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Report Your Local Gas Prices Here (retired discussion, please see the new one)
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What in the heck makes you think that? Gas prices are not going down fast anywhere that I can see.
In fact, the San Diego average price has gone up a penny since yesterday.
AAA today says National average is $3.49 today, and no one says it's going to drop 30 cents over the weekend.
gays says, "It is not as high as last year so far in my area."
Last year on May 11th San Diego average price was
$3.39
Today:
$3.45
It's a smidge higher this year.
It's not the highest I paid per gallon though for my other vehicles. Last year during the price peak in the summer I paid $3.05 in West Virginia ('05 Camry) and $3.00 in New Jersey ('98 Frontier).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You have got it made. If I only had to pay $2.85 a gallon I could afford to buy a new car.
It's to bad that the oil companies can't even the spread out and make everyone pay one price for the same fuel. Maybe then mine would come down from $3.60 per gallon to $3.22 and your's would go up to $3.22. I would agree with that, but I doubt that you would.
If are governor had any BALLS he would do something about the gas price in California.
:shades:
I guess it's the price we have to pay for having all the sceneries to look at and places to go to, Mountains, Ocean, Deserts, you name it we have. The thing is, we have had it all the time. I can remember as a kid growing up in a brand new 2 story, 4 bedroom 3 bath house on a nice size lot with a beautiful scenery to look at and only 3 miles from the beach. My mother bought the house BRAND NEW FOR $28K. Now it's going for $750K 40 years later.
We also have high taxes and everything else that goes right along with it. Houses cost between $200K to $750K for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath. And some of them are 50 years old and only have 1 bath with small bedrooms and are going for $750K and no property to speak of, just a small lot. This is the truth, it may not sound like it can be possible, but it is. It really gages when you think about it. The only ones that are getting rich are the Realestate people and the brokers.
No one can afford to buy the houses anymore and they are just sitting there empty. Hundreds if not thousands of houses, old and new are wasting away because no one lives in them.
I hope that the Realestate people like the Oil Companies all go broke in the next recession, which isn't that far off. And I'm not talking about the little one that we have been in for the past 4/5 years, but one that will make the word recession really mean something.
E.M.L.
:mad:
As for what prices were long ago, we can only remember them fondly. Those days will never return.
Took a trip to Winchester, VA for a wedding this weekend. Filled up at $2.85. That seemed to be the norm in that region.
Looking over my records, the most I paid locally last year was $2.85. The highest on the road was $3.05 in West VA.
I drove past the Mobil 2 miles from home and the price was still $3.29, but the Shell across the street was $3.49. Luckily it was still $3.29 last night: I drove the other vehicle last night and filled it up. I think it's going to be a LONG time before it sees the light of day again. It was still $3.29 this morning.
The city is worse as it's at/above $4. At North & LaSalle self-serve is $3.799/$3.899/$3.999. Further in downtown it's $4.299/$4.459/$4.499 for "full"-service. :sick:
What is going on here? Is Illinois the "new" California? :confuse:
Most definitely believe the housing situation, as it's somewhat the same here. There's housing going for 400, 500K-plus and they're sitting. Houses that went for 130K a few years ago were selling for 350K last year, and these are the cracker-jack, cookie-cutter joints. Condos (really glorified apartments if you check the square footage) are starting @ $230K. Now they're sitting, along with the foreclosed properties, which are rising just as fast as the gas prices. It's getting to the point where it's pay for petrol or pay for food.
In any event, back on topic. I think it's simply a race to break records: record fuel prices in record time so the oil companies can obtain record profits
89- $2.99
93- $3.09
Back to 10-cent spreads.
Prices here $3.04 at a few stations with the cartel raising prices to $3.29.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Sadly, this isn't an unusual price anymore.
Did you see the hearings yesterday? I caught some of it last night on CSPAN2; came in on the part where the gentleman from AAA was talking about the fuel prices and how they are going to increase again this month, throughout the summer, then taper somewhat in the fall. From what I saw it doesn't look good as when the Q&A opened, you could tell who was in the pocket and who wasn't. Luckily it seemed most were a little ticked off, dems and repubs.
From watching last night, my take is:
We're getting reamed by the oil companies (the EIA rep and the gentleman from Duestche Bank pretty much stated it), Prices are going to continue to rise. AAA guy stated at the end of his report that when first given a couple months ago, oil companies, speculators and analyst said the numbers were way optimistic, way too low. The numbers were an average of $3.18 for the peak 2007 driving season. AAA was wondering how could their number be "way off" when the report was going off of historic data, also taking into account Katrina and all those upcoming hurricanes/storms from last summer, that by the way never occurred.
