Gasoline question

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Plati

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i was getting gas at a Gulf in Nebraska today and thought this price difference was odd. Can anyone explain the $0.53 per gallon difference for 1 octane improvement? Also ... all gas is unleaded now so why call one unleaded and one regular?

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Pretty good prices for gas here.
 

Aspen03

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I cant say I've ever seen 86. Why bother? I mean from a producer standpoint. Perhaps that's why. No one buys it=great deal? As long as it runs fine that looks like a good way to save a few $.

Around here it's a 25-30 cent difference each step from 87-89-93, sometimes more depending on the area of town I do have a station near my house that has 90 octane E0 due to a lot of farms in the area, its usually a good .80-$1 more than 89 at any given time. Runs great in the mower/trimmer though and starts first pull, every time even at the end of the season after sitting in the can.
 

Adieu

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i was getting gas at a Gulf in Nebraska today and thought this price difference was odd. Can anyone explain the $0.53 per gallon difference for 1 octane improvement? Also ... all gas is unleaded now so why call one unleaded and one regular?

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Pretty good prices for gas here.

Probably one of those oddball states with different base regular octane (like 85 in Utah, which btw runs fine and gives good MPGs on flexfuel 5.4's).

The 87 is likely on account of the interstate, by popular demand, a skeptic surcharge for those passing through (and a visual excuse to put a higher price on the 88 or 89 that comes as the next tier)
 

jeff kushner

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To understand is to know a bit about refining......Superlow Regular came about by lowering the required standard to allow the selling of the undercrop, or the material that tests at just under the 87 minimum once the additive package is selected and installed.

If refiners can sell the junk, it produces, it allows more space, more barrels refined....

Right now there is a huge delta in pricing....and consumers are getting gouged since the undercrop is now selling at one half the price of 87 to wholesalers.....the 50 cents might seem like a great deal....but the station is actually making more, MUCH more per gallon from it....for now.


This stuff comes into play when you often buy cheap, off brand gas and explains why often, it's a tier 1 fuel rated higher in octane that the sign shows!

jeff
 

Adieu

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That's ~4 cents per mile savings.... quite tempting.

You could save 6 - 8 - 10 grand running this religiously for the lifetime of the truck.

Now if it blows up your engine in <100k, you lose.

But.... chances are it won't. Since several states label 85 and 86 as regular and they're ok.

And if you get it to 175-200k, you've saved more on fuel than the truck is worth.
 

JExpedition07

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The owners manual says minimum octane rating of 87 is required for the 5.4 3V engine and to exclude use of gasoline with any octane rating lower.

I’m sure the ECM can retard the timing to prevent pinging but it’s also robbing power at that point.

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Black

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Never seen 86 before.
I just paid $2.16 a gallon for 87 on Saturday at Shell and did not have any fuel points.
 
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Plati

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Thanks MrJ .... I should have looked that up myself, too busy putting miles on the old gal right now (weak excuse). Although the way I read that is not to use less than 87 in higher altitude areas, not a total ban on using less than 87 octane.

Gas is good price in Sturgis tonight
Sturgis Michigan
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Imagine how cheap gas will be when electric cars start rolling out in a couple years
 
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