Scotty, I have a 2018 Honda CRV with a 1.5 L turbo engine. I have noticed that they have fuel injector problems and head gasket problems if I use premium gas even though Honda says to use regular will that help with fuel injectors, and I drive in turbo mode to keep the RPMs down will that prolong the life of the engine thank you, sir,
...will that prolong the life of the engine
Doubtful. In particular you're just throwing your money away using premium fuel if regular is specified by the manufacturer.
please put your problem in the title, not your car. Thanks.
Also, check the FAQ first. It's answered there.
many contemporary owners manuals will actually say to use top tier gas. So either they are conspiring against us
Well of course they are. As usual, just follow the money.
"Top Tier" is a license that gas retailers buy so they can display the feel-good sign over their gas pumps. Who do they buy the license from? Car manufacturers. In return, owners manuals will send you to their stations. It's just paid advertising.
As for AAA,
They write a nice article extolling the virtues of Top Tier gasoline, and sends AAA members to those gas stations participating in the program. In return, those gas retailers offer member some rewards, allowing AAA to sign up more subscriptions. So everyone in the program is scratching each others' backs, and securing future income. Hardly shocking.
Depending on the calculations, that could be an option, to add the cleaner yourself.
Top tier is nothing new. It became the “higher” standard when the government came up with their “baseline” standard.
My personal preference is Costco gas. It meets top tier, is usually cheaper than the rest.
VPower, Techron, etc… they are all fine too, if one wants to pay the premium.
The point being for the OP is that octane isn’t the main factor. It’s the detergents in it, and top tier is one of those options.
You’re free to suggest other options to the OP.
the point is, they all have their own blend of detergents, and there's no rational reason to choose one over the other.
I see several options, in no particular order.
1) Use top tier gas.
2) Use non top tier gas that may be of top tier quality or better.
3) Use non top tier gas that may not be of top tier quality.
4) Option 2 or 3 + bottle additives.
5) Option 1 + bottle of additives.
I’m okay with option 1,2,4,5. And it seems you are only okay with option 3 or 4., maybe 5.
Use top tier gas to help clean fuel injectors:
Non top tier gas may or may not have enough detergents in them to clean fuel injectors. But top tier gas will have such detergents. That is why there is the Top Tier standard.
is there any evidence to suggest that the government mandated amount is "not enough"?
Also is there any 3rd party independent testing to prove that "top tier" gas has more detergents, or more importantly, that there are real world benefits to engines?
-
is there any evidence to suggest that the government mandated amount is "not enough"?
Also is there any 3rd party independent testing to prove that "top tier" gas has more detergents, or more importantly, that there are real world benefits to engines?If you trust YouTube evidence, there are several YouTubers that have done tests comparing TopTier and non Top Tier, with most having Top Tier with the edge.
There is also a AAA study I came across: https://www.ace.aaa.com/automotive/advocacy/top-tier-gasoline.html
Non top tier is a mixed bag. It could very well have enough detergents, but doesn’t have the Top Tier branding / certification. And it could also be just the bare minimum government standards.
Anecdote: I usually try to go for a top tier. But There is this no name gas station of HWY 101 that I go to on road trips. It’s not Top Tier. But my suspicion is that it was of top tier caliber.
I talked to the tankers hauling the gas, and they tell me it is the same stuff that goes into a major Top Tier brand nearby. And it makes sense in this case, because the company that owns the gas station owns several stations, with the same supplier. Some are major top tier brands, some are no names. But the same exact gas.
Also talked to some other tanker guy while getting gas at a top tier off I-15. He tells me that the places he delivers uses different formulations. That some a “better” than others.
With that said, many contemporary owners manuals will actually say to use top tier gas. So either they are conspiring against us, or there really is something to top tier gas.
If you trust YouTube evidence, there are several YouTubers that have done tests comparing TopTier...
Youtubers sponsored by Shell , right? No, of course I don't trust social media "influencers". They're usually shills.
Use top tier gas to help clean fuel injectors:
Maryland Fuel Testing Laboratory, chemists compared 'Mobil" gas (Top Tier) to a Liberty station.
"By and large, it's one and the same. … You will find results will almost mirror each other," said Bob Crawford, who works at the lab. "There are going to be slight variations -- but gasoline is gasoline."
Steve Mazor, chief automotive engineer with the Automobile Club of Southern California, summed it up this way: "Buy the cheapest gas that is closest to you."
"... some interesting results from a blind test he did on three samples of gasoline from both major and independent gas stations. "We tested emissions, fuel economy and performance and we could not tell the difference," he says. Mazor believes that the driving public has outdated notions about gas. Twenty years ago, only premium fuel had detergents in it. Back then, it was beneficial to occasionally buy a tank of high-test gas to clean the engine. Then, he says, "regulations were very lax and there was little enforcement. But all that has changed."
Randy Stephens, chief engineer for Toyota's Avalon, isn't wholly convinced by the claims of engine protection afforded by higher-priced gas. He says fuel experts at his company study the effects of different brands of gas on the Toyota engines. Automotive engineers disassemble engines after 10,000 miles of running them on different brands of gas to see if there is a difference. "Honestly, in the 10 years I've been in charge of Avalon, I've never seen one come back with any sort of deposit issue," Stephens says.
There is also a AAA study I came across
The study was done using premium fuel and a cherry picked Ford 2.3L engine from 25 years ago. A Ford engine with a design flaw known to accelerate intake valve deposit formation. In fact, the study showed that Top Tier fuels produced more carbon buildup on 2 of the 3 metrics, compared to non-Top Tier.
Even the AAA study admits:
"You shouldn’t panic if you’ve never sought out this ‘Top Tier’ gas .... Most major brands – like BP, Chevron, Costco, Exxon, Marathon – manufacture their gas with additives that meet the ‘Top Tier’ designation"
BP have stated that they have always exceeded Top Tier standards, but simply chose not to pay the large fees to be part of the Top Tier organization.
But I would love to hear if anybody has noticed actual, real-world, measurable differences from using this heavily marketed gasoline.
I say buy gas from the most convenient, busy station that get filled often, and put in some cleaner every once in a while. Definitely don't pay more just for a sticker on the pump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD169YXFVdg
it seems you are only okay with option 3 or 4., maybe 5.
Wrong. You didn't read what I said, so here is is again ...
I say buy gas from the most convenient, busy station that get filled often, and put in some cleaner every once in a while. Definitely don't pay more just for a sticker on the pump.
So for you it can be top tier or not. Just convenient, busy + your own additives. Which is option 4 or 5, with the stipulation that it is busy and convienent.
I think you are making a simple matter much too complicated.
It’s permutations of various options for clarity. Which in my mind simplifies things, but I can see how it can complicate things for others.