woody

There have been numerous posts on whether a minimum octane rating of 91 is really necessary for the E60. Assuming, for purposes of this post, that an octane rating of 91 is necessary, how confident are you that our trusted service stations are, in fact, filling their respective tanks with the correct grade of fuel? I have spoken with many drivers who refuse to "waste" their money on premium grade fuel because they are convinced that many service stations regularly fill their premium grade tanks with sub-premium grade fuel. I find this hard to believe, but am interested in your feedback on this one.

JeffNNJ

Not sure about CT but in NJ stations are checked regularly. If they sell you the wrong gas they will be put out of business and will go to jail without warning. Hardly worth it.

nickolas_g

The only place I have ever had a gun pulled on me was in NJ at a gas station. BY the OWNER!



He did not like the fact I only bought $2 of gas for my rental car.

jet190rs

lol where in nj was this?

if low octane gas gets into your car, i think you should know by hearing a rough idle...

ps: you nj guys should come to the run on sat -
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=27608

znod

I love the way things are, but the way they are, I suspect that we, where ever we are, are getting ripped off almost no matter which business, government, or other type of organization we deal with. People have many wonderful and many not so wonderful qualitities. Greed, hubris, and dishonesty are extremely prevalent and are among the worst. If you want to see an excellent example of all at work simultaneously in the worst sort of way, see the "Enron" DVD movie. It is very entertaining. Also, check out the actions of ....

jet190rs

what a coincidence that this thread popped up today too...
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=110680

woody

Very interesting. The last post seems to confirm what I have heard: "Some gas stations mix gas when they get deliveries of too much regular gas and what they do is they tip it over into the premium tanks so they do not have to take it back to the gas depot." If this is the case, many of us are getting ripped off. A station that would engage in this practice once or twice may have a hard time stopping. What better way is there to raise their margins. I find it hard to believe that regulators would actually take samples of the gas and test it, so unless these stations get caught red-handed, there is probably little risk of being caught.

gpt

I noticed at the gas stations in my local area, there is a sticker on the pumps (not big enough to be very conspicuous) saying that the gas is mixed with 10% ethanol. I only looked because my wifes 325i was stalling occaisionally and the service advisor told her that it is due to the new mixture of gas and ethanol. I was wondering, when did this happen?

rodneyremington

Why do you find that hard to believe? It's exactly what inspectors do. They sample the gas and also check the fuel measurement calibration. Gasoline production and resale is a highly regulated industry. I don't think you have much to worry about.

woody

Found this:

Gas Octane Levels - Ohio Has No Regulation

Gas prices have taken a big jump in the past few weeks,but what we have to tell you next might be even more upsetting. Even at these high prices, in Ohio ... there's concern the gas you buy might not be the quality you pay for. This is something that happens to gasoline all the time that you might not have seen. Folks from Weights and Measures ... under each county Auditor's Office, test fuel for volume ... to make sure you get the amount you pay for ... but they aren't authorized to check the quality. A test like that might have prevented this stuff from ending up in gas tanks in Delhi a few years back. Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes says of the substance, "It stopped about 17 - 18 cars. The company paid to clean out the engines. What it is is diesel fuel that went into the tank" Ohio is one of only four states where there's no check for impurities or octane levels. Is there really much to worry about? Well in West Virginia before official testing ... a study found 20 percent of the gas supply wasn't up to standards. Since testing only one percent. And what happens if the states around you test like Kentucky and Indiana? "Ok you're driving a tank truck full of gas, you're a little worried about what's in it ... It might not be up to octane, so rather than dump it in kentucky you're going to come across the bridge because you know nobody is looking." Gas stations have said they'd be in favor of testing ... but the petroleum lobby has fought against it in Ohio. So for now ... even the tapping on the pump being done by this driver ... won't let her know if she got bad gas. "And you won't notice it unless your car knocks a little." Interestingly enough ... in 1999 Ohio's Department of Agriculture did ask for a random survey of gas. And 21.9 percent of regular grade missed the mark ... similar to the West Virginia study. If each county were allowed to test ... they could do it at the same time they test for volume. Little added expense ... lots of added confidence. The petroleum industry has said it would support state testing of the gas ... but that would be a costly start up program ... and there's no room in the state budget. Each county could do it with the people already in place. Local lawmakers have said they would support the idea .... but so far there hasn't been enough support from others across the state.