I often try to find the cheapest gasoline I can, which in my area is a brand called "Spirit." However, I just got an '06 Pontiac Torrent, and I want to make sure it isn't taking gasoline that can hurt its performance. I have also heard (from unreliable sources) that off-brands such as Spirit can be harmful to my car. Is this true, or just common belief?
2007-05-03 09:11:40 · 8 answers · asked by K- Dawg 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It's not necessarily the brand of gasoline its the owners of the stores that you need to be careful of. Some lowlife stores water down their gasoline. I would say if you want to be sure find a shell station. All their stations are supposed to have the cleanest fuel possible granted it is a few cents more per gallon than anyone else.
2007-05-03 09:19:03 · answer #1 · answered by Joe K 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I've had problems with them in the past-- especially with my first car, which still had a carb.
But think about it... just guessing here, but let's say your car has a 25 gallon tank. The "discount" gas runs about $0.08 per gallon cheaper than a name brand. So, to fill the car up from empty, you would be saving a whopping....$2. Now, I don't know how much a new Pontiac Torrent is, but I'm guessing somewhere in the $20,000 to $30,000 range.
So... having spent at least $20,000 on the car itself, is it really worth 2 bucks to run the risk of messing up the engine or fuel injectors (or God knows what else)???? Because, honestly, unless your car has a massive gas tank and/or you drive *a lot*, you don't really save that much money....
And you don't have to buy just Shell or BP gas-- I've never had any problems with Marathon, for example, and they're usually not too bad...
I just kind of look at it in the same vein as the $2 part that ruins a million-dollar racecar.... For probably less than $5 each time you fill up, is it really worth it????
2007-05-03 09:30:26 · answer #2 · answered by porschefraulein 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes it can. Reason why is that unbranded gas has generic additives in it whereas branded gas (CHEVRON, EXXON, MOBIL) uses Dupont additives. Therefore your injectors are not getting properly cleaned. Buy the cheap stuff and when you go to your dealer because the car is not running right and he suggest an injector cleaning.......guess who loses and has to pay up. Do yourself a favor and buy branded gas. This is a fact. No B/S. I worked for a refinery until I retired. I would rather walk than put cheap gas in a car. You see a cheap gas stationed on the corner and right acroos the street a branded gas station with the same price. That is called competition but the branded gas sation is losing because they have better additives and the cheap gas station does not and is selling there "rot gut" stuff and people are really stupid when it comes to their cars.
2007-05-03 09:36:26 · answer #3 · answered by BILLY S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to do the same thing but several months ago I had a morning bogging problem after starting my (relatively) new car and I did EVERYTHING to try to address it: cleaning the throttle plate, fuel-injector cleaner, new air filter and then by coincedence it went away with a new tank of Shell gas. It came back when I filled with no-name gas so I went back to Shell gas and again, no more problem. I now only run TOP-TIER rated gasolines as these gasoline retailers must meet the high TOP TIER standards with all grades of gasoline to be approved by the automakers as providing TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. In addition, all gasoline outlets carrying the brand of the approved retailer must meet the TOP TIER standards.
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Retailers
QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Chevron-Canada
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Company
Shell-Canada
Texaco
Petro-Canada
Sunoco-Canada
2007-05-03 09:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by K R 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Off brands are usually the cheapest stuff the retailer can find. It can have lousy cleaners and other additives, be full of water or be several months old. If you want you injectors to stay clean, buy the good stuff.
2007-05-03 09:31:50 · answer #5 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You might be able to check where 'spirit' gets their gas; I know some small brands here use esso or shell gas.
2007-05-03 09:24:50 · answer #6 · answered by harvityharvharvharv 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it will damage the paint. Try turning the nozzle upside down for a couple of seconds before pulling it out of filler.
2016-05-19 22:22:35 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's bullshit. Except for the additives, gas is gas. The additives aren't harmful either.
2007-05-03 09:19:06 · answer #8 · answered by Ironball 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