Gasoline Brands

[landar]

The other week, I noticed a slight ping while accelerating from a stop. I really could not hear it with the windows

rolled up. But with them down, there was an unmistakable 'rat-a-tat-tat' coming from the engine. Its not a loose 'something'. I know pinging.

I usually gas up with Phillips 66 brand, 93 octane. But that week, I had put in BP brand, 93 octane. I only use 93 no matter the brand.

After all, its my baby and I know how to treat my baby right (where's my wife? She's not standing over my shoulder is she? Whewww....).

Anyway, when the tank reached 1/4 full, I re-filled at the Phillips station. I listened carefully and within a day, the pinging had stopped.

I am going to repeat the process to see if I was just dreaming.

Could major brands really differ that much within the same octane rating? Or did I just get some bad gas (like eating at Joe's Diner)?

[ROBERT THOMASON]

I prefer Cevron when I can get it. It seems to be recommended by a lot of car people in the industry. I tend to think my cars run better with it. When I did auto cross with a Porsche 928 I used Chevron and added an octane booster.

[Sanpete]

Don't know that it would affect pinging (which ought to be tied to octane) but there are differences in gasoline. This site lists some that are known to have proper detergents:

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

Click on the "retailers" button.

[landar]

Don't know that it would affect pinging (which ought to be tied to octane) but there are differences in gasoline. This site lists some that are known to have proper detergents:

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

Click on the "retailers" button.

Interesting Sanpete. No BP in the list.

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

QuikTrip

Chevron

Conoco

Phillips

76

Shell

Entec Stations

MFA Oil Company

Kwik Trip/Kwik Star

The Somerset Refinery, Inc.

Chevron-Canada

Aloha Petroleum

Tri-Par Oil Company

Shell-Canada

Texaco

Petro-Canada

Sunoco-Canada

[GKLCPA]

There's a Giant food store that sells gas near me. It's a good deal because you can get upward to 10% off the gas if you accumulate enough points buying the groceries. The only problem is their "premium" is 92 octane and I just began noticing that my fuel mileage is not as good as it is with 93 octane. Where octane levels are comparable, I've noted no difference between brands.

The other week, I noticed a slight ping while accelerating from a stop. I really could not hear it with the windows

rolled up. But with them down, there was an unmistakable 'rat-a-tat-tat' coming from the engine. Its not a loose 'something'. I know pinging.

I usually gas up with Phillips 66 brand, 93 octane. But that week, I had put in BP brand, 93 octane. I only use 93 no matter the brand.

After all, its my baby and I know how to treat my baby right (where's my wife? She's not standing over my shoulder is she? Whewww....).

Anyway, when the tank reached 1/4 full, I re-filled at the Phillips station. I listened carefully and within a day, the pinging had stopped.

I am going to repeat the process to see if I was just dreaming.

Could major brands really differ that much within the same octane rating? Or did I just get some bad gas (like eating at Joe's Diner)?

[blake918]

Could major brands really differ that much within the same octane rating? Or did I just get some bad gas (like eating at Joe's Diner)?

It must have been bad gas because I run BP 93 in my LS more than any other brand, and I never have any pinging.

[pishta]

Don't know that it would affect pinging (which ought to be tied to octane) but there are differences in gasoline. This site lists some that are known to have proper detergents:

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

Click on the "retailers" button.

Interesting Sanpete. No BP in the list.

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

QuikTrip

Chevron

Conoco

Phillips

76

Shell

Entec Stations

MFA Oil Company

Kwik Trip/Kwik Star

The Somerset Refinery, Inc.

Chevron-Canada

Aloha Petroleum

Tri-Par Oil Company

Shell-Canada

Texaco

Petro-Canada

Sunoco-Canada

No Mobil or Arco....Or Vallero, or Exxon (Mobil?) Citgo?

[91LS400vgb]

I use Shell Gasoline around here since they are Top Tier and it is only a couple of cents more per gallon. I heard that Shell's regular gas has 3 times the minimum EPA requirement of additives, while their premium has 5 times the amount. BP's Amoco Ultimate Premium grade meets Top Tier standards, though it is a mystery whether their other grades qualify. Top tier requires all grades of a retailer's gasoline to meet their standards for it to qualify as 'Top Tier'.

[dcfish]

I use Shell Gasoline around here since they are Top Tier and it is only a couple of cents more per gallon. I heard that Shell's regular gas has 3 times the minimum EPA requirement of additives, while their premium has 5 times the amount. BP's Amoco Ultimate Premium grade meets Top Tier standards, though it is a mystery whether their other grades qualify. Top tier requires all grades of a retailer's gasoline to meet their standards for it to qualify as 'Top Tier'.

Nope :whistles:

[91LS400vgb]

Not sure what you're referring to, dc, but here's where I got my info:

From: http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId...ls_ga_0111.html

Shell Regular and Plus gasolines, which meet the “TOP TIER” standard, also contain more than two times the amount of cleaning agents required by the EPA. Shell V-Power goes even further – it has more than five times the minimum amount of cleaning agents required by government standards and twice the cleaning agents required by the “TOP TIER” standard.

Actually, I said their regular grade had 3x, when it's actually "more than two times." I got the premium grade right, though.

And from: http://www.bp.com/printsectiongenericartic...ntentId=7013479

In terms of cleaning formula, Amoco Ultimate meets the Top Tier program specifications.