Oil refiners have no plans to increase capacity by any means. Deustche Bank man actually stated they're not going to invest as they are not sure there will be demand in the next 5 years, so it's not worth it. It was explained there were losses in the 80s & 90s, with a loss as recent as 2002. The oil companies are worried about that, so the fear if they increase capacities, whether through expansion, efficiencies, whatever, it's not worth the risk. For instance if a refinery was to increase by expansion it might cost up to $3B. Don't they make that in a day? Plus they like off-shore drilling in the gulf; they can play the storm card anytime they want.
Don't have a maintenance plan/schedule in place, and don't have any plans to. EIA man stated it doesn't make any sense to have plans because so many other things "come-up" & are "found" when you do maintenance. Case in point, the senator from Oregon asked EIA man about a refinery that's currently down. EIA stated there was a section of the refinery that was undergoing "routine" maintenance and something was "found". Eventually this refinery went completely done and only recently a small area went back on line. When the senator from Oregon asked about it, EIA stated it would be back up fully possibly by the end of the year. Also, no plans to take turns for shut-downs, can't have that, wouldn't work. Also, caught build up a reserve before a shut-down either. So, refinery A can't shut down while B is still going. Company D can't shutdown (unless A, B, C shutdown as well of course).
Oregon senator asked for books and information on imports, refinery shut-downs, pricing and the like & EIA stated he would give the information. Senator was shocked as all the other times EIA was there he pulled the proprietary card; Senator must've reminded EIA man as he next stated he'd give the info, if it's not proprietary.
No gouging going on. DB man actually stated, with a smirk no less, there's no gouging going on because there's no need to gouge with the pump high prices
Alternative fuels/energy are a BIG no-no; EIA man hates them, as well as the oil companies. That would take new, improved technology, again, too risky.
The so-called switch-over to summer blends causing fuel to jump leaps & bounds higher than Superman is a crock. Oregon tongue-tied EIA man on that one; so did the senator from Arkansas.
Speculators are manipulating the pricing. Oregon tripped up DB man to admitting it without admitting it. The "fears" of the war, storms and the like causing the prices to rise last year started with rumors and the like. Also stated that yes OPEC wants to keep prices at/above the mid-$60 range to make nice profits, with the higher barrel prices being a great bonus!! Don't know why prices are rising this year as things have been quiet. EIA tongue-tied, then stated refineries, the sky was cloudy last week, this week it's blue-blue instead of blue.
Sorry for the length folks, but thought I give some of the highlights.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I guess that was the point trying to be made but the guys just didn't convey that coherently, other than the "how can we get more money by adding capacity"? So they all came off as looking like greedy you-know-whats :surprise:
What I don't understand is that with the profits being made why aren't we seeing some new players enter the game?
That was asked as well by the senators. Again, frowns and more frowns from the panel.
One thing for sure, we're getting hammered by these prices. I do see that $3.50 seems to be the slow-down, do-the-speed-limit-or less point for drivers on my route, well most drivers.
Diesel at the stations is running $2.939 ~ $2.999
Lowest here in central VA for 87 is $2.89 (at several places).
My wife carpools, and I'm looking into one as well. As for walking, I'd bike before I'd walk.
But, yeah... eventually I'll have to cross over to the dark side. We have a trip to Panama City planned this summer.
Sheetz went up 10 cents to $2.99 for 87 and $3.19 for 93. Diesel stable at $2.79.
Exxon near my house is now $3.03 for 87 and Liberty of all places just across from the road from the Exxon is $3.07.
For now, Hess is holding at the "old" price of $2.89. (They compete with Sam's Club across the road.)
I'm going to try alternating fill-ups, doing 93 one time and then 87 the next. Probably won't do much in the long run, but at least it'll give me a "feel good" moment on the times that I get to put in the cheaper gas! And I usually don't let it get below a quarter tank, so I'm guessing that the lowest octane mixture would end up around 88?
Why not mix it yourself by putting in 87 one time and 92 when it looks good to do that the next time.
I couldn't tell any difference in my cars when I put in the higher octane from BP. The only difference I can tell is the alcohol content when traveling. It seems we get some alcohol in most fuels around here, maybe not 10% like Speedway gives. But when I fill up at Shell while traveling south through KY and TN, I seem to get higher mileage on the DIC (gas mileage readout) which I believe to be less alcohol. I've never tested the alcohol content of those fuels.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was disappointed to see real Ultra 94 has left the Harrisburg market as well when I last went to Carlisle. I guess it'll just be a pleasant memory from now on.
We have a national event drawing drivers to this area who will be filling up on arrival or leaving so prices are distorted for this weekend in the immediate area. That's what we get for having a bunch of Hams arriving for a national hamfest.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Even in most cars that require premium, according to my reading of their owner's manuals, is that 91 is the octane most often specified (not that 91 is widely sold -- it's usually 87, 89, and 92 or 93).
