Gasoline
 

I use Chevron becaause it is in the Top Tier gasoline rating for engine cleaning with its Techron. But I have heard that Texaco is actually rated nationally to give the mest mpg. Is this true?

I've never heard anyone credibly claiming fuel economy increases from certain brands. Shell does, but I don't consider it credible.

I don't consider fuel additives credible either. Buy what's cheapest, you'll benefit more that way.

...most likely "marketing speak" more than "technical fact"!

Actually scientific studies have been done and Techron is shown to reduce sludge.

So you have those papers, right?

Guess what happens when you mix Shell V-Power and Chevron with Techron?

You get V-tech, y0!

*Sorry, had to.*

...here's a linky: Our Fuels: Fuel Additives: Techron Concentrate Plus

...however, 99% of realworld cars don't achieve anywhere near the stated benefits they claim, so "yes" while it's technically "true," it sure ain't practically true.

All Techron can do is help to reduce sludge. I was asking a separate question really. Sorry for not being clear.

hyperyaris -

I use Chevron because it's convenient to my route. I'll use 76 or Mobil also.

CarloSW2

I'll use Shell or Mobil; neither one (here at least) uses ethanol. Both are convenient and typically priced well.

Where does one find out information like this? The gas station attendants have never been able to give me a datasheet on what I'm buying.

Well, legally, you can request an MSDS on your fuel, and the company has to provide it, all though the station attendant probably can't. (Even though it's supposed to be on hand. AT ALL TIMES.)

Secondly - ALL publicly sold fuels in the US are REQUIRED as of 2008 to contain some measure of "renewable fuel content". Which was likely determined to be ethanol.

I suppose unless you can prove that your stations don't use Ethanol, I'm gonna have to call BS. From what I know, Ethanol is actually a requirement, not a choice.

Standard Program | Renewable Fuels | US EPA

Robert,
Most stations in this area post a sticker up that says, "May contain up to 10%ethanol" if they choose to use a renewable blend.

Christ
I found this on that link:
Frequently asked questions
Notice these lines particularly:

You're right, it doesn't require them to sell renewable fuel blends... but it DOES require major manufacturers to include it, and if you're buying from a National chain of gas stations, you're getting it, whether you think you are or not.

They're NOT required to label the pumps with the percentage of E in the Gas, unless it's E85 (There is a lower limit for when they have to start labeling it, but I'm not aware of the exact number.)

Sure, you have the right as a consumer to purchase fuel without E content. Good luck finding it, though.

shhhh. thats how i got my 9 second car

http://www.acus.org/files/images/top...-ink-stamp.jpg

Oh yeah?
 

Who paid for the studies? Was there more than one lab running concurrent experiments? Did any lab come up with a different result?

"Independent labs" is a very good-sounding marketing term.

Top Tier Gasoline ftw

hyperyaris -

You made me look! I want to get gas from here :

Turkey Hill Minit Markets

A mini market specializing in one minit Turkeys, :D !

CarloSW2

Only way I see that a gasoline would help FE is if the gasoline had a very high octane rating, which would allow you to jack up the compression ratio and dial more spark advance, both of which improve engine efficiency.

There may be some brand to brand variation in heating value but it can't be much as they all have to meet API specs.

Sorta. Again, from the FAQ:
Right now, many of the refiners get by with producing enough E10 and E85 to satisfy their required amount of renewable fuel blended, then switching to standard gasoline as they are able. Production costs are still lower for standard gasoline because ethanol sources (ie, agri-sourced feedstocks, mainly corn) couldn't handle the whole nation on E10 and E85. Additionally, they also get credit for biodiesel refining, whose main domestic agri-feedstock is soy.
Also, the math on the FAQ shows that a substantial amount of standard gas is still being produced. The requirement, in 2007, was for 4% of the national fuel supply to come from renewable sources. The goal was exceeded by 25% in 2006. Assuming that 5% of the national supply in 2006 was renewable and has now grown to 8% (1% per year), that E85 accounted for a full 1% of that 8% (probably a conservative estimate given it's popularity in the corn states), and that biodiesel accounted for another .25%, we are left with 6.75%. That means that not quite half of the gas consumed is standard gasoline.

IIRC, the national standard is 10.1% this year (2009). It's in that report, somewhere.

You're still arguing the wrong point, though. You're saying (earlier) that you know that your particular gas stations aren't putting ethanol in your fuel. I oppose that, saying that you CAN'T know, unless you've seen an MSDS for the fuel you're using, and continue to read the updates and informationals on it.

To openly say that a gas station doesn't have ethanol in it's fuel is just plain fallacy, because you can't prove one way or the other.

BTW: The requirement for 2009 is 9.0 billion gallons, not sure what that comes to in percent of actual fuel consumption.

Look, Louisiana REQUIRES a label when ethanol is present in gasoline in percentages greater than 1%. No label, no ethanol. Unless that law has changed (possible), then the stations I'm using aren't using E-blend gas. Many states require a label at the pump. In Louisiana, one reason the labels were required is that E10 starts to will dissolve the resin in some fiberglass tanks, like those you might see on an older boat.

EDIT: From an executive order, December 2008

Fair enough... that could have been posted several posts ago, and the debate would have been ended then.

"Renewable" and "Biomass" fuel doesn't necessarily refer to Ethanol, either. So you know.

Sorry, I don't like being put in the position of retracting something because I didn't research it properly. I hedged by saying that "Most stations in this area post a sticker up that says, "May contain up to 10%ethanol" if they choose to use a renewable blend." I might recommend the same to you before you call BS on somebody else.

I live in Louisiana, and all stations I have ever seen have that sticker.

Where are you? I'm not sure why, but I think E10 is more common down in South La. Up here in Monroe, it probably runs about 50-50% E10. Last time I was in Baton Rouge, every station I saw had E10.

Yeah I am in Lafayette. Nice to meet a fellow Louisianian!

just about every station is ethanol blend here