A Difference in Gasoline Brands

[J929626]

I've seen a couple costco gas loads being loaded and they're running unbranded depot special -- not top tier

What makes a fuel "Top Tier" is the additive package.

" TOP TIER™ Approved Fuels are high quality detergent additive fuels with performance verified at independent engine testing laboratories and sponsored by many global Automotive and Heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. "

The only thing that differentiates branded from unbranded fuel is the additive package. Chevron gas can be delivered by the same truck that delivers Shell gas. The additive is added by the distributor and can be different in each compartment of the tanker.

Base unleaded gasoline, for a particular area, is all the same due to government regulations.

Where our gasoline comes from - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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[HammaMan]

What makes a fuel "Top Tier" is the additive package.

" TOP TIER™ Approved Fuels are high quality detergent additive fuels with performance verified at independent engine testing laboratories and sponsored by many global Automotive and Heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. "

The only thing that differentiates branded from unbranded fuel is the additive package. Chevron gas can be delivered by the same truck that delivers Shell gas. The additive is added by the distributor and can be different in each compartment of the tanker.

Base unleaded gasoline, for a particular area, is all the same due to government regulations.

Where our gasoline comes from - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

uh huh, that doesn't counter what I said so I'm not sure why you quoted it. Youtube has fuel haulers showing you specifically what they're getting from the depot and not once was a costco load anything other than unbranded fuel despite branded top tier being available as an option. Shell and chevron gets branded fuels (aka top tier), not costco. Branded fuels like shell go beyond top tier on their additives, but a lot of branded fuels are just top tier.

 

[J929626]

uh huh, that doesn't counter what I said so I'm not sure why you quoted it. Youtube has fuel haulers showing you specifically what they're getting from the depot and not once was a costco load anything other than unbranded fuel despite branded top tier being available as an option. Shell and chevron gets branded fuels (aka top tier), not costco. Branded fuels like shell go beyond top tier on their additives, but a lot of branded fuels are just top tier.

It comes down to terminology. To me "Branded" fuels have a specific additive package beyond the EPA minimum. Chevron has Techron. If it does not have Techron it has not been branded, even though it may have been refined by Chevron.

To me all gasoline is unbranded until the additive package, that takes it higher that the EPA minimum, has been added.

Difference Between Branded and Unbranded Fuel | Venture Fuels

 

[Musky fisher]

It says it right on the Costco pumps.

 

[sbi]

Just an FYI that Sam’s club is NOT top tier gas. (but Costco is)

Costco members always think that Costco in general is "top tier" and Sam's Club is inferior ?. IMO Costco is a cult.
But may I ask what do you base the claim above on? Any proof, other than "Costco is better than Sam's Club"?

 

[Old Van]

Costco is listed on the Top Tier website, while Sam’s is not.

https://www.toptiergas.com/gasoline-brands/

 

[Azstroke]

Meh, so if it's a perceived need, just do what HammaMan mentioned, buy a bottle of Techron and add it to your Sams Club gas.

 

[J929626]

Costco members always think that Costco in general is "top tier" and Sam's Club is inferior ?. IMO Costco is a cult.
But may I ask what do you base the claim above on? Any proof, other than "Costco is better than Sam's Club"?

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands - TOP TIER™

 

[Samson16]

Every 50,000 miles I put an injector cleaner in the gas tank. Clean injectors helps with fuel economy. In California 100% of the gas is produced in two refineries so where it is sold at retail makes no difference and I go where the price is the lowest.

My injectors stay clean

 

[Samson16]

Techron bottles run about $6 per 12 gallons of gas. Good Lord, just put decent gas in your expensive fancy truck and be done with it.

 

[HammaMan]

Meh, so if it's a perceived need, just do what HammaMan mentioned, buy a bottle of Techron and add it to your Sams Club gas.

Adding 1oz of techron additive per 10 gallons turns any fuel into "top tier" per chevron themselves. $60 of product treats 40 30 gallon fuel ups (just add 3oz per fuel up, about $1.50 per tank). This is really for the US only as we've got a couple refineries making all of the gas and they're damn good at what they do. If you read up on the top tier revisions history it's pretty interesting as they tightened the requirements due to quality of US fuel qualities. They had requirements that were already outside of what modern US gasoline contains due to federal standards.

That said, top tier isn't the actual 'best' fuel quality to use. Some brands take it up a notch with lubricity additives. Shell's and exxon's PREMIUM fuels latest additive package is pretty good adding friction modifiers -- but does it make a difference -- probably in the margins. I prefer 93e0 unbranded vs top tier 93e10. Ethanol is hygroscopic and pulls moisture from the air. I get the best mileage from 93e0, but at the same time for max power I can blend in e85 to maximize the OAR which maximizes timing. For winterizing power equipment, filling with an ethanol free gas at the end of the season is a given.

The most important aspect is to keep the injectors clean, particularly the DI injectors to allow them to atomize the fuel and prevent them from creating irregular spray patterns that can squirt liquid fuel onto the cylinder walls increasing fuel dilution of the oil which could also increase LSPI risk. If you run 4k oil change intervals with an avg of 20mpg, you're roughly burning 200 gallons / oil change. If you do a techron treatment regime you only need to average 20oz per oil change ($10 bottle) to equal top-tier fuel requirements for cleaning. Exxon mobil and shell PREMIUM fuels are the only ones I currently know of using advanced friction modifying additives. If you've got easy economical access to one of these fuel brands it's an easy choice.

 

[sbi]

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands - TOP TIER™

Do you know what is in their additive? Looks to me a private company with excellent marketing people who were able to convince fuel chains - and the public - that their fuel is better than other.
I know that not all fuel is made equally, or at least I believe that's the case, but still, not convinced. There is nothing on this company that tells you who they are, what they do, etc. It's all a bunch of "car manufacturers and top brand gas stations support us".

 

[Caneman88]

I use QT quick trip the have a NO Ethanol at 91 octane not all the time but the truck seems to like it.

 

[J929626]

Do you know what is in their additive? Looks to me a private company with excellent marketing people who were able to convince fuel chains - and the public - that their fuel is better than other.
I know that not all fuel is made equally, or at least I believe that's the case, but still, not convinced. There is nothing on this company that tells you who they are, what they do, etc. It's all a bunch of "car manufacturers and top brand gas stations support us".

Top Tier produces nothing, neither fuel or additives. They evaluate fuels produced by others.

 

[Tall Tail]

Not much to add that's not already here, but here is another reference.

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