Is 87 Octane a "Top-Tier"?

[y_p_w]

Nothing around here in Burnaby.

Port Coquitlam is maybe the closest Costco to Burnaby other than the one in Burnaby. That's the only Costco in the area with a gas station other than Abbotsford.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

We don't have Costco gas here in Metro Vancouver (at least in the parts I frequent). So I'm mostly stuck with Chevron and Shell anyways (87). I may consider settling with 89.

89 is ridiculously expensive. It’s so unpopular Shell doesn’t even have it anymore, dumping it for 93 about 18 months ago. Why pay 16-18 c/L more than 87, when 91 is 20-21 cents more?

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Port Coquitlam is maybe the closest Costco to Burnaby other than the one in Burnaby. That's the only Costco in the area with a gas station other than Abbotsford.

That’s not true, Langley Costco has gas.

 

[AJW001]

89 is ridiculously expensive. It’s so unpopular Shell doesn’t even have it anymore, dumping it for 93 about 18 months ago. Why pay 16-18 c/L more than 87, when 91 is 20-21 cents more?

That is true, Shell offers only 87, 91, and 93. Chevron offers 87, 89, 91, and 94.

If possible I'd like to stick to only 87. 91 got really painful on my just-sold car back when gas was $2.40ish/L here in Burnaby a few months back.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Living up in Casper, WY I can remember lower than 87 octane at Sinclair fuel station. Think it was 85-86. Love that high altitude. I always run some premium which is 90 when I am headed towards sea level.

 

[y_p_w]

Living up in Casper, WY I can remember lower than 87 octane at Sinclair fuel station. Think it was 85-86. Love that high altitude. I always run some premium which is 90 when I am headed towards sea level.

That’s high altitude sales, but many think it’s cheating with modern engine controls. I do remember when 86 was the minimum standard for sea level unleaded regular.

I’ve heard of owners of classic (before leaded gas) cars asking about using regular unleaded. Those can operate on really low octane rating fuel and never needed leaded gas to protect valve seats. And any 70-80 year old car will have had its seals and hoses replaced by now with newer materials. But they may have issues with moisture in an unsealed system.

 

[wareze]

BP withdrew from the Top Tier program. I'm not sure if Sunoco is back. OK - Sunoco is back.

https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

While Costco is in the program, their method of doing so is far different than anyone else. Nearly everyone else adds the detergent at the fuel depot where there should be plenty of time for the detergent to mix evenly by the time it's delivered to the gas station. Costco's method is to take an EPA minimum generic detergent at the fuel depot (required by regulations) but then they meter their own detergent upon delivery at Costco gas stations. My primary concern would be how well mixed it is since I've never seen them stop customers from pumping gas during fuel deliveries. But at the very least it would meet the EPA minimum since they have fully EPA compliant fuel coming out of tankers.

Costco is 10% ethanol, says right at the pumps.. I'd avoid it personally

 

[silversport]

been using Costco Top Tier gasoline in both 87 and 93 octane in various cars exclusively since 2014 without any gasoline related issues...

good luck with your choice

Bill

 

[ziggy]

Mobil uses synergy.
Shell is 2 times detergency,but thier 93 is 5 times detergency.the nitro stuff.
I use phillips66, 87-89 3 times the detergency.think same for 93.
Sunoco was top tier,think still is,but most deter agency is the phillips.
Back in 2005,news station tested some gases,boiled away till detergent residue was left behing. For 87 mobil had slot of detetgency. But for 93,shell won.