Sound Off on Current Diesel Price

Gluhkerze

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2011
Location
Las Vegas
TDI
2002 Golf 2DR TDI Stick
Chevron on St. Rose Pkwy $3.899 Henderson, NV

I use the app GasBuddy on my iPhone, shows me first off what stations near me have Diesel, and the current price. Great app!

(Filled up in LA when I bought car, almost $5 BUCKS!) Glad Vegas is not that high..
 
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kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Paid $3.61 in Tega Cay, SC tonight. Just short of 600 miles.
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
http://thinkblue.vw.com/diesel-tracker/ These prices are pulled directly from GasBuddy, check the bottem left side of the webpage!



Punched in my local zip code, and the prices that poped up were the ones I posted in GasBuddy.

3.90 to 4.10'ish in SoCal.
Lot of good that does me, now that tourist season is over I'm the only one left posting diesel prices on GasBuddy! :mad:

Of course, when it WAS tourist season, they were all posting fake and wrong prices for D2, so… at least now it's more accurate.
 

boutmuet

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
Long Beach, CA
TDI
2015 BMW 328d
Lot of good that does me, now that tourist season is over I'm the only one left posting diesel prices on GasBuddy! :mad:

Of course, when it WAS tourist season, they were all posting fake and wrong prices for D2, so… at least now it's more accurate.
Fakes are pretty easy to spot though and repeat offenders I usually remember :)
 

jvdm

Active member
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Location
San Francisco
TDI
2000 / non TDI 2002 Miata
In the San Francisco Bay Area I see diesel prices between $3.89 to $4.59 right now. 70 cents difference within a few miles, what the heck??
 

TornadoRed

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Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
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2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
In the San Francisco Bay Area I see diesel prices between $3.89 to $4.59 right now. 70 cents difference within a few miles, what the heck??
Some stations want to sell a lot of diesel, while others are obligated to have diesel pumps per the conditions of their leases, but the leases do not require that they offer that fuel at attractive prices.

Some stations try to break even on gasoline sales, but make big profits from the convenience store. So they love the guy who buys $20 worth of gasoline and then spends $10-20 more inside for cigarettes, soda, beer, coffee, snacks, milk, magazines, etc.

The typical diesel fuel purchaser buys $100 or more worth of fuel, but not so much inside the store. So the retailer has to make a profit on the diesel sales. (TDI drivers are not typical diesel fuel purchasers.)
 

rockwood

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Location
San Diego
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
I just glanced at costs around Thanksgiving of 2009, when we bought the CR-V. Not intending to say this was a trend or average price for the year. Just implying that the increase of $1.60 from one single point of reference to another single point of reference is due primarily to other circumstances than to a weak dollar.

I know prices are up on most consumer goods across the board, but I also know that I am not paying double for milk compared to what I was paying two years ago. The largest effect on the consumer goods pricing is the increase in fuel prices to get the stuff to your local store, not the weaker dollar. Look at electronics. If the weak dollar was driving all of the fuel and consumer goods increases, then the price of flat screen TVs should also be substantially higher than they were two years ago. Instead, those prices are much lower. Even though the primary raw materials to make the screens and housing have more than doubled in that same time frame.
I must concede to your point. The weak dollar, while a contributor, isn't necessarily the primary reason for high fuel prices as I stated earlier.

However, flat screen TVs, and other technology items, are not a good indicator of inflation (or the lack thereof).
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
D2 drop 6 cents here MapleShade NJ was $3.69 now $3.63​
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
*cough*
Shell
*cough*
There might be others, but Shell is the one I had in mind. It is getting rid of its retail stations, however, so it will be up to the new owners if they sell diesel and at what prices.
 

itchytweed

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2009
Location
Milwaukee, WI
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Sportwagen
Spread at some stations around here is almost $0.60/gal between D2 and regular. Finding a station that has reasonable prices and good fuel is getting to be a challenge, and GasBuddy is not that big of a help for D2 around here.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
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Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
There might be others, but Shell is the one I had in mind. It is getting rid of its retail stations, however, so it will be up to the new owners if they sell diesel and at what prices.

We have one Shell station were D2 is $4.00 a gallon.Another shell less than a mile away is $3.63 but this station is on a major highway.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
There might be others, but Shell is the one I had in mind. It is getting rid of its retail stations, however, so it will be up to the new owners if they sell diesel and at what prices.

