[Gh0stRider]

I went for 94 octane today and was rejected and was told there was no 94 available for sale. Attendant said all chevrons in the area are not selling 94 as well.


heres what happened.


Chevron says some of its regular-grade gasoline was accidentally mixed into premium products at stations across British Columbia over the last three days.

“At a number of locations in the province, some regular-grade 87-octane gasoline was unintentionally blended into our premium products between September 8th and September 10th, 2015,” the company wrote in a press release issued late Thursday night.

They say premium products have been discontinued at the affected locations, and that they are working to fix the issue.

The company was unable to provide a full list of locations to Global News tonight, but say they are “committed to resolving this issue”, and will be providing a full list in the morning.

Chevron also plans on setting up an information hotline.


Chevron says premium gasoline accidentally blended with regular gas at several B.C. locations | Globalnews.ca (http://globalnews.ca/news/2214836/chevron-says-premium-gasoline-accidentally-blended-with-regular-gas-at-several-b-c-locations/)

[Timpo]

Premium gas is not worth is according to CBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPPkPAbzwbU

[Manic!]

And no one noticed.

[knight604]

More like how long has this been happening :troll:

[rageguy]

Happened to me once at Shell on 41st and Dunbar. My car is tuned specifically for 91 octane, filled up "91" octane at Shell, engine knocked and died. Had to go home and grab my computer to tune the ECU.

[flagella]

Wow. That's just terrible.

[fliptuner]

Hmmm...I guess they'll be mixing the blended batch with lower grades. 89/91 users may benefit.

[91civicZC]

I’m actually really impressed that they admitted this and put things on hold until its fixed.

For most newer cars that use a high octane fuel, the engine management would usually retard it enough that it wouldn’t really be an issue. Power would be down and probably loose some mileage. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed.

For older cars or cars that are tuned for boost or high compression without a knock sensor (and some cases with), this could have been bad news.

[BoostedBB6]

Good thing I did not fill up any of the bikes at those locations. The Italian fuel tanks warp and distort with the ethanol in there non-94 grade fuel.

[68style]

^That only happens on the nylon tank Ducatis, most of them are not

[BoostedBB6]

^That only happens on the nylon tank Ducatis, most of them are not

I'm very familiar with which bikes it effects :P

Many Ducatis are subject to this, as well as others we have that have carbon fiber tanks. The Aprilia also suffers from this.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/336757_10150770715313242_661768110_o.jpg

[Truenosan]

No 3 Road/Blundell and Garden City/Cambie Chevrons are affected as far as I know. I went by both stations this morning. Just put in $20 of regular for the time being.

[meme405]

I’m actually really impressed that they admitted this and put things on hold until its fixed.

For most newer cars that use a high octane fuel, the engine management would usually retard it enough that it wouldn’t really be an issue. Power would be down and probably loose some mileage. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed.

For older cars or cars that are tuned for boost or high compression without a knock sensor (and some cases with), this could have been bad news.

My car has a knock sensor, but once you start dealing with aftermarket tuning, such as me, then you usually push your safe zone way past what the knock sensor can adjust for.

Either way, yes, if I were to fill my car up with regular instead of the shell 91 my car is tuned for, I would be able to tell. I've had this happen to me when my car was dropped at a certain shop (which I won't name), I ended up having to switch the performance map on my car back to OEM until I ran that tank out and filled up again.

Luckily my car allows me to load 5 maps, and switch on the fly using the steering wheel controls.

[rageguy]

^Lucky. I had to park my car on the side of the road, go home, go back. So much time wasted. Thankfully this only happened once in many years.

[GeeGeeCivic]

So if 87 octane was mixed with premium, then if there was 94 remaining in the gas stations reservoir it would should technically average out correct? So it might not be as harmful to the engine as I think?
I am kinda pissed about this as I normally dont fuel up locally and i just so happened to at one of the affected Chevrons during this mix up...
I guess the best thing to do is to keep the rpms low (and out of boost)?

[IMASA]

Chevron should come clean. They've been doing this for years. This could explain why BC Chevron 94 performs as well as other's provinces/US state's 91 octane fuel.

[Eff-1]

Updated with list of stations:

UPDATE: Chevron says regular gasoline accidentally blended with premium gas at several B.C. locations | Globalnews.ca (http://globalnews.ca/news/2214836/chevron-says-premium-gasoline-accidentally-blended-with-regular-gas-at-several-b-c-locations/)

How exactly will they "resolve this issue" with customers?

If someone here was effected, could you call the number and report back?

