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S-Class (W222) 2014-2020

Top Tier Fuel...I was 100% wrong

Old Sep 14, 2024 | 11:24 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by carlosinseattle
Sometimes peoople make me feel like I'm talking to my Ex-wife...
[joke] Talking to or speaking with? One wonders why you may be the divorcée [/joke]

Guys worth noting is that no manner of fuel additives will address the huge carbon build-up on the back side of intake valves due to the engine using direct injection.

/Argument for the Bent-12.
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Old Sep 15, 2024 | 01:10 AM
  #52  
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TT and AAA simply validated what we all know which are the proven benefits of raw gasoline additives. Old news for decades.

Because a discount retailer has a an additive formulated blend does not at all mean such proprietary blend is sufficient for internal motor component protection and performance. As a buyer, you have no way to document maximum additive performance. TT aims to convince you its arbitrary and tested threshold is sufficient.

Can you fathom the scope of R&D labs owned by the majors? The retail fuel product from both major and discount brands are not the same. You be the judge.

If your doc prescribes a 20 mg med, would you arbitrarily cut by 50% and take a 10 to save a few bucks? Nor I. Why take the risk? Welcome to discount brands.

Discount brands are cheaper for a reason. I will forever avoid discount brands regardless of their additive marketing claims. Your call.

Mañana boys.
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Old Sep 15, 2024 | 01:28 AM
  #53  
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I think you are overthinking this. The study shows clearly that there is a benefit to TT fuels. Since pretty much all of the major fuel brands are TT fuel, what is the issue? It reinforces the decision not to buy cheap, off brand fuel.
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Old Sep 15, 2024 | 06:54 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by superpop
I think the location is as important as the brand, probably more important. One of the reasons I fill up at Costco and or Safeway is because they sell a ton of gas and most of the time I see a distributor truck loading up their tanks frequently. This is an indication that the gas is probably pretty fresh from the refinery and because of the volumes sold, these places tend to take care of their equipment like tanks and pumps. I get very nervous filling up at some small town gas station with a handful of customers a day. The odds of water in the tank or some other contaminant along with stale gas goes up substantially with these little shops, especially when you are pumping premium gas.
Great point!
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Old Sep 15, 2024 | 09:19 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by superpop
I think the location is as important as the brand, probably more important. One of the reasons I fill up at Costco and or Safeway is because they sell a ton of gas and most of the time I see a distributor truck loading up their tanks frequently. This is an indication that the gas is probably pretty fresh from the refinery and because of the volumes sold, these places tend to take care of their equipment like tanks and pumps. I get very nervous filling up at some small town gas station with a handful of customers a day. The odds of water in the tank or some other contaminant along with stale gas goes up substantially with these little shops, especially when you are pumping premium gas.
As also quoted ^ Safeway (non-TT) here is a very nice gas station, good volume and everything is extremely clean and well maintained. And the discount from groceries is a nice perk. I’ll keep using it and add a bottle of additive occasionally, Red Line or similar. Costco is Costco… big volume.

When going cross country I usually stop at Pilot, T/A, Loves, or name brands at bigger cross roads. And there’s nothing like Iowa80! Small gas stations make me nervous.
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Old Sep 15, 2024 | 10:22 PM
  #56  
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Carlos I have still not read the report but I will….just buried in a few projects.

SW20S fuel with minimal additive blend is no where near the quality of major brand blended fuel, TT mixes eagles and crows and calls both top tier fuel and they’re not.

Final shot….TT adopts a standard below the major brands and labels the reduction as top tier. No way that label flies.

I've enjoyed the enlightening discussion and wish you all rewarding motoring.

Is it safe to call a Single Malt top tier?
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Old Sep 16, 2024 | 05:18 AM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Donnymac
Carlos I have still not read the report but I will….just buried in a few projects.

SW20S fuel with minimal additive blend is no where near the quality of major brand blended fuel, TT mixes eagles and crows and calls both top tier fuel and they’re not.

Final shot….TT adopts a standard below the major brands and labels the reduction as top tier. No way that label flies.

I've enjoyed the enlightening discussion and wish you all rewarding motoring.

Is it safe to call a Single Malt top tier?
Got any evidence that TT standards are below major brands? If yes, please share. If no, then it’s an opinion, and will be given all the consideration an opinion deserves.
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Old Sep 16, 2024 | 05:32 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Donnymac
SW20S fuel with minimal additive blend is no where near the quality of major brand blended fuel, TT mixes eagles and crows and calls both top tier fuel and they’re not.

Final shot….TT adopts a standard below the major brands and labels the reduction as top tier. No way that label flies.
What are you talking about?!? Who said anything about fuel with minimum blend being the same quality as major brand blended fueI?

In any event why are you arguing with a report you haven't even read?
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Old Sep 17, 2024 | 02:03 AM
  #59  
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SW20S TT sets an arbitrary data threshold which both average and superior blends exceed. It’s simple. How can average and superior both be top tier? They can’t.

Average and superior have never nor will ever be equal. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

Your turn.



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Old Sep 17, 2024 | 05:11 AM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Donnymac
SW20S TT sets an arbitrary data threshold which both average and superior blends exceed. It’s simple. How can average and superior both be top tier? They can’t.

Average and superior have never nor will ever be equal. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

Your turn.
Again: evidence/data? Or opinion?
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Old Sep 17, 2024 | 11:14 AM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by Donnymac
SW20S TT sets an arbitrary data threshold which both average and superior blends exceed. It’s simple. How can average and superior both be top tier? They can’t.

