Top Tier Gas?

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If a gasoline is listed as "top tier" does that mean all grades or just premium? I just traded in an Acura that used Shell Premium for a Honda that uses Shell Regular. Is the regular grade top tier too? Thanks.
 
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Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.



Not at all; made sense to me.....
crackmeup2.gif


Top Tier refers to the formulation, not the octane rating afaik.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.


Yep. You sound like my 75 year old father.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.


Yep. You sound like my 75 year old father.


Any if you live to be 75 years old guess what?
smile.gif


By the way around here hi-test refers to octane grade not the 'tier' of the gas.
 
Leaded gasoline has been banned in America since January 1, 1996, and we still call it "Unleaded" gas.
 
Originally Posted By: cookieman214

Leaded gasoline has been banned in America since January 1, 1996, and we still call it "Unleaded" gas.


not completely true, airplanes still use it.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.


Used be regular and ethyl. also only two cents difference in price.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.



Not at all; made sense to me.....
crackmeup2.gif


Top Tier refers to the formulation, not the octane rating afaik.

It's only a certification of the additive package. The base fuel is more than likely just a commodity that can come from any number of different sources and isn't required to be tested per se. More than likely the additive manufacturer has the tests available and makes those available to the gas retailer to submit for certification.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: cookieman214

Leaded gasoline has been banned in America since January 1, 1996, and we still call it "Unleaded" gas.


not completely true, airplanes still use it.


And racing fuel. NASCAR was still using leaded racing fuel until a few years ago.
 
Guess I am even older as we called it "Super" back in the day.

I can remember paying 29 cents for 100 Octane gasoline. Clark stations also sold 101 Octane.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Keep in mind some cars prefer hi-test and some cars require hi-test.

I suppose I am dating myself when I say hi-test.


Or even worse "Ethyl".
 
And if I remember correctly, Amoco down here in the deep south had different colors for different grades of gasoline. I think that we called it silver and it was clear when we pumped Hi test Amoco. Please correct my memory if I am wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: cookieman214

Leaded gasoline has been banned in America since January 1, 1996, and we still call it "Unleaded" gas.


not completely true, airplanes still use it.


Leaded fuel is still available in many forms of racing, you just cant go to the local ,shell, or Exxon to get it. But its widely available. Runs about 14 or $15 per gal, I buy it regularly. This is superior to anything ever offered at a Pump to the general public.
 
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Originally Posted By: cristphoto
If a gasoline is listed as "top tier" does that mean all grades or just premium?

That's a loaded question. The Top Tier site says that ALL grades of the retailer's gas must meet the Top Tier standards. But...

From the website FAQ of Top Tier Gas:
"...TOP TIER gasoline can contain ethanol up to a maximum of 10% by volume. In areas where ethanol is not always used for blending, a TOP TIER gasoline that has passed all performance testing is still qualified as the additive supplier would have tested their product on the appropriate fuel."

But then, on the Deposit Control page of that same site, I find this astoundingly-contradictory comment:
"The base fuel shall have the following specific properties after the addition of ethanol:
1) Contain enough denatured ethanol such that the actual ethanol content is no less than 8.0 and no more than 10.0 volume percent."


So...which is it? Does Top Tier Gas need to contain ethanol or not? Shell in Canada is a Top Tier retailer, but their Premium grade contains no ethanol. The two statements above make the issue confusing.

What I also find a bit disturbing is that there is absolutely no information on the Top Tier website on the organization itself. Who runs it? Do they have a board? To find out anything about Top Tier you're supposed to contact your additive supplier; this is obviously aimed at the trade, but what about the general public?


Personally, I think Top Tier is a front for the ethanol industry; it's a way of forcing the use of ethanol through marketing.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: cookieman214

Leaded gasoline has been banned in America since January 1, 1996, and we still call it "Unleaded" gas.


not completely true, airplanes still use it.


For now. But as we speak, the FAA is evaluating several brands of no lead AVGAS. Jeez, somethings just aren't sacred are they?
 
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