AAA: Top Tier Fuel Study
 

Good info...

https://s3.amazonaws.com/association...rt-FINAL-1.pdf

No way I'm reading through all of that. Anyone have the Cliff's Notes version?

Use good gasoline

The key findings are on pages 2 & 3. That's enough for me right now. I may read the rest of the report later.

Edit: Read the rest of the report. Interesting stuff.

This study is incomplete. It needs to tell us what the CPG of each fuel is. Crickets Per Gallon. Crap gas has high CPG, top tier tends to be better.

My wife uses Wawa 87 in her Camaro, and I've been trying to get her out of that habit for a while. It's shit gas and a false economy- it's a GDI engine but that doesn't really mean much to her. I used Wawa 92 gas once and I got crickets.

I'm hoping this study convinces her because we want that engine to last a while.

Is there just a simple list of TOP vs non-TOP tier providers?

Well I'll be dammed. Looks like legit evidence top tier means something.

I wonder why there's a significant increase in cylinder head deposits with top tier fuel... the benefits on intake valves does seem to be worth the effort, but it's not an across the board improvement.

Ive been using racetrac 93 with no problems. Iam is stable, no crickets.

Interesting that while using top tier gas resulted in much lower valve deposits tht with non-top tier, the cylinder head deposits were actually a bit larger.


It would be also interesting if they measured injector deposits in a GDI engine.

P.S. why this is posted in the FRS section, not in General automotive?

I see that Sunoco, Tenneco and Gulf are not Top Tier.

Sunoco works the best for me too.

Re combustion chamber deposits: I didn't see afr or cr of test engine in pdf.

It was controlled via ASTM D6201, there's no need to publish those parameters as they adhered to the already published standard.

https://www.astm.org/Standards/D6201.htm

Edit: Apparantly the issue is covered on page 17 of the report, the other buildups are due to the extra detergent basically 'sticking' to the head.

Considering this test proves that top tier 'washes away' old buildup, it's probably best to alternate high detergent and low detergent fuels to minimize buildup.

Oh and drive the piss out of it.

The problem is which. We are bombarded with bull crap ads and is difficult to identify the good one.

Imo individual gas stations play a real life role as well; how old is the gas you're buying from a low volume mom and pop? Its been so hot here that my car feels like a mid sixties bug anyway. Again, the racetrac 93 has not caused any red flags per my oft.

Am I the only one who thinks the study reads like an ad? A real study is pretty dry, this one reads like a full page ad with the non-relevant pictures and fluff that's included.

I don't know what the angle for AAA would be, but they work with The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers who support the top tiers fuel initiative which is something that the big oil companies don't support. I'd like to know who paid to have this study done and why they don't address the INCREASE of certain deposits with the top tier fuels in the study. The study focuses very strongly on the dramatic decreases in intake valve deposits, but glazes over the increases in cylinder head deposits.

Maybe a bit, but keep in mind that this a release for general public. Even with the fluff and pictures some people here (car enthusiasts!) refused to read it. How many would read the actual study, with technical language, formulas, and dry language.

The cylinder head deposits are barely larger with top tier, though I'd expct more discussion of them.

What I am trying to say is that there may something going on here along the lines you are suggesting, but it does not seem too excessive. Not worse than any "independent" car test in a magazine

Don't get me started with car magazines! They are the most biased, bought and paid for "independent" reviews in the world.

Imo there are too many factors that could explain combustion chamber deposits. I just want to put the shit in my tank and not worry about knock.

Guys, page 17 discusses the combustion chamber deposits.

93 oct race fuels and redline seems more reliable then

Exactly. I've never owned a car long enough to really care.

Now ... once I decide on a car that I will keep for a LONG time. I will let her drink the best sauce around.

It's not hard to find what you need, especially since it's on the 2nd page...

Toyota said 91,,then i fill my car with 91.
Its not a brain surgery. Do what the manufacture said.

considering I'm tuning and testing out the brands of gas in my city...this is an informative report! Reading it as I type...

Costco gas is good enough for me. They're always busy and usually get delivery quite often. Price is good and Top tier is a plus.

But I do believe in using good gasoline IMO.

Valero is a top tier gas? Come on...

They are cheapest for a reason.

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers/

I was specifically referring to that site. :P'

Ah OK. I though someone said it earlier in the thread, should've checked.