Amoco Ultimate, BP with Invigorate, & Top Tier Gas

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Not trying to start a conversation about the merits of Top Tier gas. Nor am I trying to start a conversation about regular vs. premium gas. Rather, I'm simply interesting in everybody's thoughts on BP statements regarding Top Tier.

BP isn't a member of the Top Tier group. On BP's main webpage, they have an FAQ section for their Amoco Ultimate gas. Regarding Top Tier they say:
Quote:
Amoco Ultimate premium fuels exceed Top Tier requirements with respect to its detergent additive treatment. BP believes that consumer interests are best served when the automotive and oil industries work cooperatively to determine the optimal mix of vehicle hardware and fuel standards.


Now, I see that BP has a new(?) webpage for their gas: BP with Invigorate. Invigorate is the name of their additive. Whether this is a new additive, or just renamed, I don't know. However, in the FAQ section of this webpage, I read the following:

Quote:
BP does not participate in the Top Tier program. BP believes that consumer interests are best served when the automotive and oil industries work cooperatively to determine the optimal mix of vehicle hardware and fuel standards. We believe our new gasoline offer is unique and all grades of BP gasoline with Invigorate exceed the Top Tier requirements with respect to detergent additive content.


(I made the font bold above, for emphasis.) In the past, there has been some speculation that Amoco Ultimate was BP's only fuel to meet the Top Tier quality spec, perhaps because there were no statements on BP's main website speaking to the Top Tier quality of their other fuels.

My reading of the BP with Invigorate FAQ seems to confirm that BP believes that ALL of their fuels meet the Top Tier spec. Would you agree? Finally, is BP with Invigorate already at every pump nation-wide? Or is this additive still in the works? Any input appreciated.

Thanks,
Bryan
 
Top Tier is required to have 8% ethanol content. This could be the reasoning behind it.

ExxonMobil doesn't participate in Top Tier but I honestly think that's just because they don't want to blend to that standard.

I only use Top Tier in my car now because most of the time it costs the same anyways. Mostly Petro-Canada, some Shell, if we had Chevron I would buy Chevron.
 
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Wouldnt 8% ethanol give you worse fuel milelage? What advantages would 8% Ethanol give you? I was to believe that straight petroleum fuel provides the best fuel/power ratio.
 
It probably wouldnt be noticeable. Yes you'll make a tiny bit less power with ethanol in a standard car expecting 100% gas.
 
8% ethanol means maybe 2.7% less energy content overall in a gallon of gas, and typically ethanol is used in place of other oxygenates. It also burns somewhat cooler and has more resistance to preignition than gasoline so it could potentially make your engine run a little bit leaner. It probably comes out even or close to in the long run.

Ethanol gets scapegoated for a lot of stuff but anything under 10% probably isn't going to make a significant impact. Just like people who say winter gas gives them a 15% mileage hit but never check their tire pressures and let their car idle to warm up every day.
 
I have not seen 100% gasoline in years. Just made a trip to Texas and back and every one of the stations I stopped at said contains at least 10% ethanol. Those stations included Shell, BP, Marathon, Phillips 66, Conoco, Sunoco, Valero, and Mobil.
 
BP premium with Invigorate MAY be a top tier fuel but, no one but BP knows. Since they have refused to have their fuel tested to prove it meets the top tire requirment I will assume that non of their grades meet the requirment. I don't feel like paying a premium price for BP when I can get Top Tier Shell (all grades), Texico (all grades and Chevron (all grades) for the same price or less.
 
On the east coast, BP stations sell Amoco branded fuel, which was always a very high quality brand of gasoline.

FWIW, Ford has recomended BP/Amoco fuels for several years, going as far to imprint the gas caps on Ford vehicles with the BP logo.

One of the reasons stated by Ford was BP/Amoco fuels are consistant in quality and detergency and help reduce emmission by keeping engines clean.

Drew
 
Originally Posted By: MGregoir
Ford recommends BP fuel but for their emissions testing uses Chevron trucked in from Kentucky.


Chevron makes great fuel, but it no longer is marketed north of Virgina, so the whole NE would be left out. BP operates more then 14000 stations coast to coast, so their penetration is much larger.

Drew
 
Originally Posted By: Drew2000
Originally Posted By: MGregoir
Ford recommends BP fuel but for their emissions testing uses Chevron trucked in from Kentucky.


Chevron makes great fuel, but it no longer is marketed north of Virgina, so the whole NE would be left out. BP operates more then 14000 stations coast to coast, so their penetration is much larger.

Drew

I forget where, but I too have heard what MGregoir said: that Chevron is used by manufacturers for testing.
A few Chevron stations can be found northern Kentucky (more the further south you go), but the one station in Cincinnati closed a few months ago.
 
Texaco fuel is top tier and used Techron as the additive. I have never seen Ford recommend any particular fuel for their vehicles. I would be interested if Ford put this in their manuals or is it a rumor?
 
Originally Posted By: Bryan K. Walton
Thanks for the replies everybody. I'm still curious however, is BP with Invigorate already at BP pumps nationwide? Anybody know?

BTW Eddie, the Ford recommendation for BP fuel started in 2006. I just took a look at the 2006 Ford Focus manual, and its right there on page 193. (you can see the manuals online at this link: https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp)

-Bryan


Ok, here's the scoop on this? I just called the fuel tech hotline. I now live in central Illinois and they have a huge refinery in the Chicago area.
The "invigorate" additive package is throughout Illinois, but not in all market areas.."not yet", but eventually it will be. And they did say when I asked them about this, that the package has "clean up" capabilities in all 3 grads, 87/89/93. But, in the market areas where this is not provided, only the Amoco Ultimate has the clean up capability and the other 2 grads only have the "keep clean" function within the gasoline.

So, if you live in my market area, the you are lucky. If not, you will be lucky soon.
 
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