[optiblue]

Wow what a lucky miss as I was out of Country. My Evo is tuned for octane 93 at 25psi. If it was really 87 and I was under high boost, even at high load it may have blown never mind low load. What's Chevron going to do? Replace everyone's engine that blew within those 3 days? There may be damage from knocking at the very least.

[murd0c]

happened to 50 sites total and from what I have heard they did this on purpose for certain reason's why I can't say. They just let the media know as much as they should know.

[smoothie.]

Chevron should come clean. They've been doing this for years. This could explain why BC Chevron 94 performs as well as other's provinces/US state's 91 octane fuel.

years?! how do you know?

happened to 50 sites total and from what I have heard they did this on purpose for certain reason's why I can't say. They just let the media know as much as they should know.

if i had to guess, they were being tested on octane and ethanol and had to cover it up?

[murd0c]

Nope, Chevron has been having huge issues with premium gas for the past 6 months, clogging the filters on the dispensers so I have a feeling they dropped fuel into the tanks to kill a bacteria build up which was causing the fuel issue. They are now pumping the tanks dry and having mccraes van trucks flush them out and dropping new fuel into each tank with the old fuel going back to the refinery to get refined again. If it was just dropping regular into the premium tanks why not just sell it for 10 cents cheaper to save the hundreds of thousands this will cost them.

[Expresso]

happened to 50 sites total and from what I have heard they did this on purpose for certain reason's why I can't say. They just let the media know as much as they should know.

Shady.

[Timpo]

Good thing I did not fill up any of the bikes at those locations. The Italian fuel tanks warp and distort with the ethanol in there non-94 grade fuel.

Italian fuel tanks?

So Aprillia, MV Agusta, Ducati, Bimota, Moto Guzzi, Benelli, Vespa, etc?

[thumper]

No 3 Road/Blundell and Garden City/Cambie Chevrons are affected as far as I know. I went by both stations this morning. Just put in $20 of regular for the time being.

the chevron stations on hastings in burnaby are all affected when i passed through yesterday. they all had the same laser printed notice taped the the pumps saying only regular is available until further notice. there was a angry guy with an m3 wondering if he had been paying for regular grade fuel at 94 octane prices all this time...

[Klondike]

I was at the Willingdon chevron today. They turned the 94 pump into a black pump and only offered regular 87 octane fuel.

Ain't even mad #87octanelyfe

[Sunfighter]

A friend mentioned this today and when I went to a Chevron on Seymour Parkway it was exactly as indicated. 87 only ...

[jasonturbo]

Nope, Chevron has been having huge issues with premium gas for the past 6 months, clogging the filters on the dispensers so I have a feeling they dropped fuel into the tanks to kill a bacteria build up which was causing the fuel issue. They are now pumping the tanks dry and having mccraes van trucks flush them out and dropping new fuel into each tank with the old fuel going back to the refinery to get refined again. If it was just dropping regular into the premium tanks why not just sell it for 10 cents cheaper to save the hundreds of thousands this will cost them.

I know way too much about refining, logistics, and the industry as a whole for that explanation to make any sense.

A) Petrochemical quality is a rather simple process, they test constantly to make sure the product has the specified properties, there is no way any decent refinery would allow an issue to linger for 6 months that affects product quality.

B) Clogging filters on dispensers, that would indicate that the issue is associated with particulate matter, not with chemical properties unless the refined product is for some reason unstable for storage (keep in mind these tanks are filled on a very regular basis, 94 octane less so, but still) and is somehow separating into light/heavy components with the heavy portion causing restriction - keep in mind if it's a heavier product or concentration of particulate matter, it would sink to the bottom of the tank and be the last product used.

C) Bacteria issue what the fuel? Why would it be localized to only the 94 octane and spread over a large geographic region? It would be reasonable to encounter a specific station affected by bacteria in a tank that has had product sitting for an extended period of time... but not for every station in a large area to be affected when the product is typically in the tank for only a short period of time. + This could be remedied with additives I would think.

D) You can't re-refine refined products, even if it was possible, no refinery is setup to take deliveries of bad fuel and treat them to restore the desired properties.

I could go on and on.. I'm no expert, I don't know everything, I'm open to being informed, but from what I know, story has little merit.

[Traum]

Hmm... I just remembered that my last 2/3 tank was filled up at Chevron. It wasn't one of the stations listed in the Global News page, so logically, I know I shouldn't be concerned. But then the emotional (ie. irrational) part of my brain just couldn't stop worrying...

