Costco gas OK for NSX?

[mikec]

My Audi dealer just told me the reason my 107,000 mile A6 has carbon deposits and needs cleaned is because I use Costco "cheap" gas.

I've used the same costco (93 octane) gas in my NSX since new. Is this just bull, or should I get gas from a name brand station. I don't want harm the NSX by feeding it substandard fuel.

 

[ANYTIME]

My Audi dealer just told me the reason my 107,000 mile A6 has carbon deposits and needs cleaned is because I use Costco "cheap" gas.

I've used the same costco (93 octane) gas in my NSX since new. Is this just bull, or should I get gas from a name brand station. I don't want harm the NSX by feeding it substandard fuel.

Costco gets gas from either Chevron, Union76 or Texaco. The wife works there and they continually buy from those 3 only. :biggrin:

 

[PHOEN$X]

My Audi dealer just told me the reason my 107,000 mile A6 has carbon deposits and needs cleaned is because I use Costco "cheap" gas.

I would switch audi dealers immediately.

 

[NSX&RX7]

Hi from NM.
I use Costco premium in my NSX.
I have no problem with the gas.
No sputtering. Acceleration is normal.
Idle is normal.

If you're worried, pay the extra 8-10 cents per a gallon.
That's really not much of a difference to avoid any concern.

As for me, I'll stick with Costco.

Larry T

 

[KGP]

My Audi dealer just told me the reason my 107,000 mile A6 has carbon deposits and needs cleaned is because I use Costco "cheap" gas.

Ask him to support his claim with some facts! I'd like to know if it was a wrench, salesman or what, who told you this?

 

[mikec]

Ask him to support his claim with some facts! I'd like to know if it was a wrench, salesman or what, who told you this?

I was told that by 'Frank' the highly skilled, well trained service advisor.

btw.. I did get to see a black Carrera GT up close in the show room. No fence or ropes, but a gentle sign asking you not to touch it, open doors, or sit in it. And the price? "substantually over list" of $448,000.

It certainly didn't look like a half million dollars sitting there, but then I don't see a half-million very often, especially if it's not a house

 

[the nsxnut]

I was told that by 'Frank' the highly skilled, well trained service advisor.

The only thing most service advisors are well trained at is sales. All the highly skilled techs are in the shop! Did he suggest an expensive 'special injector/head cleaning treatment' for you ?

if you spend a lot of time commuting/in traffic in your Audi, that is the likely cause of carbon buildup, not the fuel you're using.

Phoenix hit the nail on the head...

 

[Tom239]

You could write to Honda and suggest they sell more cars that run on propane. Propane engines don't get the amount of carbon buildup that comes from using gasoline (any gasoline).

 

[nsxtasy]

The only thing most service advisors are well trained at is sales.

Not true at my local Acura dealership. In fact, I think the service advisors are terrific at doing their job! (I realize this is not true everywhere, but the opposite is not true everywhere either.)

 

[1HOT NSX]

Some service advisors are just terrific. The one at the Mercedes dealer where we take my wife's car for service tells me what he thinks needs done and then says - you can pay us so much $$$ to do it or you can get x part for $ and replace it yourself, I'll show you how. He has been 100% accurate so far in his diagnostics, and I've always left the car for them to do it. It is really nice to know that he is giving me the option.

 

[mystican]

I use Shell V-power gasoline...I sometimes think it is overkill...but I have used Sam'Club gas...it is so cheap...but never had any problems with either...

I was told a lot of companies can offer "cheap" gas at a low price b/c they dont use less detergents and/ or the filtering process that is used is not as efficient...

I think you can't go wrong with 93 octane from Mobil, Shell, Sunoco...all are great....

 

[DocL]

I heard that the gas is the holding tanks are all filled with the same grade of gasoline. The difference in grades is determined by where the fuel is pumped from within the tank. Premium coming from the top, regular coming from the bottom. Once again, I don't know if this a fact, it's what a friend told me.

 

[NSXSOON]

All gas levels leave the refineries though pipe lines. Automotive gas is pupmed though in 3 levels of octane to the terminal in your local area where the gas is loaded onto trucks from all the various distributors (Mobil, Shell, BP etc) AND at this point additives are added (or not) to brand it. ie Thechron for Cheveron etc. With this said there are many different gas formulations (not additives) that are required for: high polution areas, summer/winter,state mandated codes etc. The formulations are shipped at the proper times to the proper terminals through the pipe line.
The bottom line is that all gas is the same (one of three octates) except for the additives to make it brand specific. The additives for the most part are cleaners and do not effect the octane.

 

[CerberusM5]

My Audi dealer just told me the reason my 107,000 mile A6 has carbon deposits and needs cleaned is because I use Costco "cheap" gas.

I've used the same costco (93 octane) gas in my NSX since new. Is this just bull, or should I get gas from a name brand station. I don't want harm the NSX by feeding it substandard fuel.

I agree with everyone else that your service advisor is just ignorant. Costco gas will be the same quality as any of the other name brand fuels. The only thing cheap about it is the price compared to Chevron, Mobil and especially Texaco. I just hate waiting in the long lines at Costco for gas.

I wouldn't doubt if this is all propaganda started by the big fuel retailers to scare the consumer.

 

[rbirling]

I heard that the gas is the holding tanks are all filled with the same grade of gasoline. The difference in grades is determined by where the fuel is pumped from within the tank. Premium coming from the top, regular coming from the bottom. Once again, I don't know if this a fact, it's what a friend told me.

