Hi

Recently a member asked about octane ratings in USA..got me to thinking.

2 yrs. ago took short trip into British Columbia. Filled up with 94oct. at Chevron station in Nelson. I recall it being expensive but that location kinda remote.

Question: Would the Canadian octane be same as USA oct?
Are can. ratings same/similiar or different?

Thats for any info on this.

Good luck...OT

 

You have to account for the exchange to figure out Canadian Octane

Just joking . . . I think they would be absolutely identical since the measurement technique would probably be exactly the same. Price is a whole different story. It was more expensive in Nelson because our gas costs much more up here than it would in the US.

As we speak I'm paying roughly $65.00 Canadian to fill up my tank with 87 Octane. That's roughly $42.00 US based on current exchange rates. Premium I think is around 10-12% higher . . .

 

Canada uses the same R+M/2 method to determine octane as we do here in the US, as best we can tell. Our Canadian customers by and large use the same tuning in these trucks as we do here in America, and we provide them with the same Superchip programs as we do for the US vehicles, so I feel certain it's effectively the same method of octane rating.

That was a good one about the exchange rate..............

 

Hi Cougar

Tks. for reply. Right on with the exchange thing. Hard to imagine the rate can/usa $.....Many years ago i was stationed in Nova Scotia...and exchange rate was opposite...can. dollar was higher.

Interesting...have BC map on table...planning trip up thru Jasper National Park...was looking at Prince George area etc. as possible different way to go home.

Anyhow...could you tell me what highest oct. is in your area and price per gal. Is it still sold by liter? or ?

Chevron here currently 1.49 87oct/1.69 91oct. Last yr. at this time was about .10 per gal. more.

Tks....Good luck...OT

BTW...Tks. to you MikeT.

 

Hey Old Timer,

Your question gave me an excuse to go fill up my tank

Anyway, I checked out one of the local Chevron's and the prices per litre are as follows:

87 75.9 cents C$ or 49.04 cents US$
89 80.9 cents C$ or 52.27 cents US$
91 85.9 cents C$ or 55.50 cents US$
94 89.9 cents C$ or 58.08 cents US$

Those are assuming today's exchange rates (1 C$ equals approx 64.6 US cents). I've no idea how to do the conversion from litres to gallons as this point . . . to make things even worse I think there are differences between Imperial gallons and US gallons

My tank is around 90 litres (97 F-150 4x4 EC SB) and I think most of the tanks are similar in size so that should give you a fairly good estimate of what it would cost you . . . take the US$ price per litre times 90 and that should be close enough to give you a decent estimate until you can figure out the conversion to gallons.

The prices have been pretty consistent up here lately although they have been as low as 68.9 cents per litre in C$ for 87 octane. The difference in prices between the octanes is usually the same (5 cents per litre regardless of price . . . 4 cents per litre when going from 91 to 94).

Almost all the the stations will have 91 at a minimum and a few have higher octanes such as the Chevron I went to which had 94.

As an interesting side note, we typically have some of the highest gas prices in the Province in Prince George . . . the local stations really give it to us. I can say with reasonable certainty that these would probably the the highest prices you would see if you were to come over from Jasper and then head south home. Prices could quite possibly be 10 to 15 cents cheaper per litre in other places for all relative octanes.

If you need any other help with your possible trip let me know and I'll see what I can dig up!

 

Hi Cougar Guy

Tks. I really appreciate info.

Im no math wizard. This from my conversion table:

To convert Into Multiply

Gallons (imperial) liters 4.506
Gallons (USA) liters 3.785***

Liters gals.(imperial) .220
Liters gals.(USA) .264

So using your Chevron 94oct @ .588cents per liter
***3.785X.588= $2.22 per gal.

Did i do that right? OK, gas sold by liter...Do they sell anything there by the imperial gal? Or system completely metric.

Havent made definite plans after Jasper...maybe go thru Prince George?

Tks again....Good luck...OT

BTW....looking at map...looks like high elevation there...pulling TT so guess ill be slowing down on those long/steep grades. Maybe some higher oct. will help? Using schip. flipchip.

 

Old Timer I think that looks about right with your conversion . . . what are you paying in the US for 94 octane per gallon?