Crap... and I have been beating the crap out of my tuned engine so far with this tank... FailFish

[optiblue]

Are there any Chevron that still sell 94? I need gas soon. :(

[Traum]

^^ Just get Shell V-Power Nitro+. Empirical evidence seem to suggest that it behaves better than the Chevron 94.

[Eff-1]

Hmm... I just remembered that my last 2/3 tank was filled up at Chevron. It wasn't one of the stations listed in the Global News page, so logically, I know I shouldn't be concerned. But then the emotional (ie. irrational) part of my brain just couldn't stop worrying...

Crap... and I have been beating the crap out of my tuned engine so far with this tank... FailFish

Phone the number and let us know what they say. At a minimum I would think you are entitled to a refund for the last tank, since you didn't get the product you paid for.

[Vulgate]

He said "It wasn't one of the stations listed in the Global News page..."
Assuming the list is correct and then he shouldn't have to worry nor will he get a refund because he got what he paid for.

Phone the number and let us know what they say. At a minimum I would think you are entitled to a refund for the last tank, since you didn't get the product you paid for.

[optiblue]

Just filled at a Chevron tonight that wasn't affected and all was well! Drove by a couple that were affected and I saw the paper was lifted from the 94. Seems like things are coming back to normal.

[SumAznGuy]

Had to get gas this morning at the Chevron on Hastings and Inlet Dr and the papers were still on all the pumps except for 87.

[thumper]

are all chevron gas stations cheaper right now? i passed two of them on the way to work this morning and they were showing $1.10/1.11 on the sign whereas the other companies were advertising around $1.14.

[Eff-1]

He said "It wasn't one of the stations listed in the Global News page..."
Assuming the list is correct and then he shouldn't have to worry nor will he get a refund because he got what he paid for.

Oh yes, whoops I misread his post.

[ziggyx]

Are there any long term effects or concerns I should worry about? I filled up at one of the affected chevrons (chilliwack vedder road)on my way home from harrison right after the long weekend (sept 8th). I filled up about 3/4 of the tank with gas that might be affected.

I drive a car that requires 91.

[Traum]

If your car is stock -- especially if it still retains the factory ECU tune -- unless you have been driving your car extremely hard (think sustained periods of high engine speeds, high engine load, etc. here), you'd probably be quite safe, and there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Under light engine loads (such as highway cruising and regular street driving), the chances of knocking is quite low, and the engine has knock sensors that will retard timing to prevent damage if it detects premature detonation.

Just take it easy with the rest of the tank. I am irrationally concerned only because I am running an aggressive aftermarket tune, and I have been beating the crap out of my car with this tank. :tears:

[murd0c]

If you use 94 do not fill at Chevron right now... A lot of stations are selling 94 with regular still in the tanks so be very very careful when filling up.

[jinxcrusader]

I wonder what sort of compensation will be dished out for this. Time to start digging through my chevron gas receipts.

[Urrtoast]

I wonder what sort of compensation will be dished out for this. Time to start digging through my chevron gas receipts.

Good luck with that.... Will cost more in lawyer fees then a 50 dollar tank of gas..
Just not worth the effort imho

[jinxcrusader]

I didn't mean that, I was wondering if there was some way to get a refund or credit for gas.

[FatalCloud]

if you read their website, it says to email cccweb@chevron.com or call (855) 285 9595 for impacted customers.

[IMASA]

If you use 94 do not fill at Chevron right now... A lot of stations are selling 94 with regular still in the tanks so be very very careful when filling up.

This is probably a good idea. I normally run 10L of E85 mixed with Chevron 94. I ran out of E85 and could not head over to Arcade station last weekend. So I flashed my 94 map and filled up only with 94 at a Chevron station that was not listed as an affected station and did not have any signs on the pump.

However, I am noticing with this tank of gas, I get a lot more part throttle knock as per my Dash Hawk, which monitors knock. My car usually has some part throttle knock because the ECU is advances timing to improve fuel economy, but where as I usually get 1 or 2 blips per trip, especially on cold mornings (even with 25% E85). I am getting 5 to 8 blips of knock per trip now. Knock at WOT hasn't been a problem because I still spray methanol when the turbo is spinning.

Probably best to avoid Chevron until they get their act together.

[exdee]

heres a list of whats restored
Recent Activity at Chevron Retail Stations (http://www.chevron.ca/news/news-releases/2015/09/11/recent-activity-at-chevron-retail-stations)

[Manic!]

Are there any long term effects or concerns I should worry about? I filled up at one of the affected chevrons (chilliwack vedder road)on my way home from harrison right after the long weekend (sept 8th). I filled up about 3/4 of the tank with gas that might be affected.

