Effectiveness of EXCEEDING Top Tier

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I guess it's regional, around me the lowest priced stations are Top Tier. Just got back from Costco, $1.95/gal


It is definitely regional. Here in Oklahoma TopTier fuel is just as cheap as the normal fuel and so it is an absolute no-brainier to use TT fuels. Now if I lived in a place where Top Tier fuel costs a premium, I would probably run Techron/Regane every couple of thousand of miles and use the cheapest fuels.

I find it interesting that Phillip's 66 talks about over treating gas with detergents at the bottom of this link (their fuel is x3 the detergent additive of the EPA minimum):

http://www.phillips66gas.com/performancegas/

 

[TiredTrucker]

And regionality also includes what locations are offering TT. Very few in my neck of the woods offer TT. It is more a metro kind of thing. Those of us out in the rural areas, many towns do not have a TT station anywhere near them. I am quite sure that OEM's realize this, and there is no way they can really hold the TT thing over anyone's head. That it might be a good thing, not questioning. Is it critical, hardly.

 

[SatinSilver]

I've seen a Toptier gas chart listing the amount of detergents in each grade of gas. They do vary quite a bit from one Top tier rated retailer form another. I think BP has the most BUT my car seems to run better on Shell.

 

[SatinSilver]

Here's a listing although a few years old that lists the different detergent amounts found in various fuels:

http://www.abc15.com/news/let-joe-know/gas-test

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Don't forget that there are a number of different chemical detergents (that compete with one another in the fuel treatment business) that can be used to reach top tier requirements, some of the detergents like PEA are superior to others like PBA and others. The best thing about a detergent like PEA is that unlike some other competitive detergents PEA will not leave behind its own residue which can actually cause a slight build up itself. This information is a couple of decades old but I would imagine that it still applies today.
I think it is also possible that some detergents need less concentration to be effective as well.

I wish there was someone here that could add to this, but you likely have to be a chemist to understand all the complexities, MolaKule is the only one here that comes to mind that MIGHT know more about the technical aspect of this subject.