Top Tier Stations Detergent Levels
- Thread starter HowAboutThis
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It’s known that COSTCO adds additives when fuel is delivered…but WHEN? Before the truck dumps gas? After his load is in the tank? As he fills the tank.
I ask as I bought gas when the guy is adding fuel to the COSTCO tanks…. They are ALWAYS filling the tanks. If they add additives when he starts?…I get PLENTY. They shoot in enough for a whole storage tank of gas, and he just started.
If they slug it in when he is done…long after I’m gone? I get shorted, as the gas in the tank only has the “extra” COSTCO additives diluted by his fill.
I can’t see how they manage this so all pumped gas is “top tier”.
I ask as I bought gas when the guy is adding fuel to the COSTCO tanks…. They are ALWAYS filling the tanks. If they add additives when he starts?…I get PLENTY. They shoot in enough for a whole storage tank of gas, and he just started.
If they slug it in when he is done…long after I’m gone? I get shorted, as the gas in the tank only has the “extra” COSTCO additives diluted by his fill.
I can’t see how they manage this so all pumped gas is “top tier”.
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I’ve had worries about that. I guess it’s acceptable to Top Tier that it be mixed in that way.
However, fuel can’t leave the depot in the US without at least the “lowest additive concentration” detergent additive in the tanker. It gets “splash blended” and will almost certainly be well mixed by the time it gets to the gas station.
The metering system is supposed to uniformly distribute the additive as the fuel is delivered. I guess that’s good enough. If you’ve ever looked at a soda fountain dispenser, you can typically see syrup and water mixing at the nozzle, but it’s always uniform once it hits the cup.
I knew they added “extra” additives, but didn’t know there was a metering system. I have never seen anyone but the truck driver hooking up the standard dump hose. There is that little booth nearby, but never anyone there, or any action there. The soda machine is one integrated system. I see no feedback possible between the COSTCO system and the gravity dump of the tanker. Overthinking? Maybe but half the time I buy gas there a truck is starting, midway or has just finished dropping off fuel.
I guess at the very least it would meet EPA required additive concentration. Even if it’s not perfectly blended, it’s probably not worth worrying about it.
Costco had several presentations of their then “Clean Power” system at various fuel trade conferences. Here’s one, which shows the metering pad they used. It required keying in the amount of fuel to be delivered. I don’t know how perfectly metered it would be. Previous versions mentioned “Ultrazol 9888” from Lubrizol, although the EPA list only has “Lubrizol 9888”. Of course at this point, Costco could have easily changed their additive.
However, it looks like the setup as of 2013 included a flow computer that monitors the incoming flow rate. I suppose that can be used to meter the rate of additive introduced.
Thanks. That is an impressive system. I will snoop around our store and see if it is this evident. Cars run great and price is good….”why me worry”!
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So given the lack of actual data, would you be better off to just run 1/4 bottle of techron at every fill or something?
Or maybe 1 full bottle every 4 fills?
I try to do top tier when I can. There are a couple decent ones near me. On the road, some of these stations look pretty sketchy, and I travel a lot.
Or maybe 1 full bottle every 4 fills?
I try to do top tier when I can. There are a couple decent ones near me. On the road, some of these stations look pretty sketchy, and I travel a lot.
What year/gen GTI?It's a GTI with a manual and I was 25 when I bought it. So ya, its been revved lol
Buddy installs the systems at Costco so trust his info - added after delivery. I've posted a link to how Costco's Top Tier add pack system before if you search. I use Costco gas almost exclusively.
Edit. I see someone posted it here in this thread with some info.
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I asked this question of an Exxon owner years ago. What prompted me is I said I see the same tanker, Coraluzzo, filling up Wawa, Costco, etc. So how is it that Costco is Top Tier and Wawa is not?
He told me to have a seat, young grasshopper, and I will explain the world of gasoline retailing to you.
He said other than Sunoco in our area, companies do not have their own refineries (but I thought the then Hess did).
When you see the same tanker line filling up various stations, it's not the same gasoline and truck. There is branded, and unbranded. Costco is branded. BJ's, Wawa, is not. Costco and the other branded gasolines get their own proprietary additives at the termninal. Unbranded gasoline does not.
Imagine if all of the above is a bunch of bunk that the guy made up? I've believed it for a bunch of years now. A guy at work who worked for Sunoco told me it's true.
There is a fuel depot about 2 miles away. It sits on a pipeline that comes from the Whiting IN BP refinery. The pipeline also terminates in Texas somewhere.
But I'd guess 70% of the local gas no matter what the station gets the fuel delivered from this depot. So if BP is above the minimum, then all stations using BP as the base fuel are too. The local pricing is regional or territorial. Three seperate areas that the price moves up and down within but they are never the same.
I always thought the additives were added in the transport tanker as it was filled? That's the only what to get certain stations to claim more than required. Of course any additive reduces the btu content.
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I used to believe that 20 years ago, I truly did.
Today, I believe there's something to it.
But in reality, I don't need to worry too deeply, since we almost exclusively fill up at Costco, which is cheaper, and, Top Tier.
Have you ever seen a Top Tier sticker on a gas pump in Illinois?
Yes, true. I asked the COSTCO question not about the DELIVERED gas…but as they add EXTRA additives…about what concentration of those do I get when I buy gas as the truck is dumping that “base” fuel into the tank.
Coincidentally I loaded fuel tank trunks in Houston years ago. That gas went to MANY different brand of gas retailers, big name brands and independent mom & pop places, but it all came from the same tank and the same refinery. Texaco, EXON, and Shell on the same corner would be selling the same gas (before detergent additives required)
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I think there’s a misconception here.
This may or may not clear it up.
This may or may not clear it up.
yes, I have...at every Costco station I've been to in the Chicago suburban area...I wonder what the "scam" is you speak of as I've never paid a premium for buying Top Tier gasoline at Costco which usually has the least expensive gasoline advertised price when I'm looking to fill up any of my cars or the cars I take care of...
Bill
If they all are, then no engine would get dirty valves...
Sorry no Costco here. But plenty of other top tier stations. No one advertises it here. The scam is actually advertising brainwashing. Just more is better mentality.
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