Re: More on Top Tier gasoline

C. E. White wrote:
>
> http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/myths.html
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Ed, that Car Talk page is a great link.  Thanks for providing it.
I'm copying part of it into the newsgroup for permanent
archiving.

CarTalk.com passage:

It's true that premium gas does contain special or extra detergents,
but in our opinion they're of no additional benefit.

Our advice is to ignore any sales pitch about the super-special
detergents that come in the premium-grade fuel.

 These days, all of the gasoline from the major gas companies contain
more than enough detergents to keep your engine clean. Period.

The only reason you might have a use for the extra detergents in
premium,
is if you have a noticeably dirty engine, and need to scrub carbon and
other
crud off engine components. (And, if you're doing that, we'd instead
suggest
that you toss in one of the many fine engine additives.)

You said "major gas companies." Is there a difference in the gas
between
the big names, and the El-Cheapo gasoline at my local Costco or
Stupey-Mart?

There is. A number of years ago, some of the major auto manufacturers
were ticked off with the deposits from gas that met EPA detergent
standards. In other words, they were afraid they'd take the heat for
problems, when their customer's engines clogged up from the twigs
and dirt that was getting deposited on their fine handiwork.

So, they set their own guidelines, which they call "Tier 2." All of
the gas
from the major gas companies meets the Tier 2 standards. The gas at
your local Quickie Mart probably does not. The difference? In some
tests, after about 10,000 miles, there was a minor amount of crud
built
up on engine components that ran exclusively on Quickie-Mart gas.
Do we think this is an issue? Not really. But, would we advise
running
your car for 100,000 miles only on Quickie-Mart gas? Not if you're
concerned about the longevity of your vehicle. We recommend switching
back and forth between Tier 1 and Tier 2 =97 maybe every other
tank full =97 to keep your engine running clean.