TOP TIER Gasoline

[AUDILUX]

Quattro magazine had an interview with a Shell representative in this months issue, in which the Shell guy was talking about Top Tier gasoline. I just Googled it and found the website - http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

What do you guys think??

Here's some background that they have on their site:
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TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is the premier standard for gasoline performance. Six of the world's top automakers, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi recognize that the current EPA minimum detergent requirements do not go far enough to ensure optimal engine performance.

Since the minimum additive performance standards were first established by EPA in 1995, most gasoline marketers have actually reduced the concentration level of detergent additive in their gasoline by up to 50%. As a result, the ability of a vehicle to maintain stringent Tier 2 emission standards have been hampered, leading to engine deposits which can have a big impact on in-use emissions and driver satisfaction.

These automakers have raised the bar. TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline help drivers avoid lower quality gasoline which can leave deposits on critical engine parts, which reduces engine performance. That’s something both drivers and automakers want to avoid.

Gasoline retailers must meet the high TOP TIER standards with all grades of gasoline to be approved by the automakers as providing TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.

In addition, all gasoline outlets carrying the brand of the approved retailer must meet the TOP TIER standards.

Additional gasoline retailers are added to the TOP TIER list as they meet the standards. The retailers known to be on the TOP TIER list are shown below.

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

QuikTrip
Chevron
Texaco
MFA Oil Co.
Conoco
Phillips 66
76
Entec Stations
Shell
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Co.
Turkey Hill Minit Markets
Mileage Stations
Chevron Canada
Shell Canada
Petro-Canada
Sunoco Canada

[Kruat]

Chervon FTW! But I paid 4.56 a gallon this morning....

[fatezero]

Chervon FTW! But I paid 4.56 a gallon this morning....

Must be nice, here in SoCal we are lucky to pay under $4.75!

[tike0rz]

At least Jersey is good for something! Shell V-Power is $4.23 minus 9 cents on Sundays! Woohoo!

I usually fill up at Sunoco, Shell, or Exxon...I'll also do BP.

[Reaxion]

Where's ARCO?!?!? ;P

[Zorfunk]

You can get the Shell Mastercard and get a 5% rebate. It's like 25c a gallon off all the time.

[andream88]

In Italy we pay over 9,5$ a gallon.

[RolledMySTi]

I don't know if that will matter much if you throw in a bottle of fuel system cleaner with every oil change. Mostly just don't go to the no name stations.

Gas may suck in Italy, but your women are hot so it can't be that bad. I'll trade $4.75 a gallon and fatties at the bar for $9.5 a gallon gas and gorgeous Italian women any day.

[AUDILUX]

Umm...guys...can we get on topic. The post is about Top Tier gasoline, which is about the concentration level of detergent additive, not the price of gas or Italian women. Thanks!

[fatezero]

Umm...guys...can we get on topic. The post is about Top Tier gasoline, which is about the concentration level of detergent additive, not the price of gas or Italian women. Thanks!

Thanks Forum Police...

Oh, and regarding the price of gas in the EU & Italy...you guys have Government Paid Healthcare and we have to pay for our own. When you factor in the cost, we are actually paying now more then you guys

[AUDILUX]

Thanks Forum Police...

Oh, and regarding the price of gas in the EU & Italy...you guys have Government Paid Healthcare and we have to pay for our own. When you factor in the cost, we are actually paying now more then you guys

Go bitch about gas prices elsewhere. I'd like to get some serious input on whether or not people think that the additives in gasoline make that much of a difference.

[exorcet]

Go bitch about gas prices elsewhere. I'd like to get some serious input on whether or not people think that the additives in gasoline make that much of a difference.

well, i just did a 'whois' on toptiergas.com -- guess who owns it? General Motors. Take the information with a grain of salt.

i for one will be using Shell VEKTRON 3000 additive: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2000/01/shellcmp.htm

all additives perform based on claims...right? hah...

[fatezero]

Go bitch about gas prices elsewhere. I'd like to get some serious input on whether or not people think that the additives in gasoline make that much of a difference.

