ARCO gas

[NMBurb02]

ARCO (owned by BP) is normally the cheapest name-brand gasoline here on the west coast, so it is tempting to use it. I have searched these boards in the past to find out what others think of ARCO and the general consensus has been that it is an inferior fuel, particularly because it is not a Top Tier gasoline and therefore does not have the cleaning powers such labeling requires. ARCO recently began an advertising blitz focused on the cleaning powers of their gas, making it both wallet friendly and intake valve friendly. I was skeptical, again based on the generally negative opinions on these boards and other online sources.

Well, I stopped by an ARCO recently (it was too cheap to pass up) and noticed a nicely printed brochure titled "Engineered to help protect your engine", which emphatically states: "The tests prove it. ARCO gasoline has lower intake valve deposits." That statement is on a nice graphic illustrating that ARCO's average intake valve deposits of 16 mg/valve are lower than five other brands (one was as high as 173 mg/valve!) and is significantly lower than the 50 mg Top Tier maximum IVD target. In case you are suspicious of the test methods that gave these results, the small print on the back of the brochure states: "The test results are from an industry accepted Intake Valve Deposit evaluation test method (ASTM D6201) which involves 100 hours of engine testing and representing 5,000 miles."

I have generally stuck with Shell or Chevron for the past few years, but may be making a switch to ARCO.

What are your thoughts/experiences with this fuel?

 

[Voltmaster]

I personally dont see point of worrying about deposits when higher tier gas may cause serious problems becayuse of ethenol .some deposits can be removed by using cleaners.. as gas becomes more expensive it would make even better sense.

I do own a corolla so practicacly and cheapness makes a lot of sense.

 

[bvance554]

I have no experience with ARCO, but I have plenty of experience with non top tier fuel. Its all I use, mostly because it is the most convenient to me, and just happens to be the cheapest. Either Valero or Wawa. I've never had any problems at all. I can't tell any difference in brands of gasoline personally. Fill'er up.

 

[MarkStock]

I get 3% or 5% cashback on a credit card for gas, so the Arco price difference does not factor in for me.

Also, Costco is usually cheaper and then I get the cashback on top. I anyhow use a PEA fuel cleaner which offsets not using top tier at a fraction of the top tier price premium.

Lastly, I feel that Safeway gas is one of the worst but using my 6% cashback grocery credit card to buy $500 of Amazon gift cards resulted in a massive $2.40 per gallon gas discount through their rewards

That saved me the equivalent of half a tank of gas. So for a $500 Amazon purchase I got 6% cashback (on another credit card) and another 6% equivalent savings in cheaper gas. Plus I got 5% back on the gas credit card.

So no, I don't go to Arco to save money on gas!

 

[strongt]

Everytime I'm in So Cal I always fill up with ARCO fuel. Never had any problems in my Jeep. IMO why spend extra for Shell or Chevron when ARCO runs the same.

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
I personally dont see point of worrying about deposits when higher tier gas may cause serious problems becayuse of ethenol .


All of the gas here in the People's Republic of California has gobs of ethanol in order to fight smog. I think that's one reasons our gas prices are so much higher than the rest of the country's. In fact, cars built to meet California's emissions standards come with warnings that using too much non-California fuels can screw up the emission control systems.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Arco gas is okay but they accept only cash and debit card. Shell or Chevron or Mobil may be about 6 to 10 cents higher, but with 5% cash back from 1 of my credit cards the net cost can be as much as 10 cents or more lower than Arco.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
I personally dont see point of worrying about deposits when higher tier gas may cause serious problems becayuse of ethenol .


All of the gas here in the People's Republic of California has gobs of ethanol in order to fight smog. I think that's one reasons our gas prices are so much higher than the rest of the country's. In fact, cars built to meet California's emissions standards come with warnings that using too much non-California fuels can screw up the emission control systems.

JFYI......the reason that gas (and everything else) is so high in The Peoples Republic of California is....HIGHER STATE TAXES....on gasoline. I believe that the sales tax in LA County is 9.75%...which is just outrageous. You really pay a price for living in the Sunshine State.

