The results showed that on average, Top Tier gasoline had 19 times fewer carbon deposits on injectors, intake valves, and in the combustion chamber when compared to regular gasoline. Consumer Reports - June 7, 2015 Location and price drive gasoline sales, according to a new survey by the American Automobile Association. But an extensive study also conducted by AAA, reveals that consumers would be wise to factor the quality of the gasoline in their purchase decision. Using an independent engine testing lab that specializes in fuel analysis, AAA sought to answer the question: Is “Top Tier” gasoline worth the price? The short answer is yes What Is Top Tier Gas? Gasoline is essentially a shared commodity, often stored in common containers until it is purchased by a major retailer. After that, the retailer treats the gas with a specific additive, thereby giving the fuel its brand identity. But are these additives just a dosage of marketing hype? Top Tier gasoline was developed in 2004 to go beyond the minimum standard for detergent additives to better protect increasingly sophisticated engines from carbon buildup and deposits on the intake valves—which can result in a rough idle, acceleration hesitation, knocking/pinging, and reduced fuel economy. Over the past 20 years, engines have become far more precise, operating under tighter tolerances and at higher compression ratios, while targeting cleaner emissions and improved fuel economy. To achieve these goals, eight automakers—Audi, BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen—have united in support of Top Tier gas, specifically recommending it to their owners with the goal of preserving their engines’ original performance and emissions over time. List of Top Tier brands linked in story. Read More: Top Tier Gasoline has lower deposits.
Here is the actual report the above story is based on. It is a PDF that is 34 pages long. https://s3.amazonaws.com/associationcommunicationfiles/PDF/Fuel-Quality-Full-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
The last paragraph of the report on page 12 is interesting if you are a Ford aficionado. I go to Costco, because not only is it top tier, it's cheaper than the places with cheap, non top tier gas. What's not to love?
Hi All: And then there is the best Top Tier Fuel in the #Shell Dual Fuel Dodge Charger. This is after just 10k miles! Wayne
Need to bump this up. Can't count how many times fuel and quality of fuel has come up in random conversation
Lotsa stuff going on. Earlier in the thread, they were talking about using 93 octane fuels, whereas most vehicles use 87 octane ethanol blends. As for the pix, might it be a comparison between normal fuel injection & gasoline direct injection?
Just had my set of 4 fuel injectors replaced -- 35,000 miles. It's possible the misfire codes were caused by using non-top tier (non detergent) gasoline (?). There may be more to the story, .. Honda didn't have the parts in stock (had to wait a couple of days) and the internets are saying it is perhaps a common problem with the (early? '16-'18) 1.5t's. So I am probably going to switch brands and/or use an injector cleaning additive (i.e. B-12) going forward. My Honda service rep was tight-lipped about the whole situation. -- he was, however, "adamantly suggestive" about only using Shell or Chevron gasoline.
Not absolutely non-detergent, but lower level of detergent than top-tier brands, assuming it met the legal minimum.
"Typically, Top Tier gasolines will contain two to three times the amount of detergent additives currently required by the EPA.[11] The extra additives are estimated to cost less than a cent per gallon.[12]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Tier_Detergent_Gasoline
I can't remember the last time I pumped gas into my car. It was over 5 years ago, and I have been driving EVs.
Could "bad" electronic coils be degraded by low detergent gasoline? Our 2008 (bought in 2007)Hyundai Accent has had its coils replaced twice. We've used a lot of Costco gasoline.
Was Costco, a Top Tier company over a decade ago? Yeah, I don't think the Costco gas had anything to do with it, either. We've always had the best 10% ethanol blend response from Costco. I'm just trying to figure out why Hyundai Accent reliability (usually very good), has electronically failed on our car, twice now.
A "christmas tree" of failures. (i.e. emission system, electronic power steering, brake system, VSA, .. etc... etc...) happened a few times. Reset with a battery disconnect twice. Reset with a 12v battery replacement once. Fixed (hopefully) with fuel injectors replaced the last time. I recall feeling a very slight stumble on startup on the last time, (maybe). Engine ran fine other than that. mpg has been consistently good up to the last -- last 3 tanks I was pushing hard in pretty crappy weather (including a 40 mph headwind) so I can't tell anything from the last few tanks. I wished I had pulled the codes myself on all of the above, .. but I didn't. I was assuming it was some kind of electrical problem that was causing all the faults. Apparently all these failure message can be caused by a single problem (?--) not great engineering IMO -- but I guess I can kind of see why it would happen. I still don't know (and will never know) if the first couple "christmas trees" were caused by a weak 12v battery (not fuel injectors). / side note -- with the new injectors and a tankful of Shell 93 (E10, .. youtuber says E5(?)) octane "V-power nitro+" I am seeing some of the best mpg on the display that I've ever gotten (high 40's -- pushing 50 mpg in 40 deg temps -- this might be a 5%+ improvement over 91 E0(?)) -- (not yet verified with the next fill and hand calculation)
