[georgi55]

So I used 150 gallons of fuel until I did my first oil change at 3350 miles. I usually fill up at Costco which may or may not be Top Tier depending on who they get their gas from. I save about 20 cents per gallon, so that's $30 saved by going to Costco per oil change. The GM Fuel System Treatment Plus which is recommended every oil change for those who do not use Top Tier gas costs about $30 retail even though it can be had for under $25 online.

My question is should I just buy better Gasoline like Shell or Chevron instead of spending the saved money on Fuel treatment anyway? If calculation works out the same I might just start going to Top Tier gas stations instead as it's more convenient anyway - the lines at local Costco are hell so I have to go off hours.

What do you guys do? Do you have a favorite gas station brand? Are there still any no 10% ethanol mix gas brands out there? Even Shell went to 10% mix in 2008.

 

[georgi55]

As reference, from the manual section 9-51 ~ 53 (page 273 ~275 on PDF)

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is
an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
Vehicles

Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change, can
help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.

 

[gar187er]

ive always stuck with shell/exxon on my NEW cars...i bought my nox used so im less worried about the type of gas i use....anything 'dealer' id stay away from...the"GM Fuel System Treatment Plus" is just injector cleaner.....personally i wouldnt run that stuff until later on in vehicle life...a new engine doesnt new injector cleaner....

 

[bballr4567]

One of the very few reasons to use fuel cleaner is to clean off the valves. That just simply wont work on a DI engine. The only thing cleaned with fuel cleaner is the injector. Even with that, its VERY unlikely that the injectors will get dirty in 3k miles.

 

[Bigdog9586]

I think that it isn't that important on who's gas you use as I buy from the cheapest advertised as long as I know it is from a station that has a large turnover which means they sell lots og gas and have been in business for years so I know they should stand behind their gas if something does happen in which I always either get a receipt to keep till next fill or charge it. Main thing is NOT to fill at a station where the fuel truck is unloading as he is sturing up all the gunk off the bottom of the tank.

 

[RNOX]

The pumps actually have filters that keep dirt from getting into the tank. The Costco near me sells so much gas that they have to change the filters frequently.

 

[mnussbaum]

I always buy Shell gas, partly because of the Top Tier formulation but also because I have a branded credit card that rebates me 5% of Shell purchases. So it doesn't cost any extra. And really, you're better off preventing a problem than solving one. An ounce of prevention and all that.

Are there still any no 10% ethanol mix gas brands out there? Even Shell went to 10% mix in 2008.

However, this really ticks me off...they all add ethanol but do they cut the price? No! And the gas mileage suffers about 10%. It's like adding an inert liquid that passes through adding no value whatsoever.

 

[2010Nox2LT]

I also always buy Shell because of the Top Tier formulation. I used to buy the cheapest gas I could find before I bought my Equinox, but after reading the manual I signed up for a Shell credit card that rebates me 5% of Shell purchases. I am actually paying less for Shell gas than the cut-rate stations. 5% of $3.00 is 15 cents, and Shell is usually within 15 cents of the cut-rate stations.

 

[georgi55]

Thanks for responses all, looks like I will stay at Costco. On top of 20 cents cheaper prices I get 4% cash back with Amex Business card so that makes it even more attractive.

Since I drive my car out of town once in a while and always fill up at Shell when out of town, I guess that should be enough to help with extra detergent.

 

[RNOX]

I live on the new Jersey border and the gas is about 30 - 40 cents less than NY. I also have a credit union card and get another 5% off. They just opened a Pilot gas station and it is $2.83 a gallon . Near My house it's $3.24. In NJ they have full serve. I do go to Costco when it's more convienent. When I change my oil I put some fuel system cleaner in the tank Likne Techron or Gumout.

 

[RIT333]

They just opened a Pilot gas station and it is $2.83 a gallon .

Ah - When I was visiting my son in Glen Ridge on Thanksgiving, they were just about to open that Pilot on Rt. 17. Is that the one ? Yep - 2 hrs. from Lake George. I live in Schenectady - about where you picked up the Northway. Next time you're coming up, drop me off some of that cheap gas - LOL.

