I thought they contracted with Lubrizol for their additive package? I had read that somewhere. It's put together to Costco's standards.
Are there any studies or data to suggest one Top Tier fuel is better than another?
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At this point nobody knows. There were a series of presentations that became public where some Costco rep claimed that it was “Ultrazol 9888” (even though the EPA website only lists a “Lubrizol 9888”). It certainly sounded like it was custom made for Costco. But it could be different now. Companies can change suppliers or use something different from the same supplier.
One thing that could be different is that there must be a quantity of detergent additive (that meets at least EPA minimums) in the tanker as it leaves the fuel depot. It’s assumed to be whatever generic additive is available from the fuel depot at the cheapest price. So eventually it will be a combination of a generic additive with their proprietary additive added later.
They get raw gas delivered from the tank farm.
The vagaries of commodity fuel trading and distribution are a topic unto itself. The closest fuel depots to me are operated by two oil companies and two pipeline companies. But for the most part refiners make commodity grade fuel and pipeline operators deliver commodity grade fuel. As much as the consumer is led to believe that there's something special about the fuel made by a certain refiner, it's a fungible commodity that's horse traded, blended from different supplies, etc.
That's what I've always understood ... they then add their detergent at the station, which is mixed with the gas from separate storage tanks located on site.
Most of the time. It's been noted that Costco gets two doses of additive - a basic one at the fuel depot to meet an EPA mandate. Then the supplemental one when it's delivered. I think a trucker here has mentioned that sometimes there are issues at the fuel depot and there are bottles of the additive to pour into the tanks. Someone posted the chart for Chevron when that happens, and it was something like a minimum of one bottle per 500 gallons for regular and one per 400 gallons for premium. Found it:
I don’t know about 2 doses of additives but they have a tank and plumbing that injects the additive into the flow from the tanker. I saw one being serviced at a station in Florida. Two guys were knee deep in a trench lined with piping. When the tanker arrives the attendant enters how many gallons are being dropped into the computer and it does the rest. The additive tanks are filled twice a year on average. If for some reason the system fails, the attendants have to hand pump the very thick additive into the drop flow. One of the guys told me it is very difficult to do. It sounds like a very unique and expensive system.Most of the time. It's been noted that Costco gets two doses of additive - a basic one at the fuel depot to meet an EPA mandate. Then the supplemental one when it's delivered. I think a trucker here has mentioned that sometimes there are issues at the fuel depot and there are bottles of the additive to pour into the tanks. Someone posted the chart for Chevron when that happens, and it was something like a minimum of one bottle per 500 gallons for regular and one per 400 gallons for premium. Found it:
Generally speaking, the additive was added at the loading rack. All done by computer . When we pulled into the loading rack, we gave the security our load destination and he gave us a computer credit card which we used to get the load of gasoline. Without it you couldn't get anything!! The card told the loading system the station info and required additive. The additive was injected into the gasoline while it was being pumped into the tanker. They had about six or seven different small tanks of individual additives. The refinery also had its own generic additive which was for stations that sold "un-branded" gasoline.
There were those presentations by Costco that hinted at it. There's a legal requirement that any fuel being transported to the retailer must have a level of detergent additive that meets the EPA required minimums. So when they do that at the station, it has to be on top of additives required just for transportation. LAC means "lowest additive concentration" for the lowest concentration that meets their minimum requirement for deposit control.
§ 1090.260 Gasoline deposit control standards.
(a) Except as specified in subpart G of this part, all gasoline that is sold, offered for sale, dispensed, supplied, offered for supply, or transported to the ultimate consumer for use in motor vehicles or in any off-road engines, or that is transported to a gasoline retailer or WPC must be treated with a detergent that meets the requirements of paragraph (b)of this section at a rate at least as high as the detergent's LAC over the VAR period.
(b) The LAC of the detergent must be determined by the gasoline detergent manufacturer using one of the following methods:
(1) The detergent must comply with one of the deposit control testing methods specified in § 1090.1395.
(2) The detergent must have been certified prior to January 1, 2021, under the intake valve deposit control requirements of 40 CFR 80.165(b) for any of the detergent certification options under 40 CFR 80.163. Di-tertiary butyl disulfide may have been used to meet the test fuel specifications under 40 CFR 80.164 associated with the intake valve deposit control requirements of 40 CFR 80.165(b). A party compliant with this paragraph (b)(2) is exempt from the port fuel injector deposit control requirements of 40 CFR 80.165(a).
