Quote:
Originally Posted by DuSh
...limited number of refineries where gas is produced...basically be almost identical...only difference should be in additives ...
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you are correct sir!
All gasoline that comes out of refineries that has met governmental standards is then shipped
via a pipeline where it is then put into a wholesale terminal of about 3 million gallons...From there
the gasoline gets mixed with product from other refiners and then shipped through another
pipeline to a storage facility.
There are certain detergent packages, added at the end, that make it brand specific. What partially
sets apart branded versus unbranded gasoline is the detergent or additive package that is injected
into the gasoline before it heads to the branded station, claiming to aid in automobile performance.
For example, Chevron boasts its Techron patented additive that the company says reduces the
accumulation of deposits in fuel injectors and on intake valves, and minimizes build-up of deposits
in the combustion chamber. In short, it will help your vehicle perform better.
Unbranded gasoline that heads to stations like US Gas also receives a detergent or additive
package, albeit a generic one that is regulated by the government.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the minimum gasoline detergent
standard in 1995....By 2002, the automakers said their repair records suggested that the
EPA standard for detergents wasn't high enough, but the EPA was not responsive when
they asked them to increase the standards.
In 2004 representatives of
BMW, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota got together to specify
what makes a good fuel. Using recommendations from the Worldwide Fuel Charter, a global
committee of automakers and engine manufacturers, they established a proprietary standard
for a class of gasoline called "TOP TIER" Detergent Gasoline The new standard required increased
levels of detergents, and restricted metallic content. Volkswagen/Audi joined the group of automakers
in 2007. Gas brands can participate and get a TOP TIER license if they meet certain standards, which
includes performance tests for intake valve and combustion chamber deposits, fuel injector fouling,
and intake valve sticking. Additive manufacturers pay for the testing, the cost of which varies from year
to year, while gasoline companies pay an annual fee based on the number of stations it operates
to participate in the program.
In addition to higher detergent levels, Top Tier standards also require that gasolines be free of
metallic additives, which can be harmful to the emissions control systems in cars.
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