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Valero Gasoline

21K views 60 replies 23 participants last post by  RTexasF 
#1 ·
Over the last 5 tanks of fuel I noticed my gas mileage had dropped quite a bit. I always get 19-20 in town. Recently it has been way down in the 16-17 range with no change in driving habits over FIVE tanks of fuel. HMMM.

Recently my lawnmower started running just awful, I mean pitifully. Also Valero gasoline. I took the mower to a repair shop and he showed me the gas they removed from it when I went to get it. It looked like apple juice not gas.
That gas is less than two weeks old! Had it not been for the miserable mileage in the car I would have just called "bad batch" on this fuel. It's too much to be just a coincidence.

The shop owner told me that he has had a rash of lawnmowers, weed eaters, chainsaws, and other equipment come in recently with bad gas being the problem. He questioned the owners and it was Valero in every case.

Now you need to understand that there is a Valero station on every corner in this town (and surrounding cities) sometimes right across the street from each other. They own South Texas as far as gas stations.

The repair shop owner told me he has had problems with his own lawn equipment. He switched to Exxon or Shell and it cleared up. He used these brands in his pickumup truck and got +2 MPG. Sounds like there really is something to the "Top Tier" gasoline even though it's more expensive than the others.

I just poured the last of the lawnmower and 2 stroke mix into the RAV's gas tank and I'll fill the gas cans with Exxon or Shell this week.

I'm guessing this is a local problem. Valero also makes their own ethanol additive to the gasoline so maybe that's the problem but I'm only guessing. For now I'm going to Exxon or Shell. If my MPG goes back to where it was then I'll know positively that Valero is cutting corners in this market with their fuel.

It took a very short form to fill out and all of ten seconds after submitting to get an Exxon card online. Since we fill up about once a month what's another 80 cents (if that) for a tank of gas?

The lawnmower repair was $77.00! That will buy a crapload of better fuel so currently I am less than pleased with Valero gasoline. It has been just fine until the last 4-5 tanks. The point of this entire thread is just a heads up to others. If you are using Valero then try another major brand to see if your mileage improves.....I'm going to give it a go.

To be continued............
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Down here the ONLY other gasoline stations available are Exxon and Shell and that's in a town of 163,000 people! That's a small town by Texas standards but hardly a "burg". Even then there are very few of them and you have to map them out to find them. I've no idea what Valero is doing but they $hit in their nest with me and we've been using them for years without any problems.:shrug: it could just be a one time deal but I can't afford to take any chances. Of course I could get a bad tank from any station but the MPG drop (both cars) and the repair expense soured me on them.
 
#4 ·
I've had the same issue with my vehicles (Rav4 & Civic) here in northern California. Both seemed to have gotten less miles per gallon and the Civic's idling became rough and performance suffered. After a few tankfuls (both vehicles) the same issues lingered, so I decided to go back using Chevron. Surprisingly, the problems went away after a couple of tankfuls. I swear not to gas up at any Valero station again!!


Manny
2007 V6 Limited 2WD
 
#6 ·
I agree with your assessment of 'discount' gas, but did you contact them? I would have called. My friend had a similar issue with a 7-11 store in the city I live in. The fuel was so bad, it ate his fuel pump. The company AGREED there was a rash of bad fuel and paid his repair bill. Im just sayin, you might have a chance of at least getting your $77 back. If you are like me, you might not have time to mess with it, but its a thought.

Sounds like the fuel has a bunch more ethanol in it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've seen the gas truck go from HEB to the Valero station across the street but there's nothing unusual in that. The fuel is all the same, it's the additives that make the difference. The tankers have multiple tanks within and the additives for a particular customer are added at the distribution center.
 
#8 ·
I just sent them an email explaining the situation and the loss of two customers due to it. I asked for nothing other than for them to investigate what & where the problem is. If I'm having problems then others are too. If I get anything beyond a standard form letter I'll be amazed. One thing is for sure though.....I'll only buy top tier gas from this day forward....Valero does not meet top tier criteria.

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html
 
#11 ·
I just sent them an email explaining the situation and the loss of two customers due to it. I asked for nothing other than for them to investigate what & where the problem is. If I'm having problems then others are too. If I get anything beyond a standard form letter I'll be amazed. One thing is for sure though.....I'll only buy top tier gas from this day forward....Valero does not meet top tier criteria.

