Costco TT Premium

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Originally Posted by wdn
My son has the 2020 Impreza and is already getting 36 MPG with only 2,500 miles on the car so far, and he just buys from whatever gas station he comes across. He had no brand preference whatsoever.

There are no Costco gas stations near us so you Subaru dealer may be right, that Costco gas is causing your issues.


I just did 3/4 of a tank of BP. Not ready to fill up yet but this time a lot of the mileage was highway. Gonna fill up a few more times most likely using the same station. What is weird is that my 2017 Legacy was just OK on mileage and the 2018 Legacy which is the same car gets better mileage.
 
No issues with Costco fuel across several vehicles.
I don't use it exclusively, if the lines are long, I'm not waiting. I will go at off peak times to fill the avalanche, as it holds 30 gallons.
 
Originally Posted by Wheel366
Has anyone with GDI had problems with Costco gas? I have a 2018 Subaru Legacy non GDI and a 2019 Subaru Impreza which is GDI. The Legacy gets ~ the same MPG with Costco or BP but I have been having issues with the Impreza and the dealer told me that it is due to Costco gas and they had a few cars in recently where they had to empty the tank due to Costco gas. I "should" be getting ~27 city and ~36 highway. I'm getting between 18-20 city. They asked me to try a different brand for a few tanks and it "will" get better. They also said the jerkiness of the CVT is due to the gas.

Any thoughts? Anybody have this problem?


Which township Costco you are pumping at?
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by loneryder
Since there are a lot of discussions on fuel quality and additives, I thought I would report my experience. Last year I bought a 19 yr. old(now 20) MB CLK 430 with the 4.3 v8 with 98k miles on it. It seemed to run a little rough so I filled it with Costco Prem. After 3or 4 tanks, I noticed it was running smoother and quieter. I used no fuel additives. The car had questionable maintenance so I changed all fluids. As a side note, one of the lifters was ticking loudly until the engine was hot. I put in 1.5 cans of LiquiMoly Hydralic lifter conditioner. It took several hundred miles but it has quieted down to normal.
I didn't realize how rough it was until it was cleaned out.

Buy Mobil, Exxon, BP, Marathon or Sunoco for several fill-ups and see if the problem goes away. Since Costco gas is affiliated with Shell gas, don't buy Shell until the issue is resolved.


Where did you cite this? Shell and Costco are same?
 
Originally Posted by painfx
Originally Posted by Wheel366
Has anyone with GDI had problems with Costco gas? I have a 2018 Subaru Legacy non GDI and a 2019 Subaru Impreza which is GDI. The Legacy gets ~ the same MPG with Costco or BP but I have been having issues with the Impreza and the dealer told me that it is due to Costco gas and they had a few cars in recently where they had to empty the tank due to Costco gas. I "should" be getting ~27 city and ~36 highway. I'm getting between 18-20 city. They asked me to try a different brand for a few tanks and it "will" get better. They also said the jerkiness of the CVT is due to the gas.

Any thoughts? Anybody have this problem?


Which township Costco you are pumping at?


Wharton. I am just about done with my first fill up of BP and other than some highway miles I'm not seeing a HUGE difference. Got a few more tanks to go.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by loneryder
Since there are a lot of discussions on fuel quality and additives, I thought I would report my experience. Last year I bought a 19 yr. old(now 20) MB CLK 430 with the 4.3 v8 with 98k miles on it. It seemed to run a little rough so I filled it with Costco Prem. After 3or 4 tanks, I noticed it was running smoother and quieter. I used no fuel additives. The car had questionable maintenance so I changed all fluids. As a side note, one of the lifters was ticking loudly until the engine was hot. I put in 1.5 cans of LiquiMoly Hydralic lifter conditioner. It took several hundred miles but it has quieted down to normal.
I didn't realize how rough it was until it was cleaned out.

Buy Mobil, Exxon, BP, Marathon or Sunoco for several fill-ups and see if the problem goes away. Since Costco gas is affiliated with Shell gas, don't buy Shell until the issue is resolved.

Not really. The way fuel sales go it's almost always going to be acquired as a commodity that's sold and/or traded. Shell just sold its last refinery in California, so whatever Shell stations are pumping here is guaranteed to be refined by someone else. In any case, they always trade anyways. Fuel is traded through pipeline operators where Shell might put in a certain amount or buy a certain amount, and it's up to the pipeline operator to delivery the same amount of commodity fuel to Shell's customers - which are mostly its branded stations.

Costco uses its own additive that Lubrizol developed for them.
 
Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by loneryder
Since there are a lot of discussions on fuel quality and additives, I thought I would report my experience. Last year I bought a 19 yr. old(now 20) MB CLK 430 with the 4.3 v8 with 98k miles on it. It seemed to run a little rough so I filled it with Costco Prem. After 3or 4 tanks, I noticed it was running smoother and quieter. I used no fuel additives. The car had questionable maintenance so I changed all fluids. As a side note, one of the lifters was ticking loudly until the engine was hot. I put in 1.5 cans of LiquiMoly Hydralic lifter conditioner. It took several hundred miles but it has quieted down to normal.
I didn't realize how rough it was until it was cleaned out.

Buy Mobil, Exxon, BP, Marathon or Sunoco for several fill-ups and see if the problem goes away. Since Costco gas is affiliated with Shell gas, don't buy Shell until the issue is resolved.

Not really. The way fuel sales go it's almost always going to be acquired as a commodity that's sold and/or traded. Shell just sold its last refinery in California, so whatever Shell stations are pumping here is guaranteed to be refined by someone else. In any case, they always trade anyways. Fuel is traded through pipeline operators where Shell might put in a certain amount or buy a certain amount, and it's up to the pipeline operator to delivery the same amount of commodity fuel to Shell's customers - which are mostly its branded stations.

Costco uses its own additive that Lubrizol developed for them.


What happened to Shell? Their advertisement on Shell V-Nitro not working anymore?

Looks like Chevron still kicks butt. Mobil/Exxon is trying to catch up. These 2 brands seems to be the most expensive.
 
Originally Posted by painfx
What happened to Shell? Their advertisement on Shell V-Nitro not working anymore?

Looks like Chevron still kicks butt. Mobil/Exxon is trying to catch up. These 2 brands seems to be the most expensive.

I get marketing. The fact is that anyone selling fuel could just spend a little bit of money on a whiz-bang additive package and advertise it. Costco managed to do that by getting a custom additive from Lubrizol while still selling for the lowest prices in most markets. Anyone could just go to one of the big additive companies like Afton, BASF, Lubrizol, or Chevron Oronite. The real irony is that Chevron's Oronite division is selling their additive for use by many sellers other than Chevron's direct fuel customers.

If it's a certified detergent additive in the US, it's going to be on this list. All pump fuel is required to contain at least one of them.

https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/fuels1/ffars/web-detrg.htm
 
Originally Posted by painfx
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
painfx
Shell website works fine.
https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline.html


I meant to say, you said Costco and Shell gasoline are affiliated. Where did you cite that?

Costco specifically notes that they don't buy their fuel from a single supplier and with no contracts with the major oil companies. They probably buy fuel on the spot market and then the distribution is done via the major pipeline companies. They could very well buy fuel that's sourced from Shell, Chevron, etc. refineries, but the fuel itself is really just unbranded fuel that meets commodity requirements for the particular grade. Fuel is mostly distributed by pipelines where it's all about the logistics of putting in a commodity here and getting an equivalent commodity there to deliver to a particular customer.

Quote
https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9230/~/costco-gas-station-faqs#4
WHERE DOES COSTCO GAS ORIGINATE?
We receive our gasoline from the same major refineries and distributors that supply all of the gas stations in an area. Costco does not purchase gasoline from a single supplier. Typically the gasoline we purchase is unbranded. All Costco gasoline is fully guaranteed to meet or exceed the standards of the major branded outlets.

Many of the major oil companies— Shell, Chevron/Texaco, Exxon/Mobil, Marathon, and BP/Amoco/Arco—source at least a portion of their crude oil and even some of their refined product from the Middle East. Their imports, both crude and refined, become part of the national fuel supply and are traded and swapped by suppliers that work with independent gas stations like Costco's.This blending together of supplies from multiples sources makes it impossible to trace the exact origins of every gallon of fuel we purchase. Our gas stations receive their supplies from the same refineries and distributors that supply all the gas stations in a given area. While we can assure you that we have no direct contracts with the major oil companies, it would be irresponsible to tell you that none of the gasoline we buy originated in the Middle East.

All of Costco's gasoline is fully guaranteed to meet or exceed the standards of the major branded outlets. We take the quality of our gasoline very seriously, and hold it to the same world-class standards as the rest of our products and services.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by painfx
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
painfx
Shell website works fine.
https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline.html


I meant to say, you said Costco and Shell gasoline are affiliated. Where did you cite that?

Regional affiliation here in Macomb County MI. I've read here at BITOG there are other regions in the USA where Costco Gas is Shell also.

