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"Top-tier" fuel

B

BUTCH1

Lifer
So I was always under the impression that gas is gas and pretty much the same no matter where you bought it, turns out I was DEAD WRONG. There are now brands that have earned the "Top-tier" rating by adding a lot more detergents and better quality additives. I had been using Sunoco fuel and recently did a throttle-body clean-out, @102K miles I was expecting cleaning needed but it was REALLY nasty!. Turns out that Sunoco did not make the Top-tier list and AAA says non-Top Tier gasoline caused 19 times more engine deposits than Top Tier brands after 4,000 miles of simulated driving. link to article,http://www.clark.com/top-tier-gas-stations-clean-engine-aaa
List of Top-tier fuels,
  • 76
  • Aloha
  • Amoco Ultimate with Invigorate
  • ARCO
  • Beacon
  • BP Regular with Invigorate
  • BP Silver with Invigorate
  • Break Time
  • Cenex
  • Chevron
  • CITGO
  • Conoco
  • Co-op
  • Costco Gasoline
  • CountryMark
  • CountryMark Plus
  • Diamond Shamrock
  • Esso
  • Express
  • Exxon
  • Hele
  • Holiday
  • Kwik Star
  • Kwik Trip
  • Kwik Trip Express
  • Mahalo
  • MFA
  • Mobil
  • OAAI
  • Ohana Fuels
  • Petro-Canada
  • Phillips 66
  • PUMA Energy Caribe
  • QT
  • QuikTrip
  • Road Ranger
  • Shamrock
  • Shell
  • Shell (Puerto Rico)
  • Sinclair
  • Standard
  • SuperAmerica
  • SuperFuels
  • Tempo
  • Texaco
  • Tri-Par Qwik Stop
  • Valero
 
I didn't think ARCO would be on that list. I only use Chevron. Techron is great addictive. And their fuel oxygenated, supposedly it burns better..... or if it's unavailable, I'll go 76.
 
Yeah my Mini S came with recommendations for only top tier fuel. That said, BP premium makes my check engine light come on with a fuel code, while Exxon makes it go away. Both 'top tier' but the BP station is mysteriously 30 cents cheaper even though they are across the street from each other. HMMMMM...
 
Insomniator said:
Yeah my Mini S came with recommendations for only top tier fuel. That said, BP premium makes my check engine light come on with a fuel code, while Exxon makes it go away. Both 'top tier' but the BP station is mysteriously 30 cents cheaper even though they are across the street from each other. HMMMMM...
Click to expand...

You have to wonder if they might be "cheating" and buying gas from a cheaper source, I'm sure BP would not be thrilled if they found this to be the case..
 
Insomniator said:
Yeah my Mini S came with recommendations for only top tier fuel. That said, BP premium makes my check engine light come on with a fuel code, while Exxon makes it go away. Both 'top tier' but the BP station is mysteriously 30 cents cheaper even though they are across the street from each other. HMMMMM...
Click to expand...

You ought to snag a sample in a small 1 gal lawn-mower can and call BP and ask if they'd like a sample to see if it's the real McCoy..
 
Detergent could always be added to cheaper gas. It may or may not be a cost effective solution. I try to go to the bp near my house. It's owned by a nice Indian(I think) guy, and I prefer to support small business owners. There's a wawa across the street that's usually a couple cents cheaper, but they get enough business.
 
Costco, BP and Shell are my go-to's. I didn't realize Citgo was top-tier, I feel like their fuel acts more like the non-top tier stations around. Its priced in the lower tier as well.
 
I'm trying to think about the last time I saw a gas station that wasn't one of those. I guess there's probably some (someone mentioned Sunoco), but seems like most of the ones that might seem like it isn't is just the branding of the store aspect (Casey's is one I'm familiar with) and usually is paired one of the major ones on the gas station (for instance, I could swear that Kwik Trip and Quick Trip often were like Philips 66 or something for the gas part?).
 
I thought Loaf'N'Jug was Conoco. Turns out they used to be, but went off-brand 10 years ago. 😱
 
I used to go to arco fairly religously, and the 76 station by my old house was about 10% more expensive but never had any lines, while arco was usually wrapped all around the parking lot. Lo and behold, the 76 station gas gives me about 10% better gas mileage, which I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around. Could be a different blend, but I don't know if it's more ethanol in the arco or what, but it was kinda confusing.
 
Surprised ARCO and Valero are on there, I put that in company vehicles and rentals.

Always use BP out here, and they have 93 while most other gas stations around have 91. Get those gas gift cards off ebay for 7-8% off. Stuck with Shell or Chevron when I lived in CA.
 
RockinZ28 said:
Surprised ARCO and Valero are on there, I put that in company vehicles and rentals.

Always use BP out here, and they have 93 while most other gas stations around have 91. Get those gas gift cards off ebay for 7-8% off. Stuck with Shell or Chevron when I lived in CA.
Click to expand...

Interesting. What is your fail rate with bunk cards?
 
I find it strange that you're tying this to throttle body cleaning. The fuel doesn't go through the throttle body in a multiport injected system.
 
RGN said:
Interesting. What is your fail rate with bunk cards?
Click to expand...
Never had an issue. They come from an ebay seller named svmgiftcards. Obviously there is still a chance, but it's better than sites like cardcash and raise where a user sells it and can just drain it before you get it. And you have ebay protection with these as well.

They often have deals for most major gas brand gift cards. I just set up a slickdeal alert for "bp gas."
 
I have been using Sam's Club gas for the past year without issue in my daily driver. Always the cheapest around here.

For the Trans Am, I usually use Fastrac ethanol-free 91, since they are one of the few who carries ethanol-free...

Only a few of those companies are even around here, Mobil and Valero are the only ones I remember seeing.
 
If your throttle body was dirty it could be a number of causes like oil and dirt getting in there.

1. Don't overfill the oil.
2. Make sure the air filter is clean and that IT FILTERS the air not allowing dirt into the TB.
3. Make sure there isn't an air intake leak after the air filter, between the air filter and the MAF sensor.
4. Make sure the PCV system is working properly.


I agree top tier fuel is a wise recommendation by the automobile manufacturers but bad fuel or dirty fuel is not the cause of TB dirt. Dirty fuel would clog the fuel filter or fuel injectors making the engine run rough.
 
Last edited:
disappoint said:
If your throttle body was dirty it could be a number of causes like oil and dirt getting in there.

1. Don't overfill the oil.
2. Make sure the air filter is clean and that IT FILTERS the air not allowing dirt into the TB.
3. Make sure there isn't an air intake leak after the air filter, between the air filter and the MAF sensor.
4. Make sure the PCV system is working properly.


I agree top tier fuel is a wise recommendation by the automobile manufacturers but bad fuel or dirty fuel is not the cause of TB dirt. Dirty fuel would clog the fuel filter or fuel injectors making the engine run rough.
Click to expand...

All good suggestions, keep in mind this TB had 12 years/102K miles and I had never opened it up until recently. The PCV system dumps into the manifold just past the TB so it might be the particular design more than anything. IMPO intake cleanliness was compromised the day when the bastard called "EGR" was born. I do check/change the AF and clean the MAF with a can of MAF sensor spray once a year. I'm a c***t-hair away from buying a cheap borescope to see what other demons lay in my upper intake manifold.
 
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