BP ultimate still the best bet? Ethanol

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: OilFilters
Originally Posted By: BobFout
Those define minimums. It's like saying Top Tier doesn't exist.

It's mostly all in your head. There is very little difference between "top tier" and anything else. One of the biggest differences with better name brand stations is better fuel filtration, cleaner tanks, and less likely to have water in them.


Nope. It is all the amount and kind of addative. There is a big difference between the composition of the top tier stuff and the generic stuff. Functionally probably not much difference. The addative that is.

 

[BobFout]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Originally Posted By: OilFilters
Originally Posted By: BobFout
Those define minimums. It's like saying Top Tier doesn't exist.

It's mostly all in your head. There is very little difference between "top tier" and anything else. One of the biggest differences with better name brand stations is better fuel filtration, cleaner tanks, and less likely to have water in them.


Nope. It is all the amount and kind of addative. There is a big difference between the composition of the top tier stuff and the generic stuff. Functionally probably not much difference. The addative that is.


More information for everyone that I thought of today. Just so everyone knows, when we say "Top Tier" here we don't mean the generic adjective, we are talking about a specific noun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x366kxmgqEw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm14Cw1pt24

 

[OilFilters]

I know to what you are referring when you say "top tier", I still say negligible difference. I have seen no actual data that supports it is actually any better. On top of that, it is extremely rare to find a non name brand gas station these days. I live in a very rural area and I don't know of any except on the lake for boat fueling. Even the little mom and pop dump in the middle of nowhere where the pumps often aren't working right is branded as a Shell.

Every name brand of gas is the same as any other. Every name brand claims to be "top tier". Even the cheap stuff like Costco gas.

If you want a particular benefit from a certain additive, you need to dump it in yourself.

 

[SatinSilver]

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver




I am assuming that is amount of addative?

 

[SatinSilver]

Yes, that is correct. Here is Regular:

 

[jhellwig]

Realy doesn’t mean much considering different kinds of additives have add rates.

 

[MNgopher]

BP Ultimate in this area is more likely than not to have ethanol in it. And most of it appears to have been dropped to the usual 91 octane premium, rather than the 93 octane it used to be.

On top of that, the 93 octane gave me no higher octane adjustment in my ecoboost powered F150 than 91 octane fuels from several other retailers.

So between the cruddy stations here that have not been updated in a very long time, the premium charged for 93 octane, and the lousy performance... I'd rather buy Shell Premium or Superamerica Premium that give me better bang for the buck...

And you can bet with that up to 10% ethanol tag on the pump, its got ethanol in it. They'd proudly tag it as ethanol free if it were...

And yes, there are differences in the additives added to the fuel that is supposedly the same according to some. There are differences between brands and top tier vs not top tier. Not made up, in your head stuff.

 

[OilFilters]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
And yes, there are differences in the additives added to the fuel that is supposedly the same according to some. There are differences between brands and top tier vs not top tier. Not made up, in your head stuff.


Is there any actual data whatsoever that backs this up?

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: OilFilters
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
And yes, there are differences in the additives added to the fuel that is supposedly the same according to some. There are differences between brands and top tier vs not top tier. Not made up, in your head stuff.


Is there any actual data whatsoever that backs this up?


Go look at the sds for the additives. They have different chemical makeups.

 

[OilFilters]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Originally Posted By: OilFilters
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
And yes, there are differences in the additives added to the fuel that is supposedly the same according to some. There are differences between brands and top tier vs not top tier. Not made up, in your head stuff.


Is there any actual data whatsoever that backs this up?


Go look at the sds for the additives. They have different chemical makeups.


I don't care what they are made out of. Is there any actual data that an engine run solely on one brand of gas is cleaner or more efficient than another? Or just people that feel better 'cause they paid more? Or is it because the same manufacturers that tell you to use 5w20 oil told you it will make your engine last longer?

So many people don't seem to understand that plain old gasoline makes a great solvent. Even "white gas" without any additives.

 

[Nyogtha]

https://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/top-tier-gasoline/

Personally I find SWRI a credible source of test data & findings.

 

[UG_Passat]

I don't get hung up about the E10 fuel I get. I get BP because it's Top Tier and usually cheaper than Shell, and have a easy rewards program.

 

[DGXR]

I've never had any issues using E10. But I run my engines regularly and use additives occasionally to combat any potential issues.

There are many downsides to oxygenated fuels, which I won't get into... but one of the worst is reduced fuel economy due to the lower energy content.

It is odd that adding ethanol can increase the octane but reduce the energy content.

 

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: DGXR
I've never had any issues using E10. But I run my engines regularly and use additives occasionally to combat any potential issues.

There are many downsides to oxygenated fuels, which I won't get into... but one of the worst is reduced fuel economy due to the lower energy content.

It is odd that adding ethanol can increase the octane but reduce the energy content.


Higher octane is not necessarily higher energy content. It is more resistant to knock

 

[Nyogtha]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Originally Posted By: DGXR
I've never had any issues using E10. But I run my engines regularly and use additives occasionally to combat any potential issues.

There are many downsides to oxygenated fuels, which I won't get into... but one of the worst is reduced fuel economy due to the lower energy content.

It is odd that adding ethanol can increase the octane but reduce the energy content.


Higher octane is not necessarily higher energy content. It is more resistant to knock


Exactly true. For example, propane and butanes have high octane rating. Winter blend gasoline gets much of its octane content from normal butane while increasing volatility for winter operation, but lowering overall energy content. Propane MPG will be less than gasoline MPG due to lower energy content.

Some substances like toluene have high octane and high energy content (and low volatility to boot).

Octane rating tends to track with autoignition temperature (naturally).