Non-top tier gas + additive to save money?
 

This isn't exactly a question of efficiency as much as it is a question of economics, so I put it here. Typically I would fill my car with Chevron (something about the blue everywhere makes me feel good), but I didn't feel like driving 2 miles just to get to the cheaper Chevron station in the next town so I just filled at a Valero. Typically I avoid Valero/ARCO since it's "lower quality" gas, but I read that the only difference is a small amount of detergents, so I poured 2 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in the tank since it's composition suggests that it's a good cleaner.

1 quart of MMO costs about as much as 1 gallon of gasoline, but the additives in gas are well under 1% of the composition, so adding just a few ounces should be bringing the "cleaning power" up quite a bit? So I saved maybe 1 dollar on the actual gasoline getting Valero, and then dumped 30 cents of MMO back in.

Thoughts?

...that's exactly what GM Owners Manual recommend when using "...non-Tier 1..." gasolines, so you're doing it right.

I burn the cheapest fuel w/o additives. No problems.

Really? :O

Gonna buy more Valero from now on, my credit card gives 3.3% off on gas so that makes up the difference between them and ARCO.

Same here.
I tried adding a bottle of Techron Fuel System Cleaner to a fill-up in my Mustang last Summer. It made NO difference in FE, but it cost over $85.00 per gallon. :eek: ($7.99 + tax for a 12 oz bottle) I'll just continue purchasing my fuel from Safeway and not adding anything to it. :)

I've found good results with Lucas Fuel Treatment. The small 4 oz. bottles are expensive, but you can by it in quart and gallon sizes.

I buy the cheapest gas without going out of my way. No additives.

I recently looked into this very same thing for my cruze. I have been unable to find any data supporting the benefits of using top tier gas in your vehicles. If anyone knows of any published data (non-biased) could you please post the link. Otherwise the website Top Tier Gasoline actually has a list of top tier gas suppliers if anyone is interested.

Top tier fuel is likely unnecessary. That said, if it does somehow keep the fuel system cleaner, then an occasional fill-up at a non-top tier fuel station will not significantly affect fuel system cleanliness.

I've never had a fuel system failure, and I've always run Arco gas for hundreds of thousands of miles.

FYI- Costco fuel is the cheapest in my area, and it is now Top Tier (ie equivalent to Chevron, Texaco, etc.)

It is very unlikely that cheap gas will ruin a fuel system, and even if it did, fuel systems are easy to service.

Please don't use "ect.". It makes me crazy-er.