Gasoline - Top Tier for 2024

[Burla]

Don’t know if this still applies, but I read somewhere about a year ago that the additives are for top tier gas are in short supply due to supply chain issues so I’m not sure if top tier still exists the way it used to. It is possible you haven’t been using top tier for awhile. I just use the redline cleaner through the system right before I change the oil and hope for the best.

I know they test gas stations all the time for weights and measures, as I had an uncle and that was his job. It is actually impressive how much the gov't actually tests gas stations on this issue, and they make an extra effort for those who cheat customers. But I have no idea on anyone who tests for additives. One reason to trust the big names a little more, my guess they don't ever want to be caught with low additives, that would be disastrous to profits if the media got that.

Gang,

Top Tier gasoline certification continues to shrink in my region (upper midwest) - by a lot.

We've lost Top Tier Certified Gasoline stations Mobil (pulled out of state to save distribution costs), SuperAmerica (sold to Marathon, which elected to sell only their cheapo non-Top Tier Speedway gas), Kwik Trip (dropped Top Tier during pandemic and doesn't intend to return), and now Holiday (Erickson family sold to Circle K of Canada, which dropped Top Tier).

Guys, that's the great majority of gas stations we have up here at the end of the pipeline in Minneapolis metro region. We have a few Shell, Arco, Costco (always crowed with lines of vehicles due to their cheapness), Marathon, and that's about all that's left anymore.

Unreal, at the exact time it's needed more than ever for small, high stressed engines for EPA mileage regs. BP claims on their website:
"All grades of bp/Amoco gasoline with Invigorate® exceed TOP TIER™ detergent requirements and provide enhanced benefits to our consumers, such as cleaning your engine,3 that TOP TIER™ fuels do not. "

We have a few BP's left too, but not many. Most stations are Speedway, Kwik Trip, and Holiday here. None are Top Tier.

What's a guy to do? Make special trips to out-of-the-way Top Tier stations? Carry bottles of PEA around with you all the time. This is ridiculous in the year 2024.

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands - TOP TIER™

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands. All retail locations within the licensed country must meet the high standards of the TOP TIER™ program.

www.toptiergas.com

Gotta say shell, bp, exxon and chevron and you cant go wrong, 3 tested in the test and chevron invented the isht IE techron. And dummy me uses costco, which is an unkown imo. I will know more when I do my plug change and boroscope hopefully early summer. I just can't justify paying so much more when costco is top tier. Here in cali it is a straight gut punch to go to the gas station. Ten bucks is ten bucks, add that to every tank full, eventually it adds up to real money.

 

[Burla]

We follow the results we can find, if there are more relevant investigative reports such as that, trust me I am all ears.

 

[Curmudgeon]

We follow the results we can find, if there are more relevant investigative reports such as that, trust me I am all ears.

Agreed. And although all the Rutter's stations are on the Top Tier list I think I will be getting 89 octane from Sunoco going forward.

I don't know whether Rutter's thrive by gas or mini-mart sales, but I'm willing to bet on Sunoco gas.

Also, I didn't know about smelling the additives in the oil, and I have to think that oil detergents are quite different from gas detergents.

 

[huntergreen]

That’s what I use, Sunoco.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Those that aren't forced to use 10% alcohol gas - be happy.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I think it was U&A in the oil thread that stated he could smell the redline cleaner in the oil when he changed it. Not sur how the chemicals play with the oil chemicals. That’s why I only use cleaners in the tank right before the oil change, but that’s your expertise, not mine. So is that an issue ?

More reason not to heavy clean and keep the running dosage all the time.

 

[HEMIMANN]

So there is a triangle where I get my gas, costco where I go, chevron who is always 40-80 cents per gallon more and sometimes even more, and an independent right next store to chevron and is religiously the same price as costco. Furthermore, the dude that owns that independent is a sweetheart, I mean salt of the earth dude. The costco is crowded from the time they open to the time they close, in second place is the chevron who on average is fifty cents a gallon more then either of the stations, and despite having a car wash the independent can buy a customer. The only reason he survives is because he has owned this station for something close to 50 years, and I'm sure he has no mortgage and since he runs it himself he has low overhead as well.

