Top Tier Gasoline vs. Diesel

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by Fraser

Interesting that you mention the sulphur content issue. Here in Australia where we have various E53 and E70 diesels since 2003, many of the updates with the diesel engines (and there's been lots of them) have coincided with a reduction in diesel fuel sulphur content according to the Australian government mandates. Over the last decade the mandated maximum sulphur content has dropped from literally anything to 5ppm in a series of steps. From memory it first went to 500ppm, the 50ppm (we call that LSD) to 5ppm (our ULSD).

In the USA, ULSD is considered 15ppm. Wow, 5ppm is super low. I thought CA had the world's most stringent guidelines! Great!!

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

In the USA, ULSD is considered 15ppm. Wow, 5ppm is super low. I thought CA had the world's most stringent guidelines! Great!!

As I said, figures quoted were from memory. Our current diesel standard is actually 10ppm sulphur not 5ppm. 5ppm is the next level where we are headed.

[Armand]

As of Dec. 1st 2010 all highway diesel in the US is ULSD. You can no longer obtain LSD on the highway

[Syndicate]

I haven't seen any Chevron stations over here, but can vouch for Shell. When I had the M3, I only used Shell V-Max 100. Now with the 40d, I'm only using the V-Max diesel. I was told that when it comes to cars, to not be cheap on two things: Petrol and Tires.

Merry Christmas.

[AzNMpower32]

In most states around here, the minimum cetane level is 40 which is probably lower than the DME would like, despite the fact it compensates.

I try to stick to BP since they're the only ones that occasionally sell 47 cetane "Premium Diesel" around here. Shell usually carries a 40-cetane despite labeling it as "premium diesel". Chevron/Texaco left the east coast markets this past summer. If I'm near one, Southern States sells 45-cetane premium diesel.

All diesel sold in this area is ULSD, the only difference is on-road and off-road (untaxed for farm use only) diesel.

[StayRight]

I actually work in the petroleum industry for a company that tests fuels nationwide for all of "Big Oil". A common misconception that people have is that one company has better fuel than the next. That is both true and false at the same time. All of these companies buy and sell fuel to/from each other. The biggest difference is the additives they use in the fuel. For gasoline, the best premium gasoline you can get is Shell. The detergents they use clean the valves etc better than any other. I actually went to a presentation given by a 3rd party (not Shell) about this. Chevron came in a close 2nd. Mom and pop fuel stations do not use the additives that Big Oil does, hence the slightly cheaper price. Another thing is that mom and pop shops do not have the oversight programs Big Oil does, meaning they can get away with a lot more funny business if they wanted. Although private owners own Exxons, BP, Shell etc gas stations, Big Oil has oversight programs to randomly test the octanes to make sure there is no monkey business.
Diesel fuel would be also best bought from a known oil company fuel station for the same reason, additives and detergents. Now that I just bought a diesel I will do a little research and advise who has the best and report back.
Little long but hope that helps shed a little light on the situation

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by StayRight

I actually work in the petroleum industry for a company that tests fuels nationwide for all of "Big Oil". A common misconception that people have is that one company has better fuel than the next. That is both true and false at the same time. All of these companies buy and sell fuel to/from each other. The biggest difference is the additives they use in the fuel. For gasoline, the best premium gasoline you can get is Shell. The detergents they use clean the valves etc better than any other. I actually went to a presentation given by a 3rd party (not Shell) about this. Chevron came in a close 2nd. Mom and pop fuel stations do not use the additives that Big Oil does, hence the slightly cheaper price. Another thing is that mom and pop shops do not have the oversight programs Big Oil does, meaning they can get away with a lot more funny business if they wanted. Although private owners own Exxons, BP, Shell etc gas stations, Big Oil has oversight programs to randomly test the octanes to make sure there is no monkey business.
Diesel fuel would be also best bought from a known oil company fuel station for the same reason, additives and detergents. Now that I just bought a diesel I will do a little research and advise who has the best and report back.
Little long but hope that helps shed a little light on the situation

Thanks A LOT! I filled up last with Shell Diesel #2 ULSD. I was talking to a guy (actually he came up to me, kind of paranoid & told me: "You're putting Diesel in your BMW!!! We started talking about Diesel (he has a huge Ford diesel and a 335d). He likes Shell best, since the station is always busy with diesel owners, and the diesel never has a chance to sit in the underground tanks. Also, the local Shell station I went to is cheaper per gallon than Premium gasoline and less than the 2 local Chevrons, Mobil and Unocal 76.

But after your research, let us know what you think is the best diesel. Thanks

[JCL]

Originally Posted by StayRight

For gasoline, the best premium gasoline you can get is Shell. The detergents they use clean the valves etc better than any other. I actually went to a presentation given by a 3rd party (not Shell) about this. Chevron came in a close 2nd.

I don't think it is a universal truth that Shell premium gasoline is better than the rest. There are regional differences due to blending, for one thing. Also, there is more to consider than deposit control, although that is one thing to consider. I do like Shell's advertisements, especially the ones with Ferrari racing cars, but that doesn't sway my purchases. The issue with deposit control is that once you have sufficient and effective enough additives to prevent deposits building up on valves, there is no advantage to using more or better additives.

I tend to use Chevron gasoline due to their higher AKI (in my region), and their reduced use of ethanol. I can get 94 AKI with no ethanol, only at Chevron. That matters as much to me as deposit control additives. I use Shell when travelling. I also use Esso fairly regularly. All of those have essentially equivalent deposit control additives, and are name brand stations that tend to have good controls in place, reasonable quality control, and so on.

Full disclosure: I used to work with Chevron (in an independent distributor, not production); I have a family member working at Esso in distribution; and my former company used Shell as a supplier, rebranding their products to sell under our house brand. I know that they are all pretty much the same, even beyond the fact that they share bulk petroleum between them.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by JCL

I tend to use Chevron gasoline due to their higher AKI (in my region), and their reduced use of ethanol. I can get 94 AKI with no ethanol, only at Chevron. That matters as much to me as deposit control additives. I use Shell when travelling. I also use Esso fairly regularly. All of those have essentially equivalent deposit control additives, and are name brand stations that tend to have good controls in place, reasonable quality control, and so on.

They sell 94 AKI in Canada? Cool.

Chevron exited the Southeast this summer, hence all their stations were rebranded. Whenever I can, I will buy no ethanol fuel regardless of brand name but that's not available in most locales. I prefer the idea of Shell and BP but I'm not willing to pay more than an extra 3 or 4 cents/gallon (about a penny a litre) for brand names. Exxon Mobil are not quite as easy to find in my area.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

They sell 94 AKI in Canada? Cool.

Only at Chevron AFAIK. Also, it may not be available across Canada, but it is available throughout BC. Another reason for you to go fully metric and move north.

In my area (Lower Mainland of BC) Chevron doesn't sell 91 for Supreme as they do in the rest of the province, they sell 92. Probably trying to use up all that 94 in the pump blend.

Chevron 94, or Supreme Plus, used to be quite a premium (pun intended) over Supreme, but lately it has been only $0.01 per litre. The frustration is we don't know if the 92 has ethanol or not. They have to have 5% across all their fuel sales, so it varies from time to time and from grade to grade. All pumps from 87 to 92 at Chevron are labelled "May contain up to 10% ethanol" but in reality they are likely half that.

None of this matters on the X3, which runs fine on 89, as did my X5, but the 535 notices the difference. And the X3 does run better with no ethanol, so that is enough reason to put 94 in it.