To answer your question, everything is sold by the litre, you cannot but by the gallon so you just have to keep pumping till it fills up unless you do some math at the pump to get an idea of how full your tank is

The road between PG and Jasper is actually not that bad as far as hills go. The road through Jasper pretty much winds through the bottom of the mountain valley's and you don't really travel on really steep sections. It is very mountanious around you but the road is pretty gradual in most spots . . . shouldn't have many problems unless you go back country driving. PG is actually on a huge plateau in the interior of BC and the elevation is around 1,800 feet. Not too many mountains around PG until you head towards Jasper a couple of hours, West of PG 3 or 4 hours or North 3 hours. There are lots of rolling hills though. South (Highway 97) is a piece of cake as it pretty much avoids the major mountain ranges. Once you get closer to Vancouver you can get into some steep stuff depending on the route you take (can get into the Coast Mountain Range in spots if you take the Coquihalla Highway . . . gorgeous drive but there are some really steep hills!). Another nice drive is to avoid PG altogether and head south near McBride through Valemount. This also takes you through the mountains but not really "over top" them. It is a pretty drive which will bring you to Kamloops and then you have some choices as to how you want to go from there.

You have some choices as far as how you may return and basically you'll have no problems if you run right down the middle of the province. when you start getting to the Western (Coast Mountains) or Eastern (Rocky Mountains) portions, you'll get into more mountainous stuff. Keep in mind these are all well travelled highways and good roads so no matter which route you choose, you'll have no problems. All depends on what you want to see and do on the return trip. 97 south (through PG) definitely has more towns to stop through and would have the most traffic.

 

Hi Cougar

We only get (pump) 91oct. Used to be 92...but most or all Calif. switched from 92 to 91oct. All our gas here is pumped in via pipe line from the refineries in Ca. Approx: 250 miles from here.

Price varies...currently...Arco 91/1.56....Chevron 91/1.64gal. Some no names are around Arco price..maybe abit higher. Arco blends in ethanol. Ethanol/corn/farmers..subsidised by our Gov, interesting, eh!

Going up to Salmon, Idaho...hi-way 93 up thru Montana to Jasper. Depending on time etc. we may go hi-way 5 south..sounds good. Glad to hear mts. traveling not so bad thru this area.

Tks. again...good info.

Good luck...OT

BTW...right on about liters...My truck 25g. tank=94.625 liters...
I'll probably be thinking gals. when i fill-up...cost per..well..i'll worry about that later..

 

The 5 is a nice drive. I actually take that route to Vancouver even though it is an hour or two longer from PG than 97 . . . it's a much nicer drive than 97 IMHO and it has less traffic. You should have no problems on that route.

"Ethanol/corn/farmers..subsidised by our Gov, interesting, eh!" Are you trying to start a softwood lumber debate

Have a good trip, you should see some great scenery!

 

Hi Cougar

I threw that ethanol in for a little trivia. No, no debates etc

Thanks again for info. Maybe ill catch you here later when i get back...will give you update on trip. Be in Jasper etc 1st. wk.Sept.

Also if i get 94oct etc. Maybe alittle more power? Will be towing TT. My load this time alittle lighter...so truck should pull better?

Good luck...OT

 

Hey Old Timer,

I honestly don't know if the 94 will give you more power or not . . . I didn't notice much difference between it and 87 in my truck but I don't tow heavy loads either . . .

Have a great safe trip!

 

Old Timer,

Don't forget the air in Canada is metric. That makes it denser. Kind of like our beer being more potent. Remember our dollar is weaker but our air is stronger. I notice the difference when I cross the border into Detroit. My truck immediately feels sluggish. CDN dollar higher than US, that would put you in NS in the late 60s? Where were you stationed in NS?

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Ok Cougar...catch you later.

JMC...tks. needed a little humor/laugh. Just got thru fixing broken plumbing pipe. Geez!

Was stationed at Barrington AF Station/672 ACW Squadron. Sat right on coast line. As i recall there was a really small village there..Port LaTour? I think the closest big town was Shelburn?
Sometime after i left..i think the RCAF or? took over the site.

Yeah, exchange rate in those days really hurt...wasnt making much to start with...dont recall rate..but Can.$ was higher.

OT....

BTW...got great crab sandwiches for .75, lobster was alittle more.

 

Hi JMC,

Hope your trip went well, how's the new rear end working out, did all of that go OK for you, I hope?

 

Mike,

All went well. The axle was a direct bolt in. All that was needed was to remove 1¼ inch from the old driveshaft. Do you thing it would hold up to a V10?

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier