gas

In the Chicago area it may come pre-fouled from the pump! Weather changes, ground water, and lousy tanks are common. I have a friend with a 'vette and he always carries empty clear glass pint jars, saved from sauce, pickles, etc. When he pulls into a station he fills up 1/2 a jar. If it isn't crystal clear, he pays the 25 cents with his credit card, leaves the jar by the pump, and adds the station to his foul list. One $2,000 non-warranty repair from the dealer made him into a jar collector. If a station has pumps with three grades of gas but one hose, not three, he takes a pass. No way to tell what you are getting in the first 1/2 gallon, other than financially SCREWED. He also adds some $20 a 1/2 pint snake oil the Chevy dealer 'vette specialist pushes for fill-ups with E10. Bend over!
 
Good thought! Those Corvette guys are pretty smart. I use Shell with 91 octane, which advertises no ethanol, but never thought of that three grades out of one pump hose! Although they give you a choice. You can use the multi-grade pump, or a dedicated one. Thanks, more things to think of....
 
I agree, that 3 hoses business is something that never crossed my mind. Of course it wouldn't matter much with my modern car as I always get the regular with E10 crap in it.
 
Jim Parker Toronto said:
Good thought! Those Corvette guys are pretty smart. I use Shell with 91 octane, which advertises no ethanol, but never thought of that three grades out of one pump hose! Although they give you a choice. You can use the multi-grade pump, or a dedicated one. Thanks, more things to think of....
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i usually just pump about 1/2 gallon into the trash can before i put it in my car if its a one hose pump.
 
Unless the hoses have changed, I've never seen 1/2 gallon in the hose. As a kid we used to push the car from pump to pump station to station and never got more than a gallon in the tank after two dozen hoses.
 
Mike, the pumps have changed since the old side arm jobs that dribbled a few ounces after shutoff. In the modern one hose pumps the fuel selection is switched with servo valves at ground level, then through the mechanical pump, up an 8' pipe to an overhead coupling, then down 10' of hose to the nozzle.

The "flush" to change grades in a modern Tokheim or Wayne pump is about 2 1/2 lbs of fuel according to the 'vette nut I know. That's about a quart and a half. If you have a motorcycle that takes only a gallon or so and you need premium, you really get screwed if the last guy bought the cheap stuff.

Stations like the one hose jobs because the vapor recovery control hoses used in Chicago and some other big cities cost $120+ each to replace. Nozzle rebuilds are expensive, too. If you have four pumps, four hoses and nozzles are way cheaper to maintain than twelve! The don't have to wear out, they have a mandatory replacement service life date on them.
 
Have you ever wondered what gas/stations/cost/etc. would be if the government would get the hell out of it?
 
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