Premium Gas or Regular Gas?

A little something I've noticed about certain gas stations using 'special' formulas for their gas: Not far from where we live is a 'tank farm', it is a place where several gas stations get their gas in bulk, usually by the semi tanker load. Early in the morning if I happen to be driving by the tank farm there are several semis in line to get gas/diesel fuel from the same fuel storage tanks, at the same time the fuel tankers when loaded go to their respective places, they have all kinds of logos on the sides of the trailers full of gas. The question is: if one gas station gets 'special' formulas of gas and another doesn't get 'special' formulas of gas, how come it comes from the same storage unit at the tank farm? Does the gas magically change formula during transport?

 

This is absolutely correct. A refinery does not blend gasoline for each specific vender. The vender may add their specific ingredients(detergents) at the pump but the refinery makes one blend with the federally mandated additives.

 

The cheapest i find.

 

I live in a rural area and know some of the gas station owners personally, they get a load of gas via semi and none of the owners put additives in their storage tanks, it comes from the tank farm, put in the gas station tanks, and pumped into the vehicles. Kwik Trip is big in Wisconsin, I know a couple of the drivers of tankers that go there, same as the mom/pop gas stations.... tank farm to the stations and into the vehicles. I have never gotten 'bad' gas from anyone of these places... good quality. I guess what I'm saying is, maybe some of the gas stations blend their gas differently than the tanker gets it from the tank farm, I'd bet not many do.

 

Yes, not many very few will put additives in at the pump. They do exist.
You are correct.

 

Running premium fuel with a YotaWerx tune would be a great combo, but regular is a great option with it nonetheless

 

After working at a Honda dealership, and seeing open engines there is a difference using top tier gas vs non. Honda does recommend top tier gas in their vehicles as well. Only local thing for me is Shell. For me to run 91 vs 87 (which I use) is 14% more, which is significant since we’re at $1.50/L ($5.69/g Cdn) which is now our good price … but could fluctuate back up to $1.75/L (most of last year). If I can get a bit more power at 87, especially at lower rpms then I’d do the tune (shift my lower band).

Rule of thumb regarding our vehicles to keep stock numbers:
• If you add weight then look for more power to get back stock lbs/HP ratio
• If you decrease drag coefficient you add more power
• If you increase tire size, you consider regearing to get back to stock tire rotations/mile.

Problem is we add weight, increase drag (accessories, lift) and increase tire size. Such a different world then cars where you decrease weight and decrease drag.

 

Correct. It all comes from the same place and then different brands dose it with their own additive packages. That's the main difference in "Top Tier" certified stations - they just blend in more detergents.

Another thing to know: There is no "midgrade" tank at the station. They have a regular (87) tank and a super (92~94) tank. The pumps blend these on site to make the mid grades. Which I suspect is purely a marketing trick as I have never in my life seen a car that specifically calls for 89 octane midgrade........

 

So it all depends on the integrity of the local Top tier Gas Stations.

I then to avoid independent Shell/Mobil station without much clients/patrons.
Vehicles run poorly after visiting isolated station

Stall gas or Owners never added the detergent additives?

 

In 2004 when BMW, GM, Honda, and Toyota got together to specify the Top Tier standard, Chevron and Kwik Trip were the first two distributors to adopt it. Later that year eight more joined. Now there are over 60 licensed brands.

The detergent and ethanol and other additives are blended at distributors, not at individual stations.

 

Usually the closest station to wherever I am when I decide I need gas in 87 octane form. Mostly Royal Farms but if I'm across town I'll hit the Shell or BP.

I've been tracking about 40,000 miles of driving with the Fuelly app over the last few years and haven't noticed any significant mileage change regardless of where I fuel up. MPGs alone might not be the only indication of whether or not your fuel is the greatest but who knows!

 

The majority do not. They only make $.06-.$.10/gallon. Why would they cut into that minimal profit by purchasing other additives which are not required by law.

 

I understand about where the gas is blended, still some gas stations call their gas 'top tier', and others do not. Seeing how it comes from the same distribution/ tank farm, seems peculiar. Are you thinking of Quik Trip or QT when you talk about top tier adaptation? The Kwik Trip I'm referring to is a Wisconsin based gas station/ convenience store chain and they are not listed on any lists of top tier brands. They quit selling top tier here, as per the manager.

