A reminder to run Top Tier fuel and avoid cheap gas

[N7turbo]

FTR BP Invigorate exceeds TT specs supposedly. I absolutely only use TT fuel, but BP and Aamco are both safe, too. They just don't pay to get certified.

Where can we verify that, though. I mean, if they want customers, the world needs to know about it.

 

[jadmt]

Where can we verify that, though. I mean, if they want customers, the world needs to know about it.

I am guessing BP is doing fine without TT status. I doubt the majority of people filling up have a clue. heck look at stations like Stinker and Maverick...people want to save 2 cents on a gallon...

 

[BoomerZoomr]

When you look at the price of gasoline over the last 45 years, and consider inflation, gasoline seems to be reasonably priced today in my opinion. Consider what is required to produce a gallon of gasoline, compared to producing a gallon of milk. What I am getting at is… it doesn’t stress me to fill the tank with gasoline, even purchasing top tier premium fuel.

 

[N7turbo]

And replacing fuel system and engine parts costs a lot more then the money you saved.

 

[jadmt]

And replacing fuel system and engine parts costs a lot more then the money you saved.

but in reality on the whole, how many people really have issues with their fuel system burning the cheapest gas? I look around and see vehicles that probably have not even had the oil changed in the last 10,000 miles and yet they are still running.....sometimes my buddies and I laugh and wonder if we are doing it wrong.....ie only burning top tier fuel and changing oil every 3000-5000 miles with top rated oils etc......it still makes me feeling warm and fuzzy so I will keep doing it....

 

[BoomerZoomr]

but in reality on the whole, how many people really have issues with their fuel system burning the cheapest gas? I look around and see vehicles that probably have not even had the oil changed in the last 10,000 miles and yet they are still running.....sometimes my buddies and I laugh and wonder if we are doing it wrong.....ie only burning top tier fuel and changing oil every 3000-5000 miles with top rated oils etc......it still makes me feeling warm and fuzzy so I will keep doing it....

I see your point… but the trend with modern cars moving to direct injection and more cars being turbocharged, makes me wonder if top tier gasoline could prove more broadly beneficial than a decade ago. Time will tell…

 

[cz5gt]

Nobody knows for sure unless you have two same cars and maintain them differently for say 100k miles.

I think all those videos in Youtube dont show the whole truth when they present a car with "problems" and blame either fuel or oil type.

Truth be told how many people dont change their car after say 7-10 years and/or 100k miles.
Most of the consumers would want the new and shiny features in newer cars so they tradein and change. Most want cheapest cost of ownership too.

Plus these new cars (last 10 years) are not made to last past 200k miles. Its nothing like cars from previous eras lasting 300-500k

So at the end of the day it may not matter much. Thats my view.

 

[7eregrine]

Where can we verify that, though. I mean, if they want customers, the world needs to know about it.

https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/products-and-services/fuels.html

From the FAQ on that page:
Does bp's gasoline meet TOP TIER™ detergent gasoline standards?
All grades of bp and Amoco gasoline with Invigorate® exceed TOP TIER™ detergent requirements and provide enhanced benefits to our consumers, such as cleaning your engine,9 that TOP TIER™ fuels do not.

 

[N7turbo]

https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/products-and-services/fuels.html

From the FAQ on that page:
Does bp's gasoline meet TOP TIER™ detergent gasoline standards?
All grades of bp and Amoco gasoline with Invigorate® exceed TOP TIER™ detergent requirements and provide enhanced benefits to our consumers, such as cleaning your engine,9 that TOP TIER™ fuels do not.

But that's their marketing. Means nothing to us as consumers. We know all gas has additives, some less, some more. So what is it, and how does it compare to Top Tier gas?

On that page they give us the following:

What differentiates bp’s “cleaner engine” claim?

Only bp and Amoco gasolines have Invigorate®, bp’s exclusive proprietary detergent additive. Invigorate® contains active molecules that start cleaning and protecting your engine as soon as you start the engine. All grades of bp and Amoco gasolines with Invigorate® go above and beyond US government minimum detergent standards to provide our customers the benefits they are looking for. Engine cleanliness is important because dirty deposits from minimum detergent fuels form in engines and can lead to a variety of problems – hesitation, rough starts, loss in fuel economy, and increased emissions, to name a few.