We have one Shell station were D2 is $4.00 a gallon.Another shell less than a mile away is $3.63 but this station is on a major highway.
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
Spread at some stations around here is almost $0.60/gal between D2 and regular. Finding a station that has reasonable prices and good fuel is getting to be a challenge, and GasBuddy is not that big of a help for D2 around here.
Dang, that's a pretty big difference. At some stations here D2 is at or near midgrade again. It just sorta… happened. The only place there's a 60¢ spread is at one of the Shell stations over in Mobile, where regular is below $3.199 now.
 

donDavide

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2005
Location
Severna Park, Maryland USA
TDI
2003 Jetta ;2006 Golf; 2015 Jetta S
Well there are at least 3 Shells in and maybe 4 that offer $.10gl off of Diesel on mondays, the are owned by SMO (Southern Maryland Oil) On Tuesday one was $3.699, Royal Farms 500 yds away was $3.599 along with RoyalFarms by BWI being $3.599. RUG was $3.39, 91premium was $3.559, 93 ultra was $3.659 (This was Severna Park RF, which sell Sunoco gas, not sure aboot diesel, ay)

FYI for AAcounty residents/travelers, the Shells are
RT2/McKinsey Rd Severna Park (northbound)
RT2/Jumpers Hole Pasadena
Mountain Rd/Jumpers hole Pasadena
(all 42 cetane)

I think the Shell on Quarterfield Rd in Severn is an SMO shell and may offer the discount. I asked the guy on 170/BWI shell a while back if they were SMO (he did not know cetane and not on pump and he said yes)
 
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boutmuet

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
Long Beach, CA
TDI
2015 BMW 328d
There might be others, but Shell is the one I had in mind. It is getting rid of its retail stations, however, so it will be up to the new owners if they sell diesel and at what prices.
In my area Shell stations are amongst the most competitive with diesel.
 

need4speed

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2004
I just loaded up gasbuddy on my android, and I was actually kind of shocked at the wide range. And yeah - the Shell stations, especially the ones that are accessible to the Highway (101) - are selling for $4.29-$4.59, while no-name stations (Flyers, Conserv, etc.) maybe 3-blocks away from the highway, not in direct line-of-sight, are selling as low as $4.09. Valero was $4.15. The $4.09 Flyers and $4.59 Shell both have mini marts, so it's not as if that's a factor. (actually, another most-expensive Shell, is the one by the San Luis Obispo airport, which is pretty far from the highway, but they pretty much have a monopoly on the rental-car return business.)
 

CoasterMoose

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Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Location
Tacoma, Washington
TDI
Owned and loved a 2005 Passat GLS TDI Wagon - Stonehenge Grey and Unchained!
I use gasbuddy on my Blackberry. D2 in the Seattle/Tacoma Washington area ranges from $3.88 to about $4.19, although there are stations as high as $4.49. Fred Meyer, Shell and Arco seem to have the best prices.
_____________
05 Passat TDI Wagon, 88k miles
 

AndyBees

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Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
I paid $3.639 per gallon today at an Exxon station! The previous fillup was on 9/23/11 at Pilot for $3.659 and the one before that was $3.699 and before that it was $3.799!

Southeast Kentucky!
 

CoasterMoose

Veteran Member
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Aug 14, 2011
Location
Tacoma, Washington
TDI
Owned and loved a 2005 Passat GLS TDI Wagon - Stonehenge Grey and Unchained!
Andy wrote: "The previous fillup was on 9/23/11 at Pilot..."

Andy, do you use fuel additives to increase the cetane when you buy from Pilot? I've heard their diesel is only 40 cetane. I'm trying to figure out what the best combination of fuel and additives is, to obtain the best performance and mileage possible for a reasonable price.

Thanks!
Moose
_____________
05 Passat TDI Wagon, 88k miles
 

boutmuet

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Location
Long Beach, CA
TDI
2015 BMW 328d
Andy wrote: "The previous fillup was on 9/23/11 at Pilot..."

Andy, do you use fuel additives to increase the cetane when you buy from Pilot? I've heard their diesel is only 40 cetane. I'm trying to figure out what the best combination of fuel and additives is, to obtain the best performance and mileage possible for a reasonable price.

Thanks!
Moose
_____________
05 Passat TDI Wagon, 88k miles
Diesel is diesel dude. It all comes from the same local terminal.
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
Then why do different station's diesel run so different for me? I generally get better mileage on Shell diesel, but it's more expensive ($3.659 avg.) so it's a wash. It smokes less than just about anyone else besides Chevron ($3.609 at a station that just converted to sell diesel this week.)

Contrast that with the cheaper but more high volume stations like Dodge's and Tom Thumb ($3.589 at each) that smokes more and gives slightly lower mileage but is usually so much cheaper to justify the difference.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Guys, I've always purchased where ever it is the cheapest. However, I very seldom drive out of my way to save two or three cents. Before I retired, during my career, I drove on the job about 1400 miles per month plus an 85 mile per day round trip commute. So, I knew where all the cheaper fuel prices were located.

No, I've never been one to use additives. With the older model 1.6 non-turbo VWs I would dump in some gasolene or kerosene to be sure there were no jelling problems during a cold snap........never caused any problems either. But, with my TDI, I still have about a third of the only bottle of Power Service I have ever purchased.

My MPGs have fell off since I retired. But, my overall life time average is still above 50 mpg. I now drive more "city" and a little faster on the expressway ...........gees, I'm retired and no time to waste!...LOL

Back in the fall, I used several tanks (one after the other) from a Kroger grocery store, mainly because they were in the area and the cheapest. That fuel seemed okay to me. All the dudes with the Dodge cummins, Ford powerstokes and Chevy duramaxs purchase fuel there.......nobody complained. Several of those guys are my friends on FaceBook.

