I usually use Shell 92 in my S65. Yesterday, I filled up with Exxon. First time I've used their fuel. This morning, I found the throttle response a LOT more crisp and responsive. Seemed like a different car. Didn't have the lag it usually does.

Has anyone else found using different brands of fuel change the way it drives?

 

some fuels are considered top tier but i dont know how true that is

 

I love Chevron (with Techron) when I can find it, but that's generally in the south. Up north, I'm limited to Shell or Mobil, all top tier, which I think probably matters. Probably. Shell I thought was nitrogen enriched 93 (not 92). I think some Texaco and Exxon stations in the south are selling gas with Techron included, which basically makes it Chevron gas to me.

What I have found, is after the car has been driven for over 3 or 4 hours (long enough to clear it out a bit), it'll run better the next day, even on vodka. Jokes. But you know what I mean.

If there was Techron in the gas, that would explain the difference.

maw

 

Brands marketed as Top Tier must meet the tougher quality standards. The gasolines surely have their differences (mostly among detergents, I'm guessing), but I'm not sure how much they'll differ, power-wise, from one to the next.

The brands currently are:

TOP TIER™ Licensed Retail Brands
76
Aloha
Amoco Ultimate with Invigorate
ARCO
Beacon
BP Regular with Invigorate
BP Silver with Invigorate
Break Time
Cenex
Chevron
CITGO
Conoco
Co-op
Costco Gasoline
CountryMark
CountryMark Plus
Diamond Shamrock
Esso
Express
Exxon
Hele
Holiday
Kwik Star
Kwik Trip
Kwik Trip Express
Mahalo
MFA
Mobil
Ohana Fuels
Petro-Canada
Phillips 66
PUMA Energy Caribe
QT
QuikTrip
Road Ranger
Shamrock
Shell
Shell (Puerto Rico)
Sinclair
Standard
SuperAmerica
SuperFuels
Tempo
Texaco
Tri-Par Qwik Stop
Valero



Bill

 

I don't know how much of a difference from one major brand to another but I definitely stay away from no name mini mart gas stations, no telling where that fuel comes from

 

Ejbrock

I usually use Chevron gasoline. I also use Techron fuel system cleaner every 3rd fill up! IMHO my engines run much smoother with better pickup.

 

I live around the worlds largest refineries. I live in southeast Texas. Aside from living near these refineries, I have worked in the refineries and I have many friends at all levels of the refining process. My opinion is based on what I have personally seen and been told by my friends that make your gas. It's all the same except additives. Tanker trucks will line up at the Motiva refinery and head out to all different brands of pumps. The same is for Exxon Mobil, Valero, etc. The gas is all refined the same and is of the same quality. Each brand has their own additive, which are all pretty similar, that they add to it. The biggest difference you will find in gasoline is the quality of it's storage and how fast the pump station is able to rotate its inventory. Gasoline degrades quickly and a pump with low volume sales might be sitting on stale gas. Another problem is the tank the pump uses. A old tank that isn't well maintained will allow more water in than a good tank. That water ends up mixing with the ethanol in the gas which goes into your car. If you can find a station that sells ethanol free gasoline, this is top notch stuff, buy it.

 

It's ALL about the additives..., which you can buy in any auto parts store. Like, Chevron Techron.

maw

 

i also dont believe that all those brands meet top tier quality, thats just BS. i dont care that top tier has them listed either, i just dont believe it

when are these detergents added? not at the refinery... so by the truck driver or by the gas station or by the holding tank people? im not buying it.

 

There is a quick trip by my house that I occasionally use and car always feels more responsive.....

 

To be honest, I'm not sure at what point the additives are put in. I just sent an email to one of my friends at Exxon Mobil in Beaumont, TX to ask. I will post what he says as soon as he responds. As far as it all coming from the same place, it's absolutely true and I invite anyone to come see it. The tanker for the local Citgo, Valero, Shamrock, Exxon, Mobil, Shell, Conoco, Sunoco, Chevron, etc will all be at the same refinery picking up their loads for the day. These refineries do no operate completely on their own, they share stuff. For example, they buy steam from each other and have pipelines that connect them all together. If anyone has any questions about this, I have sources that still work in the refineries, half of my friends, and can find out whatever you want. Within 30 minutes of here is the worlds largest refinery, Motiva of Port Arthur, TX. Across the street is the Valero plant that is undergoing an expansion to make it the largest. We have two Exxon plants, a Total, and a slew of chemical plants that support or compliment the industry. Then just an hour down the road is Texas, City. Within 3 hours of me, I would guess that at least 40% (might be more, just a guess) of all US gas is refined. I have many contacts at all levels and can find out anything you might want to know about gasoline here.

 

My buddy just responded. The additives are blended in the tanks where the tanker trucks pick them up. It is not part of the refining process and they consider this the point of distribution.

 

im not disputing that all the gasoline come from the same refineries, i've actually heard that before and it makes sense.

some companies used to refine their own gas in certain regions but ive read they shut down because the oil that is available today is dirtier in a sense and those plants could not refine that type of oil. so i think what is true is that different oils are refined in different ways (or to different standards) and as such make different quality gas. so it is entirely possible that some gas you buy today will not be the same quality of gas you buy next month even if you are buying at the same station that purchases from the same refinery. and then all those things you also discussed are also true about water tables seeping into individual station tanks and gas becoming stale as it may not be used right away.

im just not buying this whole thing about detergents. im sure that all those companies have met some kind of standard ie paid some kind of fee to have their names listed. but my guess is that if someone where to travel the country and test what is coming out of those nozzles randomly... they'd find that a large percent of those companies do not meet the standard. How do I know? I think this is true because of the price of gasoline and the costs associated to make sure things are running correctly. I believe that in this case, and not all cases, that you get what you pay for. so for instance a company like company "V" who's gasoline is way cheaper than company "M1" is cheaper because they simply do not incur the costs of ensuring quality is as high. Sure some "V" stations may have gasoline on a particular day that is very good, but on most days that gasoline might just be OK. Where "M1" might have stations where the gasoline is excellent on particular days but very good to good but better than OK on most days.

Also keep in mind that detergent chemicals aren't going to be available to every company, those are proprietary blends and as such, the best blends are already taken by the forerunners. so for example we see in medicine that company lets say by the name of meirc would have created what is known as a blockbuster drug that is used to lets say prevent aging in the brain. well company johnsten sees that meirc is making a billion dollars a year and pulls a copy cat move by releasing some medicine based on a derivative molecule that almost does the same thing but not exactly, it works through another function and while it may be effective, it is not as effective as the original. now sure sometimes the second or third company is successful in their research and find a molecule that functions parallel or in a way better than the first one, but look at that list of top tier gas stations... that is clearly a pay to play list and there is no way that company #15 or #50 is doing a better job than #s 1-10,

so i guess buy their gas if you want but i know they are just full of it