Which of these fuels should I make my permanent?

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Originally Posted By: milkboy
Originally Posted By: gaijinnv
Originally Posted By: 07734
how is top tier measured?


I only buy top tier gasoline:

Top Tier Gas Retailers

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76 is "Top Tier," but not Sunoco.
Kwicky-Mart is "Top Tier," but not BP.
I don't know what to make of this.



76 is owned by Phillips what makes you think it is not amongst the highest quality products?

Also BP has stated they could be top tier but does not want to be branded as Top Tier.
 
who makes up what a top tier gas is??

This forum is Gasoline Cars Right? That's what the topic is. Gasoline and Cars
 
Originally Posted By: 07734
i understand that, what makes it top tier? that website just said additives.

anything beised 1 word? like any research, or science more in depth that 1 website's 1 paragraph? just wanting to know for my own knowledge....


There's a lot more info on that site, poke around:

More Top Tier Gasoline Info

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Originally Posted By: 07734
I've heard from all kinds of places that it's best to pick a gasoline, and stick with it. Not to change gas stations and fuels.


That's a load of nonsense.
 
How do you know they blend in the right additives? All the gas around me is generic (except Marathon) and the ethanol and other additives added when filling the tanker.
 
My cars run better with shell gasoline, and get slightly better mpg. On my van the check engine light comes on when I use cheaper gasoline like racetrack, Hess rally etc, but it turns off when I use shell, ( something that has to do with emissions and the temperature the fuel burns I was told).
 
Originally Posted By: 07734
i understand that, what makes it top tier?


It is "Top Tier" because Exxon/Mobil decided to pay money to the "Top Tier" Gods to have their fuels so blessed.

As far as gas goes, pick the cheapest, clean, well-lit, station that sells gas in high volume and buy your 87 octane there (the car is a Mercury Milan, not a Shelby Cobra, it does not need 93--save your money.) If it makes you feel better, stay with that station. However, I would switch around based on price. convenience and a difference in additives. If, perchance, one had a better additive package (kind of doubt there is a huge difference though,) you may as well factor that into the mix.

Switch it up. Variety is the spice of life. Would you want to eat canned pork and beans 24-7-365?
 
Originally Posted By: vinu_neuro
How is BP not on that list.


They chose not to pay to play.
 
i say go with top tier. they have at least 2 times the detergents of epa minimum.

these gasolines also have a cold start valve stick test, that tests for olefins.
 
I've always had luck buying gas from a place that moves a lot of fuel, and has good prices.

Here in north austin, it has been the HEB grocery store, or the Randalls grocery store.

Paid 3.22 a gallon yesterday for 87 in my grand marquis.
 
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Originally Posted By: vinu_neuro
How is BP not on that list.


They chose not to pay to play.


I agree, licensing fees are just corporate hogwash.
 
There is no point in buying gas by brand over price.
Nada, zippo, nothing.
Use the least expensive fuel available when you need to fill up.
You could use a good fuel system cleaner once a year in the last tank before an oil change.
I've done this for decades, going back to the days of leaded fuel and carburetors and have never had a problem with any fuel.
You've got a good engine that isn't picky about fuel or oil.
It's unlikely that you'll see any measurable benefit from any given brand of fuel, or from using an octane higher than what is specified by Ford.
You could try a thousand summer miles on each grade of fuel and track fuel consumption on each. Very unlikely you'd see enough percentage improvement in fuel economy to justify the percentage difference in price.
You might see a small improvement if the engine management system has a knock sensor that will allow more advance in response to reduced preignition with a higher octane fuel.
 
I, personally, would use the cheapest Top Tier gas. Don't overpay, if you can avoid it. Down here Shell, which is TT, overcharges like 10-20 cents a gallon. Naturally, they never get my business. QT and Phillips 66 are also TT and their prices are basically the same as the non-TT stations here and so it is a no-brainer to purchase there
 
Fuel is fuel is fuel in your case. I live where there is a Conoco Phillps refinery, as well as Valero. Marathon, Citgo, Shell and BP all have terminals fed by pipeline. They all buy from each other based on need, with the difference being the couple of gallons of additive added to the delivery truck when it gets filled. And there are many times that a tanker will take on a load of "Shell" and deliver to a Citgo with half of the load, and a Marathon or indy Country-Mark with the other half. Buy from the station with the best price, has high traffic flow at the pumps, and is well lit and maintained. Use a bottle of Techron or Redline SI-1 at oil changes, and motor on happily.
 
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I don't accept the OP's premiss. In fact, since each retailer uses a slightly different detergent package, I intentionally rotate fuel sources. The stuff that one package leaves behind can hopefully be removed by the next package. As for mixing fuels, mix away. It is not a problem.

Hopefully, the OP can give provide us with either data or a good theory as to why fuel brands should not be mixed - something other than "I have heard..."

If there is a reason to stick with one brand, I would really like to know the reason. I'll change my position immediately if there is a rational reason to change.

By the way, I think that we are in the wrong forum...
 
As I understand it, the rationale behind sticking with one gas station is: If your car stops running or runs badly because of "bad gas" there is no question who is responsible. You go to the one gas station that you use and hand them the bill for repairs.

This works pretty well. Around here if I come across bad gas* I always ask where it came from. Most people don't know, but some go to only one gas station. It's always one of three gas stations: Raceway, City Gas, or the other Raceway.

*By bad gas I mean that you can dip the end of a strip of paper to wet it in the bad gas and light the other end on fire. If the wet part of the paper won't burn the gas is bad.
 
Originally Posted By: milkboy
Originally Posted By: gaijinnv
Originally Posted By: 07734
how is top tier measured?


I only buy top tier gasoline:

Top Tier Gas Retailers

thumbsup2.gif



76 is "Top Tier," but not Sunoco.
Kwicky-Mart is "Top Tier," but not BP.
I don't know what to make of this.



From Sunoco's website:

Quote:
Sunoco fuels significantly exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gasoline detergency standards. All grades of Sunoco fuel contain the same level of detergent.


http://www.gosunoco.com/quality-fuels/our-fuels/
 
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Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh


From Sunoco's website:

Quote:
Sunoco fuels significantly exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gasoline detergency standards. All grades of Sunoco fuel contain the same level of detergent.


http://www.gosunoco.com/quality-fuels/our-fuels/


Sunoco may be meeting EPA standards, but is that enough?

Quote:

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline

TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is the premier standard for gasoline performance. Six of the world's top automakers, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi recognize that the current EPA minimum detergent requirements do not go far enough to ensure optimal engine performance.

Since the minimum additive performance standards were first established by EPA in 1995, most gasoline marketers have actually reduced the concentration level of detergent additive in their gasoline by up to 50%. As a result, the ability of a vehicle to maintain stringent Tier 2 emission standards have been hampered, leading to engine deposits which can have a big impact on in-use emissions and driver satisfaction.

These automakers have raised the bar. TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline help drivers avoid lower quality gasoline which can leave deposits on critical engine parts, which reduces engine performance. That's something both drivers and automakers want to avoid.


What is Top Tier Gasoline?

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