Northern Minny and we would attempt to unload the trailer, very rarely would the units start, especially if it was -20 or so out. Mind you, these ATV's all had engines with EFI and state of the art injection and control systems. The fuel just didn't have the vapor pressure to atomize correctly and enable combustion. Moral of a long story. If you trailer a hot rod from the desert Southwest to a northern climate, expect to have trouble getting it started in the cold, put it in a warm garage, and all is good.
I live in California. I drive in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. With gasoline, or diesel, I have experienced no differences whatsoever attributable to fuel. Altitude yes, fuel, no.
Nothing wrong with the gasoline here in California. Those wives tales have been floating around about each state. I use BP from the Arco AM/PM stations in my cars and have never had a problem. It's the exact same gasoline as Mobil, 76 and Chevron. Anything you hear is bull shit.
If you have been a victim of “PHASE SEPARATION “ in the great state of Californium you would be BULL SHIT -ed out of your pocket book . Fill up at a gas station that has been contaminated by the tanker truck that delivers fuel there and two blocks later your calling AAA . Purchased fuel at many stations that had ground water seep into the tanks and contaminated the gas. Also the Ethanol amounts the AIR RESOURCE BOARD regulates are higher . Jay Leno knows this first hand and so do I . Look up “PHASE SEPARATION “ and study what happens but reading about it ain’t nothing compared to living it. The Ethanol destroys fuel lines-needle & seats - gaskets all kinds of shit ! So I call BULL SHIT ON TOP OF YOUR BULL SHIT Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sticking a tank means measuring the tanks fuel level with a long wooden stick. I guess it could contaminate the fuel although I’ve never heard of it happening.
ok, you win the bullshit contest, you have the most! Care to explain what it is about California gas, that is any different from ethanol in the rest of the country? Is it that a few gas stations and distributors that can't keep water out of the fuel? And this never happens anywhere else? It's not some special California gas that's causing these problems....is it?
Jim, its like the gent on here that says its a Dodge, its like that here in the socialist of Ca. its the friggin gas, we blame everything on the gas.
Hello, When my wife and I were on our cross country trip, we stopped for gas in Flagstaff, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Roswell,NM and Amarillo, Tx. Then a few days in OKC, more gas and on to St. Louis. Each state had their own gas stations and we tried staying with name stations, but after a while, it did not matter, gas is gas. If the station is convenient off of the highway, has access to the on ramps or restaurants, then gas it was for the next level of driving. Headed East to around Lebonon, MO and run back to Kansas City, MO on our forced detour. We had enough of stopping for construction and traffic, so we opted to forgo the Eastward travel route we had planned and reserved. ( all the way to Maine.) From Kansas City to Denver and over the top with a full gas tank was still fine. The elevation and gas used did not matter, it got us to where we were going. The Kansas to Denver and Denver to Zion were the two longest stretches. We stopped at several small gas stations on the main road to Denver and to Zion. Finally, we arrived back in Lake Powell and to So Cal. The whole trip was exciting, relaxing (except that we changed directions in Missouri) and would have been another trip to see some relatives in other Midwest states the next time. But, the pandemic put a stop to that long road trip. Jnaki The whole time,(over 4000 miles distance) a well-tuned running motor kept up with differences in climate, elevation changes and driving conditions. So, it did not make a difference in the type or brand of gas used, as long as it was the highest octane rating. In our teenage years, it was Standard/Chevron with 98 rating and the same with Texaco. But, these days, it is convenience, plus the top rated 91-93 octane gas that is there and ready. YRMV
If you search "California reformulated gasoline" you will find more Gubmint BS about it than you ever wanted, admitting that it is more expensive- this is just one example. https://afdc.energy.gov/files/pdfs/3002.pdf What it does to conventional fuel lines etc is a real PITA. That extra gas tax that went thru a few years ago didn't help- and the money never seems to get to where it was supposed to go in Kaleeforneea. I live within 30 miles of several refineries with their own ship tanker access, and our prices are way higher than far inland. And I got an insight into "brands" of fuel in the mid-90s when I built a tank pad at a large distribution center of one of the majors in Sacramento, again with direct water access and right on Hwy50. Every day there were long lines of tankers at the pumps from all of the different majors, as well as the smaller distributors and brands, all filling up from the same pumps. I asked the walking boss about it, he laughed and said yeah, we all buy from each other rather than haul long distance, the only difference in the fuel is the particular additive package specified by the individual companies, which was added last minute directly at the pumps. If you think things (and gas) aren't different in Kaleeforneea, I still have that big orange bridge for sale
When I worked at a gas station as a kid we used to stick dip the tanks. Weekly if I remember correctly? The only way it can get contaminated is if someone forgets to cap it back up, and ruining the gas would be the least of the worries of that scenario. However, I know it did happen once at this gas station, and it rained that night and ruined fuel in a tank. Never made it into a car before it was discovered tho.
Pennsylvania has the highest gas taxes in the country. The money is supposed to go to repair and upkeep of the highways, but every year,the legislature (also the largest among states) siphons it off to the State Police Pension Plan. (Insert your personal politics here...)
Sticking is only used rarely anymore. Everything is digital. The only time we would use one was to confirm a bad computer reading. And there is no way in hell that dipping a stick in a tank will contaminate it. I am in the bulk transportation industry and did fuel for many years. There are lots of urban myths around gas and diesel. Yes, CA has their own formulas. Many parts of the country do as well as winter and summer blends.
Living and driving in Taxifornia all my life I guess I don’t know any better. In my HAMB car I use a Stabil product, 1 oz with every fill up, and 2 1953 WCFB’s are on the engine and have been for 6 years. I’ve have not had any problems ever with the gasoline hurting any parts or causing vapor lock, hard starting, etc. If it evaporates faster it hasn’t bothered me except after 3 weeks. Can’t bitch about mileage because y-blocks were never known to be good in town in 1955 or 56. I get 12 and am happy. My OT newer F-150 5.0 in a crew cab pickup just got 22.5 mpg on a 3 day trip my wife and I took so I can’t complain there either.
we have summer and winter blended gas up here. I put about a 1000 kilometres a week on my service van and fill up at multiple gas stations weekly Never had an issue. I was told years ago that the tanks under ground do have water at the bottom and sediment. And not to fill up if you see the tanker truck filling the tanks as it stirs up the crap on the bottom and can possibly maybe somehow cause issues. I did had it happen once where I got a bad tank of fuel, a couple bottles of octsine booster and my next tank was premium and I had 0 issues after that. I dunno, o guess I’m lucky .
The average weight of gasoline, depending on grade is 6.3 pounds a gallon. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. Gas on top. Just like Newman's Own baslamic vinagrette.
I had my numbers crossed AND was thinking another weight when I typed that.....................overall I had it all fucked up
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