NelsonLewis
Banned
- :
- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Retailers aren't making but about .03 to .05 cents per gallon anyways...that state and federal tax, though...
Cheap, off-brand gasoline is bad for engines, AAA says
- Thread starter Kedis82ZE8
- Start date
Ken in Iowa
Member
- :
- Mazda Tribute clone
Most of the gas sold in my town comes from convenience stores. Luckily we have 3 stations selling top tier gas at competitive prices.
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Not all detergents are the same. Different brand uses different detergent and some may be more effective than the other. And some detergent additive packages are patented such as Shell's Nitrogen Enriched Cleaning System and Chevron's Techron. Techron is not cheap when you purchase it at auto parts store.
Well crap, it would appear that the gas I buy from BJ's Wholesale club is apparently a low tier gasoline since I don't see it on the list, even though it looks like Costco is on the list. May be time to switch between the two.
Most of the gas around me 'low tier'. Rutters and Sheitz are most common and they are huge convenience stores that sell hot food and gas. I only know of one top tier near me which would be Exxon. I try to go there when I can.
I think this is all marketing. I have always used the least expensive gas usually at Speedway, Racetrack, Sams etc. A friend has the 2003 G35 that I bought new that has 160,000 miles that runs like a clock, uses no oil and never had any injector cleaning or additives in it. The sticker specified 91 octane but the owners manual indicated it ran fine on regular which is what I always used. It is still a great car, only thing under the hood done was new camshaft position sensor that was called out on an engine code at 120,000 miles that I bought at autozone and installed and new spark plugs that came out clean. It has never seem a dealers shop but we did have to replace the AC control panel and radio/cd combined head unit that failed at 130,000. Transmission fluid has never been changed and I used dino oil but changed at 3000 miles.
I still have a 2000 Corvette that I do run high test in but also the least expensive available. Its got 85,000 miles with nothing done other than a new gas cap, still original spark plugs. Runs like a clock, uses no oil. After 12 years I did change out the water hoses for silicon style (I think it has 8) and replaced the fan belts as I did not want one to break and strand me due to age. The AC is getting weak so I am going to have to add some refrigerant before next summer. Its an automatic so my wife can drive in an emergency, never changed fluid. Did have a deferential leak that turned to be a failed vent valve that I managed to replace without dropping the rear end. I run mobil 1 and follow the computer for changes which are usually at 10,000 miles.
I still have a 2000 Corvette that I do run high test in but also the least expensive available. Its got 85,000 miles with nothing done other than a new gas cap, still original spark plugs. Runs like a clock, uses no oil. After 12 years I did change out the water hoses for silicon style (I think it has 8) and replaced the fan belts as I did not want one to break and strand me due to age. The AC is getting weak so I am going to have to add some refrigerant before next summer. Its an automatic so my wife can drive in an emergency, never changed fluid. Did have a deferential leak that turned to be a failed vent valve that I managed to replace without dropping the rear end. I run mobil 1 and follow the computer for changes which are usually at 10,000 miles.
Last edited:
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
It's possible. Like automatic transmission, some run 200,000 miles with no issues without changing the ATF even once; but many others are failed a lot earlier even with fluid change. It's all probability. I look at this way: spending a fraction more of the cost by getting the cheapest Top-Tier gas, Shell for the name brand or Costco for the lowest possible gas price, just for a peace of mind.
Here is a counter story from Moneytalksnews that draws the opposite opinion of AAA...
Gasoline
The Orange County Register examined whether cheaper gas really hurts a car’s engine, as advertising sometimes claims.
“Buy the cheapest gas you can get that’s convenient and close,” said Steve Mazor, chief automotive engineer with the Automobile Club of Southern California Automotive Research Center, speaking to the Register. Mazor has been testing gas for 30 years.
Highly advertised additives don’t matter, the Register found.
“As long as you’re getting the right octane level … you might as well use the gas that’s the cheapest,” William Green, a chemical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the paper.
Gasoline
The Orange County Register examined whether cheaper gas really hurts a car’s engine, as advertising sometimes claims.
“Buy the cheapest gas you can get that’s convenient and close,” said Steve Mazor, chief automotive engineer with the Automobile Club of Southern California Automotive Research Center, speaking to the Register. Mazor has been testing gas for 30 years.
Highly advertised additives don’t matter, the Register found.
“As long as you’re getting the right octane level … you might as well use the gas that’s the cheapest,” William Green, a chemical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the paper.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 Touring
meh, Kroger 93 octane has been fine in my GSR for the past 265K miles, methinks it will still work awhile longer.
I have started using Top Tier regular in the CX-5, as of its 2nd fill-up since we bought it.
I have started using Top Tier regular in the CX-5, as of its 2nd fill-up since we bought it.