Average and superior have never nor will ever be equal. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

Your turn.
As posted above, please provide us something to back these statements up. As you admit you havent even taken the time to read the study we provided to you. So....if you're going to say that study is wrong you need to at least read it and preferably provide some evidence that refutes its findings. Otherwise your statements are worthless.
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Old Sep 17, 2024 | 10:59 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by SW20S
As posted above, please provide us something to back these statements up. As you admit you havent even taken the time to read the study we provided to you. So....if you're going to say that study is wrong you need to at least read it and preferably provide some evidence that refutes its findings. Otherwise your statements are worthless.
I truly hope your learning curve is not expensive. Stay tuned. I’ll read the paper.
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Old Sep 17, 2024 | 11:52 PM
  #63  
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I must be missing something here. It has been stated, in this thread, that additives will not keep the carbon cleaned off the back of the intake valves, if the injection port is below the intake. If that’s the case, how did the buildup get in there in the first place?
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Old Sep 18, 2024 | 02:14 AM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by MB2timer
I must be missing something here. It has been stated, in this thread, that additives will not keep the carbon cleaned off the back of the intake valves, if the injection port is below the intake. If that’s the case, how did the buildup get in there in the first place?
Maybe oil seepage past the valve seals or PCV can release oil vapors into the intake manifold.
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Old Sep 18, 2024 | 05:17 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by Donnymac
I truly hope your learning curve is not expensive. Stay tuned. I’ll read the paper.
Again...what are you talking about? What learning curve?
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Old Sep 27, 2024 | 02:30 PM
  #66  
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The Report and testing methodology were very interesting. But unless I missed it there was no listing of which brands are Top Tier nor how to identify which brands meet that criteria. Does anyone have a list or a way to determine which brands are TT?
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Old Sep 27, 2024 | 02:54 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by as.thompson
The Report and testing methodology were very interesting. But unless I missed it there was no listing of which brands are Top Tier nor how to identify which brands meet that criteria. Does anyone have a list or a way to determine which brands are TT?
https://www.toptiergas.com/gasoline-brands/
Glad you took the time to read the report, I also appreciate the information. I think the link was included in the pdf, but it probably wasn't a clickable link.
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Old Sep 27, 2024 | 06:50 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by MB2timer
I must be missing something here. It has been stated, in this thread, that additives will not keep the carbon cleaned off the back of the intake valves, if the injection port is below the intake. If that’s the case, how did the buildup get in there in the first place?
VVT back flow
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Old Sep 28, 2024 | 09:09 AM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by Crito
VVT back flow
Also known as ‘overlap’ when Intake and exhaust valves are both open. Add crankcase vapors to the mix and we have big carbon build up. We haven’t been allowed to have road draft tubes since the mid sixties. Crankcase vapors are mostly inert except for the oil that encourages pinging... so nothing positive about adding that ick to the intake charge.

OEMs use overlap to add exhaust to the intake charge as it is inert (no oxygen) which reduces in cylinder temperatures to address production of oxides of Nitrogen without use of troublesome EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valves and plumbing that goes along with them.

Certain manufacturers are now using direct and port injection. Yes; two sets of injectors.

Engines with port injection don’t suffer from the carbon build up on intake valves.
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Old Sep 28, 2024 | 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnLane
Certain manufacturers are now using direct and port injection. Yes; two sets of injectors.
The 2.5 turbo I4 in the Genesis GV80 I traded for my Mercedes is one of those motors. Hyundai and Kia both use it too. From what I gathered from my time on the Genesis Owners forums, the port injectors only function on startup/warmup, after that it's all direct injection. I was thinking maybe they worked together at the same time but guess not.
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Old Sep 28, 2024 | 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Crito
The 2.5 turbo I4 in the Genesis GV80 I traded for my Mercedes is one of those motors. Hyundai and Kia both use it too. From what I gathered from my time on the Genesis Owners forums, the port injectors only function on startup/warmup, after that it's all direct injection. I was thinking maybe they worked together at the same time but guess not.
What are the pros and cons of the two?
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Old Sep 28, 2024 | 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by W205C43PFL
What are the pros and cons of the two?
Hmmmmm..... I’ll bite.

Cons....

More injectors to fail. For the four cylinder engine there are now eight port injectors and four DI injectors. DI injectors fail about 3-1 for port injectors. I see multiple injector failures weekly.

DI injectors still fail and are even more of a PITA to replace. DI injectors that fail to spraying wide open have not hydro locked an engine yet that I have seen (miracle!). DI injectors that fail for bad spray patterns can and do make for areas in the chamber that are lean for one cylinder that pings. These show up later as one hole with zero compression.

Pros.... We’ll see. It runs on DI so much that I’d not be surprised to still see carbon on the backs of intake valves.
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Old Sep 28, 2024 | 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnLane
Hmmmmm..... I’ll bite.

Cons....

More injectors to fail. For the four cylinder engine there are now eight port injectors and four DI injectors. DI injectors fail about 3-1 for port injectors. I see multiple injector failures weekly.

DI injectors still fail and are even more of a PITA to replace. DI injectors that fail to spraying wide open have not hydro locked an engine yet that I have seen (miracle!). DI injectors that fail for bad spray patterns can and do make for areas in the chamber that are lean for one cylinder that pings. These show up later as one hole with zero compression.

Pros.... We’ll see. It runs on DI so much that I’d not be surprised to still see carbon on the backs of intake valves.
Thanks for the explanation : )
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Old Oct 6, 2024 | 12:16 PM
  #74  
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I can "recharge" my M113K in about 3 minutes and I'm good for another 300+ miles.
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Old Oct 6, 2024 | 02:29 PM
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But you can’t do it in your garage while you’re sleeping for $8.
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