Cheap Gas or TopTier Gas: The Best Gas for Your Car

Hey, gas dropped to $ 4.15 near my neighborhood in Pasadena, California if you purchase at an AM PM! We're almost at old-fashioned gasoline prices! Like many people, I try and do the little things to save gas like accelerate slowly.

And sometimes I let my gas tank get a little too close to empty. My mechanic told me not to do this when he recently replaced the fuel pump on my Chevy Astro. Now, it may have been the age of the vehicle. But he did say it's an on-going problem for many car owners.

Reserve gas will protect the fuel pump for vehicles which have an electric fuel pump and it will also protect against additional gunk being pulled in to the engine, plugging up the injectors.

This was a topic I found on http://www.tankonempty.com/ which had a dialogue on fuel pumps and it gave another tip: not fill up at a station right after a tanker has serviced it. A mechanic in the discussion wrote "this stirs up all the debris accumulated in the holding tank for many hours after it is unloaded and can lead to clogged fuel fllters and extra dirt/debris being pumped into your gas tank."

Another point: cheaper gas won't save you money in the long run.

Did you know there is a premier standard of gasoline set by the world's top auto makers?

I first came across the issue when I came across the blog of Dr. Fuelgood. I always thought quality gasoline was a matter of choosing 87 octane versus premium.

But, it looks like it's the amount of detergents used. Cheaper gas has a reduced level of detergent additives. Dr. Fuelgood wrote in response to a reader asking about performance of his 12-year-old Saturn:

"If you're currently using low-quality discount gasoline that doesn't meet the TOP TIER standard, your engine may have gunky build-up that is robbing your engine of performance."

Dr. Fuelgood's blog is sponsored by Shell Oil, a manufacturer of - you guessed it! - top tier gasoline. Other top tier gasolines include: Chevron, Conoco, Phillips and Texaco. Hmm, but not my favorite AM PM? Maybe I'll just keep stopping there for the cheap hot dogs and coffee.

Top Tier gasoline is a standard set by the world's top auto makers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi. The standard they set is higher than the minimum level of detergent requirements set by the EPA.

Lower quality gasoline can hurt engine performance and the car's ability to meet emission standards.

On one of Fuelgood's blog posts, he addressed the concern of a person who owns a 12-year-old Saturn:

"Your 12-year-old Saturn should run fine on regular grade gasoline, as long as it meets TOP TIER. Keep in mind, TOP TIER refers only to the engine cleanliness delivered by the gasoline, not the octane level. That means it's possible for gasolines of all octanes to meet the TOP TIER standard."

The conclusion I drew then is cheap gas won't give you better gas mileage in the long run. So if a driver shops for the cheapest gas then maintenance costs can increase.

Dr. Fuelgood wrote, "Premium fuel purchased from a low-quality discount station can leave just as much gunk behind as regular and mid grade fuels from the same retailer."

He also wrote comprehensive tips for increased mileage.

So is it painful for you to pull in to a gas station regularly and fill up with gas? Remind yourself it could be more painful to replace a fuel pump if you try to always run your gas tank close to empty.

And, if you're tempted to buy cheap gas has instead of Top Tier gasoline you may be hurting your own pocketbook in the long run due to increased maintenance and reduced gas mileage. Cheaper is not always better.