Costco makes it clear that they don't buy fuel directly from any of the major oil companies. If there's anything, it may be a matter of location relative to a refinery. Even then it won't be guaranteed. Costco buys fuel without detergent additives and has their proprietary additive metered at delivery to the station.
 
Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by painfx
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
painfx
Shell website works fine.
https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline.html


I meant to say, you said Costco and Shell gasoline are affiliated. Where did you cite that?

Regional affiliation here in Macomb County MI. I've read here at BITOG there are other regions in the USA where Costco Gas is Shell also.

Costco makes it clear that they don't buy fuel directly from any of the major oil companies. If there's anything, it may be a matter of location relative to a refinery. Even then it won't be guaranteed. Costco buys fuel without detergent additives and has their proprietary additive metered at delivery to the station.

I never said a Shell tanker pulls up to Costco gas stations. How Shell gas arrives in Costco delivered stations is none of my concern. I really don;t care who delivers it.
Heck, I've never waited in those long lines there. I'd rather pay a dime more down the street and not be forced into getting a VISA card that pays less cash back than my two Mastercards.

All I'm stating here is that many posts exist here that say Shell gas is in thse tanks - at many locations.
If you would like to do a lengthy BITOG search for those posts, go right ahead. I don;t care what gas Costco buys. It could be Joe-blow gas this month and I'm fine with it.
Maybe 1-2 of the BITOG members here that proclaimed in the recent past that Shell gas was being used, will enter this thread. But as of this minute, I'm exiting this thread.

I only entered this thread, because it's been reported here at BITOG - by OTHER members, that Shell gas is / was being used. If Shell gas arrives via (hypothetical) National Transport Co (written on the tanker and side door of the cab), then so be-it.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
I only entered this thread, because it's been reported here at BITOG - by OTHER members, that Shell gas is / was being used. If Shell gas arrives via (hypothetical) National Transport Co (written on the tanker and side door of the cab), then so be-it.

Again, Shell doesn't sell to Costco. If there's any gasoline coming from a Shell refinery or perhaps a Shell distribution point going to Costco, it's purely coincidental to the way that unbranded gasoline is distributed. Shell and other major oil companies pay pipeline companies to "distribute" fuel to their customers - mostly their own branded stations and perhaps contract customers. But the distribution model consists of putting X amount of commodity fuel in here in point A and withdrawing X amount of fuel at point B/C/D/etc. The pipeline operators are in the fuel logistics business. If they can move this commodity fuel as little as possible and still fulfill their delivery requirements they will. And they trade a lot to do this, but in general the customers don't really care which refinery the fuel came out of as long as it meets their requirements.

Heck - I live within 15 miles of 5 major refineries. I assume that the fuel at my local Costco can and probably does come from all 5 of them at any time. And they're often mixed together. But in the end it's still just a fungible commodity.

As far as what name on the truck - most commonly I see fuel transport companies now and not any major oil companies. The one I see around here the most is Kenan Advantage, which I heard bought out the big regional hauler Beneto.
 
Interesting to note.

I was just reading the manual for both my 18 Legacy and 19 Impreza. The Legacy says E10 is fine but E15 or higher is not. The Impreza says E15 is OK but nothing higher. I wonder why E10 is OK in one car and not the other...

Also, I just filled up with my second tank of BP at the same station and MPG seems to be the same. I did ~80 miles of highway again (same as last tank) and the rest will be mostly city. We'll see if I get more as I get down to the end of the tank.
 
Originally Posted by Wheel366
Interesting to note.

I was just reading the manual for both my 18 Legacy and 19 Impreza. The Legacy says E10 is fine but E15 or higher is not. The Impreza says E15 is OK but nothing higher. I wonder why E10 is OK in one car and not the other...

Also, I just filled up with my second tank of BP at the same station and MPG seems to be the same. I did ~80 miles of highway again (same as last tank) and the rest will be mostly city. We'll see if I get more as I get down to the end of the tank.

The biggest issues might be seal compatibility, although I'm not sure what a 5% difference is going to do. That was always the biggest issue with older cars and ethanol, besides attracting water. There are probably a few other issues.
 
Originally Posted by Wheel366
Interesting to note.

I was just reading the manual for both my 18 Legacy and 19 Impreza. The Legacy says E10 is fine but E15 or higher is not. The Impreza says E15 is OK but nothing higher. I wonder why E10 is OK in one car and not the other...
.


The Impreza has a completely different engine, it uses direct injection. The new 2.0 engine was introduced in 2017.
 
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