I was talking with my mechanic who claims Pemex gas is inferior to US gas. He said it is contaminated and low grade. He also said the premium gas is the same as the regular gas and comes from the same tank! He said after a while using Mexican gas it will foul up the fuel injection system and cylinder heads which are very expensive to fix.
I did a search on the net and there are stories of mixing used oil and even water into the gas.
He recommended using a additive available at Autozone called Lucas Fuel Treatment it's made in the states. Normally I would not use any kind of fuel additive in my car if I was using US gas. But after hearing this I think I will.
Mexican gas is the same as American gas and has been for over 20 years. Trust me, I would NEVER put that gas in my Jeep if it weren't. Green is fine for everything unless your car requires high test, red is high test but I don't use it.
My current vehicle has a high performance engine that burns premium fuel. I have purchased fuel at Pemex for years with other high performance engines and have never had any issues. If I even use 89 my engine lets me know.
I have a Toyota Tundra and every time I have to fill up in Puerto Penasco to get home. My check engine light comes on every trip and go out after I burn a tank of US gas. Some thing is different. I don't see any performance difference.
Your mechanic is... well, I'll just say it - an asshat. Years ago, SOME of what he says about PEMEX was true. The primary contaminant was water. Today's PEMEX pumps filter the gas just like the pumps here in the US do and yes, much of your cross-border fuel is actually refined here in the US. Octane ratings for Magna are the same as they are here in the US. Now, if you're talking about buying it from a 55 gallon drum from some guy beside the road going down Baja (as used to be the case at the turnoff to Bahia De Los Angeles), well... caveat emptor.
How do I know this? I buy several hundred gallons of it a year. My boat tanks 230 gallons (full). Each year I change the fuel/water separators and inspect what I find in the filter canister. Know what I find? Nothing. Sometimes a tiny bit of sand (nature of living at the beach) and sometimes a tiny bit of water (natural condensation within the fuel tanks themselves). Know where I fill up? The same PEMEX stations where you fill your car. In nearly 30 years of buying PEMEX for all kinds of vehicles, you know what I've found? It actually runs BETTER than US gas because it's pure gasoline and they don't do the EPA mandated winter/summer formula switching thing adding lots of alcohol to it. MTBEs will screw up your engine faster than you can imagine and the forced use of ethanol in US fuel has killed many a boat engine.
Any gas will eventually leave deposits and sludge (varnishes, actually) as the gas ages, evaporates, etc. tank after tank. Lucas Fuel Ttreatment is no better or worse than many others out their and for modern fuel injected vehicles, you should run a quality fuel treatment through your system every 5,000 to 10,000 miles anyway. I prefer Pennzoil Regane. You can tell the difference in the way your car runs after one bottle.
I have a Toyota Tundra and every time I have to fill up in Puerto Penasco to get home. My check engine light comes on every trip and go out after I burn a tank of US gas. Some thing is different. I don't see any performance difference.
Ethanol, alcohol content. Your Check Engine light is telling you something emissions related is wrong and typically, your oxygen sensor is used to running on US gas with more alcohol in it. Put in pure gas and it is suddenly seeing a different ratio in your exhaust. If you ran Mexican gas all the time, I'm willing to bet your Tundra would adjust and the light would go out.
Ethanol, alcohol content. Your Check Engine light is telling you something emissions related is wrong and typically, your oxygen sensor is used to running on US gas with more alcohol in it. Put in pure gas and it is suddenly seeing a different ratio in your exhaust. If you ran Mexican gas all the time, I'm willing to bet your Tundra would adjust and the light would go out.
Thanks, It still ran well, just got a check engine light.
I have a Toyota Tundra and every time I have to fill up in Puerto Penasco to get home. My check engine light comes on every trip and go out after I burn a tank of US gas. Some thing is different. I don't see any performance difference.
Stuart said:
Ethanol, alcohol content. Your Check Engine light is telling you something emissions related is wrong and typically, your oxygen sensor is used to running on US gas with more alcohol in it. Put in pure gas and it is suddenly seeing a different ratio in your exhaust. If you ran Mexican gas all the time, I'm willing to bet your Tundra would adjust and the light would go out.
Make sure your friendly Pemex attendant is fully tightening your fuel cap also!
Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I get better gas mileage on Mexican gas. I can't even make it down on one tank but I can make it home and then some on Mexican gas. I stuff her full in Sonoyta on the way home and it only takes half a tank to get home.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I get better gas mileage on Mexican gas. I can't even make it down on one tank but I can make it home and then some on Mexican gas. I stuff her full in Sonoyta on the way home and it only takes half a tank to get home.
I think that from Why to Phx. or from Why to Tuc. you are going down Hill. Lady and when you are going home you have less weight no food, no water, and you are going slower because you don't want to go home.
Ha Ha, I don 't want to go home...True but I don't carry water nor food. I buy everything there mostly. I drive between 60 and 65 everywhere because anything over 65 in that Jeep is positively terrifying. Actually it is downhill towards Penasco because that's sea level. It is a most noticeable difference in mileage.....
Ha Ha, I don 't want to go home...True but I don't carry water nor food. I buy everything there mostly. I drive between 60 and 65 everywhere because anything over 65 in that Jeep is positively terrifying. Actually it is downhill towards Penasco because that's sea level. It is a most noticeable difference in mileage.....
All in fun! life is good going down Sat. Always needed to have better milelage going home because I was out of money.
