[summerwind]

Found the following info on who makes the additive Costco is adding to their gas:

Kirkland Signature Clean Power detergent additive
(UltraZol 9888) is manufactured by Lubrizol and
registered with the EPA.

http://www.calcupa.org/presentations/CUPA-2012/143/kirkland_signature_clean_power_gasoline_additive.pdf

 

[sweeneyp]

That is an interesting read, good find.

The whole 5x more detergents than EPA requirements made me wonder though. Do all gas brands use the bare minimum or do some (besides Costco) use more...if so I'll find those stations more often. Considering Shell is always advertising about their "nitrogen enriched gas", I figured they are another brand that does this.

There is actually a Costco filling station near where I live in Nashville, they usually have pretty good prices when I go there....but....having said that though, I love the South Carolina gas tax :lol:, I filled up here for 3.17 a gallon yesterday. SC is always lower than just about everywhere.

 

[TrailDust]

Maybe that explains why Costco gas performs so poorly.

 

[summerwind]

As I understand it all refineries manufacture to a Federal standard (including additives) to meet emissions standards.

Top tier gas adds another layer of detergent additive for retailers and the specification was created by several car manufactures.

This added additive is added at the distribution point when the gas is branded for a specific retailer (i.e. Chevron, Texaco, Shell, etc)

There are hundreds of registered detergent additives. The question of the day is how much are they different in the job they do.

 

[summerwind]

Maybe that explains why Costco gas performs so poorly.

The California formulation uses Chardonnay.
In Washington we use Jack Daniels.

 

[Amon]

The best gasoline that you can get for your car is.... just 100% gasoline. The chemical additives and alcohol (ethanol) reduce the specific energy content of the fuel. Ethanol is also quite corrosive to the untreated fuel lines of older cars not designed for its consumption.

So, really, what you're pumping in most cases is maybe just 85% gasoline and 15% of "other". Roughly speaking, that's 15% of lost energy, lost power, lost range. Fill your tank with raw unblended gasoline and you will get fuel economy like never before. This is just the cliff's notes to a much deeper petrochemical and political discussion.

And, of course, Costco et al's "proprietary additives" for cleaner vehicle emissions have always been a relatively frivolous goal when mapped against fossil fuel dependency...

 

[84Cressida]

Is there anything Kirkland doesn't make? I will say, they have good pizza and toilet paper

 

[sweeneyp]

you forgot the kosher hot dogs. Those are amazing :lol: