007_e350

I tried it out and my MPG went down to 15 (usually its 17+ city only) and felt reduced engine response ... Shell claims Nitrogen will help cleans the engine, I use Chevron's Techron every 3k miles

Also, the engine vibrations came back with v-power .... Everything is restored now (Power, vibs in idle, mpg) with Mobil's 93 grade!

thanks

E500 AMG Sport

I've always been told that Shell gas is JUNK!!!!
All the custom dyno tuners that I know say to stay away from Shell cuz it can't handle timing too well and therefore the car can't make the kind of power it could.

From my sources, I've been advised to use BP/Amoco, Mobil, Sunoco. Chevron seems to be alright also.

220S

That's pretty good mpg! Every 3k.

Not sure what you mean by that(?) {edit: never mind, I get it now. Techron is also the name of their gasoline, that's what confused me}

Anyway, additives are always an issue. And, imho, gas quality has gone down. Wait 'till you'll have to be putting corn liquor in the tank, then you see reduced performance.

fwiw, I normally put in 3/4 premium (Union 76) and 1/4 100% octane. That way I can have the octane that's available in most countries. And what Mercedes assumes one is using. Octane is only 91 in CA.

w221silver

Techron is the name of their additive, and you can buy concentrated Techron in a bottle. What he probably meant was that he dumps a bottle of Techron in his tank every 3K miles.

TheGreatOne45

i use v-power exclusively and have never had a problem with it

RDSBENZ

+1

KL2DC

I try to always stick to Top Tier gas brands at the minimum. I've always have a preference for Shell though and so far, no problems on either of my cars.

chokaay

In my experience, different brands of gasoline may have different affect performance differently in different types of engines (in different conditions).

My 2002 C240 (V6) had noticeably more power with Shell versus any other brand of gasoline (although mileage was about the same... maybe a few, <25 miles, more with Shell than other brands).

My 2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe (I-4) performed better with 76 or Costco gas than any other brand of gasoline (more power and a bit more mileage, ~50 miles more).

So far for my 2009 E350's (V6) I've used only Shell (but then again I've only filled up 3 times so far). I don't seem to be getting great milage right now, but I attribute that more due to the break-in period of the engine than anything else (apparently gas mileage should get better after 2,000-3,000 miles). I have not had any problems with any vibrations, shakes, stutters, erratic shifting, or any other performance issues with these cars. To me their transmissions and engines are silky smooth (compared to the other 2 MB I've had) and have a lot of power.

tydog07

That's funny you say that, I've never had performance or MPG issues with their gas, I try to look for Shell gasoline but BP is a second favorite!

gaazmon

Always use Mobil.

I used to use Chevron as well, but I have 2 personal reasons why I don't use them anymore. F**k them, they'll never get my business back.

novae500

I did the ecu reset since my W211 was used. Before, was 16mpg, but now getting 19mpg when i drive it to/from work (which is 15 miles each way) Its a 2 lane parkway that has about 16 or so stoplights. Speed limit is 45-50mph. Lately i've just been filling up on costco gas, since its 20cents cheaper than Sunoco/mobil that are nearby.

FT Benz

I've been putting Stop and Shop gas in my car. Sometimes Mobil. I use the highest octane but haven't really thought about different brands affecting performance. Anyone know of studies out there that compare fuels?

fortlaudsummer

I have never liked Shell for their prices and Mobil for their alleged discrimination.

BP FTW

westcott

I have worked in the Oil and Gas industry for 18+ years and I will let you in on a little secret. Gasoline is gasoline. It all comes down the same pipeline for ALL the retail stations. All the name brand stations do to call their petrol "special" is to add a few quarts of their proprietary "special" sauce and then claim their fuel is better than everyone else's. All pure marketing, for the most part.

My advice is to do business with new stations that have new storage tanks. Older stations may have leaks and water in the fuel. Also, do not fill up if you notice the pump is running slow. This means you are near the bottom of the storage tank where all the nasties settle. Stop, and go somewhere else.

P.S. Anyone ever wondered why their is a middle grade? Well, I will tell you. 93 octane comes down the pipeline and a batch of 87 comes down the pipeline right behind it. A miracle, medium grade gasoline caused from the two batches where they mix. It is stripped off between batches and does not have to be shipped back for reprocessing like other products sent down the pipe.

007_e350

So I made sure I burn all the V-power out and filled up Mobil 1 :: all my power is restored, engine is whistling again (if you know what I mean) and mpg numbers are back up ... For those who have always used V-Power, its time to try Mobil-1, I'm not a big fan of BP..

