Costco Gas

[Malbjey]

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

The problem is impulsive buying. I wouldn't be surprised if you just end up buying a lot of stuff you don't really need at Costco because "everything is cheaper".

That's why I just leech off my friend's membership. I usually just give them a little extra money for letting me use their membership by shopping with them. No need to pay for full membership if I can just bribe my friend for like $5 and get a bunch of non-perishable stuff.

With this line of logic, I suppose you could get a few guys together to get one membership together, but that requires a lot of coordination to properly work.

Lol yeah I absolutely leeched off a friend's Sams Club membership in the past before I got a Costco membership.

I have some family that doesn't have a Costco membership either so I'll take them shopping there on occasion to stock up.

Originally Posted by tommcd24

Don't forget the liquor store. Particularly if you are a whiskey fan, they have a nice selection at great prices. Of course outside of the traditional favorites (Jack, Jameson, Johnny) the selection varies, but at different times I've picked up Japanese Whisky, Breckenridge Bourbon (Colorado), and the Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon is very good also.

Unfortunately the state of PA has Draconian liquor laws. It can't be sold at Costco. We have to get it from state-run Wine & Spirits stores, or a small amount of super markets. Sucks.

[JKSully]

Originally Posted by Malbjey

Unfortunately the state of PA has Draconian liquor laws. It can't be sold at Costco. We have to get it from state-run Wine & Spirits stores, or a small amount of super markets. Sucks.

Ah yes, the dreaded State Store...grew up in the 'Burgh myself, in college I worked in a grocery store and got people in from out of state from time to time. Trying to explain to them that if they wanted liquor they had to go to a State Store and beer they had to go to a distributor was always good for some confused looks....

[NotFast]

Originally Posted by Malbjey

Unfortunately the state of PA has Draconian liquor laws. It can't be sold at Costco. We have to get it from state-run Wine & Spirits stores, or a small amount of super markets. Sucks.

I ran into that same thing when vacationing in Texas. We could not figure why we couldn't find any alcohol at the big box stores, only to find out they have some weird *** laws about it.

Here in IL you can buy liquor anywhere and any time of the day.

[Azerlazer26]

I ONLY fill up at Costco. I did a year filling up at Shell and a year filling up at Costco. I literally cannot tell the difference! Plus the extra savings is always a plus

[Azerlazer26]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

In Michigan it’s 93 octane.

BTW - BJ’s Warehouse has similar pricing and is also 93 octane Top Tier, at least in Michigan. Not as widespread as Costco, but it’s what I use when I visit Buffalo. Buffalo doesn’t have Costco. Yet.

Only Woodward things LOL.

[Allez]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

In Michigan it’s 93 octane.

BTW - BJ’s Warehouse has similar pricing and is also 93 octane Top Tier, at least in Michigan. Not as widespread as Costco, but it’s what I use when I visit Buffalo. Buffalo doesn’t have Costco. Yet.

The last I checked BJs was not top tier gas. It's also not listed as being a licensed top tier provider https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/. Maybe it's just Michigan.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by 2SS Capt

Costco gas is "Top Tier" gas, probably the same stuff you are getting at those other stations... I've been running it in my SS pretty much exclusively (4,700 miles), I ran a few tanks of Shell V-Power when I first got it and can't tell any difference from that to the Costco Premium... This is my "Toy Car" so I spare no expense and am very picky...

I absolutely would not run anything that is not Top Tier...

Pretty much my exact post had I gotten to it first. Only differences are that I'm a couple of thousand higher on the odo and I've run other gas in the car when there wasn't a Costco around / open.

I used to run BJ's gas in my truck and her SUV and buying the Camaro and digging further into the Top Tier stuff caused me to stop buying BJ's gas all together because it isn't Top Tier...

[CamaroChriSS]

Costco every time I can. Like saving my $10 per fill and no concerns with the quality. Almost everything "Kirkland" brand is really something else high-end just renamed.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by CamaroChriSS

Costco every time I can. Like saving my $10 per fill and no concerns with the quality. Almost everything "Kirkland" brand is really something else high-end just renamed.