 

[RNOX]

Ah - When I was visiting my son in Glen Ridge on Thanksgiving, they were just about to open that Pilot on Rt. 17. Is that the one ? Yep - 2 hrs. from Lake George. I live in Schenectady - about where you picked up the Northway. Next time you're coming up, drop me off some of that cheap gas - LOL.

That's the one. If you go south in NJ the gas is even cheaper. Looks like we are going to $4.00 a gallon gas soon in NY.

 

[GARYD]

I normally buy the cheapest gas I can find....been doing it all my life...and will continue to do so. I'm not going to lose sleep over which gas I can or cannot buy. For the last 20 years it's been Speedway stations. Why would anyone in their right mind build a car that can only use a small percentage of gas on the market?

I noticed the manual said "recommends". I was told years ago that if the manual says "recommends", you can still use another brand/type, but if it says "requires" then you do have to use that product. I've never used premium gas in any vehicle I've ever owned, even my Vettes and Harleys.....unless I was going to the track where I wanted the full potential of the engine. Driving down the superslab or daily around town you don't need all that potential. I have never had an engine problem in my life. Once a year I do drop in a can of Chevron Techron gas treatment(which I and a lot of other motorists think is the best cleaner on the market) just to keep the nozzels clean.

This is JMHO and not meant to force anyone to do anything they don't want to do. As if it would. ;D

 

[Z_Ghost]

I will stick to shell when I can, get 5% back with the shell card and 10 cents off from Kroger.
I could tell a differenc in my Cobalt SS between the good stuff and the cheap stuff and the B4C Camaro hates the cheap stuff but then I do have it tuned to run on the good stuff.

 

[RNOX]

Just funny how no branded gas is called cheap gas and branded gas good gas. Regular oil is Dino oil like it is bad. Marketing has a strong effect on people The gas near me comes from a 2 refineries. ALL gas has to meet minimum detergent standards set by the feds. I have never had problems with any gas EXCEPT from an EXXON stations many years ago. They pumped rust into my tank (and 6 others) that actually clogged the filter and fuel lines. One of the cars was a brand new car bought next door. They had to drain the gas tank and flush the lines and install a new fuel filter.

 

[GARYD]

Also if you don't use a gas or oil that the other person says he uses, that's bad too.
Nothing wrong with dino oil at all, I don't know about other people, but I just use that term to differnentiate between it and syn. The only hiccup with dino oil is having to change it more often and it doesn't protect the engine at higher temps(if that were ever to happen).
It's not the cost either, because when you compare the cost for a dino oil change and a syn oil change, you'll see they are about equal in cost in the long run.

 

[RNOX]

Shell had some lawsuits about the Sulfur level in their fuels produced in the Southern US were ruining fuel gagues. This was in 2004. Even name brand gas can sometimes cause problems. This wasn't a long term problems

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/28/national/main620220.shtml

 

[RIT333]

Shell had some lawsuits about the Sulfur level in their fuels produced in the Southern US were ruining fuel gagues. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/28/national/main620220.shtml

I realize that the News is "always" correct, but could someone explain to me how the fuel GAUGE could be ruined by the sulfur level in gasoline. I could see it ruining either the sending unit, or the fuel pump, but I thing of the GAUGE as the meter in your dashboard that is controlled by electricity. Any insights ?

 

[RNOX]

The sulphur in the gas causes corrosion on the contacts of the
sender unit inside the gas tank. This corrosion affected electrical
resistance, causing incorrect voltages to be sent to the dashboard gauge,
leading to inaccurate gauge readings.

 

[RIT333]

The sulphur in the gas causes corrosion on the contacts of the
sender unit inside the gas tank. This corrosion affected electrical
resistance, causing incorrect voltages to be sent to the dashboard gauge,
leading to inaccurate gauge readings.

Makes sense - so it really doesn't "ruin" the gas gauge - just the "sender".