I also would want to say; a lot of the time its a particular pump that 'corrupt' or just that particular batch of gas ... I read about shell online in a blog where some chemists had -ve feedback on Nitrogen enriched gas, saying it reduces combustion BTUs (BTU ultimately transforms into power), I'll try to find the link and post it here

iblaho

Good to know, Wescott. What do you think of Chevron's Techron? What do you recommend for fuel additives/cleaners? I can get 91 octane from Chevron, Shell, 76, Valero, and AM PM. Suggestions?


io

westcott

The amount of additive that is added to a fuel tanker you see pull up to the station is equivalent in effect to you spitting in your gas tank at every fill. It is not enough to make any drastic improvements.

I have not used a lot of aftermarket additives but they would be far more effective than pump gas just due to the ratio of content introduced per tank. I have had good luck with octane boosters and fuel injection cleaners, if that helps.

Octane is your best way to improve performance. It is tested before shipement so you can be fairly assured you are getting what you pay for. Here in Texas, 93 octane is readily available.

Here again, quality is far more dependant on the quality of the tank fuel is stored in. Newer stations are your best bet.

iblaho

Good to know. I'll pass it on. It seems my car ran a little better on Oregon's 92 than California's 91. I'll look for a recently renovated station.

io

rkao

I have been using Shell almost exclusively as long as I can find it for the last 3+ years and have had no complaints on any of our cars past and present.

I am a bit skeptical of their advertising as a part of the Top Tier Detergent Gasoline club, but then others like Chevron, Texaco and Phillips 66 are part of it so it's six and one half to me...

Sportstick

We use Costco premium from a fairly new store and pumps. Power is fine and mileage is great. Both the E and C seem to like it just fine. Kirkland brand food products are surprisingly good, and Costco may have the same quality for its fuel storage/pumps and the price is always better than anywhere else. No...I don't work there or have any connection......just satisfied with the gasoline...BUT be careful of spillage. They told me they run their pumps faster than anywhere else, too. The first few times, I spilled gas down the side, but now only use the slowest setting and its fine.

220S

Wescott, where did you work and in what capacity? My father was a petroleum engineer his entire career. He was also a technical director of the SPE. He worked for Socony-Vacuum (and later of course, ExxonMobil, as Socony became Mobil)

Some of what you are saying is a little bit puzzling to me(?) And to my (somewhat limited) knowledge of refineries and transport. At least how gasoline is refined here.

And also what you just said about octane; these cars are fuel injected, of course, not carbureted. Excessive octane will burn slower and unless the car is designed for it, there will be unburned fuel. Sure, these are high compression motors but only require what MB is suggesting. Octane is NOT necessarily the "best way to improve performance." It's dependent on the motor's compression and timing. Excessive octane is useless and could even be damaging. Remember the days of rotten egg smells from CCs?

I mix my fuel only to get closer to what MB recommends for my motor because the octane here in CA is lower than Europe and the rest of the country.

Cheers!

Vik888

I took a class in college called "Energy Economics." My prof taught part time and worked the rest of the time for Saudi Araamco. He said pretty much what you just said.

I fill ARCO because its the closest station to my house and its a brand new station and there is NO MILAGE DIFFERENCE for me between Arco and Chevron. Haven't tried Mobil or Shell yet.

vettdvr

Interesting I always thought N2 was a inert gas until very high temperatures. Wonder how the chemistry would work to react with C (carbon). to break it down.

I buy gas that meets the min 91 octane rating that does not contain ethanol. (alke doesn't have the BTU / gal as gas).

I will add Techron to the gas tank of my corvette when the fuel gauge begins to read an error.

Normally I don't buy shell due to higher prices and it doesn't seem to perform any better than Chevron or Racetrack.

paulv

vettdvr,

google "amine" as this is the basic compound used in Techron and probably the same stuff in V-power -- you'll see that the N2 is the center part of the molecule with other things bonded to it. I checked this out a long time ago and when Shell introduced this concept, I knew it was marketing hype. The same with their GTL claims (there's also a story about this that dates back to the 1920's in Germany). BTW, I use Shell V-power in both the E320 and Boxster and haven't had any performance problems.

Regards,
paul...

BenzBee

I have always used Shell V-Power in my E350 4Matic and my s/o also exclusively uses it in his BMW 535xi. We both always put a bottle of Redline in the tank every 3K miles. We get good fuel economy (I average about 24 in mixed driving in DC). Never had any issues.