Yep. Their synthetic motor oil is from Warren and is what I use in the Camaro as well.

[Staves]

I put premium in my SS from no name stations that are cheap and car runs like a raped ape.

[Crushin_LT1]

I run Sam's Club Premium in my car, not Top Tier (I think) but it runs just as fine as Shell. Saves me a few bucks a fill-up.

I figure run a Chevron Techron every few thousand miles and it's the same as top tier. Speaking of, I suppose it would be time to run a chevron techron thing.

Used to run Sunoco cause it was by my house, I'll occasionally get whatever major brand is on the highway for my roadtrips.

[UnknownJinX]

Regarding Top Tier...

It is possible for some gas stations to meet their standards but just don't want to pay the annual fee. It's a two-part thing: your gas has to meet certain standards and there is an annual fee.

I used to get Petro-Canada 94, for example, and the car runs perfectly fine with it. I also recently used it at one of the tracks. Also no issues. Interestingly, Petro-Canada used to be Top-Tier but they are no longer a part of it. I don't think their formula somehow changed for the worse, and some of us folks in Canada assumed that they just didn't want to pay for the fee anymore.

So there is that, if you know the source formula of detergent in the gas, you could make some educated assumptions. I am just fine with Chevron myself since they are the only ones that have 94 AKI on the West Coast of Canada.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

Regarding Top Tier...

It is possible for some gas stations to meet their standards but just don't want to pay the annual fee. It's a two-part thing: your gas has to meet certain standards and there is an annual fee.

I used to get Petro-Canada 94, for example, and the car runs perfectly fine with it. I also recently used it at one of the tracks. Also no issues. Interestingly, Petro-Canada used to be Top-Tier but they are no longer a part of it. I don't think their formula somehow changed for the worse, and some of us folks in Canada assumed that they just didn't want to pay for the fee anymore.

So there is that, if you know the source formula of detergent in the gas, you could make some educated assumptions. I am just fine with Chevron myself since they are the only ones that have 94 AKI on the West Coast of Canada.

This whole topic was beaten to death not that long ago here in a thread that I started...

https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=591433

The long and short of all of it was this: The gas is all the same. Whether you're buying it from Sam's, Costco, Shell... Doesn't matter. What's DIFFERENT (and what allows the ability to get it labeled as Top Tier) is the detergents.

More specifically, it seems that it's the AMOUNT of detergents added to the fuel as opposed to the exact formulation. There are one or two companies that do have their own formula, but most apparently do not.

More usefully, it seems that running non-Top Tier fuels on occasion is generally not going to do you any harm so long as you are running something through the tank occasionally with higher concentrations of detergents to keep the "innards" clean.

It's far more important to ensure you adhere to minimum octane levels and avoid stations with low turnover to ensure you aren't getting a tank of gas that has degraded (or worse, has water in it). Also, don't fill up while the tanker is filling the underground tanks either to avoid contaminants that have been stirred up during the tank fill process from making their way into the tank in the car.

[Crushin_LT1]

Originally Posted by ember1205

This whole topic was beaten to death not that long ago here in a thread that I started...

https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=591433

The long and short of all of it was this: The gas is all the same. Whether you're buying it from Sam's, Costco, Shell... Doesn't matter. What's DIFFERENT (and what allows the ability to get it labeled as Top Tier) is the detergents.

More specifically, it seems that it's the AMOUNT of detergents added to the fuel as opposed to the exact formulation. There are one or two companies that do have their own formula, but most apparently do not.

More usefully, it seems that running non-Top Tier fuels on occasion is generally not going to do you any harm so long as you are running something through the tank occasionally with higher concentrations of detergents to keep the "innards" clean.

It's far more important to ensure you adhere to minimum octane levels and avoid stations with low turnover to ensure you aren't getting a tank of gas that has degraded (or worse, has water in it). Also, don't fill up while the tanker is filling the underground tanks either to avoid contaminants that have been stirred up during the tank fill process from making their way into the tank in the car.

https://www.chevronlubricants.com/en...m-cleaner.html

I figure running one of those puppies through after a few thousand miles is equivalent to top tier. Just don't buy from a sketchy gas station and you should be g2g.