So having a cheap gas is a strategy to survive, but costco and chevron are thriving because they opt to not race to the bottom. In the end, customers pick winners and losers, and if it were up to me I'd pick the independent as the winner, but I aint putting that stuff in my truck even with si-1, and neither is most people. My guess is that car wash is what saves him and it is hard to get your car washed in cali as you cant do it in the driveway, and in that town there are very few car washes. And location, this guy is in a way better location then the costco. So with everything in this guys favor, his business doesnt hold a candle to the top tier stations. Survive versus thrive!

I knew a station like this in my hometown. A guy that worked there said they gave away the gas and marked up the sundries way more than in a grocery store. Also had service bays back when, made a lot of money in those.

Since getting rid of service bays, they've expanded their quickie marts to sell highly marked up twinkies, beer, etc.
Gas is only a loss leader for them.

Since pay at the pump, they also added gambling to get the addicts on there.

 

[Burla]

I knew a station like this in my hometown. A guy that worked there said they gave away the gas and marked up the sundries way more than in a grocery store. Also had service bays back when, made a lot of money in those.

Since getting rid of service bays, they've expanded their quickie marts to sell highly marked up twinkies, beer, etc.
Gas is only a loss leader for them.

Since pay at the pump, they also added gambling to get the addicts on there.

If they only would legalize crack we can save failing gas stations by allowing them to be registered crack dealers.

 

[HEMIMANN]

If they only would legalize crack we can save failing gas stations by allowing them to be registered crack dealers.

Here in MN, they legalized pot to some confusing extent.

I see ads for THC gummies, and other weird things.

 

[Burla]

Here in MN, they legalized pot to some confusing extent.

I see ads for THC gummies, and other weird things.

As of yesterday it is legal to smoke weed in CA and then stab your boyfriend over 100 times and kill him because you are high, no I'm not joking. Found guilty, judge put her on probation, lol.

 

[HEMIMANN]

As of yesterday it is legal to smoke weed in CA and then stab your boyfriend over 100 times and kill him because you are high, no I'm not joking. Found guilty, judge put her on probation, lol.

They're still struggling to figure out how to bust smoked drivers here. What a mess.

I mean, you can get drunk and kill someone too, but the ingestion of mind altering drugs is not allowed as a defense. Whatevs.

I thought all was well for gasoline in 2009. Until we went backwards. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[MontanaHandyman]

I know they test gas stations all the time for weights and measures, as I had an uncle and that was his job. It is actually impressive how much the gov't actually tests gas stations on this issue, and they make an extra effort for those who cheat customers. But I have no idea on anyone who tests for additives. One reason to trust the big names a little more, my guess they don't ever want to be caught with low additives, that would be disastrous to profits if the media got that. What is telling was that study posted earlier, shell, bp, and exon led when te-s-ted (cant say tested?) all gas both regular and supreme, and not in the same order, just those three big names made sure they had plenty of detergents across all offerings they sell. Of note of course the glaring weakness was they didnt test chevron, I certainly would make the easy assumption chevron is in the same ilk.

And of note, all the people that race to the bottom also stayed on the bottom not only when testing one gas, but across regular and supreme. I'll post it again for those who didnt catch it, when randomly tested top stations tested high in detergency and bottom feeders raced to the bottom and even justified it with ceo statements such as "we meet epa requirements but we dont put in extra". Someone needs to grab that idiot and tell him to learn a bedside manner. Even if it is a lie tell them "yeah we will do better and it is good to see the competitions numbers and we will even have better gas next year, thanks for bringing this to our attention", lol?? I think is it safe to say those cheapy gas stations are minimum effort establishments and the big names are maximum effort establishments. Those big name stations are simply not going to get caught with their pants down.

