No clue what a Tier 1 gas is, or how many tiers there are. Is it an industry designation? Government?
This is from http://www.toptiergas.com TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers: QuikTrip Chevron Conoco Phillips 76 Shell Entec Stations MFA Oil Company Kwik Trip/Kwik Star The Somerset Refinery, Inc. Though it is difficult to call any oil company "green," BP and Shell seem to get the best marks from environmental organizations. Enough for me to at least try to direct my business towards them.
Below is a lookup on the toptiergas.com domain. I am highly dubious about how unbiased that page is. I'm not the only one. Google National Products Group and, you may wonder about them as well. I am one of those who believe you should shop for, and buy, the least expensive fuel you can find. I do not remember seing Toyota recommending specific brands of gasoline in the owners manual. Of course, your miles/kilometers may vary. jrohland Arlington, Virginia, USA Server Used: [ whois.networksolutions.com ] http:\\www.toptiergas.com = [ 216.239.143.62 ] Registrant: National Products Group P.O. Box 3475 Tulsa OK 74101 US Domain Name: TOPTIERGAS.COM Administrative Contact: Denny [email protected] P.O. Box 3475 Tulsa OK 74101 US 9188368551 Technical Contact: Network Solutions [email protected] 13200 Woodland Park Drive Herndon VA 20171-3025 US 1-888-642-9675 fax: 571-434-4620 Record expires on 16-Jun-2009. Record created on 16-Jun-2004. Database last updated on 17-Oct-2005 07: 55: 49 EDT. Domain servers in listed order: NS1.OMNIS.COM 216.239.128.2 NS2.OMNIS.COM 216.239.128.3
Here's my problem with the idea of lots of additives: Tide with Bleach requires a larger capful to clean clothes, and gasoline with additives suffers from the same dilution problem. If I lose MPGs to a dirty engine or lose it to diluted gasoline, I still lose it. I imagine that any additive that cleans and propels is likely to be bad for the environment, but hopefully the hunt for a good one continues. Texaco with Techron (since Chevron isn't around here) is on my list of things to try, once the one last local Texaco station listed on the Texaco website starts saying they have it...
Ethanol seems to be the main "cleaning" ingredient in TopTier. Seems to be in all California gas now anyway. Burns clean, but mileage suffers a bit.
It is not a scam. Ethanol is not the 'primary cleaning ingredient'. What they say is absolutely true. Auto Manufacturers, including Toyota, have for some time said that modern engines with more precise fuel delivery systems need fuel with more detergent in them than the 'minimum' mandated by the federal government, both for reliability and emissions. Fuel Manufacturers traditionally put their best detergent packages in their 'Premium' fuels as a marketing ploy to convince you there is some special benefit to paying 40 cents a gallon more. THAT is the 'scam', and they really don't want to give it up, any more than GM wants to give up Escalades. So, to combat this the Auto Manufacturers started the Top Tier program. It certifies fuel that contains sufficient detergents for modern engines in ALL grades. Toyota is a charter member, and helped develop the fuel standards for Top Tier. Toyota publically and loudly recommends Top Tier fuel. http://www.npnweb.com/uploads/newsletters/..._feature01.html http://www.npnweb.com/uploads/featureartic...05_mp_story.asp --------------- Here is the text of the GM Press Release announcing the program. I can't lay my hands on the Toyota one but it's out there. This information applies to all 2005 and prior General Motors passenger cars and trucks (U.S. and Canada only). Top Tier Detergent Gasoline, a new class of gasoline with enhanced detergency, will be appearing at retail stations of some fuel marketers. This gasoline meets new, voluntary deposit control standards developed by General Motors, BMW, Honda and Toyota. The U.S. EPA requires all gasoline sold in the U.S. to contain a detergent additive. However, the requirement is minimal and in many cases is not sufficient to keep engines clean. A higher level of detergent is needed than what is required by the EPA. Top Tier Detergent Gasoline exceeds the detergent requirements imposed by the EPA. The four corporations recognized the benefits to both the vehicle and the consumer. Also, joining together emphasized that low detergency is an issue of concern to several automotive companies. All vehicles will benefit from using Top Tier Detergent Gasoline, which will help keep engines cleaner than gasoline containing the lowest additive concentration set by the EPA. Clean engines help provide optimal fuel economy and performance, and reduced emissions. Those vehicles that have experienced deposit related problems would especially benefit from use of Top Tier Detergent Gasoline. The Top Tier program, begun on May 3, 2004, is a voluntary program initiated by the four automotive companies. Some fuel marketers have already joined, although not all fuel marketers will offer Top Tier Detergent Gasoline. Once fuel marketers make public announcements, a list of all fuel marketers meeting Top Tier standards will be made available. For now, it will be necessary to look for the “Top Tier†designation at the gas pump.
Another Top Tier Reference The Popular Science Automotive Buyer’s Guide GAS As a general rule, put in precisely the octane level that the manufacturer recommends—and nothing more. Some cars, particularly those with turbocharged engines or older models that are prone to knocking (higher-octane gases reduce premature detonation, which causes engine knock), require the higher octane levels found in premium gas. But most can be very safely run on medium-grade or even regular gas, saving those precious dimes at the pump. Increasing the octane level if the engine doesn’t require it has little advantage—in most cases it won’t make your engines any cleaner and it won’t increase your horsepower. What will make a difference are detergent additives, and this is where gasoline products distinguish themselves. As miles add up, engines can accumulate deposits in the fuel injectors and on the engine valves, often in fewer than 5,000 miles. This can severely degrade engine performance, reducing power, making the engine run roughly, and increasing emissions. Off-brand gasoline sellers—local chains, national discount retailers and those operating independent stations—will include the minimum detergent quantities mandated by the government, but the major brands contend that the minimum is too little to keep engines clean. Certain automobile manufacturers agree with them, and Shell, Chevron and Conoco, among others, recently joined forces with Honda, BMW, GM and Toyota to create their own detergent-standard program, known as Top Tier. Gasolines from these retailers contain the highest detergent levels on the market, across all the octane levels offered. An alternative to buying high-detergent gasolines all the time is to consider a fuel additive, such as Techron, which, when added every 5,000 miles or so, cleans deposits out of your fuel injector and off your engine valves. Because the inclusion of detergent additives to gas sold in the U.S. is entirely voluntary, such products might be a good idea if you tend to purchase off-brand gasoline from discount retailers.
Thanks Tempus for the links. I have found that Chevron and Esso (Exxon) give me the best mileage and Shell the worst. Difference is about 1.3 miles to the gallon.
