86 octane top tier or 87 octane not top tier?

[minis]

a video on TopTier gas and how it cleans the combustion chamber

 

[JRHAWK9]

a video on TopTier gas and how it cleans the combustion chamber

Which is nothing more than them summarizing the AAA report I linked to above, which can be found -HERE-.

 

[Rmay635703]

I wouldn’t put less than 86 in my lawnmower let alone either of my vehicles. Get the 87, or step up to mid/premium to hit that 87 minimum.

If it’s naturally aspirated it literally doesn’t matter annd just wastes money using more octane than you need,
unless he drives to sea level every day and has a car that requires premium there is little point is wasting money you literally burn.

If his car knocks on 86 that is one thing but on an NA car that’s rare unless his car mandates premium octane.

If he is concerned about octane get the cheap 88e15 it’s sometimes half the price of premium.

 

[DirectRejection]

Go to a busy station that sells fresh gas. Do not let your fuel tank get below 1/4 full. Use whatever is cheapest. Maybe throw in a bottle of Techron here and there.

 

[SJUMBA]

Only Costco gas goes into my fleet of vehicles. "Top tier" gas at a great price. My Corvette would turn its nose up at anything else.

 

[MavRick]

If a gas station has the "Top Tier" official sticker, does that mean all octane gas selections have the Top Tier additive package?

 

[Sandstorm]

If a gas station has the "Top Tier" official sticker, does that mean all octane gas selections have the Top Tier additive package?

Yes

 

[MavRick]

I've got a 2024 Mazda CX-5 non turbo. According to the manual, you're supposed to put in 87 octane or better.
Most all the stations where I live only have 86 octane and I'm told it won't make a difference to use that.
There are a couple stations with 87 octane, but it's not top tier.
QUESTION: Should I go with the 87 that's not top tier or get the top tier 86?

Because your motor is direct injection, never put less than 87 octane. If you consult the owner's manual it might even say minimum 87 but will work with higher octane gas as well. I have a new 2.0L EcoBoost motor so I'm making my decision on which gas to use once my dealer fill up runs out. I think I'll use Top Tier and occasionally use Techron before oil change. The issue with direct injection is the valves can retain deposits because the gas isn't flowing over them. So using Top Tier helps keep that from happening.

 

[MavRick]

I've noticed that Philips advertises that they have top tier gas but I'm not sure they have the official stickers on display. Can I trust that all Philips stations are using Top Tier gas?

 

[kschachn]

The issue with direct injection is the valves can retain deposits because the gas isn't flowing over them. So using Top Tier helps keep that from happening.

I don’t understand that.

 

[MavRick]

I don’t understand that.

There is no carburetor or throttle body injection, so the gas doesn't wash over the back side of the valve. Only intake air and exhaust air so the backside is always dry.

 

[wemay]

@MavRick
If the non-TT gas isn't flowing over the valves, which contributes to the deposits.... how does TT fuel (which also doesn't flow over the valves) keep that from happening?

 

[MavRick]

OP, you can try using this TT station finder...

https://stationfinder.toptiergas.com/

Not OP but they mentioned they were in Lubbock, TX so I just checked. If you stop at Philips, Valero, Conoco or Costco you will get Top Tier.

Edit: Also Sinclair.

 

[MavRick]

@MavRick
If the non-TT gas isn't flowing over the valves, which contributes to the deposits.... how does Top Tier fuel (which also doesn't flow over the valves) keep that from happening?

According to my understanding Top Tier burns cleaner, thus less carbon to collect. It doesn't prevent carbon build up; it just slows down the accumulation of the build-up. The issue with direct injection is if the valves do get carbon build up on the backside of the valve to the point of it being a problem, there isn't anything that can be cone but to remove the valves to clean them. Probably not too important if you don't plan on keeping the vehicle into high mileage range.

 

[kschachn]

There is no carburetor or throttle body injection, so the gas doesn't wash over the back side of the valve. Only intake air and exhaust air so the backside is always dry.

How does Top Tier fuel help that?

 

[kschachn]

According to my understanding Top Tier burns cleaner, thus less carbon to collect. It doesn't prevent carbon build up; it just slows down the accumulation of the build-up. The issue with direct injection is if the valves do get carbon build up on the backside of the valve to the point of it being a problem, there isn't anything that can be cone but to remove the valves to clean them. Probably not too important if you don't plan on keeping the vehicle into high mileage range.

Yeah I’ve never seen where Top Tier makes that claim.

 

[dubber09]

Try running both, see how it goes.
I used to buy gas at Safeway in Lynden WA, tried their 87, 89 and 92 and car still ran worse that 87 Shell gas, so I stopped going their despite significant price difference. Gas mileage is pretty much same with all those grades.

 

[wemay]

@MavRick
It helps keep the injectors clean but doesn't burn cleaner.

 

[csandste]

Octane requirements drop with higher altitude. Top tier is essential. If you must get non Top Tier gas add a PEA additive or mix in a bit of premium with the Top Tier 86. I wouldn't bother.

 

[MavRick]

@MavRick
It helps keep the injectors clean but doesn't burn cleaner.

Clean injectors mean cleaner combustion. I think that's the correlation. Poor combustion contributes to carbon build up, doesn't it?