I drive a car that requires 91.

Your car is screwed might as well sell it to the scrappers.

[SumAznGuy]

Went to get gas for the wife's car which only needed 87.
As I was getting gas, I noticed all the different grades of gas had different prices from before.

89 is now $0.10 per L more than 87
91 is now $0.16 per L more than 87
94 is now $0.19 per L more than 87.

89 is the same as before, I think.
91 use to be $0.13 per L more than 87 and at some point it went to $0.14 per L more.

Now the Chevron 94 is in line with the price of Shell 92.

[wingies]

^^oh what? The first thing I noticed when I switched to shell was that 91 was around 0.20 over 87. But at chevron it was only like 0.17

[SSM_DC5]

anyone else make a claim with Chrevon on this issue?

Spent $94 on fuel and they sent $100 gift certificate to use at the station as compensation.

[Gh0stRider]

do they need original receipts or would credit card statement be good enough?

[SSM_DC5]

do they need original receipts or would credit card statement be good enough?

they asked for "Proof of purchase/receipt or credit card statement"

[a00755836]

anyone else make a claim with Chrevon on this issue?

Spent $94 on fuel and they sent $100 gift certificate to use at the station as compensation.
i made a claim too. only put $25 worth of 91. still promised me $100 gift card. hehe. i hope they processed my claim to mail me the gift card soon.

[thumper]

i've been on shell gasoline ever since this happened... any others doing the same? any difference in performance?

[jinxcrusader]

Just called. I spent $5 at one of the locations for 91 lol. They said they will call me back in 1-2 days

[underscore]

i've been on shell gasoline ever since this happened... any others doing the same? any difference in performance?

Don't forget Shell trashed everyones fuel pumps in the late 90's with some additives or something. I know it was a long time ago but I still don't trust their fuel.

[ImportPsycho]

I was at Chevron on grandville and marine and on their 94 pump, it had sticker saying may contain ethanol.

They are adding ethanol to 94 now?

[a00755836]

just got the $100 gift certificate in the mail. :wooha: comes in $25 certificate with an apology letter. wondering if this certificate works at point roberts since it does say "any chevron gas station"

[SSM_DC5]

just got the $100 gift certificate in the mail. :wooha: comes in $25 certificate with an apology letter. wondering if this certificate works at point roberts since it does say "any chevron gas station"

how much fuel did you buy to get the $100?

[ziggyx]

Just got my $100 gift certificate in the mail for the $35 spent on 94 gas.

[a00755836]

how much fuel did you buy to get the $100?
i spent just less than $25

[Traum]

Damn... why didn't I keep my receipts... :banghead:

[Vulgate]

Damn... why didn't I keep my receipts... :banghead:

if you didn't use cash, you can use a copy of your credit card statement

[spoon.ek9]

what's the time frame for a refund? I have all my receipts for 94 octane. Just need to know what dates are applicable.

[IMASA]

if you didn't use cash, you can use a copy of your credit card statement

How does that work? Your credit card statement doesn't prove what grade of fuel you bought.

[CRS]

what's the time frame for a refund? I have all my receipts for 94 octane. Just need to know what dates are applicable.

For sure between Sept 8-10.

[Vulgate]

How does that work? Your credit card statement doesn't prove what grade of fuel you bought.


If you know you bought premium, they will match the receipt against all purchases logs.

Anyways, that what I did when I sent my info in.

[hud 91gt]

Went and filled up at Chevron in the Blaine area yesterday. Regular was something like 2.53 a gallon, and the other grades were 3.40-3.60 a gallon! I honestly don't pay too close attention normally but this seems like a huge increase. Any idea if it has to do with this mix up, or has it all been rectified?

[smoothie.]

im not sure if I should be mad or happy about not filling the mixed gas. :okay:

[SumAznGuy]

Went and filled up at Chevron in the Blaine area yesterday. Regular was something like 2.53 a gallon, and the other grades were 3.40-3.60 a gallon! I honestly don't pay too close attention normally but this seems like a huge increase. Any idea if it has to do with this mix up, or has it all been rectified?

I filled up on Saturday at the Chevron just on the US side of the truck crossing.
It was 2.59, 2.79 and 2.99.

That does seem like a big jump.

[Gh0stRider]

For the gas refund, i cant remember which gas stn i filled up at.

[Xu.Vi]

The fuck! I spent $39.00 and they gave me $50.00. Oh well free gas is free gas lmao.