I don't know if it's going up here or not, all has is pensive here anywYs I guess, but that's what I was planning on running this summer so will have to pay attention to pricing for the next little bit to decide if I tune for it or not.

Appreciate the heads up

In Canada the best gas fuel is Shell 91 with no ethanol addition and because the majority of the fuel is based on aromatic molecules to provide better octane rating. Often the octane giveaway in Shell V-Power is higher than 91.

Competitors don't have as much aromatic content and rely on ethanol to make up the octane, which octane numbers is a calculated number based on the volume of ethanol addition. They don't have to test the finished product, as a mathematical guess, is acceptable. So to meet the octane rating of the fuel, at the pump, more ethanol is added. That's why sometimes gas mileage varies from tank to tank.


The best reward system in Canada is Petro Canada for fuel and Shell can't compete with the discounts. Even compounded with my employees discount, Petro Canada is a better deal. Plus for me, Petro Canada diesel is better than Shells, and I get more mileage per tank. Aromatic molecules are detrimental to diesel cetane and really can cause major damage to knock and pre ignition in diesels. It's from the synthetic oil stock they use to produce fuel from the oil sands, it's full of aromatic molecules. Petro Canada uses more conventional crude in its process to produce diesel.

Wow, this turned into a lecture lol

This is based on my experiences ASTM testing of finished products and raw crude oil, over the years, and working in the field making diesel and gasoline.
The rest is just me trying to save a penny or two and get the best fuel for my dollars.

Sorry for the long read

I was under the impression, from Shell Canada's website, that their 93 had 0 ethanol content. I actually just looked it up a week or so ago to confirm for Sebastian prior to tuning.

93? Are you confusing USA and Canada sites?

I thought Shell Canada V-Power is only 91 Octane

I didn't think so but perhaps I was

Shell is 91 - no methanol.
PetroCanada is 94 with methanol.

Here in Iowa, the three main gas types are E10 (10% ethanol 87 octane), 87 octane regular (no ethanol), and 91 octane premium (no ethanol). Several years ago the gas distributors started screwing us consumers. E10 use to be the cheapest grade with plain regular just 10 cents more a gallon. Plain premium was 40 cents more a gallon than E10. The distributors use to ship 87 octane regular here, mix 10% ethanol to get the E10 blend (this would give it an 89 octane rating). Now they ship an 84 octane regular, mix 10% ethanol to get the E10 blend (it has an 87 octane rating). To get the plain 87 octane regular, they mix the 84 with the 91 premium that they also ship here. What this does is drive the price of plain regular and premium way up. E10 is still the cheaper gas, but now plain regular cost 30 cents more a gallon and premium cost 70 cents more a gallon than E10.
Also here in Iowa, some gas station sell all their gas with 10% ethanol, and the only Shell station for me does that. It gives their premium a 93 octane rating but they sell it for 20 to 30 cents a gallon more then other top tier premium gas. I don't buy it because I don't like using any kind of gas with ethanol in it.

Unless you're FI, 91 is best fuel for the engine's compression. 93 is simply a waste of money, though it only costs a few cents more than 91.

Here in Colorado the best we get on the street corner is 91 octane - but at 5000+ feet the lower air pressure going into a NA engine allows for it so it usually works out.

With a boosted engine up here, like the one in my Abarth, you typically start looking at octane boosters or water/methanol injection because pump gas here is expecting 10-12 PSI atmospheric, but the turbo is supplying 20-30 PSI. :)

i didnt know that about Nitro, ive been putting in Shell 93 octane religiously for ten years. Youre logical about cost/benefit, i might switch to Chevron 91 or 93. Thanks.

Shell is .40 a gallon more expensive in my area. I have moved over to buying BP (93)Ultimate again. 2.79 a gallon compared to 3.19 a gallon.

"And now, the girl in the car WITH V-Nitro, is saying "YES" to her boyfriend!"

Here in Vancouver I use Chevron 94 no ethenol. Best possible fuel available here.. period! Except for the station that just started selling E85 at the pump less than a month ago and only a 7 minute drive from my house. Next up.. Ecutek flex fuel baby, yeah!

Apparently I must have done just that.

Not that it means anything remotely related to our cars, but small power equipment runs best on Shell's no Ethanol blended gasoline. Something about the Ethanol messing up the injectors or needle valves over time.