 

[MrQuackers]

I seem to get burned by innacurate pumps or shenanigans at ARCO gas stations. Low MPG results it seems. I mainly get gas at Fred Meyer or Safeway.

 

[MarkStock]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
I personally dont see point of worrying about deposits when higher tier gas may cause serious problems becayuse of ethenol .


All of the gas here in the People's Republic of California has gobs of ethanol in order to fight smog. I think that's one reasons our gas prices are so much higher than the rest of the country's. In fact, cars built to meet California's emissions standards come with warnings that using too much non-California fuels can screw up the emission control systems.


I have a car that says don't go above 10% ethanol.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
JFYI......the reason that gas (and everything else) is so high in The Peoples Republic of California is....HIGHER STATE TAXES....on gasoline. I believe that the sales tax in LA County is 9.75%...which is just outrageous. You really pay a price for living in the Sunshine State.

We pay Federal plus State gasoline tax, then we pay state sale tax on top of of those 2 taxes (we pay tax on tax), total of 3 taxes can be as high as 90+ cents a gallon. Also we use special blend that costs about 10-15 cents more. The end result is our gas is about 15-20% higher than national average most of the time.

 

[cathy]

Arco charges like 50cents on debit card so I lose money saved IMO. Also, runs with no power

 

[DemoFly]

I get 10 cents off a gallon at Shell from my QFC rewards card.

Nothing beats it around here.

 

[Voltmaster]

Originally Posted By: strongt
Everytime I'm in So Cal I always fill up with ARCO fuel. Never had any problems in my Jeep. IMO why spend extra for Shell or Chevron when ARCO runs the same.



As far as I am aware only Shell and 76 use ethanol...
By law they have to post the ethnol warning and I have never seen them at ARCO before.

Dont get me wrong if the difference is 3 cents i will buy top tier but I commute all over SFV and whatever Gasbuddy.com tells me is cheaper i shall buy with pride.

 

[Voltmaster]

Originally Posted By: cathy
Arco charges like 50cents on debit card so I lose money saved IMO. Also, runs with no power


The one thing I learned since i got car is that always have some cash in car to pay for gas.... Gas stations love charging you fee's and extra per gallon for using credit/debit

always pay cash at pump!

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: DemoFly
I get 10 cents off a gallon at Shell from my QFC rewards card.


When I was in New Jersey a couple of weeks ago Exxon/Mobil charged me 10 cents more a gallon for using a credit card..The credit card was a Exxon/Mobil credit card..In Florida [and most places] the price is the same cash or credit.

 

[surfstar]

[censored] ARCO.

Cash or debit (and THEY charge me a fee?) only? I won't fuel up there for this alone.

PenFed 5% rebate CC at ANY gas station. Best deal going.

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster

always pay cash at pump!


Nope - I always pay with credit. Fully topped off and no need to interact with the workers and clientele inside the gas station. And 5% back every month. Unless on a road trip and needing to [censored], I won't have to go inside.

 

[Smokescreen]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
[censored] ARCO.

Cash or debit (and THEY charge me a fee?) only? I won't fuel up there for this alone.

PenFed 5% rebate CC at ANY gas station. Best deal going.


+1

Learned this after waiting in line in CA while on vacation this past month...never again.

 

[Durango]

At my local ARCO gas station I too have seen the advertising signs regarding it'c cleaning agents and cleaner valves. I'm taking a wild guess that this might be due to their possible sale of ARCO to the same company that manufacturers SHELL. I can't remember that parent company but if my guess is right then ARCO could be considered just as good as SHELL gas.

In my hood gas has just dropped to around $4.97/gallon of regular at the SHELL. Guess where I'm buying my gas from because of SHELLs prices???

Durango

 

[Tdbo]

BP is either in the process of unloading ARCO to Tesoro, or has already done so.

This round of advertising is probably to undo the reputation that ARCO has as bottom feeder fuel. Have not had ARCO on the East coast in years, but I can still smell the sulfur/rotten egg smell that used to emerge when the family Pontiac was filled up with that fine fuel. It could gag a maggot.

I've been on the West coast twice in the last three years and would have gladly filled my rental car up with it, however, no pay @ the pump with a credit card is a definite buzz kill/deal breaker for me.