[flanker271]

There's a Giant food store that sells gas near me. It's a good deal because you can get upward to 10% off the gas if you accumulate enough points buying the groceries. The only problem is their "premium" is 92 octane and I just began noticing that my fuel mileage is not as good as it is with 93 octane. Where octane levels are comparable, I've noted no difference between brands.

There's where I always fill up :) I live in Nazareth, PA. Haven't really noticed any differnce between 92 and 93 octane rating, maybe that's because second generation LS400's have tighter engine tolerences than first generation LS400 engines. I do like to point out, however, that Shell gasoline does not give you more mileage, despite the claim on the commercials. But of course that's based on my experience and my driving habit.

[landar]

There's a Giant food store that sells gas near me. It's a good deal because you can get upward to 10% off the gas if you accumulate enough points buying the groceries. The only problem is their "premium" is 92 octane and I just began noticing that my fuel mileage is not as good as it is with 93 octane. Where octane levels are comparable, I've noted no difference between brands.

There's where I always fill up :) I live in Nazareth, PA. Haven't really noticed any differnce between 92 and 93 octane rating, maybe that's because second generation LS400's have tighter engine tolerences than first generation LS400 engines. I do like to point out, however, that Shell gasoline does not give you more mileage, despite the claim on the commercials. But of course that's based on my experience and my driving habit.

I too, tried Shell to see if it had any 'magical' powers as far as mileage improvements. Didnt notice any.

flanker...You dont fill up at the Hess station, Schoenersville and 22? <_<

[91LS400vgb]

I wouldn't expect Shell or any Top-tier gas to 'magically' improve mileage. After all, all brands of gas originate from the same refineries. What is different is the additive package, and over the long run, I think the extra cleaning agents will reduce or eliminate deposits that can have a negative impact on performance. Here's another article on top-tier:

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2531.shtml

[GKLCPA]

Actually there's a Hess in competition with a Wawa near Airport road that's much cheaper. If I'm over that way, I try to fill up there. Paid about 2.90 there last week. It's 2.95+ everywhere else.

There's a Giant food store that sells gas near me. It's a good deal because you can get upward to 10% off the gas if you accumulate enough points buying the groceries. The only problem is their "premium" is 92 octane and I just began noticing that my fuel mileage is not as good as it is with 93 octane. Where octane levels are comparable, I've noted no difference between brands.

There's where I always fill up :) I live in Nazareth, PA. Haven't really noticed any differnce between 92 and 93 octane rating, maybe that's because second generation LS400's have tighter engine tolerences than first generation LS400 engines. I do like to point out, however, that Shell gasoline does not give you more mileage, despite the claim on the commercials. But of course that's based on my experience and my driving habit.

I too, tried Shell to see if it had any 'magical' powers as far as mileage improvements. Didnt notice any.

flanker...You dont fill up at the Hess station, Schoenersville and 22? <_<

[GKLCPA]

Flanker, is your car a chocolate brown in color?

There's a Giant food store that sells gas near me. It's a good deal because you can get upward to 10% off the gas if you accumulate enough points buying the groceries. The only problem is their "premium" is 92 octane and I just began noticing that my fuel mileage is not as good as it is with 93 octane. Where octane levels are comparable, I've noted no difference between brands.

There's where I always fill up :) I live in Nazareth, PA. Haven't really noticed any differnce between 92 and 93 octane rating, maybe that's because second generation LS400's have tighter engine tolerences than first generation LS400 engines. I do like to point out, however, that Shell gasoline does not give you more mileage, despite the claim on the commercials. But of course that's based on my experience and my driving habit.

[djspawn00]

I am well aware of brands having top tier ratings, but in my own experience I've recieved no mileage benefits from Shell Gas, it could just be the area I live in because I only buy gas from specific stations, filling and gauging my mileage in every tank. As far as the effectiveness of shells detergents vs. other brands, I can't say cause I have yet to take a peak at my engines internals vs another car used as a control....

[flanker271]

Flanker, is your car a chocolate brown in color?

GKLCPA, my car is black. I fill up at a Giant store located on 191 and 248.

[GKLCPA]

Flanker, is your car a chocolate brown in color?

GKLCPA, my car is black. I fill up at a Giant store located on 191 and 248.

Ok, I live Upper Naz and fill up either there or at the one on Easton Avenue near Stefko. I work in Bethlehem, so the Easton Ave Giant is near work.

I see a brown gen 1 around on occasion and thought it might have been yours. I really can count the number of times I see another LS during the course of a week, so when I see one, it's real noticeable.

Damn, it's a small world. I'm sure I'll run into one day either here in Naz or in Bethlehem

[flanker271]

GKLCPA, I live in lower Nazareth, near the junction of 248 and 946. There is a new development area called Eagles Landing Community by Tuskes Homes. Do you know this area?

[GKLCPA]

Yep. I'm familiar with that area. I'm in Upper Naz near route 33 and 191. I live in a development called Hillside Farms

We have a couple of things in common; where we reside and "work." My office is not far from Lehigh. I'm in downtown Bethlehem just outside the historic district.

I'm what you might refer to as a New Jersey refugee; one who fled the high cost of that state for greener pastures here. I've lived here for nearly 7 years.

GKLCPA, I live in lower Nazareth, near the junction of 248 and 946. There is a new development area called Eagles Landing Community by Tuskes Homes. Do you know this area?

[ono8ono]

I notice I get 1 to 2 mpg more from Chevron than Aloha.

[wrpsuite]

I can run any grade in my 94 LS without pinging but no question I get better mileage with Shell hi test.

I notice I get 1 to 2 mpg more from Chevron than Aloha.