Just thought I'd share this email which will likely be in your inbox later on...

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I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.


Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.


A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.


When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.


One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.


Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.


DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!


WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON...


Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.


Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia . Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.


I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:


Shell........................... 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway... 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels



Citgo gas is from South America , from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel)


Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:


Sunoco..................0 barrels

Conoco..................0 barrels

Sinclair.................0 barrels

BP/Phillips............0 barrels

Hess.......................0 barrels

ARCO....................0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.


All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.

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GREAT tips - thank you!

I wish I had access to the gas stations that do not important Middle Eastern oil - of those, all I have access to in my part of SoCal is ARCO - and I refuse to put their gas in my car. I would be willing to try some of the others, as long as they are on the Top Tier list (which I don't have in front of me).

I have used Chevron for years in all my cars and have had great results. My father worked for Phillips for 27 years and ARCO for 5 years - he just retired last year. He said Phillips gas was just OK and ARCO was one of the absolute worst. I have tried ARCO in long-term rentals and in cars of family members who didn't care - and have not been satisfied with the results.

I buy my cars - I don't lease - and I keep my cars for 10+ years, so it is a higher priority for me to maintain the engine with the gasoline formula that has worked well for me than to be concerned about the source of the oil.

That being said, I really appreciate your post - when I move to Portland I will see what "Middle East-free" gas stations they have up there and whether any are on the Top Tier list.

No problem. BP is my personal favorite.

Here's Top Tier's list (all countries):

QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Chevron-Canada
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Company
Shell-Canada
Texaco
Petro-Canada
Sunoco-Canada

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon.


At the depth in the ground the tanks are buried, the temps should never change more than a few degrees year around. It is true outside temps do and have an effect, but not the ground temps.

underground tanks are always close to 70F here....myth busted

Another myth busted; maybe 50 years ago was it bad to buy when the tanker came up, but nowadays there is a filter to prevent any sediments from reaching your tank. Though on a hot day, the gas in the tanker could be much warmer than the tanks in the ground, so perhaps if it's 100 degrees out, but otherwise it's not problem.

Canada requires temperature compensated metering at the pumps.

canada has m00se

Though on a hot day, the gas in the tanker could be much warmer than the tanks in the ground, so perhaps if it's 100 degrees out, but otherwise it's not problem.

According to my post, the tankers are temperature-controlled.

underground tanks are always close to 70F here....myth busted

agreed, this is why underground heating/cooling systems work so well...

According to my post, the tankers are temperature-controlled.

By that do you mean they actually cool the fuel? If not, it's still heating the fuel in the storage tanks, which is going to your car by way of the uncompensated station pumps. If the tankers are actually refridgerated, then, it's another story.

By that do you mean they actually cool the fuel? If not, it's still heating the fuel in the storage tanks, which is going to your car by way of the uncompensated station pumps. If the tankers are actually refridgerated, then, it's another story.
No way in hell are the tank trucks temperature controlled.

Thanks Koz, I didn't think they were.

The meter readings for the loaded tankers are temperature compensated.

Probably more important to observe gas-saving driving tactics anyway. People drive like idiots. Gotta speed up to pass you so I can sit and idle for 3 minutes at the stoplight 1/2 block ahead

Probably more important to observe gas-saving driving tactics anyway. People drive like idiots. Gotta speed up to pass you so I can sit and idle for 3 minutes at the stoplight 1/2 block ahead

Well, yeah. That's actually how I drive right now. I just posted this so others could save money on gas. :) LOL! :rofl: I'm serious.

Well, yeah. That's actually how I drive right now. I just posted this so others could save money on gas. :) LOL! :rofl: I'm serious.

Well...whatever. As long as you don't flip me off as you pass me as you race to sit and idle at the stoplight :thumbsup:

That's a good point. The best way to save gas is to keep rolling. If everyone had the old 80's Rabbit Upshift indicator on the dash, it would be real evident that most gas is wasted when accelerating. Especially at lights and stop signs. I 'm not saying running through either, but a light pedal will triumph. If you can hit every green light then even better.

That's a good point. The best way to save gas is to keep rolling. If everyone had the old 80's Rabbit Upshift indicator on the dash, it would be real evident that most gas is wasted when accelerating. Especially at lights and stop signs. I 'm not saying running through either, but a light pedal will triumph. If you can hit every green light then even better.
Good points. Way back in the day the economy aid was a vacuum gage with green, yellow, and red range marks.

If you can hit every green light then even better.

Haha That's easy to do!... Just get an infared strobe light (like the ones used on ambulance and firetruck lightbars) and mount it up to the top of your car. As you drive up, the sensor on the traffic light will see your strobe and change the light to green for you! Hahaha

Haha That's easy to do!... Just get an infared strobe light (like the ones used on ambulance and firetruck lightbars) and mount it up to the top of your car. As you drive up, the sensor on the traffic light will see your strobe and change the light to green for you! Hahaha
You'll really save money on gas after they catch you with it and you're cooling your heels in the slammer.

Around here the traffic lights have a radar device that allows emergency vehicles to command the light green in their direction. There have been some horrendous crashes when it failed to trigger the lights.

Haha That's easy to do!... Just get an infared strobe light (like the ones used on ambulance and firetruck lightbars) and mount it up to the top of your car. As you drive up, the sensor on the traffic light will see your strobe and change the light to green for you! Hahaha

Actually most of 'em want a code, kinda like a TV remote, so that any random IR light doensn't trigger it. It would be theorhetically possible to immitate the device if you could record the pulses used by an EV and play them back, so to speak, but it would only work in your municipality as these things are not standard. Not to mention the questionable legality of such a device. I'm not sure it's directly illegal but I'm sure if you abused one you built they'd find some way to nail you for it.

At any rate, to save on gas, avoid using the brakes. If you push the gas peddle down and let it back up, the car will coast for a ways and glide to a stop. That's how much energy was in the gas you just used up. Using the brakes turns that energy into heat instead of motive force for your car. Essentially you want to drive like you have no brakes, only using them to actually stop. Coast to slow down as much as possible, and leave more following distance to facilitate this. This saves lots of gas. Upshift early if you drive a stick, and if you have a selection of shift patterns on an automatic, keep it out of "power" (most GM cars change the shift pattern to a more powerful one if you put them in "D" or "3" Versus "OD", if they have an overdrive. AFAIK if you don't have an overdrive you only have one shift pattern). I haven't seen a pattern select switch in years though... Toyota even used to have three patterns, "NORM" "ECON" and "PWR" at least on the deluxe models...