If you go to www.toptiergas.com you will find out that some auto mfrs. have put together their requirements for gasoline. Apparently the detergent levels have been falling over the years. They list Gas companies that meet their requirements. Here in the West, we only have Chevron and Shell for a choice. I have been using Chevron in my '87 300E for over 100K miles. I have never had any fuel problems. I still have the original injectors at 200K.
Neil M.

Here's a link to what I believe is excellent information from a knowledgable person on what is "good" gasoline.

Some info on gasoline...

He does mention in his post that Amoco Ultimate Premium stands out from the rest. So what zhandax mentioned has some merit to it.

If you search the same forum there's lots of discussion on using acetone as an additive.

I talked with the service folk at the Costco gas station near my house. They say they get up to four deliveries a day. I'll have to ask them about their filter maintenance.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

OK

I just put 2 oz in my 20 gallon 560SL. I very consitantly get 16.2 to 16.6 MPG with the top down. Never cracked 17 with the top down. The weather for next week is good so the top will be down as it was this last week. Last week I got 16.4 MPG.

I will keep you posted, but I'm not expecting the miricle they claim.

John Roncallo

First thing--the 'acetone' in fuel' thing was started as a JOKE--IT DOES NOT WORK.

@nd--use 'top tier' gasolines --they are the best. They advertise 'clean up, drive clean, etc because that is what they will do--and WILL keep the fuel system and combustion chambers clean. Texaco,Chevron,Shell, BP/Amoco, Conoco/Phillips and?

lino, is PetroCanada available where you live?

I've been using Chevron for years, but switched to PetroCan a couple of years ago for 'cleaner gas', as recommended by my MB service advisor.

I had no problem with Chevron in the first place, but switched anyway as I figured PetroCan is also a brand name (at least here in Canada). Ok so far.

As a prior poster had said, all gas is the same, it all comes from the same tanks at the distribution center. It is the blending with the additives which differentiates one brand from another. The blending occurs when the delivery trucks are being filled.

All gasolines have a minimal amount of detergents and some additives but some brands have proprietary formulae that may make them "better" than others, but gasoline is gasoline and the differences are minimal.

The distribution centers are regional, and around here with the exception of Irving oil which apparently has its own center every other branded and non branded station gets their gas from the exact same tanks at the distribution center and the gas is therefore 99%+ identical.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Precisely. The biggest difference is in the marketing BS.

Remember the TV commercial where the pretty girls smiled at the kid with the Camaro because he was buying the high-priced stuff?

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Norm in NJ
Next oil change at 230,000miles

i have worked for a major oil company for years, and when it comes to automotive gasoline.., the only difference is the additive that each company adds on their own.
we all get our fuel from the same pipelines that criss-cross the country.. all of us.

kevin

A friend of mine has an Audi S4 that has been modified to RS4 specs. The company that did the engine has found in repeated dyno tests that they get the most power from Shell's premium. Much more apparently than Sunoco's 94. But those results are from Ottawa and who knows if the results would be valid for the same blends sold in other cities under the same branding? It's just interesting anecdotal 'proof'.

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'96 C280 (gone)
'97 C36
'05 C230k

i bought a new honda recently here in nj, and the exhaust smelled of sulfur. i went to the dealer and they said it's because the converter doesn't process sulfur dioxide. evidently california has begun requiring that gasoline be refined to where there is only a trace amount of sulfur in it, and that's why honda builds their converters that way. anyway, they told me to use amoco gas because it is the only gas around here without the sulfur in it. eventually nj is going to require low sulfur gas, but i am hooked on amoco for now.. and i have heard it is cleaner in general, and that's what we use in the '87 300e as well.

That's interesting.
When I talked to some fuelsystem engineers of a major car manufacturer ( sorry, can't name it ), I was told when the analyzed various brands of canadian gasoline, Petrocan was by far the worst.
Go figure.

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2007 C 230 Sport.

My kid sister could tell whenever I filled with gas in Canada by the smell of my car when I came home.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

Kestas

It's the same with our beer.
My wife can smell it everytime I come home after having " a few ".
Very annoying.

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2007 C 230 Sport.

So far 95 miles on this tank and the needle is wher it normally is at 95 miles. I doubt that I will crack 17 MPG.

John Roncallo

OK my results are in.

Last week I put 2 oz into 20 gal and went from about 16 .5 MPG to 15.1 MPG. However I did find that I had the AC on for the first 145 miles. Since my blower doesent work I did not realize this. I repeated the test with 6 oz into 20 galons and made sure the AC was off. This time I got 15.94. Not the astonishing results depicted in the graphs. Basicly as others have posted the stuff is crap. According to the graphs in the articles 6 oz ionto 20 gallons gives about the maximum milage gain.

John Roncallo