I learned the hard way about using cheap Arco gas in my old '05 4.7. Chevron is the best gas to use if they have one in your town along with Union 76, Shell, and Texaco etc. Anyway always try to use a good brand grade of gas as it does help keep the injectors clean. As for how to tell how good a stations gas it is, is to try a tank out and if your truck runs crappy by the time you need to refill then you know not to buy from them again. One other thing some engines get poor MPG when using Alcohol blended in the fuel so check your mpg to see if the 5 cents you save is worth it or not.

Charles

 

my point was the higher end gas stations "have" additives in their gas where as the cheep stations dont. crap gas will leave deposits over time. once the deposits are there they are harder to get rid of...

 

I started a new routine a few months ago. I started getting my gas from one station on the way home from work since it was the cheapest I see anywhere around. It was a Shell station.

At the same time my gas mileage went up almost 2 mpg, around 1.78 to be exact. I keep track with my speedometer and log book, I don't know why I write it down but I do. I fill my tank every time.

I was really confused as to why I was getting better mileage then I saw an ad from Shell claiming better mileage. So maybe it's true that Shell gives you better milege!

Before this change I used a mix of gas from any station I was driving by when my fuel was low. So it could be that I was getting low quality gas once in a while mixed in.

I can't say for sure that Shell gas gave me better mileage. But I can say for sure that I now get consistently better mileage now.

This new station I go to is on a major road so maybe it's just always fresh gas since they sell so much? Maybe it's because I always get the gas in the afternoon and that is when the gas is the best? I know that's not true but maybe there is some other variable I am overlooking.

My driving style and driving routes haven't changed. I drive a mix of highway and around town. About 25% highway maximum. Very little stop and go if any at all. I always use 87 octane.

 

how come some stations have 91 and some have 93...i was filling up at Valero the other day and noticed they had 87 89 and 93 octane...but some other stations have 91 instead. is there a big difference and why do some have 91 and others have 93?

 

Price maybe? im not sure but when i was in sanford this weekend, i stopped at a HESS and it had 87, 88, 90, 91, and 93 octane, it was crazy. oh well, i have never tried anything other than 87, the dealership filled her up with 93 out the gate for the first tank (literally on had 14mi when i got it) and i dont recall a big performance difference between the 93 and 87, plus i read in the owner book that my engine (4.7L) was made specifically for 87 octane, but i gess with performance modes i can safely increase it.

One thing that i have tried to do is keep the gas above 1/2 tank at all time, which was cool because every 7 days, my tank goes down 1/2 tank exactly, so basically i have a steady $40 a week for gas.

Dont know if this helped at all but thats my .02 on the subject,
-David

 

I think my Ram booklet actually advises against using anything higher than 89, because it supposedly makes no difference.

I've never heard of Chevron or Union 76, all I have around here are Shell, Getty, BP, Texaco, Mobil. I put the 89 in wherever I go, seems like it does alright. Maybe I'll try another station, I barely average 10mpg.

 

Allow me to add to this. The octane rating has NOTHING to do with "cleaner" fuel. Running higher octane than required by the OEM won't "clean out" you fuel system or engine. If you really want to clean out your fuel system then run some fuel injector cleaner through the system every few thousand miles. I don't care what you mechanic brother in law or your dad told you about "cleaner gas". You can trust me on this. I have an aerospace engineering degree and fuel properties and characteristics are just some of the many things we learn about.

Now as for which brand puts in better additives, debate all you want. One thing you might want to do if you live near a state border is check out what the differences are between the two state mandated fuel additives and ratios. Often times they are different.

 

Yea but aero ram when my dad who is a Master ASE Certified for 30+ years i go with what he tells me, why dont you try race track and see what happens, they have some of the crapiest gas ever, chevron is the best and what my dad tells me i will go with but your degree is all and good but experience is another thing, and when he says premium does better than 87 or 89 i got with that and i have noticed that the engine runs smoother and i have better gas mileage then when i use 87 or 89, so to go off

 

ooo i live in louisiana near the mississippi border (like 5 miles) maybe i should try the mississippi gas. but the crappy thing is, the closest gas station in mississippi is the closest town in mississippi and its a hick town--20 miles away. the closest gas station is run by a country hick who has a roadside truck stop/restaurant style place that's about to fall apart. (we live in the area where the eye of katrina hit). so i guess im kind of screwed. lol

and besides, you can argue with all your degrees in education but all i gots to say is... it has been proven that 93 octane gives my 4.7 better performance and mileage all because i said so. and everything i say gets written in stone. [8D]

 

except the parts where i ramble.. that gets left out.