I changed my fuel filter the week before the TDI Fest (last week in August). It had a little over 38k miles on it and was going on three years old....... I drained it into a quart glass jar. There was no water and very little junk that come out.

Here is my filter set-up. This is a modified filter bracket/base from a VW Rabbit Diesel.


The hole on the side has a plug in it.


Here you can see the screw-on filter. It fits in the OE slot in my 2000 Jetta perfectly. It has the exact same element inside......the price is less than $10.00. That application has been in service since about 2004..........no leaks. The JB Weld works great. The piping and fittings were cut from an old OEM ALH Jetta style filter...........works!


Notice here in my signature ..............381 fill-ups (actually 382 now). I usually run it down to about 1 gallon left. So, those are real fill-ups....5,049.82 total gallons and 253,987 miles since I have owned the car........that last tank full only has about 64 miles on it, but do the math = 50.296 mpg life time average for me! It will be rolling up on 300k by early November!
 
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Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
Andy since you're up in KY I wanna share a stupid story: it was price searching that actually got me to discovered a soft drink that I'd never had before. After a day trip with a friend to Nashville, I sauntered up past the state line to a town called Franklin, right off I-65 because he wanted to hit "just one more" Walmart Supercenter for his toy fix. Turns out the diesel (at the time) was a lot cheaper than in TN so I topped up. But while in the store I discovered they sold Cherry RC Cola, and that was it. I was hooked! Every trip to Nashville always ended with a detour the extra 30 or so miles to load up on Cherry RC from Walmart and fill up at the Flying J. I think the savings difference on an empty tank paid for the extra miles up there and back. :)
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Andy since you're up in KY I wanna share a stupid story: it was price searching that actually got me to discovered a soft drink that I'd never had before. After a day trip with a friend to Nashville, I sauntered up past the state line to a town called Franklin, right off I-65 because he wanted to hit "just one more" Walmart Supercenter for his toy fix. Turns out the diesel (at the time) was a lot cheaper than in TN so I topped up. But while in the store I discovered they sold Cherry RC Cola, and that was it. I was hooked! Every trip to Nashville always ended with a detour the extra 30 or so miles to load up on Cherry RC from Walmart and fill up at the Flying J. I think the savings difference on an empty tank paid for the extra miles up there and back. :)

Yeah, that is Highway 100 that goes right thru Franklin (east-west). I was in that neck of the woods about 7 weeks ago. I went out to Hopkinsville to pickup some eBay items I purchased, including a Jetta tow bar hitch. We drove Highway 100 all the way back to where it junctions with Highway 90 near Burkesville.

Yep, it has been a while since I last drank an Cherry RC Cola. Have you ever drank an Ale 8 1 (Ale Eight one) in a green bottle? That is a soft drink similar to Canada Dry Ginger Ale. It is made in Winchester, Kentucky and they use real sugar, no corn syrup.

I'm going to check our Walmart to see if they have Cherry RC Cola .......and you know, a chocolate Moon Pie would be great with it!:D
 
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Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
Yep, it has been a while since I last drank an Cherry RC Cola. Have you ever drank an Ale 8 1 (Ale Eight one) in a green bottle? That is a soft drink similar to Canada Dry Ginger Ale. It is made in Winchester, Kentucky and they use real sugar, no corn syrup.
Nope, I actually never saw that in KY, only in specialty stores down here. There's a place in Pensacola called the Apple Market that stocks it, I might give it a go soon. :)

And to keep it price related, here are some Pensacola prices:

Cheapest diesel I saw was $3.559 at Dodges on 9 Mile to $3.77 at Chevron on Blue Angel Parkway.

(and as I write this, the entire family of gasbuddy.com websites have completely crashed and are blank!)
 

CoasterMoose

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Location
Tacoma, Washington
TDI
Owned and loved a 2005 Passat GLS TDI Wagon - Stonehenge Grey and Unchained!
boutmuet wrote:

"Diesel is diesel dude. It all comes from the same local terminal."

From BleachedBora's post in Tips for fuel economy:

Generally speaking as long as (cetane is) 49 or higher is listed you do not need to worry about adding any additives yourself.

BP (Amoco branded), 51;
Countrymark fuels Diesel-R, 50
Chevron, 49; or 51 with Techron D labels in select markets
ConocoPhillips through the 76 stations (California) 47-53
PetroCanada, 47-51
BP (Powerblend 47, otherwise 40-42)
Shell, 46;
Sinclair, 46;
Sunoco Gold, 45 (often +1-5) Sunoco regular is usually 40.
Exxon/Mobile, 43-46
Holiday Stations, 40-43
HESS, 40-42, can be up to 45.
Husky, 40 + diesel Max additives raise another 1-3 from there (41-45 max)
Love's: 40
Pilot: 40
Valero: 40
Sheetz: 40
Flying J, 40
___________________________________

Evidently 40 is straight from the refinery, the additives that some companies use boost the cetane to an acceptable level for TDI's.
 
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