Top Tier Gas
10-27-2005, 08:16 AM
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Is everyone familiar with the Top Tier Gas program (in the US at least)? toptiergas.com. Apparently BMW is part of a consortium of 4 that established higher standards for detergency, and it certifies certain brands as compliant. So, one would try to buy such gasoline.
Here's the question: why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant. BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering. I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
Here's the question: why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant. BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering. I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
10-27-2005, 10:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr.PC' date='Oct 27 2005, 11:16 AM
Is everyone familiar with the Top Tier Gas program (in the US at least)?? toptiergas.com.? Apparently BMW is part of a consortium of 4 that established higher standards for detergency, and it certifies certain brands as compliant.? So, one would try to buy such gasoline.?
Here's the question:? why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list?? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco?? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant.? BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering.? I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
Here's the question:? why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list?? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco?? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant.? BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering.? I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
[snapback]189511[/snapback]
I use only TopTier vendors. Shell mainly. I posted stuff here about Toptiergas.com a few times but there wasn't much activity in the threads. There is also wild variation in the contents of gas regionally (based on govt. studies I've perused). Perhaps these companies just don't have the tight controls necessary to guarantee the uniformity that is demanded.
10-27-2005, 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by UUronL' date='Oct 27 2005, 08:40 PM
[quote name='Mr.PC' date='Oct 27 2005, 11:16 AM']Is everyone familiar with the Top Tier Gas program (in the US at least)?? toptiergas.com.? Apparently BMW is part of a consortium of 4 that established higher standards for detergency, and it certifies certain brands as compliant.? So, one would try to buy such gasoline.?
Here's the question:? why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list?? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco?? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant.? BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering.? I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
Here's the question:? why is Exxon/Mobil, one of the largest oil companies in the world, not on the list?? Or for that matter British Petroleum/Amoco?? The only thing I can think of is that the program requires all grades to be compliant, and these companies have not made their lower grades compliant.? BMW's owners manual, of course, says nothing about this - just octane (premium) and "major brand."
Just wondering.? I plan to keep my car a long time (and have had good success with my E21 for 24 years/196k miles) and I'm sure gas quality helps.
[snapback]189511[/snapback]
I use only TopTier vendors. Shell mainly. I posted stuff here about Toptiergas.com a few times but there wasn't much activity in the threads. There is also wild variation in the contents of gas regionally (based on govt. studies I've perused). Perhaps these companies just don't have the tight controls necessary to guarantee the uniformity that is demanded.
[snapback]189597[/snapback]
[/quote]Good point! Have anybody thaught why the hp's are always higher in the EU BMW's compared the US ones?
Here in Finland we have a small (compared to BP, Exxon or Shell) petrol and diesel producer named Neste Oil (http://www.nesteoil.com/).
They do have extremely high quality products!
They did bad timing though, renewing their production plats just as the hurricanes came into Mexian bay area. The share went down, but...
08-03-2008, 03:44 PM
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Trying to re-identify the top-tier gasolines. Do they vary across the country. In Phoenix, I remember Shell, Chevron, Quicktrip, and ???. Why Quicktrip? Aren't there 4. What is the other? I used to know where to find this stuff on BMWNA, but no more. Does anyone know where on BMWNA?
08-03-2008, 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Znod' post='638897' date='Aug 3 2008, 07:44 PM
Trying to re-identify the top-tier gasolines. Do they vary across the country. In Phoenix, I remember Shell, Chevron, Quicktrip, and ???. Why Quicktrip? Aren't there 4. What is the other? I used to know where to find this stuff on BMWNA, but no more. Does anyone know where on BMWNA?
http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html
08-03-2008, 04:05 PM
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RPI dynoed a M5 with gas from various companies: Mobil, Chevron, ARCO, Shell, 76 and Texaco. Guess which one showed the most hp gain? ARCO. Where does ARCO get their gas from? British Petroleum.
08-03-2008, 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Ricracing' post='189639' date='Oct 27 2005, 12:22 PM
Good point! Have anybody thaught why the hp's are always higher in the EU BMW's compared the US ones?
08-03-2008, 04:14 PM
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Thanks for the link again guys. I missed it earlier. I still am trying to find related info on BMWNA--to see specifically what BMW now says.
08-03-2008, 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='638922' date='Aug 3 2008, 08:12 PM
No difference. Different measurement scales. Readings in DIN PS (favored in the EU) appear slightly higher than their identical measurement in the US using a different scale (SAE gross or net hp). Just as the US uses a different scale to measure octane ratings (again, the lower numbers here equate to higher numbers in the EU).
