do Gas prices imply a difference in quality?

probably not, the only difference would be additives added to the sunoco product

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because of the current email spam attacks my email account is not included, reply via the newsgroups or ask for a valid email address.

No.

It's possible it all comes from the same trucks!

Even if it comes from different trucks, odds are excellent that it all came from the same refinery. -Dave

Yes, 13 cents.

Assuming same octane, no, they're the same. Also, when you see those "boycott oil company xyz" emails, they can NEVER work because of the deal oil companies have with each other in buying each other's gas, depending on where their refineries are located and where it needs to be shipped.

For example, let's say you have a refinery located in Houston, and I have one in Detroit. For your gas stations up in Detroit, you (and consumers) are much better off if you pay me for the gas from my Detroit refinery and I pay you for your gas in the Houston refinery and the gas is shipped locally. So you can never know where you gas is coming from.

yes, some of the gas is stored in a tank beneath the Sunoco station and the rest of the gas is stored in a tank beneath the Raceway. Also, some of the gas belongs to the Sunoco and the rest belongs to the Raceway.

Yeahbut, the additive packages that are added *do* make a difference from brand to brand.

-=-=- ~angela email not valid

Auto mechanic friends of mine have always claimed Union76 gas is the best quality, followed by Chevron, followed by all the rest. I have no idea why or how they know this, but their advice has always been the same. They've also told me the detergent additive in Chevron gas (Techroline) can cause premature wear on rubber gaskets in older cars, but that it's not a problem on newer autos and really does help to keep engines from getting mucked up.

Rick

Detergents are in all gasoline. They are required.

Techron is not a detergent. IIRC it is a basically a solvent. Most of the big name gasolines have decent proprietary cleaning additives. I too have a couple of aquantances in the auto repair business. One has said repeatedly that when his guys tear down engines for customers "...you can tell who runs cheap gas..." But they don't stump for any particular big brand gas.

One thing to note about Union76 (Unocal). They don't make gasoline anymore. They sold their refineries - I think Tosco bought them. Unocal is still in business, just not the refining business.

Al Qaida is God's way of punishing America for buying oil from un-democratic regimes like the s.o.b.s of the Saudi Royal Family.

It's also punishment for Americans who DON'T RECYCLE!

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com

Lesson 347B: Trolls, jealousy, and xenofobia, in the world of religious bigotry and extremist trains of thought, however derailed.

Do I need to explain myself?

Oh yea, I'm a troll, feeding another. Bad, bad me.

Jan

You are so wrong it is painful.

Au contraire, I find this somewhat amusing. In a pitiful way.

Jan

Just the kind of mentality that breeds terrorists, by the way.. blind, uneducated intolerance towards fellow man.

Jan

Is there a difference? Probably. Does the difference matter? Maybe, maybe not.

The lower cost gasolines often don't have the same quantity or quality of detergent additives. The lower cost gasolines sometimes increase the level of ethanol, which lowers fuel economy. Even if the fuel comes from the same refinery, the refineries can and do mix different formulations based on the requests of the customer. I.e., the one refinery in Northern California was found to be including the maximum legal limit of ethanol in gasoline they sold to independent stations, while gasoline supplied to their own stations had closer to the minimum required amount. The more ethanol, the more damage to the engine, especially older engines. They only did this when the ethanol was more economical than the refined gasoline.

In California, fuel quality is regulated, and all gasolines must have detergent additives, so there is less of a difference than in other states without this requirement.