This is what you paid for, I hope this is what you got.
Valvoline Restore and Protect Fuel System Cleaner??
- Thread starter TacoFergie
- Start date
In your experience with your job, do you have a sense of which of the top fuel brands has the best detergent package? The marketing claims all compete with each other... 4x 5x 6x etc the amount of required detergents. At some point you're going to displace fuel by the amount of detergents and lose MPG lol.
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2026
- Messages
- 39
I cant give out much detail due to non-disclosure agreements, unfortunately. What I can say is our chemists work with some larger refineries to innovate top tier fuels and detergent packages and they are all slightly different... different enough that you would tell if you run one from another? Most likely not. If its top tier fuel your getting the best you can get. One may have a bit more cleaning than others, but again nothing I would say you would notice. The newest thing rolling out that you dont really see necessarily is newer more modern blending stations at the gas stations themselves putting additional detergents into the underground tanks. Seems like it may be the future of detergent packages, but we will see. Regardless the amount of cleaners in top tier fuels will never amount to the same as dumping a good quality additive in. At least not that I foresee!
Yeah it seems like getting Costco gas and using the savings to use a fuel system cleaner every OCI is probably the best option. I'm still intrigued by Shell gas as people seem to have the best experience with it, but it's all anecdote.
Patman
Staff member
If you’re using Costco gas then you don’t need any additional cleaners. Costco has almost as much detergents as Shell V Power. I have never used any fuel additives in my Civic and I mostly use Costco gas.
Well perhaps if you had it since new. I bought it used. No idea what it was run on before I had it.
Patman
Staff member
I haven’t had mine since new. I bought it 5 years ago with 130,000 km on it and now have 301,000 km. I’m not sure if the previous owner ever used anything but even if they didn’t, Costco gas has enough cleaning ability to reduce that buildup, just like Shell V Power does.
My 2018 Jeep has run mostly on Top Tier with an occasional tank of Kroger gas at $1 off per gallon. I´ve never run any cleaner through it of any kind and it runs perfectly, even with the original spark plugs right before they were changed at 1,000 miles.
That said, it won´t hurt to do a tank with the Valvoline Restore and Protect fuel system cleaner. Maybe I will do that every 100,000 miles! LOL.
That said, it won´t hurt to do a tank with the Valvoline Restore and Protect fuel system cleaner. Maybe I will do that every 100,000 miles! LOL.
In town mpg is up and it seems more responsive off idle. Nothing conclusive just yet.
Hopefully not the same issues as NYC since I’m at least 1 hour away from there. I’m sure that it is probably more rampant then anyone realizes, who knows.This is what you paid for, I hope this is what you got.
This particular station was shut down for a couple months while it rebranded from Speedway to Shell. It did get all new tanks during that process. While I was the there the Suffolk County inspector was setting up all his testing equipment. I don’t know if that’s just weights/measures or also octane testing.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
I’m not sure if “most detergent” is an actual measure of effectiveness inside of an engine … considering both Exxon and Shell have additive packages developed by serious R&D teams … I’m sticking with them
Patman
Staff member
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
You are sure?
I’m sure they don’t have four digits in PhD headcount’s …
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
I would think just whomever they buy from. They can all buy from BASF etc …
My point is people go crazy with every PPM in oil formulations - but think fuel only has detergents - old EPA legacy that led to Top Tier bcs they only focused on making the EPA happy.
I think we will see more focus on a full suite of additives going forward with engines getting more complicated …
It usually comes down to economics and bean counting, not intellectual prowess.
NO amount of talent at the big branded stations is going to make them use an additive that is very costly, regardless how miraculously effective it may be.
