Thread: 2010 Gas Prices
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Old 05-14-2010, 09:10 AM   #16
hancoveguy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grady223 View Post
Really, didn't realize - no one sells anything lower or higher? Is it a rule that is has to be 89 octane?

Over and above manufacturers recomendations there is a contractual reason as well. I hauled gas for many years and any and all non-gas station type entities that only sell one octane ALWAYS use 89 octane. I am not sure what the reason is but I have never seen an exception. Post offices, town DPW's, Sky chef at Logan airport, small contractors with their own tanks, pretty much anyone that only has or sells one octane sells 89 octane.

I posted this before but you can always tell what you are getting if you just find the tank (not too hard) and look at the color of the cover (usually 40-50 feet away from pumps in the parking lot). At a marina there should be an above ground tank with a color coded cover on it.

Orange is always the vapor recovery system
White is 87 oct
BLUE is 89 octane
Red is 92 or above
Yellow is diesel
brown is kerosene
Green is dyed kerosene or dyed home heating oil

These are universal, look near the pumps the next time you get gas, you will most likely see 2 whites and a red, maybe a yellow if they have diesel. There will also be at least one orange for every gas tank. Most stations don't have a PLUS tank (89) because most modern pump setups mix the regular with the super (66% to 33%) to get plus.

A bit off topic, my apologies,
HCG
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