 

That’s interesting. It’s been advertised that Quick Trip/QT as well as Kwik Trip and Kwik Star offer Top Tier gas. Starting in that original 2004 year and still as of last summer:
https://www.autolist.com/guides/top-tier-gas

But when you check the Top Tier site now Kwik Trip/Kwik Trip are not listed anymore:
https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

Maybe they withdrew for economic or supply issues.

 

I've used nothing but 85 for the last 7 years I have been in CO. No issues.

The detergents are supposed to be added at the station.

 

The only detergents put in at a gas station would be the one the drivers getting gas would put in. Some gas stations are lucky to get employees that can hand back correct change, how do you think the 'detergent' added to gas would go? Nope, no gas stations around us do this.

 

As best I can tell, the additives are put in at the terminal where the tankers are filled.

 

Is this confirmed? After each tank is filled... Someone jumps on the tank to add determents at Baltimore ?

The tankers are not exclusive to a particular Gas Brand?

Curious

 

I just googled it, and found a page where someone had said that they add the detergents at the terminal where the tankers fill up.

Edit: I'm just going off what I read.

 

Some tankers are not with a "branded" logo on the side of their tanker, it might have the name of a certain trucking company, but no brand like Conoco, etc. The tanker that delivers to the BP where I live is that way. My friend that owns a BP station also says they sell 'top tier' gas.... didn't see it on the top tier list.

 

Great thanks...
Found these quotations online

https://www.popsci.com/sponsored-post/top-tier-gasoline-detergents

"Additives like antioxidant and corrosion inhibitors are added to the base gas to protect machinery handling the fuel, it will serve the same purpose in your car. At this point the refinery has done most of the work but the fuel isn’t finished yet. Then, by truck, train or pipeline, the gas is delivered to a terminal. The final step of creating gasoline is done at terminals where detergents and ethanol are added. This is where proprietary mixtures of chemicals are added to the base to make it a particular brand, like Sunoco’s UltraTech detergent package. From the terminal, the gasoline is then trucked to stations and kept in underground tanks to be sold to consumers. ?"

 

yeah, this makes the most logistical sense.

So… if somebody fills up a complete tankful with 93 octane gas, how long do you suppose it would take the 4runner ECU to adjust and start making that little bit of extra horsepower? Asking for a friend.

 

I use premium gas and change my oil before every fill-up...

Better safe than sorry...

 

I read it was the truck who put them in. But you know what it means when you read something on the internet.

 

Following up on this. Took the .csv export from fuelio and made this:



The data isn't amazing since I most often filled at Royal Farms, but it does seem like Sunoco did inch out above (7 data points is a decent amount as well). I'll have to fill more at Sunoco with my 4Runner now to perform this analysis later in the year.


and my previous Fiesta ST:

 

I use 87 here in Denver. Could use 85, but my Tacoma & 4Runner get 87 because we travel

 

Interesting... sheetz has has ALWAYS given me the worst fuel mileage.

I mainly use Rutters fuel. Its top tier(if it matters) but 93 octane is much cheaper at Rutters compared to other stations. And there are tons of rutters stations in my area.

 

It's hard to use the data on Sheetz I feel as I only filled there once and there aren't any too close to my home so I'm not sure what that trip was like. For all I know I filled there and drove angry for a tank hah

I'm definitely going to try and fill up at the stations which netted me higher MPGs on my analysis and see what happens after a couple of months with my 4Runner.

 

Lived/worked in the UK for years.

Used to laugh about people in the USA crying about high gas prices.

The most I can remember paying over there was the equivalent of $9 and change per gallon...

 

I use to think the same but factoring average distance driven makes gas a lot more expensive leaving in the US (at least in Arizona).

I was born and raised in Nice, France and now live in the US.
In France, an average commute would be at most 6 miles per day.
Now I live in Phoenix, AZ and my commute to work is 35 miles round trip (which seems to be the average around here).
Assuming I commute 5 days a week with the 4R, and roughly 52 weeks per year, in 2023 I would be paying $728 per year in France and $2244 per year in AZ.

Gas in France https://tradingeconomics.com/france/gasoline-prices
Gas in Phoenix https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APUS48A74714