COSTCO GAS SOURCE REVEALED

Pulled into the costco this morning in Timnath, Colorado. Costco has always touted how the quality of their gas had superior additives. Sinclair station in Colorado have cheaper blends, hence somewhat cheaper prices. Evidently, Sinclair had a diesel and gas batch together. Chatted with the gentleman doing the mitigation/pump out at the costco pump intake area. He had pumped out 55,000 gallons since mid-night. He mentioned the total for King Soopers, Murphys, Costco would be well over two million gallons of mixed batched fuel.

Point is ladies and gentleman, Costco fuel has the same quality that are offered at the lower cost filling stations with no benefit.

Thoughts?

 

All gas comes from the same local refineries in your area. The only difference is the additive package added when they fill the tanker truck. I regularly use Costco gas without issues.

 

Thanks whipper! The point is that they filled all the tankers with the same fuel. They were no differentiation between the retail locations.

 

If Sinclair's is cheaper, and if it's a top tier fuel, then buy your gas there.

Everyone I know who buys Costco gas does it because it's cheaper; not because they think it's better.

 

That's about right. I worked at a refinery before. There are some changes and specs here and there according to the brands but at the end of the day all of is pretty much the same.

 

With purchases at Costco gas stations, Costco Executive/Citi Credit card holders get 5% Rewards.

 

OP can start his YouTube career with this!

 

I’ve heard the same thing. That it’s all the same gas and each brand just throws a tiny bit of additives to the tank for marketing purposes.

 

Techron, V Power, Dinocare and whatever else is a different name for the same thing. I’d use Sinclair if I didn’t have a Costco membership just because I like dinosaurs. There’s only one Sinclair by me and now a Gulf.

 

I think it's all the same gas from the same storage tanks. I was told depending on the brand, it's mixed with additives according to the brands specifications as it's loaded in the tanker. I think it's like the same aftermarket 4runner part made in one place for 14 different brands with 14 different prices.

 

Additives make a lot of difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAmEGI7xvBw

 

I was buying gas at local market for $2.15 cash, but it felt a bit powerless and I got better mileage with ExxonMobil for $2.20 with discount. I drive the same roads and my downshift points were a bit fewer on inclines with quality gas. Gas is so cheap I don't even care about the discount now. I always felt Chevron had the best I have used. Being a VVTI engine, it should run well on any octane. It'll be the same after 6 or 8 key starts and ECU adjusts anyway. I have a Jet performance MAF sensor. I don't know if it does anything, but it seems to like high test really well for a while. My engine is just getting broken in at 250k using Mobil 1 5w-30 and I don't have any sluggish hesitation anymore. The engine revs so freely and easy the higher the mileage. I can't tell much difference between a 30k 4runner and a well maintained 300k 4runner.

 

Costco had nothing in its gas until about 10-12 years ago, maybe less. I've always heard Murphys doesn't have any additives. But I've never bought gas there. I get the majority of my gas from Marathon, Kroger/Frys, Costco and Shell. No Chevrons by me.

 

The local market uses Valley petroleum. Not sure who they are. I use Murphy from Walmart and I get good mileage from it. Bought some Shell last week, but it's always priced higher by the interstate. Citgo is supposed to have the least ethanol tested. There's a lot of 100% gas sold at stations around this area.

 

Yeah I think it comes down to the refinery in your area.

I used to go to Costco but the lines are long even in the morning. I gave up my time is worth more than a few bucks in gas savings every year.

I just to “Top tier” stations usually Mobil for me. Why screw around with any cheap gas for an expensive 4Runner

 

The Mobil gas station near me sells ethanol free gas and that's what I run in both of my 4Runner's. As @mac1usa said lines too long at Costco.

 

Depends on the area, it seems. If I get to the Costco closest to me before 11:00am I can drive right up to the pump with no line.

 

Since I started using Costco gas my 4Runner runs better and gets better mileage, my hairline quit receding, hot babes are attracted to me, my dogs haven't had an accident in the house, and good fortune just falls on me like ripe apples off a tree.

 

I’m retired/70yrs old, my wife is unable to drive nor shop by herself so I get to Costco at 9:45 and drive right up to a pump. The store opens at 10, we avoid the major crowd, shop and do other errands and then have lunch in town and head home……done.

 

Gasoline has specs, just like any product. It has to meet those specs when it is delivered to the wholesalers. Those tanks you see at tanker filling lots are not segregated by manufacturer. The gas meets the spec so it is stored in a bulk tank regardless of who's refinery it came from.

