Top Tier Gasoline Recommended?

[trekmanone]

Reading through a Camaro manual waiting for my new 2LT to arrive later this week. Recommends "Top Tier" gasoline. I've read about the new engine oil but this was a new one.
www.toptiergas.com

Even the web site looks a little hookie given BMW, GM, Honda & Toyota set the standard.

What do you Camaro owners think of this gas thing?

[The Stig]

The V6 takes regular 87 octane.

[trekmanone]

Originally Posted by stieger

The V6 takes regular 87 octane.

My understanding, after reading the link, is Top Tier is a detergent standard used in all levels of octane gas, at the oil companies stations listed. Not top tier octane (93) gasoline.

For example, Valero is a huge Texas oil company with zillions of gas stations but it's not on the list...

So it seems the V6 takes regular TOP TIER 87 octane detergent gas.

From the owners manual:

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by trekmanone

Reading through a Camaro manual waiting for my new 2LT to arrive later this week. Recommends "Top Tier" gasoline. I've read about the new engine oil but this was a new one.
www.toptiergas.com

Even the web site looks a little hookie given BMW, GM, Honda & Toyota set the standard.

What do you Camaro owners think of this gas thing?

Top Tier Gasoline is an unofficial designation for gasoline formulas that kept up a high-enough level of detergents in their fuel AFTER the gov't lowered their standards. Many companies cut the additive levels to save costs since it wasn't mandated...but the listed car companies recognized a loss of quality as they designed their engines...so they made a little stink.

It seems the biggest issue is gunk buildup...which can be cured with the occasional dose of fuel-system cleaner. (But not everyone does this...and the car companies know it).

[FirstandFifthGen]

Detergents also help reduce carbon buildup in engines. I recommend using the top tier options, in particular Chevron and Shell.

[pennor]

I don't put a lot of stock in the "top tier" designation that you see on anyone's pump. Actually I take the whole argument that one brand of gasoline is all that different from any other with a huge grain of salt. I've watched the local wholesale distributors tanker trucks in my town as they stop at the Chevron station, then go on down to the 76 station, and then over to Costco. I doubt that they carry all those different "brands" of gas in separate little compartments in the tank. To further prop up my argument I know for a fact that there are only two refineries in the Pacific Northwest, both of them up on the north Washington coast. One is a BP/Arco refinery, the other was labeled Texaco the last time I was up there a few years ago. They both pump gasoline into a pipeline that runs down the Puget sound to Oregon and on to Eugene. The jobers pull thier gas from that pipline and fill their storage tanks. These wholesalers are not labeled Chevron or Shell or Arco. They are Harris Oil, Carson Oil, Mark Nelson Oil, etc. They in turn sell gas to the dealers and deliver it by truck. I don't see that there can be any significant difference other than the grade and octane level.

[VTXrider]

Originally Posted by pennor

I don't put a lot of stock in the "top tier" designation that you see on anyone's pump. Actually I take the whole argument that one brand of gasoline is all that different from any other with a huge grain of salt. I've watched the local wholesale distributors tanker trucks in my town as they stop at the Chevron station, then go on down to the 76 station, and then over to Costco. I doubt that they carry all those different "brands" of gas in separate little compartments in the tank. To further prop up my argument I know for a fact that there are only two refineries in the Pacific Northwest, both of them up on the north Washington coast. One is a BP/Arco refinery, the other was labeled Texaco the last time I was up there a few years ago. They both pump gasoline into a pipeline that runs down the Puget sound to Oregon and on to Eugene. The jobers pull thier gas from that pipline and fill their storage tanks. These wholesalers are not labeled Chevron or Shell or Arco. They are Harris Oil, Carson Oil, Mark Nelson Oil, etc. They in turn sell gas to the dealers and deliver it by truck. I don't see that there can be any significant difference other than the grade and octane level.

The difference in Top Tier gas occurs after the gas leaves the pipeline and as it is put in the truck for delivery. Top Tier brands guarantee a certain level of detergents, others may or may not have it. As you said, in small markets I suspect all stations have it as the same trucks are delivering to all stations. The gas coming from the pipeline is all the same and in fact it is impossible to know what company refined it since it all mixes in the pipe. The detergents and ethenol in mixed in when it is loaded into the trucks.

Personally I don't care about top tier since I use a separate detergent that I mix in and use a fuel system cleaner in addition periodically.

[cuspid]

Can you say techron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techron

[ffrcobra_65]

black beans from El Pollo Loco.

[2011 SS Camaro]

Here's the link your looking for

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

[Sneeks20]

Thats it, no more Arco for me im switching to Chevron wit Techron

[BlkThndr66]

I for one can vouch for some of this. I have the V6 and when I fill up with any grade [87-93] at Speedway or Thorntons, 50% of the time my check engine light will come on.
If I fill up with BP or Shell it goes off basically after 1 or 2 start-ups. I had been using premium [92-93] octane because I thought the gas grade was the problem; turns out it's just the brand of gasoline. Goodbye speedy rewards card. hahahaha

[Sneeks20]

Originally Posted by BlkThndr66

I for one can vouch for some of this. I have the V6 and when I fill up with any grade [87-93] at Speedway or Thorntons, 50% of the time my check engine light will come on.
If I fill up with BP or Shell it goes off basically after 1 or 2 start-ups. I had been using premium [92-93] octane because I thought the gas grade was the problem; turns out it's just the brand of gasoline. Goodbye speedy rewards card. hahahaha

Really? Thats imteresting. Yeah i use nothing but premium. Might check out Mobil,76,Chevron. Their prices are currently sky rocketing.

[RubyCamaro]

V6 may run on 87 octane with no damage, but it runs a lot better with 93! I could definately tell a difference. I also run only Top Tier gasolines & use only Havoline 1 synthetic oil (which also made a noticable difference). I will protect my baby's engine any way I can.