[oneredry]

Originally Posted by motorhead

Sue you for what? I would have told them to "F" off. Manufacturers put it in their owner's manual and other publications. They are telling far more people to use Toptier than you telling your customers.

I can't recall as to what it was, slander maybe.. Apparently who I recommend the shell gas station to, worked at a speed way refinery, they escalated it up the ladder. I was 23 years old then, at the time, when someone from corporate threatened to sue me because of I think it was slander term they used. I just didn't care. let them figure it out.

[JamesNoBrakes]

Has a lot of the "red flags" of a scam...

[Elite Engineering]

Oil Man has it correct out of all that have posted, at least what I have read.


First, ALL fuel comes from the same bulk tank farms and is graded by octane. Any additives above what is required by law for highway use is done either in the truck transport or at the station when it is delivered by the driver. I have watched at the port and all fill up at the same bulk tanks.


Next, while top tier fuel was an excellent choice for older port injection engines as the fuel constantly washed and cooled the valves keeping them clean and deposit free, no fuel touches the intake valves back sides where the coking takes place any longer with GDI engines (except the few that have added in small port injectors in an attempt to slow the coking rate, but so far these all show coking nearly as severe as no hybrids, but is far from a fix.


So, what is top tier doing for these new GDI engines? Absolutely nothing except possibly helping injectors stay clean, but at 2,000-3,000 PSI there is not a very high incidence of "dirty" injectors as in the past port injection engines operating at 45-55 PSI.

[Spartan268]

Isn't it more of a question of the compression level of the engine and detonation? It doesn't really clean anymore but the octane plays a role.

[oneredry]

I thought it came down to detergents they were using.

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by Spartan268

Isn't it more of a question of the compression level of the engine and detonation? It doesn't really clean anymore but the octane plays a role.

huh? Octane is independent of "top tier".

[Emoto]

Originally Posted by oneredry

I use shell personally. I used to work at a dealer way back when and when they started to put DI injection into cars a lot of the times, the injectors would go bad. (almost daily we would see this) we started to accumulate information from the customer, come to find out they were using speedway and BP gas. Just as a trial run, we asked the customers to try a top tier (speedway and BP are not) and never had a problem since. (yes we had to replace the injectors.) so I started to tell people to shop at a top tier such as shell. about a month later, I got a call from corporate speedway saying they could sue me for (I forgot the terminology) well since then, I did not mention anymore about going to shop elsewhere.

The thing is, you can simply point to the Top Tier recommendation that is in the owner's manual. Speedway can sue GM; suing you for simply telling customers what GM's fuel recommendation is would be thrown out immediately.

[avalonandl]

Originally Posted by SSDanny

Wait, Costco gas can cost you 40whp??

No thats Bullsh*t.......

4 degrees would be like 87 octane.....or less....

[NobleSS]

Originally Posted by oneredry

I use shell personally. I used to work at a dealer way back when and when they started to put DI injection into cars a lot of the times, the injectors would go bad. (almost daily we would see this) we started to accumulate information from the customer, come to find out they were using speedway and BP gas. Just as a trial run, we asked the customers to try a top tier (speedway and BP are not) and never had a problem since. (yes we had to replace the injectors.) so I started to tell people to shop at a top tier such as shell. about a month later, I got a call from corporate speedway saying they could sue me for (I forgot the terminology) well since then, I did not mention anymore about going to shop elsewhere.

BP is a Top Tier Gas http://www.toptiergas.com/licensedbrands/

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

I use ethanol free 93 which is available at a local gas station that has newer tanks. The gas is also dispensed from a pump that is only for this gas.

The pumps that have the button you press to select the grade can have up to a gallon of 87 in the line, if the last user pumped 87, there will be up to a gallon of it still in the line.

So if your putting 93 in, your not really getting 93, it will be lower with the gallon of 87 put in with it.

The ethanol free is only 4 cents more per gallon than local top tier's, and I get 2.5 mpg better than any of the top tier gasolines I've tried.

If you can find ethanol free premium in your area, from a dedicated pump for it, run a tank of it and see for yourself.

[17LGX]

The multi-button pumps give you far less than a gallon of the last selection. As I recall when I complained to BP a couple of years ago, the hose has about 3/10 of a gallon. That is too much as far as i am concerned, but far less than a gallon.

If that ethanol free pump has the name of a Top Tier gasoline brand on the pump, it is also Top Tier. Gasolines listed on toptiergas.com must have Top Tier additive packages in all of the pumps dispensed with their name affixed. For it to be non - Top Tier, it must be a separate pump with no markings for the Top Tier listed brand.

[VAZL1]

Originally Posted by Outahand

http://www.toptiergas.com/licensedbrands/

Looking at this link makes you think all gas is top tier. But it is not all labeled as such.

Another Costco gas user here. States top tier right on the pump. They go through a lot of fuel and I trust Costco to keep things maintained and filters changed ect.

[JamesNoBrakes]

I use Unicorn pee-pee. It makes me fly.

[Leadrightpedal]

Originally Posted by Oil Man

As has been noted with a couple of excellent posts, a high volume station with modern pumps and equipment gives you the best odds that you'll fill up with fuel that has not been contaminated or broken down.

Top Tier is a set of quality standards that EVERY refiner in town meets at this point, that exceed EPA requirements for detergent additives in gasoline. In fact, at least in my part of the world, you would be hard pressed to find a gas station that does NOT sell Top Tier.

I'm a terminal operator for one of the larger refiners in the Western US, who own or distribute to the biggest brands in Southern California. And the amount of persistent old wives' tales and "wisdom" about the connection between brands, oil, gasoline and quality is staggering. People will snub one brand in favor of crossing the street and paying $.40/gallon more for gasoline that was delivered from the same tanker truck, or came from the same refinery.

When I was growing up, my own father refused to buy gas from the company I ended up going to work for, telling me that they made crappy gas from the lowest quality crude oil. I came to understand later that they really made great gasoline from crude oil from the Alaskan North Slope, which is to crude oil what filet mignon is to dinner. But because they were on every corner in L.A. and dimes cheaper per gallon that everyone else, it must be crap, right?

Back when the premium was 20 cents a gallon it was a no brainer. These gas stations have gotten clever advertising only regular and diesel. You pull in and find up to a 80 cent differential on premium now.

I have a brand new HEB gas station that undercuts everyone else. Gas gets sold quickly. I understand they may not have the “top tier” additive package but does it really matter? I’ve resolved to put Techron in every month instead. HEB premium is $2.50. The “top tier” marketing cartel licensing play guys charge $2.80-$2.99 for premium.

I use 150 gallons a month. That’s between $45 and $74 extra a month. I’m not going to pay that. I’ve bought enough Techron for 6 months from Amazon. I also bought Lucas additive I might use between Techron. Some Liqui Moly Jectron to change it up every now and then.

It seems the sensible thing to do. These guys will market to you like Michael Kors does to women. I can buy my own additives if need be. I’m not paying 80 cents a gallon extra. They do this to drive more traffic to their stations rip you off on gas and get more convenience store sales. If they stop making us subsidize regular grade gas and become more honest about displaying premium gas prices again I’ll go back. Until then I will vote with my wallet. They think people who buy cars that need high octane gas are price inelastic fools who don’t care about what they pay. They are wrong. Most of us are intelligent enough to call out the marketing BS play. They want everything to be a fashion statement these days “I use xyz gas only, I only wear xyz headphones, I use only xyz cell phone service” etc. it’s gone a bit too far.