Premium fuel v. Regular Unleaded
10-20-2010, 09:37 PM
#12
I run premium in all of my cars...but I do so because of the extra additives and cleaners they put in. I specifically like Shell. They say they put like 10 times the cleaners in their premium fuel over the regular.
10-20-2010, 10:02 PM
#13
New Member
Join Date: 09-29-2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 22
No, premium won't hurt anything. With a normally aspirated car, what ever the engine runs on without knocking is fine. If you can run regular without any problems, it will save you some money. But running premium in it won't hurt anything.
10-20-2010, 10:11 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: 03-06-2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 6,869
Higher compression. It is recommended to run 91 octane in the 2.4L according to the manual, it will run on 89 or 87 but the timing is cut back by the computer. The 2.2L doesn't have this recommendation and is made for regular 87 octane.
10-21-2010, 07:50 AM
#16
Join Date: 07-02-2010
Location: nh
Posts: 5
same additives in premium & regular unleaded, dude
CrazyCahKid, I think your info is a few decades out of date. Or maybe you are outside USA. if you are in USA I understand you are mistaken to think there are different additives and cleaners in the premium fuel. that's been illegal for decades - all octanes are required to have the same cleaners/additives, except for those which are there to adjust the octane.
cheers,
/e
cheers,
/e
10-21-2010, 01:23 PM
#17
CrazyCahKid, I think your info is a few decades out of date. Or maybe you are outside USA. if you are in USA I understand you are mistaken to think there are different additives and cleaners in the premium fuel. that's been illegal for decades - all octanes are required to have the same cleaners/additives, except for those which are there to adjust the octane.
cheers,
/e
cheers,
/e
This is taken directly from the Shell US website:
"For example, Shell V-Power is our best gasoline containing the highest concentration of our Nitrogen Enriched cleaning system designed to provide maximum protection, seeking and destroying engine gunk that can be left behind by lower quality gasolines. "
"In addition to the added nitrogen enriched cleaning agents that provide maximum protection of intake valves and fuel injectors and it’s ability to seek and destroy engine gunk even faster clean than regular Shell gasoline"
"With five times the amount of cleaning agents required by federal government standards Shell V-Power provides maximum protection, seeking and destroying engine gunk left behind by lower-quality gasolines even faster than regular Shell gasoline. "
The premium gas at Shell has the V Power additive in it already, which you could buy at Walmart or wherever. If you figure it out, per tank it's cheaper to just buy it already in the gas.
So to sum it up, Shell V-Power Premium gasoline does have more additives in it that midgrade or regular.
10-22-2010, 07:15 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-04-2010
Location: Imported from Detroit
Posts: 1,584
Cough... my screen name. I'm in the biz...
It's not all hype. However, it's also not limited to just shell gas. Most of the big name brands Shell, exxon/mobil, marathon, BP, Texoco, Sunoco, etc. The names you know of that refine the products. These are called "branded" names and yes they all use more than the federal guidelines call for of additives in their branded gas.
They are all injected at the truck rack at the tank farms across america. This is the same even for the generic additives that go into your kroger, speedway, Rich, WOW, Fast Track, Clark, Billys, Podunk, or whatever a non branded gas station names themselves. Those are the ones I try to avoid.
But none of that can make up for craptastic gas stations. I tend to also judge a book by it's cover. If it's an old run down station, chances are they aren't keeping up with sumping the water out of their tanks, cleaning their tanks, etc. The largest culprit IMO to "bad gas".
Also, understand, that the base piece "gas" is the same for all the brands usually. Reason being... they not only share their gas but also pull it from companies like mine that store and rack gas for many brands. The only difference seperating Mobil from Marathon is their additive. But that is like saying your cookies are better than my cookies. Who's to say who is right in that debate.
Heck, recently Mobil and Marathon did a deal. In the Chicago area Mobil (from their big refinery there)will manufacture and sell gas for Marathon and Mobil. To cut out the middle man like my company. Then in turn Marathon who owns a big refinery here in Detroit, will manufacture gas for themselves and Mobil. Again, cutting out the middle man and lowering their costs.
It's not all hype. However, it's also not limited to just shell gas. Most of the big name brands Shell, exxon/mobil, marathon, BP, Texoco, Sunoco, etc. The names you know of that refine the products. These are called "branded" names and yes they all use more than the federal guidelines call for of additives in their branded gas.
They are all injected at the truck rack at the tank farms across america. This is the same even for the generic additives that go into your kroger, speedway, Rich, WOW, Fast Track, Clark, Billys, Podunk, or whatever a non branded gas station names themselves. Those are the ones I try to avoid.
But none of that can make up for craptastic gas stations. I tend to also judge a book by it's cover. If it's an old run down station, chances are they aren't keeping up with sumping the water out of their tanks, cleaning their tanks, etc. The largest culprit IMO to "bad gas".
Also, understand, that the base piece "gas" is the same for all the brands usually. Reason being... they not only share their gas but also pull it from companies like mine that store and rack gas for many brands. The only difference seperating Mobil from Marathon is their additive. But that is like saying your cookies are better than my cookies. Who's to say who is right in that debate.
Heck, recently Mobil and Marathon did a deal. In the Chicago area Mobil (from their big refinery there)will manufacture and sell gas for Marathon and Mobil. To cut out the middle man like my company. Then in turn Marathon who owns a big refinery here in Detroit, will manufacture gas for themselves and Mobil. Again, cutting out the middle man and lowering their costs.
10-22-2010, 07:23 AM
#20
Member
Join Date: 09-27-2010
Location: Scranton, PA
Posts: 68
Good, you can answer my question then :)
Please tell me why I get more range (it was noticeable, fill up and drive the same 250 mile route every 2 weeks) from a tankfull of 87 from BP than I do from the 87 I get from the 'local' branded station across the street? This was driving the VW; I only use 93 in the SS. :)