(3) A gasoline detergent manufacturer must produce detergents consistent with their detergent certifications for detergents certified prior to January 1, 2021, and with the specific composition information submitted as part of the registration of detergents under 40 CFR 79.21(j) thereafter.
So what are you saying? That Costco's gas has double additives? Or they are not really adding anything at the station?
I'm saying that US federal regulations require that any fuel to be transported to a gas station must already have a minimum additive concentration that meets the EPA's deposit control standard. I posted the regulation text. If they're not doing that, fuel shippers can get in serious trouble.
What Costco adds at their gas station is on top of that. And from the descriptions I've heard, it's a lot more.
Patman
Staff member
At the Canadian Costco stations they claim to have 5x the amount of detergents as required up here
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Search Google and Youtube. When I Googled it I found lots of evidence that Shell is best, followed by Chevron, followed by U76 & Costco gas. Yes, Costco gas is a good Tier One.
Having said the above, you won't go wrong with any brand of Tier One gas.
Shell is my favorite, and I typically get a 40 cent a gallon discount because of my Kroger/Fred Meyer Boost member discount. Regular Kroger/Freds members typically get a 10 to 20 cent discount per gallon.
If I was a Safeway/Alberton's member/customer I'd buy Chevron because they get a discount from Chevron.
If I was a Costco member, I'd buy Costco gas.
I have good access to a Costco, so that's what I've settled on. I'm in Chevron country though otherwise. I did not find all of the evidence you did that Shell was best, but I always for some reason had it in my mind that it was the best. Unfortunately Shell stations are few and far between.
So I'm using Costco mostly and then using Redline SI-1 at least once a year, and I'll see how it goes.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
See this thread post 56. It mentions some places on Internet where you can to find independent testing and comparison of some brands of Top Tier gas. Mostly Shell, Chevron, U76, and Costco gas (all of which are Top Tier gas). I personally think those are the best or among the best.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Yes the Top Tier brands' additives are the difference. That's exactly why Top Tier fuels are better. They have more and better additives, which benefits your engine without you having to buy fuel additives.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
I've always been told the fuel in the tanker contains no additives. The additives are added to the fuel at time of delivery by either the delivery driver or a gas station employee. Usually the driver adds the fuel additives.
It's generic gas (commodity) in the tanker. It becomes Shell gas when Shell's Vpower additive package is added at time of delivery to gas station. It becomes Chevron when Chevron's Techron additive package is added at time of delivery. It becomes U76 or Costco when their additive package is delivered.
Whether Kroger/Fred Meyer adds unbranded Vpower additive or not, I don't know. Maybe. If Kroger adds unbranded Vpower, do they add as much as a Shell station would add? Probably not.
Here's an analogy. Valvoline makes NAPA brand oil. NAPA oil has same additives as typical Valvoline oil, except the NAPA oil has less of those additives. So although NAPA oil is a decent oil made by Valvoline and contains Valvoline additives, NAPA oil isn't as good as Valvoline branded oil.
Although Kroger/Fred gas has unbranded additives likely made by Shell, it's probably not as strong of an additive package as branded Shell Vpower gas. If it is the same additive package, they probably add less of it to Kroger gas.
The Kroger/Fred Meyer members gas discounts can be used at Shell gas stations. My Kroger/Fred premium membership got me 40 cents a gallon discount at Shell stations my last 2 fillups. Safeway/Albertsons members can use their gas discount at Chevron stations.
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That's wrong. It's a regulatory requirement that a detergent additive meeting the EPA's minimum standard be added before a tanker leaves the fuel depot. At least in the US, every fuel depot that delivers to tankers has automated additive delivery systems.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
You're correct. Thank you for clarifying. I meant that AFAIK the tankers transport generic gas, which as you said, would contain generic additives required by law, which is minimal IMO. Also, as you said those generic additives would be added before the tanker leaves the fuel depot.
The point I intended to make in my earlier post is that it doesn't become Top Tier gas until the TT additives are added, which is usually at time of fuel delivery at gas station.
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