Do You Avoid Buying Gas When...

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I always enjoyed the ritual of starting the John Deere B. When you first look at the glass sediment bowl it almost always has water and dirt in it. Take that off, dump it out, open the fuel valve and wash the glass bowl in the little stream of gas with your bare hands, let a quart or more run out before you put it back together, wipe your hands on your jeans, climb on, close the choke, and look forward to the pop pop pop, Dad's B had electric start. Grandpa's had to be started by hand. The first time I drove grandpas B he sent me to the gravity gas tank to fill it up. Thank goodness he kept an eye on me and stoped me from putting gas in the radiator.

[Ronald Blue]

I would suggest in most places and at least where I am you won't find a steel underground tank still in use at a gas station. Just last year a station completely redid their tanks and gas islands near here and the tanks were fiberglass that went in. I should clarify all the ones I've saw installed were fiberglass. I'm sure steel is still an option with the obvious long term draw backs. I don't how much is determined by the state EPA and how much the federal government. I know any station that closes if it doesn't reopen within a period of time and it may be 12 months the tanks are removed. It's been probably 30 or more years since I got bad gas at a station. I knew it almost immediately as well but a bottle of Heet took care of it. Anyway I haven't let the sight of the fuel tanker unloading deter me from getting gas.

[Jim Becker]

I was going to mention that, Ronald...unless a station hasn't been refreshed (one reason I stay away from "off brand, 'cheap' gas places") there's not going to be an issue with rust and those kind of debris. Water is "more possible" if there's a leak though any of the topside access points for fill and vent.

[Bill George]

If some of you folks don’t think bad gas is an issue, talk to a real mechanic. The place down the road was sold and the new shop owner nearly doubled his space. He will tell you his thoughts about today’s gas and some not too bright car drivers.

[Jim Becker]

Bill, bad gas does happen. But one can reduce the risk of getting it in your tank by being selective about where you buy gas... I did say "reduce", however, not "eliminate" risk.

[Ole Anderson]

Better safe than sorry. Why take the chance? Yes, you are safer buying from high volume/high fuel turnover stations. Water enters cool underground tanks by condensing water vapor in the air that replaces fuel used. Betting it is less of an issue in Phoenix than Seattle. High turnover stations will tend to send a little bit of water out with every user, while low turnover stations will be more of an issue as water accumulates then gets stirred up while tankers are dumping gas. That is my story and I am sticking to it!

[Steve Demuth]

Curious that in this whole thread, no one has mentioned that most of the fuel we pump into cars is not gasoline, but a gasoline-ethanol mix. Makes a big difference with respect to the water in gasoline story. In a cold (underground) tank that is used to dispense pure gasoline, water that condenses from warm moist air when cool fuel is withdrawn will indeed settle to the bottom of the tank, and could be a problem if the tanks aren't properly maintained. In a tank that contains 90-10 gasoline-ethanol mix, that water will go into solution in the fuel because simple alcohols are miscible with both gasoline and water (this is why HEET or other gas line antifreezes work to remove water from your system, although the alcohol used in those is typically methanol). So, even though the ethanol is more corrosive to fuel line components overall, it actually works to reduce water contamination, and the resulting rust in steel tanks. It's not foolproof that way, as the rusted out tank of my Honda walking tractor engine reminds me (why in hell they put a steel tank on those engine, I don't understand) - if fuel turnover is low, and you have lots of temperature and condensing cycles, you can still get a puddle of water in the tank.

[Jim Becker]

Steve, I don't think that many folks consider the gasoline/ethanol mix because in most cases, there's no option around that anyway. Unless you actually seek out "pure" gasoline which is few and far between, you get the mix. To the masses it's "just gasoline". But yes, the ethanol does have an effect on the whole water concern.

[Ronald Blue]

If some of you folks don’t think bad gas is an issue, talk to a real mechanic. The place down the road was sold and the new shop owner nearly doubled his space. He will tell you his thoughts about today’s gas and some not too bright car drivers.

I never said bad gas can't happen. I said it's not likely to be a rusty tank issue and sediment stirred up during a tanker filling the tank. Maybe steel tanks are still common where you are.

[Steve Demuth]

The ubiquity of ethanol blend is exactly my point - whereas 25-30 years ago, even in a busy gas station, you might well see a tanker stirring water up from the bottom of a tank, it's just not going to happen very much at all in modern fueling stations pumping gasoline-alcohol mixes. The water is being continuously removed and burned in our engines.

And given the highly efficient particulate filtering that is absolutely necessary in fuel injected engines, that means the whole tanker-stirred contaminants thing is almost certainly much, much rarer today than before (if it every really was a problem).

[Bill George]

I never said bad gas can't happen. I said it's not likely to be a rusty tank issue and sediment stirred up during a tanker filling the tank. Maybe steel tanks are still common where you are.

Heck yes we are your neighbors, there are lots and lots of steel tanks still in the ground, yes even in Nebraska and will be for a long, long time. Where do you think all the cr*p goes when the tank is rusted and also water / dirt is present? It goes to the bottom of the tank, dumping in a few thousand gallons of new gas in the tank, do you really believe it does not get stirred up?? Talk to a mechanic who works on cars and trucks. BTW there is water and dirt also in fiberglas tanks, how could there not be??

[Warren Lake]

There have been one or two times that the saturn was running poorly then cleared up and thinking I can specifically remember getting gas when the big truck was there one or two times. Unaware that that was possibilty. whatever happened and very likely that was it its run great since then. Thank you for posting that.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My Logger acquaintances get their chainsaw gas at the airport. I always go out of my way to find 93 octane for my small engines.

[Warren Lake]

I only use Shell V power highest octane in chainsaw and mower. Ive lucked out with this current MS250 its many many years with no issues and ill attribute that to the additives and using Stihl Oil. Ive been using it in the saturn as well the odd time the lower octane one of V power

I watched you tubes on that and some said zero difference one guy did prove the additives left stuff cleaner.

Additives oil were not positive for the 92 wall though as they affect the valve seals and make them shrink. Told Mobile 1 was fine by a tech only to find out it wasnt. Went from using no oil to 1/5 litre on 3000 miles.

[Bill George]

Yes even thou the know everything folks poo poo it I use Premium non ethanol gas in all my small engines and never an issue even sitting a couple of years. Oh know you will do a google search and find its not needed but you have never worked on the stuff.

Mobile one had some issues early on but I hear its fine now.