Top Tier Gasoline and MPG

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Ok I've had may 2012 2SS L99 for a little over 2 months now.
I do primarily city driving @ 25-45 mph. Initially the car stayed around 11 mpg using Hess 93 octane.

I did a little research and saw where GM recommends using top tier gasoline.

So I ran out the Hess and filled up with Mobil, did the fuse pull, and increased to 14.5.

I recently used a tank of BP 93, which is also supposed to be top tier, but went back to 11mpg.

So I ran the BP out, put Mobil back in, did the fuse pull again, and I'm currently getting 14.6.

Evidently all top tier gas is not the same. There is a Texaco station close to where I live that sells non-ethanol 93 that I haven't tried yet.

Anyone noticed mpg gains from non-ethanol?

[Stealthpanda]

Its so hard to compare between fill-ups because I don't believe there is a real world constant to test/use against, making it biased. IMO though.
I do go by the Top Tier Gas list. Maybe I am just a sheep. Nothing but Shell/Exxon/Mobil for me, particularly since I am tuned for 93 octane.

[NC_SS]

I think the owners manual says use 93 octane preferably with detergent or whatever in the fuel.

No idea what that is, but Valero offers 93 octane with "detergent" additives. I average around 21 MPG when I'm not romping on it in the 6 speed.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by Stealthpanda

Its so hard to compare between fill-ups because I don't believe there is a real world constant to test/use against, making it biased. IMO though.
I do go by the Top Tier Gas list. Maybe I am just a sheep. Nothing but Shell/Exxon/Mobil for me, particularly since I am tuned for 93 octane.

I plan to do that tune as well, did you have the low octane tables rewritten to match the high? What about the "knock" sensors?

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by NC_SS

I think the owners manual says use 93 octane preferably with detergent or whatever in the fuel.

No idea what that is, but Valero offers 93 octane with "detergent" additives. I average around 21 MPG when I'm not romping on it in the 6 speed.

Valero is a Top Tier gas. You must drive primarily hwy to get 21 mpg.
This short video explains top tier gas.

[Fred 6528]

Next time you see a truck unloading gas ask the driver about the difference in gas that he hauls.

[NFRNOSS]

I was told the SS is tuned for 91. I was using Ultra 94 for awhile and saw similar results with lower gas mileage. I switched back to 91 and did the fuse pull, and the gas mileage returned to normal.

[LOBBS]

I use BP 93 and even during the winter months have maintained 18-19 mpg. This includes more than a fair share of days in the single digits. It's been in the 50's the last few days and it's come back up to 20-21. I have AFM disabled through ECU not Range.

[Red2014SS]

From what I was told (from a guy who drives a tanker truck), the refinery mixes up specific formulas for the large buyers ... Of course, the major brands (oil companies) are the guys who buy huge orders. When the refinery switches to a new order, it has to "flush the pipes", so to speak. The "mixed batch" in the tanks and lines are sold to the discount stations. So, you never actually get low quality gasoline anywhere... you simply get a mixture of major brands at the cheaper, off brand, stations.

I don't know if this is true. I am simply repeating what I was told by a truck driver. It seems to make sense.

[stoopid]

All gasolines have additives, just some more than others.

Top tier doesn't guarantee quality but it's a better bet than cheaper stations. It's also been posted (haven't verified this myself) that 'top tier' is a branding thing, so those companies pay to be on that list. Which is to say - just because someone isn't doesn't mean they're selling crap gas.

I ran top tier for a while and I'm now back to whatever premium I drive by. Haven't notice a difference from station to station, and I'm still going to be pouring my own additives into the tank from time to time anyway (Tekron).

Running 93 in the V8 won't hurt performance.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

This short video explains top tier gas.

Shortly into the video, the show a pump with gas labeled as "Regular 85", "Midgrade 87", and "Premium 91". Then later in the video, they say "Most cars are designed to run on Regular gasoline, which is 87 octane". So, which is it? Regular or midgrade? I'm always a bit skeptical when a professionally produced video or article contradicts itself.

My car runs great and I buy my 93 octane gas (almost exclusively) at the local Murphy USA station at Walmart. It is a quality gas (with detergent additives) and a high turnover. I believe high turnover is key to ensuring quality gas coming out of the underground tanks. I usually save between 10-30 cents a gallon over "top tier" brand prices. Not a huge deal and I'm not trying to pinch pennies - I just don't like paying for gimmicks.

[Fred 6528]

Originally Posted by Comrando

And what do you think he knows? How much the truck weighs.

When I went for my CDL written test there were ~30 applicants filling out the forms. Scratching their heads and staring into space as if the answers were going to magically come to them. 90% were still there when I turned in my test.

You don't have to be a brainiac to drive a truck. And you certainly aren't going to be a chemist or engineer.

You might be surprised what he knows, the drivers in my area will tell you that the same gas that is put in the tanks at Shell stations is also going to Costco. They also say that if a brand name station needs gas asap they will take whatever is on the truck. As for the truck driver comment, there are many professional drivers out there that take pride in what they do. I've never driven one but I would hope that a driver with a load of haz-mat would have some idea of what he's hauling.

[STOCK1SC]

All I know is I see the truck that delivers gas to the BP gas station go right across the street to the Spinx where you can get your BiLo grocery store bonus point discounts for gas and unloads from the same truck. Same truck at the same 2 stations about 20 minutes later. See it all the time.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by STOCK1SC

All I know is I see the truck that delivers gas to the BP gas station go right across the street to the Spinx where you can get your BiLo grocery store bonus point discounts for gas and unloads from the same truck. Same truck at the same 2 stations about 20 minutes later. See it all the time.

I know someone who managed a convenient store (for a local chain) that said their gas came from the Mobil truck, same one that would cross the street and fill up the Mobil station. As I posted, just because someone isn't listed on the top tier site doesn't mean their gas is junk. Aside from additional additives, all the gas is identical anyway. If you already add your own stuff to the tank, then paying more for top tier is just throwing money away IMHO.