And GM cars for the most part are designed to run on 87 -- good for them I say. Toyota does the same, as does Honda (but not Acura).
About octane boosters, the car manuals say most of these use methanol as a key ingredient, which is a no-no according to the manuals, because cars' fuel system components are NOT designed to handle methanol (wood alcohol, the stuff that's in windshield washer fluid and makes you blind if you drink it).
So, IMHO, you of all people who takes extraordinary care of your cars should not be using octane boosters, first, because they aren't needed and second, because they can actually do harm.
(Off soapbox)
The gas stations around here do that too. I discovered that back in late 1999 or 2000 or so one night, back during that time when gas prices first shot up, and we were all whining about paying ~$1.50 for gas (well, the Californians had probably already been beyond that threshold for awhile!) I went to the cheapest station in town, after a pizza delivery run, and was told they were out of 87. So I asked them for mid-grade. That's when they explained that they mixed the 87 and 93 to make 89, so when the 87 goes out, so does the mid-grade. I wasn't about to splurge on the hi-test, so I just held off and went somewhere else.
I can get by with 87 just fine with my Intrepid, but my '85 Silverado, 79 NYer, and '76 LeMans have a penchant for 89. They'll clatter a bit on 87. The NYer sometimes even clatters on 89. Oddly though, I've found in the past that my '57 DeSoto and '67 Catalina will get by on 87! I found that odd, considering that both of them have higher-performance engines than any of my other cars (except the Intrepid) I don't make it a habit to put 87 in them though, but just found that out in the past, in my younger and often strapped-for-cash days.
Got out of the habit of feeding them octane booster. Didn't know about the methanol thing.
My girlfriend's LaCrosse runs well enough on 87, but when I have the car, I treat it to the better stuff once in a while. My Cadillac Brougham and Seville STS get premium exclusively. I stay away from the cheap no-name places altogether. Who knows what that stuff is? It's probably a 50/50 mixture of kerosene and water with rocks, sticks, and bugs in it.
Have you tried one of the chemicals to decarbon the combustion chamber? That increases volume and lowers compression. It also removes carbon particles that can be hotspots for preignition.
I remember the people talking about putting water into the carburetor venturies more and more until the motor stalled and that would flake off the carbon.
I used to find my car ran better after I did a long trip at high speed because of those things.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yeah, I've heard of that trick and even done it once or twice. FWIW, you DON'T do it until the engine stalls, though! If you get too much water in there, remember that water doesn't compress like the fuel-air mixture, so you get something called "Hydro-locking", IIRC. The pistons try to compress the water, can't, and basically the engine is ruined.
One way to do it is to stand over the carb with a bottle of water, with your thumb or finger over the opening, and let it drip in, while holding the throttle open via the cable. I better way, I guess, would be to just take a spray bottle instead.
I did try this trick once right before taking my grandmother's '85 LeSabre in for its emissions test one day, hoping that it might help clean it out some. The car passed just fine, but I don't know if the water trick had anything to do with it or not.
I haven't sprayed any of that de-carbon stuff down in a carb in a long time, though. I might give it a try though, and see if it does much good.
Filled the truck at Costco yesterday $3.28 per gallon. That was 7 cents per gallon cheaper than last year this time.
PS
local diesel price is $2.95 per gallon.
At what price will biodiesel be economically viable without any subsidies? I've read that you can get up to 200 gallons per acre out of canola and the by-product can be used as a high protein feed addditive. It might be time to buy a few thousand acres of cheap land in Idaho and start planting. I've also read that bio-diesel is actually better for the engine. You do take about a 3% mileage hit over regular diesel but that's acceptable. Especially compared to ethanol, where a full tank might get you around the block.
Can you buy toluene in Pennsylvania? Pick up a case of that and throw in a little bit on each fill-up.
3.35
3.45
Those was noted this morning before the weekend rates went into effect. :P
Sheetz 87 is now $3.09, with 93 at $3.29. Diesel still holding at $2.79.
I filled up at Hess for "only" $2.99 -- for a new record total for my '98 Frontier at $40 even. (It has a smaller tank than my Camrys.)
The Liberty near me went up to $3.14 for a while today for 87, but later backed down to $3.07, to its usual 1 cent below the Exxon across the road.
I think it was $3.10 at the beginning of the week and $3.00 the week before.
So, the score today:
3.29
3.41
3.51
My local Costco is back down at $3.28 for regular and $3.48 for 91 octane. Still not up to the high I paid last year on May 9th of $3.35 per gallon. Looks like the rest of the country is sharing our CA high prices this year.
$3.04
$3.15
$3.26
11 cent spreads this time