How much premium gas do you really get?
I have a habit of topping off my tank to keep it full. I realize I’m not getting all premium gas I paid for. The pump holds gas from the last sale in the hose between the pump and the nozzle. I don’t know if it’s a quart or more gas I’m getting before I receive my premium gas. Maybe I’m too anal and should wait until my low fuel light comes on. What do people here do about refueling?
More of an observation than a question.
Grampa Kracker
More of an observation than a question.
Grampa Kracker
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
Go to a station that has separate hoses for each octane grade.
As long as I am around my home territory I get 93 octane fuel at a Shell station where each of the 3 grades (87, 89, 93) has their own hose. So any gas left in the hose for 93 is, of course, 93. That's the main reason I stop there cause you don't find many pumps with separate hoses & nozzles for each grade.
If I'm not around home I don't worry about it but then I don't usually buy fuel till I am pretty low.
If I'm not around home I don't worry about it but then I don't usually buy fuel till I am pretty low.
Looks like I need to find a Shell station. I have been buying my gas at Sunoco and BP. One hose for three grades of gas.
Thanks for the input.
Grampa Kracker
Thanks for the input.
Grampa Kracker
If you're that anul, pump about $1.00 worth on the ground and then top your bike off. NOTE: Your bike will accept a small amount of reg gas without any problem anyway.I have a habit of topping off my tank to keep it full. I realize I’m not getting all premium gas I paid for. The pump holds gas from the last sale in the hose between the pump and the nozzle. I don’t know if it’s a quart or more gas I’m getting before I receive my premium gas. Maybe I’m too anal and should wait until my low fuel light comes on. What do people here do about refueling?
More of an observation than a question.
Grampa Kracker
Next time you are at the station, before you activate the pump, pull the trigger and see how much comes out. Not much.
Not enough to worry about...I'll bet you a beer...LOL. When I was a wee bit younger, me and some crazy friends performed an unplanned scientific experiment along those lines...We started by running out of gas, very late at night, wayyyyy out in the country and just rolled into a little old station...they were closed of course, so we went to plan b...we found a 1 quart clear glass bottle on the side of the building and went to each of the 4 pumps and drained every single drop of gas from the 4 hoses...
Total recovered hose gas = just less than 1 quart...but enough to get us into town and an open station...
So, from 1 hose, I would think it would be not enough to worry about.
ATTENTION: At NO time during this scientific experiment was there any consumption of alcohol...or something like that...
Total recovered hose gas = just less than 1 quart...but enough to get us into town and an open station...
So, from 1 hose, I would think it would be not enough to worry about.
ATTENTION: At NO time during this scientific experiment was there any consumption of alcohol...or something like that...
Grampa, not all Shell stations have a separate hose for each grade. Don't know why some do and some don't but whenever possible I will buy where each grade has a separate hose--whether it is Shell or some other brand doesn't matter to me.Looks like I need to find a Shell station. I have been buying my gas at Sunoco and BP. One hose for three grades of gas.
Thanks for the input.
Grampa Kracker
There are no pumps with separate hoses left in the town I live in
later, dozer
p.s. but yeah, that's what I used to do
later, dozer
p.s. but yeah, that's what I used to do
Unless your bike is putting out some big time HP like 120 or more that small amount of lower octane will not be noticed. I once had to put in 89 octane cause that was all they had and I was bone dry, did not really notice any performance difference for the one tank full.
Not enough to worry about...I'll bet you a beer...LOL. When I was a wee bit younger, me and some crazy friends performed an unplanned scientific experiment along those lines...We started by running out of gas, very late at night, wayyyyy out in the country and just rolled into a little old station...they were closed of course, so we went to plan b...we found a 1 quart clear glass bottle on the side of the building and went to each of the 4 pumps and drained every single drop of gas from the 4 hoses...
Total recovered hose gas = just less than 1 quart...but enough to get us into town and an open station...
So, from 1 hose, I would think it would be not enough to worry about.
ATTENTION: At NO time during this scientific experiment was there any consumption of alcohol...or something like that...
It's NOT just the hose...the pump and pump lines have that same gas in them also. Works out to be around 4/10 gal according to the research done for the "No E-15" group . :biker:Grampa, not all Shell stations have a separate hose for each grade. Don't know why some do and some don't but whenever possible I will buy where each grade has a separate hose--whether it is Shell or some other brand doesn't matter to me.
I appreciate y'all running that Premium fuel, means I can possibly get a shot of it when I fill up with my 87 that I run in both by bikes.
Here either. There is one with a green nozzle, always wanted to try that one.There are no pumps with separate hoses left in the town I live in
later, dozer
p.s. but yeah, that's what I used to do
Ronnie
I own a gas station. When I have to replace a hose because some moron drives off without removing the hose, I have noticed that it pumps 2.12 to 2.14 tenths of a gallon before gas leaves the nozzle.
Anyone want to buy a rural gas station? I'm tired of dealing with the morons.
Anyone want to buy a rural gas station? I'm tired of dealing with the morons.
I get regular unleaded, so anything better is a bonus. In the winter months, I fill a few 5 gallon jugs of mid grade Ethanol free from the boat marina and store them in the garage. I got one of those nifty gas pump handles that screws onto the jug and stay topped off through the winter. I also add Sea Foam to my jugs cause that stuff works.
All 91 is Ethanol free in my province so thats what I use. As we also have no gas with a rating higher than 91, I regularly (but not always) toss a few oz of Seafoam in the tank before filling up. With Seafoam in the tank smoother running is very noticeable.
I own a gas station. When I have to replace a hose because some moron drives off without removing the hose, I have noticed that it pumps 2.12 to 2.14 tenths of a gallon before gas leaves the nozzle.
Anyone want to buy a rural gas station? I'm tired of dealing with the morons.
So you're saying it's 0.214 gallons?
Less than a quarter of a gallon in say a 2 gallon top off. Your octane rating would drop 1 point at most.......
Yep, that's what I'm saying.So you're saying it's 0.214 gallons?
Less than a quarter of a gallon in say a 2 gallon top off. Your octane rating would drop 1 point at most.......
How do you know the last person got regular 87 or 89 octane. If you are going to worry about a cup full of 87 mixed with your 93 octane then why not buy some octane booster at any parts store and pour a cap full in your tank when you fill up. Lot of trouble over nothing. I bet the guys who worry about such a thing don't even know the difference between 87 and 93 and how it affects the engine. The use of either can be fixed through engine timing or mapping. Advanced timing needs higher octane. Retarded timing can go with lower octane. The lower octane molecules are not evenly spread across the combustion chamber and therefore there is a bit if pre-ignition. This Pre-ignition can sometimes be heard as a pinging sound in the engine upon acceleration. If you don't hear the pinging then usually you don't have to worry about it. Also you will get a bit more popping noise in the exhaust upon deceleration. That is because not all the fuel was spent to drive the piston down and that unspent fuel ignites in the hot exhaust manifold or header. Our newer engines run hotter and with fuel injections have computer controls that will automatically change a bit in mapping to help in changes needed no matter what we use. That is the purpose of all the sensors like the O2 sensor. That is why we don't have chokes anymore. A cold engine through its sensors runs richer and hot engine runs leaner.
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