Use Shell Gasoline!!!
#17
I use Shell (Premium 91) because they give airmiles in Canada. Nitrogen enriched fuels aren't good for the engine as you're A) getting less fuel, B) the nitrogen is actually a deterent of combustion as it isn't part of the chemical reaction within your engine. Nitrogen is also used as a key component of fire suppressant systems on oil rigs. The nitrogen is supposed act as a detergent, but I would be skeptical of its actual effectiveness. But I like to travel so I'll keep using it because I want the points. For the other Canadians, Husky has the 94 octane which is actually a superior fuel, which I use for road trips or highway mileage.
As for mileage claims, driving behaviours changed at all? In theory, your mileage should degrade using the nitrogen enriched fuels.
As for mileage claims, driving behaviours changed at all? In theory, your mileage should degrade using the nitrogen enriched fuels.
If you watch "Mad Men" it's similar to the scene where they come up with the slogan "It's Toasted" for Lucky strikes cigarettes, even though all tobacco from any cigarette company is toasted.
The actual additive is probably the same or in the same class as Polyetheramine (PEA) which is the main active ingredient in Chevron's Techron, as well as some other well-respected fuel injector cleaner additives (gumout/redline/amsoil):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techron
For those that know your chemistry nomenclature, "Amines" are the term for nitrogen based compounds, so that's the scientific basis where your "Nitrogen-enriched" gunk fighting detergent additive comes from.
But pretty much all "TopTier" stations will have some kind of detergent additives that are "nitrogen" based.
Nitrogen can be in a ton of things, just like carbon and oxygen. It maybe more than obvious, but molecules are drastically different even with a slight change in the molecular formula.
Nitrogen is commonly known for being explosives/fertilizer(Ammonia Nitrate), air (N2), smog(NOX/NO2), household cleaners (Windex with Ammonia-D). But despite all being "nitrogen" based, these are completely different things.
Advertising takes great liberties with the science, this is one of those cases.
I guess we can say by the same token Water is HydroOxygen powered or now with extra DHMO (dihydrogen monoxide).
Last edited by raytseng; 05-27-11 at 03:42 PM.
#20
I too like shell. Been using their VPower for years. The nitrogen they are talking about is not the same as in a fire suppression system, as the previous poster claimed (the nitrogen there is used to extinguish fires by oxygen depletion). The nitrogen they are talking about is a compound used in many fuel system cleaners. Shell has been making fuels that exceed top-tier requirements for a long time. However, the change in MPG probably has to do with their switching from winter-blend gasoline to their summer-blend. It has a slightly higher BTU than the winter blend, which has a lower BTU because it is oxygenated to a greater extent which aids in emissions under some cold-weather circumstances(I think. It have have to do with evaporation too). This has been mandated by the EPA for quite some time now and lasts until around Memorial Day (which is next week). It's pretty common to see a small jump in MPG coming out of Winter. Additionally, if you track your MPG going into Winter, you'll see a corresponding decrease in MPG all of the sudden when you fill up.
Last edited by tinman; 05-27-11 at 04:56 PM. Reason: I have fat fingers.
#21
Another Shell user here as well.. always use the 93... don't mind paying the $$$ for the better gas..
Funny how the GS4 with the V8 and Gs300 get about the same mileage... There's a whole thread on that but you get my point..
Funny how the GS4 with the V8 and Gs300 get about the same mileage... There's a whole thread on that but you get my point..
#23
honestly i'd rather be driving the GS4 though lol..
#26
I'm not sure about the $.30-.40 higher, but they certainly are higher than the local Gate station I'm used to filling up at. I may try the shell once or twice though to see if my gas mileage improves. I usually get 21.5mpg.