I'd ask that friend how they make light and dark beer, too.

 

[DocL]

I'd ask that friend how they make light and dark beer, too.

Isn't Corona beer made with urine? :biggrin:

 

[Motegi]

Ever since joining Costco last year (I used to be a member of Sams) I've been using primarily Costco gasoline in my cars. I find that there are little to no lines in the evenings and so far eveything seems great. Personally, I've had much better expereince with the Costco gas than from some of my local "name-brand" stations.

Although not yet on the NSX I've used Chevron Techron Fuel Injector cleaning additive every 3000 miles on all of my other vehicles. I think I will start using it on the NSX as I am unsure if the Costco gas has any detergent additives.

 

[Hiroshima]

Here is what I do:

I always get Chevron Premium. I never get Costco gas. I just use my Chase Perfect Card which gets me 3% back on gas purchases. There is no limit on how much refund I get back, and the cash back is automatically credited to my statement meaning I there is zero effort on my part. 3% almost equates to the $.10 difference between Costco and Chevron and I don't have to ask myself which gas to get. I get what I want.

Here is the link to the card:
http://www.creditcardscenter.com/chase_perfectcard.html

It also give you 1% back on all other purchases. I love these things, they are not for people who carry high balances as they probably have a high APR.

I don't work for Chase or Mastercard but any time a card is willing to pay *ME* to use it for *FREE* I go for it. I probably made $500 last year on cashback from credit cards and I paid exactly $0.00 to do this.

HTH

 

[amgnsx]

I'm a costco member,
but i still use Shell V-Power for the NSX...... :biggrin:

Someone told my couzin that there was a dyno done somewhere in dublin CA, (vishnu) who tunes EVO and STI, they said the saw a 1HP gain in the Dyno simply by having Shell over Vallero gas.
sooo i use shell and it wont hurt anyway, :smile:

is this true??? anyone in prime know's bout this?

 

[Yellow Rose]

Drug Use Gone Wild

I heard that the gas is the holding tanks are all filled with the same grade of gasoline.

I heard that swamp land is for sale in Arizona too. It is a violation of federal law to store various grades of gasoline in the same tank.

The difference in grades is determined by where the fuel is pumped from within the tank. Premium coming from the top, regular coming from the bottom. Once again, I don't know if this a fact, it's what a friend told me.

Think for a moment how absurd that statement is. Your friend is a hallucinating moron......and I am putting that mildly. Different grades of gasoline will blend if filled into the same tank. Do you think that putting Coke and bourbon in the same glass, that the two liquids will not mix? Hello.....that’s why they call it a “mixed drink”.

Suppose I go along with this silly notion. Let’s say an underground gasoline storage tank has a capacity of 2000 gallons - 1000 gallons of low octane and 1000 of high octane. Let's say for shit-n-grins, nobody wanted to buy low octane gasoline, and so far 999 gallons of high octane gasoline has been purchased. The next customers also want high octane gasoline but unknowingly are filling their tanks with low octane gasoline. This is a major EPA law no-no.

 

[The Kid]

for whatever its worth, i use the cheapest gasoline I can find in any of my cars...

 

[DocL]

Re: Drug Use Gone Wild

I heard that swamp land is for sale in Arizona too.

How much of it did you buy?

Think for a moment how absurd that statement is. Your friend is a hallucinating moron......and I am putting that mildly. Different grades of gasoline will blend if filled into the same tank. Do you think that putting Coke and bourbon in the same glass, that the two liquids will not mix? Hello.....that’s why they call it a “mixed drink”.

Hello genius. Isn't there the possibility of sediment and water getting into the tanks. I've never seen a refinery, I don't know the standards by which the tanks are filled, but I do know the basic laws of physics and different liquids have different densities. Have you ever had black-n-tan beer beverage that your local bar can serve you. I wonder how the liquids can stay seperate? Most fluids have a specific gravity, and that is why gas floats on water. Why does't it just mix together like you stated. So, in theory, there can be water in a holding tank that can get pumped out if there is a pump on the bottom of the tank. Right???

And by the way, they are called mixed drinks because you shake/stir/blend to mix them. Haven't you ever added more vodka to a Screwdriver and it all sits on the top. I wonder why?? Maybe vodka is less dense than orange juice. I think your statement is just as absurd.

-Cheers

edit: Here's a link http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_liquids.htm for you to compare the different densities of liquids. And if you look closely, there are different densities for oil, which is what gasoline is refined from. Right??

Thank you.

 

[paladin]

Re: Drug Use Gone Wild

How much of it did you buy?
Hello genius. Isn't there the possibility of sediment and water getting into the tanks

Yes, i'm sure theres an outside chance

So, in theory, there can be water in a holding tank that can get pumped out if there is a pump on the bottom of the tank. Right???

Yes, but i believe (for that exact reason) pumps aren't located at the bottom of the tank. There would have to be a crazy amount of water in that mixture to get through the pump, and there's probably some type of fail-safe in that case. Bad gas is practically a myth (except in Mexico)

 

[SCS2k]

Isn't Corona beer made with urine? :biggrin:

It sure does taste like it. :biggrin:

I don't think you should take Andy's comments personally. The idea of all of the grades of gas being in one tank is a bit absurd if you really think about it. His point could have been made with a bit more tact, but if someone on this board would know about this topic, it is him.

 

[DocL]

It sure does taste like it. :biggrin:

Ummmm...I'm not sure I want to know how you know what urine tastes like. lol