Nova Magna Sin Premium Mexican Diesel Diesel Sin Propane Gas Plant Locator Guide Motor Fuel Some Plants don't have Meters Overfilling the Tank No Fires Permitted Pesos versus Dollars Gasoline Station Locations Rip-offs Know your Tank Capacity

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Mexico main page

The information provided in all Mexican pages are only suggestions and anecdotal stories.  The information in the Mexican pages is a generic peace of work and is meant only as a general guide, it should not be taken as absolute fact. The information provided in this pages can change at any given day.

Mexico's petroleum industry is wholly government owned. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX for short) manufactures, distributes and sells gasoline, in a state owned monopoly. PEMEX gasoline stations are common. They are franchise operations, with the franchisee providing the land the electricity and the manpower to operate the station. Some of the newest PEMEX super stations in central Mexico, have integral mini-marts, car wash, and lube and oil changing facilities. Other companies may sell lubricating oil (e.g., Quaker State is quite popular), but only Pemex distributes and sells fuel (often through franchises). Pemex stations typically accept only cash (i.e., no checks or credit cards)!

Note: Beginning in 2001 there are a few stations, in some of the larger cities, which are trying a program of accepting credit cards. However, you should not depend on finding such a station, unless you already know the location.

At popular times there may be gasoline supply problems, especially in the central region of the peninsula. One time to be especially careful is "Easter week" - a major travel time in Mexico. Another possibly difficult time is after Christmas when many U.S. and Canadian RV's are heading both north and south before the new year begins.

Three grades of gasoline are sold in Mexico: Nova, Magna Sin and Premium.

Nova

Novas, is the lowest grade of gasoline and also the most common. It is sold out of Blue dispensing pumps, and is popular with Mexican drivers because of it's price (usually a few pennies less per gallon than higher grades). Most heavily laden RV's cannot use Nova, because it's octane level is far less than even the lowest grade of US gasoline, and it's use causes severe knocking and piston damage. Contrary to popular opinion, Nova does not contain significant amounts of tetraethyl-lead.

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Magna Sin

This mid-grade fuel is sold from a bright green pump, and is Mexico's most popular unleaded gasoline. It's octane level is somewhere around 86, and is superior to the silver pump "Extra" which it replaced in 1990. Most vehicles will run acceptably on "Magna" (as it's popularly called in Mexico). However, some very heavily laden motor homes and tow vehicles can find themselves in a position where Magna Sin, is just "border-line" in preventing knocking and pinging. These vehicles will have to have their ignition timing adjusted to prevent engine damage.

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Premium

Mexico's newest gasoline (92 octane), is also it's best effort to date. Unfortunately Premium gasoline is found only in larger towns and cities, and will slowly migrate outwards to medium size towns. Premium seems to have an octane rating that's higher than US regular unleaded gasoline. The superiority in octane and performance over Magna Sin, makes seeking out and filling your tank with this fuel a wise choice, when availability permits. Premium is unleaded, and like Nova, and Magna Sin,
Premium, does not seem to contain the Additive "MTBE" found in California fuels. Premium is offered only in the busier or newer stations.

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Mexican Diesel

Mexican diesel fuel used to be so cheap that big freight trucks could haul their load from the border with Guatemala to the US border for under a hundred dollars. Even through the cost has multiplied to just over a dollar per gallon in 1997, diesel fuel continues to be a bargain, especially in comparison to Mexican gasoline, which costs slightly more than gasoline sold in the United States.

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Diesel Sin

This is the new and improved version of the old yellow diesel that was sold until 1994. Even though the older fuel offered very high economy, it's high sulfur content was unkind to turbochargers, and electronic metered fuel circuits. The new fuel is less yellow, and is still held in high regard by RV'ers, who inevitably compare it to fuel found in the US. Mexican diesel is generally regarded as being superior to U.S. fuel, in every respect but cleanliness.

Fuel/water separators, such as the "Raycor" brand, are very popular in Mexico, and protect fuel pumps and injectors against water and particulate contamination damage.

Many seasoned travelers to Mexico, have found that protecting their gasoline powered RV, with a large gasoline pre-filter, makes perfect sense. Spin on filters, designed for diesel engines, work perfectly well with gasoline. Reducing the fitting size to the correct diameter will allow original fuel line hose to be retained. Generally, these very large filters (about double the size of a car oil filter) are installed in the fuel pump suction line, between the tank and the engine fuel pump. The location allows the filter to protect the fuel pump as well. This idea works every bit as good on diesel or gasoline engines. Don't worry about the filter restricting flow to the fuel pump. The area of the large filter allows for fuel flows that are indistinguishable from an unfiltered line. A good filter model is one that is referred to as a "Primary Filter" for a Detroit Diesel engine. The filter house personnel
can provide a filter mounting base that is compatible with the spin on element.

