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Lufthomie
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| Joined: | Sun Apr 12th, 2009 |
| Location: | Douglas, Arizona USA |
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Posted: Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 06:35 pm |
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Whats the deal with buying gas in San Carlos or Guaymas.
I have about half a tank when i get there but we do drive around when there.
I know the prices are per liter. What are the different grades available and what grade do they usually advertise?
Are their any places that seems to have the best prices either in San Carlos or Guaymas?
Thanks
Tom
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justme
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| Joined: | Tue Jun 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | San Carlos, Mexico |
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Posted: Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 07:45 pm |
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| prices are all the same it is pemex there are no price changes from station to station
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Stuart
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| Joined: | Wed Oct 26th, 2005 |
| Location: | Tempe, Arizona USA |
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Posted: Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 08:25 pm |
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All you ever needed to know about Pemex:
In Mexico, you buy Pemex or you buy Pemex. Pemex is controlled by the goverment and is the only source of gasoline throughout Mexico.
Since Pemex is run by the government, the price of gasoline is standardized across the country. Sometimes, it's a wee bit higher by the border (and at the marina if you're filling a boat), but overall pricing is pretty consistent no matter which corner Pemex you buy at. No competition, no price wars.
Price is per liter. Two weeks ago, diesel was 6.7 pesos a liter. Use 3.7 as your conversion factor to compute price per gallon (3.7 x 6.7 = 24.79 pesos per gallon). Then, divide by whatever exchange rate you got dollars to pesos to figure price per gallon (24.79/12.65 = $1.96 per gallon). Not far off the current US price of about $2.05 a gallon at the Valero up the street here in Tempe.
Not all Pemex accept credit cards. They are supposed to, but don't. The credit card machine is often broken if you ask. Always ask in advance if you are using a credit card and be advised that the transaction *may* be rejected due to automatic fraud control on some cards that don't allow any charges for gasoline outside the country. Yep, learned that one the hard way after putting $300 in the boat at a Pemex and having my card rejected. When I inquired with the card company after the trip, I was told about the fraud control.
Also, most Pemex stations pumps shut off at about 990 pesos sold. If you're filling a boat, motorhome, or other gas hog, you'll have to get the attendant to reset the pump for another go-round.
Pay in pesos whenever possible. This leaves no room for exchange rate misgivings when paying with dollars. The exchange rate *is* a variable in the equation, depending on which Pemex you use, but overall, they offer a pretty good rate close to the current exchange rate if you use dollars.
There are two grades of gasoline: magna (the green button, regular around 87 octane) and sin (the red button, premium around 91 octane). Some, but not all, Pemex stations have diesel (the black button).
I've run Pemex in my vehicles for years and never had a problem. If anything, my vehicles run better and I get better mileage because it's pure gasoline. Mexico doesn't do a bunch of silly-ass winter blend/summer blend and add ethanol, MTBE or other crap to the fuel. At least, those stations not near the border. Some border stations actually get their fuel from the US.
I have never seen a self-serve Pemex. This is because debit/credit card usage is not as popular in Mexico and every Pemex provides jobs, jobs, jobs. Although the majority of the Pemex attendants are helpful and honest, there *are* a few bad apples in the bunch.
Always get out of your vehicle, open the gas cap, and make certain the attendant resets the pump **before** pumping any fuel in your vehicle. This is a common trick the shady attendants like to pull on unsuspecting gringos. In all my years of travel to Mexico, I've only been taken by this one time and despite my protests to the station manager, I ended up paying for enough diesel to fill my truck twice and leaving in disgust. So, for that reason, I say do NOT use the Guadalupe Pemex located just on the south side of Hermisillo as you leave town.
The other trick common with the shady attendants is the bill switch. I've never had this one pulled on me, but know others that have. If you are paying with a large peso note, show it to the attendant and state the amount to confirm you know what you are giving him. He'll give you the correct change. The trick here is that if you don't do this, they can claim you gave them a smaller peso note and will give you change based on that.
So... that finishes today's lesson on buying fuel at Pemex! Hope this helps! 
Last edited on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 08:27 pm by Stuart
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Lufthomie
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| Location: | Douglas, Arizona USA |
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Posted: Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 08:44 pm |
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Thanks for the lesson. That clears everything up. I did not know prices were standardized. Going back 4th of July, can't wait.
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Timothy B.
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| Joined: | Sun Dec 25th, 2005 |
| Location: | Cananea, Sonora |
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Posted: Thu Jun 4th, 2009 03:59 pm |
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Good morning,
Stuart covered the bases very well.
I would just like to add that in my large v-8 Dodges, I run the premium and for small v-8 and six cylinders, the green is fine. Change fuel filters in line and tank as per manufacturers recommendations.
This isn't very scientific but I have used Mexican gas for years (everyone said the gas down here was bad) and I feel that my vehicles run better on this gas than when I go to the states for a couple of days and fill up there.
Timothy B.
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scmx
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Posted: Mon Jun 15th, 2009 07:34 pm |
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Yes, its Pemex or Pemex and the price is set by region.