Hello, obviously they do! Quattro just wrote about it and it has been known for a long time that high performance cars require the better detergents found in the top mfg of gas. 98% of all gas is the same at the refinery and it is the 2% of additives including detergents, antioxidants, and lubricators that are added at the fuel truck when they are getting gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_additive
http://www.ethanol-gec.org/clean/cf08.htm

Each refinery typically has additives from multiple Fuel Companies so when the trucks come to fill up they are added. Chevron, Mobil, Shell, etc... all have different additives based on their own proprietary formula/blend. When car mfgs are designing their engines, they work with Oil companies (i.e. Shell & Ferrari) to make sure that the engine will work with the fuel that is being used.

The majority of fuel and oil additives in the USA are mfg by a company called Lubrizol (http://www.lubrizol.com/).

Regarding if they make a difference, it depends on the application. If you drive a Chevy Suburban you don't care what gas you use (i.e. ARCO etc...) because your engine does not require the additional additives to run at 100% efficiency. But when you have an S4 or M3, you are dealing with engines that are very high in compression or are forced induction and they need the better fuel with the better additives.

[gointoscott]

Yey Kwik Trip is on the list!

But no Amaco/BP? that surprised me that BP isnt on the list.

[exorcet]

Yey Kwik Trip is on the list!

But no Amaco/BP? that surprised me that BP isnt on the list.

QuikTrip owned the www.toptiergas.com website last year prior to General Motors. Wonder what the setup is...

[AUDILUX]

Hello, obviously they do! Quattro just wrote about it and it has been known for a long time that high performance cars require the better detergents found in the top mfg of gas. 98% of all gas is the same at the refinery and it is the 2% of additives including detergents, antioxidants, and lubricators that are added at the fuel truck when they are getting gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_additive
http://www.ethanol-gec.org/clean/cf08.htm

Each refinery typically has additives from multiple Fuel Companies so when the trucks come to fill up they are added. Chevron, Mobil, Shell, etc... all have different additives based on their own proprietary formula/blend. When car mfgs are designing their engines, they work with Oil companies (i.e. Shell & Ferrari) to make sure that the engine will work with the fuel that is being used.

The majority of fuel and oil additives in the USA are mfg by a company called Lubrizol (http://www.lubrizol.com/).

Regarding if they make a difference, it depends on the application. If you drive a Chevy Suburban you don't care what gas you use (i.e. ARCO etc...) because your engine does not require the additional additives to run at 100% efficiency. But when you have an S4 or M3, you are dealing with engines that are very high in compression or are forced induction and they need the better fuel with the better additives.

Nice. I'll be giving more thought to where I buy my gas from now on. Thanks!

[Quattrocket]

Thanks Forum Police...

Oh, and regarding the price of gas in the EU & Italy...you guys have Government Paid Healthcare and we have to pay for our own. When you factor in the cost, we are actually paying now more then you guys

Dude, They pay for their healthcare through their taxes. It's not Free healthcare, you just pay for it through the government. It's just to ensure that everyone rich and poor alike can have healthcare. Also factor in that he pays more than twice the taxes you do.

[So_NAudi]

Quik Trip is actually Kwik Trip its a Midwest (maybe only wisconsin) thing and their gas BLOWS. Dont ever get it!!!!!

EDIT: I guess they are different companies, but if it starts with KWIK your buying sh!t.

[Quattrocket]

Sunoco Ultra 94 FTW!!!

[fatezero]

Dude, They pay for their healthcare through their taxes. It's not Free healthcare, you just pay for it through the government. It's just to ensure that everyone rich and poor alike can have healthcare. Also factor in that he pays more than twice the taxes you do.

Its not worth getting into a debate over universal health care, however the major reason why the people in Europe pay $9/gallon is that there is a 100% tax basically on a micro and macro level that is used towards the country's universal health care. The average American is charged $380/month (paid for by employer or employee) for health care, so if we added that onto our $4.80/gallon price we are paying MORE then the Europeans.

At the end of the day we are all paying the same. They pay for it in taxes, we pay for it in health care premiums...