What is the “cleaner engine” claim compared against?

bp and Amoco gasolines with Invigorate® offer versatility for both conventional port fuel injector engine technology and newer direct injection engine technology. They have 10 times better protection against intake valve deposits than minimum-detergency fuels.4 With continuous use, bp and Amoco gasolines with Invigorate® not only help prevent deposits from forming in the first place but can clean deposits left by minimum detergency fuels – giving drivers a cleaner engine.

Still, nothing of substance for us. Without third-party testing it's impossible to be sure.

 

[N7turbo]

I wondered if there's any possibility this person used only fuel with high levels of ethanol. They should only be using E15 and not E85, but you never know.

But this car has over 90,000 miles on a 2023. They are going through a ton of gas and not letting it sit for long, plus it's not an old vehicle, so the problems described below shouldn't apply:

Ethanol Fuel Injector Problems

Are you experiencing ethanol fuel injector problems? Find out what you can do in this post.

www.bellperformance.com

 

[HyFlyer]

Who knew a gas thread could be as much fun as a "which oil is best" thread wooooooot haha

 

[cz5gt]

Yep. oil, gas and politics Never ending story.
...almost forgot tires.

 

[7eregrine]

Still, nothing of substance for us. Without third-party testing it's impossible to be sure.

I'm not that invested and perfectly willing to believe what they're saying. I can understand a company not wanting to pay for certification. And it's not like BP is some tiny little gas company.
At the end of the day, there are no BPs around me.

 

[madar]

I'm not that invested and perfectly willing to believe what they're saying. I can understand a company not wanting to pay for certification. And it's not like BP is some tiny little gas company.
At the end of the day, there are no BPs around me.

They used to be on the Top Tier list a few years back. Maybe they figure it's not worth the dues payment.

 

[Odrapnew]

I think one other thing to point out for that CX5 in the video, almost 100k miles in 2 years.
I'm just guessing, but I bet it saw a lot of highway miles, just 'loping along' on the freeway at constant speed/rpm.

If that's the case, I wonder if it sees more buildup because it doesn't get a lot of heat in the cylinders, you know, the 'ole Italian tuneup. I know that's not as much of thing with cars built in the last 30 years vs. the old carburetor days, but I think there is some benefit to wring it out every once in a while.

I swear I notice a difference in my (wife's) Explorer after her driving it for months without giving it more than 1/2 throttle. I wind it out and first time it feels like it struggles, but gets better with each pull. That has the 3.5TT Ecoboost with direct injection. I purchased it new in early 2014 and it's approaching 150k miles and it's probably only seen a few tanks of Top Tier. I should check into the fuel trims.

One other thing in the video, I wonder how they tried to clean the injectors and if they have comparison of before and after that cleaning to show no improvement.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I have been using "top tier" fuel from shell, 91 octane only, almost exclusively from one station that still carries ethanol-free "premium" fuel, for about 4 years now.

If you think your "premium, top-tier" fuel is keeping your engine clean, you are probably mistaken. I can notice the difference in engine performance when running a periodic dose of redline fuel system cleaner, the injectors sound like they really like that stuff.

 

[N7turbo]

I think one other thing to point out for that CX5 in the video, almost 100k miles in 2 years.
I'm just guessing, but I bet it saw a lot of highway miles, just 'loping along' on the freeway at constant speed/rpm.

If that's the case, I wonder if it sees more buildup because it doesn't get a lot of heat in the cylinders, you know, the 'ole Italian tuneup. I know that's not as much of thing with cars built in the last 30 years vs. the old carburetor days, but I think there is some benefit to wring it out every once in a while.

I think it depends how fast they're going, too. Since we turn 2500 rpm at 75 mph, that is plenty to exercise the engine generally, especially the fuel system. But I do prefer to give it some cylinder pressure and generate all 350 lb ft of torque once in a while.