When I was younger, I held back gas money and wouldn't spend it no matter what!!!!!!! Now I occasionally come home with money! I know, I know...hard to believe isn't it? LOL! Have a great time! I don't know when I'll get back down, probably not til mid March.:(:(
When I was younger, I held back gas money and wouldn't spend it no matter what!!!!!!! Now I occasionally come home with money! I know, I know...hard to believe isn't it? LOL! Have a great time! I don't know when I'll get back down, probably not til mid March.:(:(
I hid my going home money in my sock for gas and get out of jail card. Mid March is not far away. Happy Happy!!!
Now in all my 46 years in going to Mexico, I never went to jail... I probably should have a couple of times... My guardian angel is still curled up on the floor in a fetal position. LOLOL!
Now in all my 46 years in going to Mexico, I never went to jail... I probably should have a couple of times... My guardian angel is still curled up on the floor in a fetal position. LOLOL!
OK I won't lie! Jail only one time 18 years old and I'm not going to tell you how many years ago that was pretty scary 2 am Nogales just friends having a good time.
Mexican gas is the same as American gas and has been for over 20 years. Trust me, I would NEVER put that gas in my Jeep if it weren't. Green is fine for everything unless your car requires high test, red is high test but I don't use it.
Cherie.. I haven't heard the term high test used in years. LOL.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I get better gas mileage on Mexican gas. I can't even make it down on one tank but I can make it home and then some on Mexican gas. I stuff her full in Sonoyta on the way home and it only takes half a tank to get home.
same here. I seem to always use less gas on the way home. But I contribute that to driving slower. Never in a hurry to leave Mexico :-)
Me either. I can't get them open after they tighten 'em! Todd, I am just old and my dad had a Gulf station in Indiana when I was a kid. I heard lots of stuff hanging around...LOL! What do they call it now? Premium? High octane?
Most of the time I just hear it by number..... 87, 89, 92
My grandfather worked for some fuel company when I was a kid I remember him referring to it as "High Test"
We used to call it AvGas. (Aviation Fuel) that was the sh!+ we would race on at Firebird Raceway........wed night "Run what you brung"
High test... funny! Growing up in PA, my dad worked part-time at a Sunoco station. They used to have a dial on the pump that you could turn to set the blend you wanted. Sunoco 260 used to be the high-test bomb! When you wanted to go out cruising on Sat. night, you always put the 260 in the tank. Vrrooooom, vrroooom!!
Most of the time I just hear it by number..... 87, 89, 92
My grandfather worked for some fuel company when I was a kid I remember him referring to it as "High Test"
We used to call it AvGas. (Aviation Fuel) that was the sh!+ we would race on at Firebird Raceway........wed night "Run what you brung"
We used to call it Ethyl, kept our engines from pre-detonating. Smelled Great !
Not sure why, but about half the time I fill-up at Pemex, the gas cap is only screwed on about half way. (and I alway tip !)
I remember the 'Run what you brung' races at Beeline and Firebird, too much fun. My friend had a Pinto with a 455, taken out of an Olds 442, we would take to the track. So stoopid, but fun. Never made a straight run.
We used to call it Ethyl, kept our engines from pre-detonating. Smelled Great !
Not sure why, but about half the time I fill-up at Pemex, the gas cap is only screwed on about half way. (and I alway tip !)
I remember the 'Run what you brung' races at Beeline and Firebird, too much fun. My friend had a Pinto with a 455, taken out of an Olds 442, we would take to the track. So stoopid, but fun. Never made a straight run.
Maybe this was discussed previously, but why do the attendants not tighten the gas caps ?
Well if they don't tighten the cap on your Rino and you go back and they just happen to have a used one it will cost you $20.00 lesson learned!!! I check and tighten my own.
Now they'll get my drift. Any way to make a buck, they will try. I never leave without making sure my gas cap is on AND tight! Loose gas cap will give you a check engine light, it happened to me once heading back to Sonoyta. I never leave a Pemex without making sure the gas cap is on. I call it the Pemex daabble check.
High test... funny! Growing up in PA, my dad worked part-time at a Sunoco station. They used to have a dial on the pump that you could turn to set the blend you wanted. Sunoco 260 used to be the high-test bomb! When you wanted to go out cruising on Sat. night, you always put the 260 in the tank. Vrrooooom, vrroooom!!
Stuart, What part of PA are you from ? I was born in Allentown.
Stuart, What part of PA are you from ? I was born in Allentown.
Lived in Warminster, Bucks County most of my life, moved over to Ambler, Montgomery County for a few years before going in the Navy. Only one good thing ever came out of Allentown, Vern - Mack Trucks! (kidding, of course!)
Well... I guess it's been too long since I've been down to Penasco. Put 90 gallons (170 liters in each tank) in the boat on Thursday. Exchange rate 12.15 -- $362 dollars. Holy Schmoly, that's $4.00 a gallon! What's up with that? Same Circle K I always fill-up at, right by the railroad tracks so I can zip right back to Safe Marine. Pumps and personnel have always been honest, so I assume the price is just spiked right now.
Neo-Liberal economic policies by the new administration...just killing the average guy down here. plus you can figure you are really paying 4.20 a gallon in the crooked little port due to" a finger on the scale' as it were.
Well... I guess it's been too long since I've been down to Penasco. Put 90 gallons (170 liters in each tank) in the boat on Thursday. Exchange rate 12.15 -- $362 dollars. Holy Schmoly, that's $4.00 a gallon! What's up with that? Same Circle K I always fill-up at, right by the railroad tracks so I can zip right back to Safe Marine. Pumps and personnel have always been honest, so I assume the price is just spiked right now.
Pemex has not been a bargain since around August of last year. That's when I first noticed price per gallon was higher than Arizona. I used to hold out and gas up in Mexico, but not any more, now it's the opposite.