Does it Matter Which Gas You Use?

Top Manufacturers Say that Most Gasolines Are Too Dirty for Your Car

The choices are many: Chevron, Mobil, 76 Unocal, Texaco, Arco, etc. And with each brand you seem to be getting a unique product, like Chevron’s Techron or Shell’s V-Power. So naturally, one would ask, does it matter which gas you use?

Apparently it does. Starting last year, the top four manufacturers established their own standard of gasoline called Top Tier. Unsatisfied, among many things, with the minimal detergent levels in gasoline required by the government, BMW, Toyota, Honda, and GM specified what they think is a satisfactory standard in controlling deposits and increasing engine longevity. Details of this standard can be found at http://www.toptiergas.com.

According to toptiergas.com, "many gasoline retailers provide fuels with lower-quality additive packages that can build up deposits on fuel injectors and on intake valves. Others can build up deposits in combustion chambers and may lead to intake valve sticking. These lower levels of additives can have negative impacts on engine performance and vehicle responsiveness."

Pete Misangyi, Fuels and Lubricants Engineering Supervisor for Ford Motor Company, also emphasizes the fuel factor when it comes to engine deposits. He says that "if customers need an additive due to engine deposits, or bring the vehicle in for service due to a performance deficiency, they should probably switch the brand of gasoline they’re using." Engine deposits have spawned the proliferation of products dedicated to cleaning engine parts, like fuel injectors or valves. But most manufacturers don't recommend any oil or fuel additives.