That said, I use V-power or Synergy only. So there's that.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Actually the sharpest chemists do more with less …
You are on that subject constantly …
Of course big supply chain has leverage …
Yesterday, my wife and I left home in our 2025 Pilot from central Texas and drove straight through to our daughter's in Madison, WI. I've been running only Shell V-Power for the past ~3000 miles after finding a lot of carbon in the oil filter at 10k miles on the odometer (four oil changes by then). Prior to switching to Shell premium exclusively, I was running 87 octane, Top Tier fuel from a Quik Trip built in the past two years.
We started the trip with a full tank of Shell premium. Several hours later, we stopped at a Quik Trip for a bio-break, and I decided to top off with their premium. The next fuel stop was planned at a Conoco station just before entering Kansas on I-35/Kansas Turnpike. Kansas awarded Love's Travel the contract for all the service centers on the turnpike... and I refuse to use them (NOT Top Tier). Had I stopped at the last Shell station along our route, it would have been questionable whether we'd make it to Kansas City for the next Shell station, thus the Conoco. As we're driving the rolling hills in Kansas, I started noticing a slight vibration which can best be described as having a rear tire out of balance. It was subtle and only felt on uphill grades. It took me a while to come to the conclusion it might be related to the gasoline. After getting through Kansas City, we stopped at a Shell station and filled up with their premium. Bonus that their V-Power Nitro+ was also non-ethanol. Since it only mixed with a few gallons of remaining fuel, I thought I'd soon have my answer to the "vibration". Sure enough, within a few miles it was gone.
We ran part of the trip in Tow drive mode and the other in Sport drive mode. Both modes keep the VCM system from engaging. We got the best fuel mileage in Sport mode at 22.9 mpg, which is probably the best we've seen on these long and rather heavy-footed trips (1200 miles door-to-door).
I can't say others will have the same experience, but I do know my Pilot runs best on Shell premium. I came to this conclusion before the trip, but his sealed the deal for me.
I will use the new Valvoline Fuel System cleaner before changing the oil next time.
We started the trip with a full tank of Shell premium. Several hours later, we stopped at a Quik Trip for a bio-break, and I decided to top off with their premium. The next fuel stop was planned at a Conoco station just before entering Kansas on I-35/Kansas Turnpike. Kansas awarded Love's Travel the contract for all the service centers on the turnpike... and I refuse to use them (NOT Top Tier). Had I stopped at the last Shell station along our route, it would have been questionable whether we'd make it to Kansas City for the next Shell station, thus the Conoco. As we're driving the rolling hills in Kansas, I started noticing a slight vibration which can best be described as having a rear tire out of balance. It was subtle and only felt on uphill grades. It took me a while to come to the conclusion it might be related to the gasoline. After getting through Kansas City, we stopped at a Shell station and filled up with their premium. Bonus that their V-Power Nitro+ was also non-ethanol. Since it only mixed with a few gallons of remaining fuel, I thought I'd soon have my answer to the "vibration". Sure enough, within a few miles it was gone.
We ran part of the trip in Tow drive mode and the other in Sport drive mode. Both modes keep the VCM system from engaging. We got the best fuel mileage in Sport mode at 22.9 mpg, which is probably the best we've seen on these long and rather heavy-footed trips (1200 miles door-to-door).
I can't say others will have the same experience, but I do know my Pilot runs best on Shell premium. I came to this conclusion before the trip, but his sealed the deal for me.
I will use the new Valvoline Fuel System cleaner before changing the oil next time.
And while we're going on about gas stations, the Conoco I stopped at yesterday has put two $175 pending charges on my credit card. The card was inserted one time only. I use Shell's, and did use Quik Trip's, apps to activate and pay for fuel. Next level is using Apple Pay through my watch on a contactless reader, and if I have to insert a card to pay, use one I know has my back should I need to dispute anything.
COSTCO Premium exclusively may work in some models for 5 plus years. Most vehicles can benefit from PEA infused additives every oil change. I'm testing Valvoline Restore and Protect fuel system treatment in both cars. They are running great, may have more responsive throttle when floored. Will be interesting to learn what chemicals Valvoline Restore and Protect used in the fuel treatment.
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