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

youtu.be

YOU SAID TE-S-TED!! *GASP!!!*

 

[KKBB]

Here in MN, they legalized pot to some confusing extent.

I see ads for THC gummies, and other weird things.

That is what I was told too. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last July. I have been to Mayo in Rochester a few times. Roughly every 2 months for bloodwork and scans. I am 44 and have never done a drug in my life...until recently. I have had THC gummies to help with the pain and to sleep. It has helped me quite a bit. The last time we were there, we went to a dispensary to try and get some more gummies, and they wouldn't let us in until I showed a medical Marijuana card. I don't have one, so we left. I don't know if that is the policy state wide, or if it was just at that dispensary...we didn't try any others. Missouri sells to anyone, and we have friends that get it there for me.

 

[grizzstang]

^^^ At 44 you are way too young to be going through that. **** Cancer.

You would think with all our avancement we would have figured out a better way to treat it by now.

I am glad you found something that helps with the pain.

 

[HEMIMANN]

That is what I was told too. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last July. I have been to Mayo in Rochester a few times. Roughly every 2 months for bloodwork and scans. I am 44 and have never done a drug in my life...until recently. I have had THC gummies to help with the pain and to sleep. It has helped me quite a bit. The last time we were there, we went to a dispensary to try and get some more gummies, and they wouldn't let us in until I showed a medical Marijuana card. I don't have one, so we left. I don't know if that is the policy state wide, or if it was just at that dispensary...we didn't try any others. Missouri sells to anyone, and we have friends that get it there for me.

Best wishes to you, KKBB. I thought THC gummies were easy to get here (MN)? I'm sorry they still require a medical notice.

If memory serves, the state legislature is still trying to figure out how to enforce limits and public protections (driving, etc.) even though they claim they legalized THC. i.e. - it is not implemented yet.

 

[Wild one]

There's cannabis stores on every street corner in Canada,has been since we elected idiot boy 8 years ago

 

[Burla]

That is what I was told too. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last July. I have been to Mayo in Rochester a few times. Roughly every 2 months for bloodwork and scans. I am 44 and have never done a drug in my life...until recently. I have had THC gummies to help with the pain and to sleep. It has helped me quite a bit. The last time we were there, we went to a dispensary to try and get some more gummies, and they wouldn't let us in until I showed a medical Marijuana card. I don't have one, so we left. I don't know if that is the policy state wide, or if it was just at that dispensary...we didn't try any others. Missouri sells to anyone, and we have friends that get it there for me.

good luck to you man, medical pot is simply necessary and the opposition to it should be criminal. If you see the series on documentary weed it saves kids lives that have seizures, and the gov't goes after the parents. Hopefully you dont think anything said applies to you or people with series illness. So can you beat this thing? Any positive results you can share? We are pulling for you.

 

[huntergreen]

More reason not to heavy clean and keep the running dosage all the time.

Tks Hemimann.

 

[huntergreen]

As of yesterday it is legal to smoke weed in CA and then stab your boyfriend over 100 times and kill him because you are high, no I'm not joking. Found guilty, judge put her on probation, lol.

You act surprised. Are you old enough to remember the ******* defense? Only in California!

 

[06 Dodge]

That is what I was told too. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last July. I have been to Mayo in Rochester a few times. Roughly every 2 months for bloodwork and scans. I am 44 and have never done a drug in my life...until recently. I have had THC gummies to help with the pain and to sleep. It has helped me quite a bit. The last time we were there, we went to a dispensary to try and get some more gummies, and they wouldn't let us in until I showed a medical Marijuana card. I don't have one, so we left. I don't know if that is the policy state wide, or if it was just at that dispensary...we didn't try any others. Missouri sells to anyone, and we have friends that get it there for me.

My FIL used it until just before he passed, he said that sh it worked better then the pain pills they wanted him to take after he was diagnosed.

Good Luck....