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Propane

Mexico actually has Butane rather than Propane. It burns the same with no adjustments necessary to your heater, or stove. Bulk plants are located outside the city limits (sometimes miles away) always along side a main highway. Bulk trucks (delivery trucks with a pump and meter) are becoming more common, but usually 25 gallon cylinders are hauled around on the back of flatbed trucks. Huge tanker trucks haul the butane down from the USA, where it is purchased to refill the bulk plants.

When sold by the kilogram, two Kilograms of gas equal one gallon of liquid and vapor.

Don't try to haul a full load of Butane back to your home if you live in cold country. It won't flow in sub freezing temperatures. Half a tank mixture of Propane and Butane will work OK down to zero Fahrenheit.

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Gas Plant Locator Guide

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Motor Fuel

Bulk plants are allowed to charge more for Butane used as motor fuel. The surcharge is about 20% but it varies widely from place to place.  Bulk trucks will fill up your motor fuel tank, and they usually split the difference between motor fuel and domestic fuel prices. This is usually done "around the corner".

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Some Plants Don't Have Meters

Mexico is still not used to odd size gas tanks. At the bulk plant, scales are used to measure sales in Kilograms. If your tank is portable then weight added to it, will be charged as gas. Tanks mounted in vehicles present an unknown as far as quantities are concerned; they can't weigh the tank. Clean off the specification tag that's glued onto your tank. It'll have the gas capacity (usually water capacity) which the attendant will refer to for determining the quantity needed to fill it. Ask for a presupuesto (estimate), of liters needed to fill your tank (four liters are 105% of 1 gallon). Most employees are honest but many are not skilled in math. It's best to establish your tank capacity before the time comes to argue with the attendant.

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Overfilling The Tank

If your tank is inadvertently overfilled (white vapor escapes from your 10% valve when cracked), you'll need to bleed the tank until clear vapor replaces the white. Do this at the plant, but over to one side where you won't block other customers.

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No Fires Permitted

Mexican bulk plants are equipped to dispense motor fuel gas to vehicles that have "Fast Fill" fittings (the same fitting as used throughout the United States and Canada). Bleeder valves and vapor escape hoses are non-existent. When plant personnel loosen the connection after filling raw liquid escapes copiously. Therefore extinguish all potential sources of ignition before driving up to the dispenser.

Needless to say, a fire in a gas plant is very dangerous. Employees are cavalier with dispensing hoses, sometimes allowing them to shoot gallons of fuel around while depressurizing hoses and lines. Before you enter the yard SHUT OFF THE GAS VALVES TO YOUR HOT WATER HEATER, TO YOUR REFRIGERATOR AND THE MAIN TANK VALVES. Don't restart the appliances until after you have fueled up and until you have exited the bulk plant.

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Pesos Versus Dollars

Try to use pesos when buying LPG fuel or gasoline. It's a lot easier to calculate.

How to Convert Pesos per Liter To Dollars Per Gallon.  Grab a nearby calculator. You're going to have to note down the price of the fuel in pesos, per liter. Next, jot down the exchange rate that was last used to convert your dollars to pesos: Example 7.88 (to 1)

This formula only works if you can remember it's 'key' numbers, so jot them down on the back of a business card and stick it back in your wallet or purse. The calculator is used for simple multiplication and division.

A liter is "close" to being a US quart, but we needed to adjust it for an exact fit. 94.64th of a liter is exactly one quart. Most Mexican dispensing meters are not this accurate.

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Rip-offs

There are a number of common gas station rip-offs the tourist should be aware of. Here is a general list:

• The pump is not "zeroed" when pumping is started.
• Incorrect change is offered under the assumption that the tourist will be ignorant of the coins, or too timid to complain.
• The "emergency stop" button is pushed while you're not looking. This resets the register to some even amount ($90, $80, etc.), and then the attendent explains that you owe that amount and it will be added to the amount from the remaining fillup. He must then reset the pump by holding the button down, and at this point you will see the register counting down by 10's to zero.
  This is probably most frequently used when there are two tanks being filled. The best known station for this activity is the Santa Rosalia Pemex station. 
• The pump is mis-calibrated to read high. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about this scam.

The San Quintin (north) and Santa Rosalia stations are the most commonly reported as being the site of dishonest attendants. Don't expect to get anywhere with the management, or even the local police, if you are cheated at these stations.

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Know your Tank Capacity

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Last modified: January 11, 2007