Can someone tell me what a "top tier" gasoline is? I used to hang around the family gas station when I was a kid, talking to the gas delivery man when he was dumping it from the tanker into our tanks. I asked him about the differences between brands. He told me there were only 3 kinds...regular 87 octane, high octane and ethanol blended. The "middle" octane grade is produced at the pump level by mixing regular and high test.

He said they all come from the same wholesale tanks. The SHELL truck comes in, then the SUNOCO truck, then the unbranded trucks etc. etc. He also said if you favor a particular brand over another, it is just that you like pumping it from a yellow pump rather than a blue or silver pump.

So if this is true, and I see no reason for him to have lied, WTF is a "top tier" gas???

 

You can read about Top Tier online. If I’m remembering correctly, it was an effort started by the oil companies and automotive OEMs to offer cleaner gas than what’s mandated by the US Government. This makes it better/cleaner to burn in today’s modern engines and produces less pollution. What I like about it, besides cleaner emissions, is the label is for the brand’s entire lineup of fuel. You can’t have the lower grades be non-Top Tier while the higher octane levels are Top Tier.

Talking about gasoline, the base for all fuel is the same. After being refined, all the big name oil companies add their gas to a national network of pipes. Once a refinery logs they’ve added 100 gallons to the system, they know they can offload 100 gallons somewhere else for delivery. It’s at these local depots where gas trucks fill up when the brand’s proprietary fuel cleaning additives are mixed in. So Shell, Chevron/Texaco, Mobil, etc. stations all have the same base fuel from the national network (where everyone’s fuel mixed together) but with their own proprietary cleaning additives.

 

Absolutely true. All grades of gasoline in a particular region are exactly the same. The only differences are in the additives, which are added to the delivery truck when they are filled. The "top tier" designation applies to a particular level of detergent in the additives. Any gas station that is offering top tier will also have the top tier designation on their gas pumps.

 

That is certainly true for some gas stations, but definitely not all. The Top Tiier license requires that all gas sold under a brand meet the requirements, but there's nothing I've ever read the requires it stated as such on the pump. I could drive you to a dozen gas stations in my area that sell top-tier gas, but you won't find that label anywhere near their pumps. Most of these brands have it listed on their website, though.

I won't use anything but Top Tier gas unless I'm in an area where it is unavailable. There is nothing wrong with other brands, but for the often negligible price difference the benefit is worthwhile. AAA did a study recently that independently verified the benefits:

https://gasprices.aaa.com/fuel-quality/

 

Well, if they aren't displaying "top tier" on their pumps, or with signs out front, they may be losing my business. I will use gasoline that "appears" to not be top tier if I am in a situation where I need fuel and I'm not sure how far I will have to go for it. However, when I'm shopping locally, I always prefer the ones that I know are top tier. If they're not making it obvious in some way or another, then they might be losing other customers as well.

 

the new fords don't have MAF

 

I am having the same issue, however, mine has not stalled out yet. I have noticed that this issue happens more in warm/hot weather. Did you ever get this resolved?

 

I've seen several posts like this, rough idle, some stalling, no codes. Try changing your crank position sensor. It solved the problem in those other posts. It's cheap about $30-$40.

 

someone said they let their oil life get low and it would set a code. You can try that or scroll through the earlier part of this thread. I believe he said it had something to do with the phasers