Top Tier Gasoline
We don't have Valero here, but I've used it in the past with no problems. There should be some agency (Consumer Affairs Dept.?) which can analyse the current apparently defective product. So far the curent Valero has had expensive consequences for your lawnmower - hopefully your RAVs haven't suffered the same fate!
 
#12 ·
We have Valero here but none that offer those grocery discounts on fuel, so I've not been using them. And thanks to this thread, I won't resume anytime soon.

Sent from my Evo3D using AutoGuide.
 
#16 ·
I wish I had a good answer but I don't. All the pumps have the ubiquitous "may contain up to 10% ethanol" signs on them. In one year it went from all "real" gasoline to the 10% mix. Real gas isn't available here at any price.
 
#20 ·
#17 ·
Tex when I bought my Rav in 2009 from day one I would have the sulfur rotten egg smell . I tried several different brands with the same results. Until I tried BP. It stopped almost immediately. Than I tried Shell and it seemed to work even better. Upon your advise I than put in Chevron Techtron and the last 2 plus years- no problems at all.
 
#26 ·
Just a brief update.....ran the car gas down and filled up with Exxon 87 and same with lawn equipment. Mower runs fine as does the 2 stoke equipment. Ran about 1/4 tank out of the RAV and filled up again..... 19.9 so all is well again. Oddly the Exxon price was the same as most of the Valero stations @$3.55 rounded up.
 
#27 ·
A lot of Valero in Maine, probably equal in number to Irving. Also CITGO. Very few Shell or Texaco. Occasional Lukoil, and plenty of unidentified. Get the best aveage MPG with Shell at 28.4. Worst with Valero at 23.6. Use Irving most of the time at about 27.
 
#30 · (Edited)
In the light of all that you have experienced perhaps the following quote from Wikipedia would be of interest:

"Valero is attempting to shift its focus from being a discount gasoline brand to becoming a premium brand. As part of the shift, Valero has begun to rebrand its Ultramar, Beacon, Total, and Diamond Shamrock stations to the Valero brand. The Beacon and Shamrock brands are used by retailers as a low-cost alternative to the premium Valero brand."
 
#33 · (Edited)
We have used Valero gas since they bought out damn near all other stations here 3-4 years ago, no problems at all but that was straight gasoline. Then not long ago came the ethanol mix, still no problems. Then began the MPG drop and the lawnmower problem. Not exactly a shift towards a premium brand for me.

I wondered why my two stroke lawn equipment has had no problems and then remembered it requires 89 octane which it gets. Why that would make any difference I don't know but it certainly must have something to do with it. The Echo two stroke semi synth oil says that it has fuel stabilizer in it.....must be some great stuff.
 
#36 ·
Quicky update after going to Exxon fuel exclusively and it was $2.96 today by the way. MPG with spirited driving, multiple trips to redline in 1st & 2nd, holding gears manually, A/C on 100% of the time, all city, was 19.6. Although Valero is still much cheaper @$2.89 I'll stick with top tier fuel from now on. This is a 180º turn from what I used to think.

Drive like a granny & get 16-17 or drive like a goober and get 19+........I'll take goober for $2.96 Alex :thumbs_up:
 
#37 ·
That's very interesting - is Valero "watering down" its gasoline and if so, how is that done? Is gasoline tested for energy content? Is Exxon ethanol-free while Valero contains ethanol in Texas? (Can't get ethanol-free gasoline for road vehicles legally in Oregon.) :confused:
 
#38 ·
Both are up to 10%. It's the amount of additives to the gas that make it "top tier" vs "meets minimum requirements" I believe. It could also be the type of additives but I don't know that for sure. I can read about it until I'm crosseyed but it's too much for me......Dammit Jim I'm a doctor, not a petroleum engineer!
Sorry, I had a Star Trek flashback ;)
 
#41 ·
Valero is Venezuelan Oil. Very high Sulphur, and depending on the location of the refinery can really add deposits to your engine.

It's plain and simple s*** gas. Always will be. ;)
 
#43 ·
Valero is Venezuelan Oil. Very high Sulphur, and depending on the location of the refinery can really add deposits to your engine.

It's plain and simple s*** gas. Always will be. ;)
Valero is Texas-based and gets most if its crude oil which is refined in the U.S. from U.S. and Mexico. It appears that you're confusing Valero with Citgo, which is owned by Venezuela.
 
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