The only variable between each different station is the computer program that controls the numbers displayed at the pump.
Each pump has a sensor that sends very accurate flow measurements to the main computer in the station building
The computer then converts the sensor data into liters, computes the price and sends the numbers back to the individual pump.
Each station has a modification to the computer program so that it can show a greater percentage than actually delivered.
On the days when PROFECA will be doing an official inspection, the programs are set to display 100% accuracy. Once in a while, the word does not get around and the stations get caught showing 10% to 20% greater than what was delivered.
For example, the standard container for a panga (local fishing boat) holds exactly 64.5 liters when full. Most stations show between 70 and 76 liters to fill the container except on the "PROFECA visit" days. On those days, the stations show 64.5 liters to fill the same containers that on every other day, the same stations show 70+ liters.
It's just a rip-off that most stations routinely perform.
I've seen one exception and that is the station in Guaymas next to the plaza with the Santander bank. That station seems to be giving accurate measurements. Don't know why, but it seems to be consistent at that station lately.
If you doubt this information, take any container and fill it successively at different stations, noting the difference in liters that it takes to fill the container. On any trip to the U.S., be sure to also fill the container once there for a comparison.
Last edited on Mon Jun 15th, 2009 07:47 pm by scmx
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mesa
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Posted: Mon Jun 15th, 2009 08:25 pm |
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| There are two pemex stations in SC. The old one which is one close to the bank seems to be reasonably honest. I have never felt that I have been ripped off there. The new one across from the county club entrance has been closed down more than once of pulling various tricks and for having inaccurate pumps. I am sure I got a short delivery there once and haven't been back since. Stick with the old pemex.
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scmx
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Posted: Mon Jun 15th, 2009 08:39 pm |
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The "old Pemex" always showed 70 liters to fill the 64.5 liter container - just like most of the other stations.
The only honest measurement I ever saw in San Carlos was at the marina back when they had the mechanical display wheels on the pump that were driven by the actual gasoline flow. There, the measurement was always 64.5 liters to fill the panga container.
I haven't checked the accuracy at the marina since they converted to the computer controlled displays.
Whether or not a person "feels" like they're being ripped off, the only proof is in the container and the amount of gasoline the pump shows to fill it up.
If you want to continue feeling good about any particular station, do NOT do the container test because you will be disappointed to find out they are stealing 10% just like most others.
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Blueskys4ever
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Posted: Wed Jun 17th, 2009 12:31 am |
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So PEMEX is a “rip-off franchise” that is pretty much the standard business practice nationwide for gas stations in Mexico. My question would be “Who is profiting from the practice”? And my follow up question would be, “If the computer records the amount dispensed, how is this not accounted for in the cash flow? There must be more than one person doing the fleece.
I would advise to always pay in Pesos. At least you can control the math to some degree. What I really don’t like is when the jip you on the math and act like they think you are too stupid to notice.
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scmx
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Posted: Wed Jun 17th, 2009 01:26 am |
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Blueskys4ever wrote: So PEMEX is a “rip-off franchise” that is pretty much the standard business practice nationwide for gas stations in Mexico. My question would be “Who is profiting from the practice”? And my follow up question would be, “If the computer records the amount dispensed, how is this not accounted for in the cash flow? There must be more than one person doing the fleece.
I would advise to always pay in Pesos. At least you can control the math to some degree. What I really don’t like is when the jip you on the math and act like they think you are too stupid to notice.
Answer 1) It's fairly obvious that the station owner is the one who profits. The reason for saying this is that the various stations owned by any particular owner seem to have identical quantity readings for filling a container.
I was talking to a station attendant about three weeks ago regarding this subject and, during the conversation, I mentioned several other stations (by location) that seemed to have similar, shall we say, "quantity measurements". He replied that other customers have made similar comments and that all the mentioned stations are owned by the same person. At one of those particular stations, I once was filling the panga container and instead of showing 70 liters (stealing only 10%) I stopped the attendant when the pump showed 74 liters and the container was not even full yet.
Answer 2) We're talking computers here... anything is possible - just program it.
It's not difficult to have the computer keep two logs - one for the inflated values and one for the real values. At the end of the day (or whenever), the log of real values gets filed for government records and the phony log shows how much cash should be in the registers. The owner can make bank deposits based on the real log and do whatever he wants with the extra cash.
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Teo
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Posted: Fri Jun 19th, 2009 12:20 am |
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Thanks for a very thorough explanation of Pemex, Stuart.
I, too, got taken at the Guadalupe Pemex but I didn't even realize it until I was driving away. How this station stays in business I do not know. There have been so many postings on various boards of the ripoffs there. And not only the service is crooked, the rest rooms are abysmal, too.
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RichD
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Posted: Fri Jun 19th, 2009 04:33 am |
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| Would like to recommend gasolineras Hersan in Guaymas. It is on the northbound lane leaving Guaymas. There are 2 very close to each other, they are the second one (not the one with the Oxxo). I think the pumps read correctly. Today I filled 2 5 gallon cans and they took 19 liters each -- just as ithey should.
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