When tankers are loaded additives are introduced, depending on the retail destination. But gasoline is gasoline. It's all made to the same specs.

 

Your analysis is somewhat correct. Costco has Top Tier gasoline if you can find another Top Tier gas at a cheaper price then yeah, go for it. But you can’t compare a Top Tier to a non Top Tier. Though the base fuel may be the same, the additives are different. Costco would have more detergents. Your comparison is not apple to apple.

 

To me personally long lines for Sam's and Costco it not worth. Just pump gas at a station near my house. Nearest stations are Shell -> Phillips -> Conoco, etc... I don't know how important the additives are with old school port injection 4runners in my household. Back in the day I was thinking about saving money by installing membership apps and what not. But then thought why? Just for 10 , 20 , 30 cents? I rather plan and save money on big purchases and not worry about small things about gas, food, etc..

As for the post I know unfortunate things can happen. Gas can be contaminated and engine might be replaced. Electric car can catch fire and burn the entire car and house.

 

That's what I was told when I worked construction in Westfield, Indiana. There was a storage facility and my brother in law said they typed in a code for their specific blend when loading tankers. Probably adds your ethanol and detergents and for Shell, nitrogen from old tires. I use Seafoam once a month in the tank anyway. I like Berryman B-12 in the tank to. That's all I used until a couple years ago and I saw how well the Seafoam throttle body spray worked removing carbon you didn't know you had. Probably need to run high test to get the best gas, it just makes me want to play race truck until the ECU resets parameters.

 

I agree with you 100%. I personally use shell 90% of the time. The others on your list are also Top Tier certified. We have a citgo refinery probably 10 miles from the house. I also will use them as they are Top Tier as well. I know there will be some people on here who say they just put in the cheapest gas and never had an issue. That’s cool but for literally 5 cents more I’ll get the top tier.

 

At this time, it's all cheap gas here, but I noticed the local market doesn't have as much gas business now top tier is so cheap. My grandma would drive across the county to save a nickel on gas she was so tight, but she had money. It's not worth time or trouble for 10-20 cents extra on a tankful for me either. I guess that's why I'm poor, but I get to drive a 4runner instead of a 69 Chevrolet Impala and only power options are heater and wipers.
Like milk, I have to have gas, plus it's cheaper than milk. I wouldn't mind if it was 20 cents more every step in grade, but it's 40-50 cents each step now. I try regular high test and some 100% high test gas and compare mileage. I think 93+ was $3-4.50 gallon. It's been my understanding that Toyota ECUs are programmed for 10% ethanol gas. I believe some early Camrys fuel systems gummed up decades ago during the pure gas to 10% ethanol gas transition because of ECU programming, I was told. We were running out of oil 40 years ago and now they can't sell enough. Making everything from plastic exposed that lie.

 

Oh no I thought Costco gas was organic free range

 

We have a local refinery on the river and from the talk of locals who work there our refinery basically controls the gasoline price within about a 75-100 mile radius. The refinery does gasoline, naptha, and diesel as its main end use products. The refinery has its own distribution facility about a mile and a half up the road that is behind lock and key away from the main road with covered high fences so prying eyes cant see inside. Its not hard to see whats going on when i am headed to work at 6:30 am and there is a line of tanker trucks on the side of the road waiting to get in.
Citgo
Loves
Circle K
Kangaroo
TA
unlabeled tankers
All lined up on the side of the road waiting to get in and get filled.
I have talked to people that work there, been inside the plant about 20+ years ago and did a "hurried" tour and there are about 30 pipes running to the main filling station and a couple of huge bulk tanks and a few smaller tanks. Supposedly they, the supplier and distribution center keeps the main feed tanks and keeps individual companies additives in the smaller batch tanks and mix them as the tanker is loading. I think it was Chevron with Techron has been touted to have its own distinct additives package in its gasoline and yes they very well may, but those additives are added into the tanker when the base fuel is also dumped in. I believe this term is "batch tanking" meaning they are mixing the additives (if any) into the fuel while its being pumped into the tanker.

 

There's a lot of pipelines that transit through this state also.

 

The Costco stations here in St. Louis installed boards with lights showing which pumps are in use (red) and which pumps are open (green), I never wait more than a few minutes if at all.

 

I bought ExxonMobil 93 for $3.04 this evening, regular $2.04. I learned I can use my FoodCity fuel bucks for 1 visit this month. I believe 15-20 cents off any day, 30 cents off on Wednesday and 45 every 3rd Wednesday. That's pretty good and it's cheap already. It will be under $2 on discount day.