this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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Top Tier is about detergent pack, not about regular versus premium, so I'm not sure why you bring that up. Top Tier requires 2x the EPA mandated minimum detergent.
Oh shoot thought you replied to my comment, can't trace lines well I guess.
I was looking into it a bit and the whole thing seems scummy. Yes it sets requirements that are hand wavey good for your engine. But it also seems to force gas stations into using only a handful of vendors so they get that sticker. It's endorsed by the big automakers but they also endorse the regular fuel standards. I wonder who is paying top tier LLC for the sticker and all their marketing?
The stations that carry it tend to only carry one brand to begin with. The owner of that brand is generally the one that pays, as they have to submit for testing at their own expense.
It's not always more expensive. All Costco gas is Top Tier, for instance.
They require the brand to use the 2x detergent level for every grade, at every location, to display the Top Tier logo.
I go through a tank of gas every 1-2 days. When I don't fill with Top Tier, my fuel economy goes down on that tank. When I consistently don't fill with Top Tier, my fuel economy goes down even on my next tank of Top Tier. That's when it's time to throw in a bottle of polyetheramine (Techron, Redline, Gumout Regane, etc.) to clean things up.
DI engines unfortunately require deeper, periodic cleaning, as the additive will not reach the valves. But I do not have a DI engine, so the detergent makes a significant difference.
It particularly makes a difference in how often I have to (or do not have to) replace lifters to keep them in spec. This engine has solid, non-adjustable lifters.