Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
It's a test of the performance of the additive.
Yes, I understand what you're saying.
What I'm trying to get across is that testing is only performed with a 10% ethanol base fuel. To then subsequently take that TOP TIER detergency package, dump it into a non-ethanol base fuel and proclaim that it meets the same standard/does the same thing is a tad...presumptive?
A lot of testing is presumptive. The idea of this test is to test the additive against a base condition that produces heavy deposits without the additive package. It also specifies an engine that very few people will be using, in a bench testing environment under controlled conditions. In the real world it's a best guess as to how much better it should be relative to no detergent. The API motor oil tests operate on a specific older engine that few people use any more, but manufacturers still specify meeting the standard. Manufacturers also specify fuel octane rating requirements based on test conditions that only approximate real-world engine requirements.
Of course it's not going to be an exact match of real-world conditions. The fuel seller has very little control of the base fuel that they buy. The fuel could be the combined output of several refineries sent in by pipeline, and it could be mixed with fuel in the tank from older deliveries. It could even be a mix of summer and winter blend fuel, or even a different additive package (some . It's supposed to meet a basic standard, but it's not likely to be that carefully controlled fuel blend that meets the exact test fuel requirement. The fuel seller is even free to up the concentration of additive, even though that changes one of the conditions specified in the test.
Nothing is likely going to be a perfect re-creation of the conditions that a real-world fuel consumer is going to face. They're allowed to take an additive that passes the testing requirements and call it Top Tier. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
The one thing I'd worry about E0 is that it's probably a "specialty fuel" since most fuels these days are made to be blended with ethanol to meet the pump octane rating. Most of that stuff is sent by pipeline as a fungible commodity, where the customer can take delivery almost anywhere, but where it's cheaper if they deposit and withdraw like it's a bank account and the fuel may not be the exact stuff put in, but of the same standard. The pipeline company decides how to route the fuel. E0 might require a dedicated "segregated" delivery, which costs more and is probably reflected in the price.