I did a quick search and didn't find much so pardon this quesiton if I didn't search the right string.

I just went from a 99' to a 08 TL and have a question about fuel. I had to have the plenum removed 2x on my 99' to have the EGR cleaned at a cost of over $500 each. The mechanic (not dealer) told me it was due to poor fuel and thought I should have been using Premium since I was using Regular fuel.

Does anyone know for sure what is the right fuel to run in my 08 that will keep this problem from ocurring again?

 

I would say first of all premium fuel is required for the TL. Second I would recommend using Shell fuel, it has been known to run cleaner leaving no carbon build up. Texaco is owned by shell so that would also be good. I have seen alot of people on here that use shell with good results.

 

Check out www.toptiergas.com.

Click on RETAILERS for a list of brands that have a certain minimal amount of detergent additives in them. Different brands are available in different areas. Shell is the only one on that list that's in the NYC area. I use Shell V-Power exclusively because it also seems to give the best throttle response.
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with the 10% ethanol in gas these days- combustion is a really dirty business.
Leftover unburnt fuel particles and fuel additive remnants are everywhere

Removal of the intake manifold and cleaning of the egr passages and ports is a 2 hour DIY that gen2 cars have to do every 75k miles
Why should gen3 be any different?
Yes the TL is odd in this need- but they made small passages compared to other cars

Teir1 gas helps a lot- but is not a cure.

Use of a fuel cleaner like redline or seafoam and intake manifold cleaning with seafoam or wynns or bg44 will help keep the injectors and intake clean, but the exhaust still pumps crud thru the egr ports while the engine is running,,,constantly putting residue thru them. (except at idle and full throttle- then egr shuts off)
add to that:
The PCV system sends oily vapor from the engine direct to the intake snout- need to keep the TB plate cleaned of that for best performance
carb spray or tb cleaner is fine

 

the high compression engine requires a minimum of 91 octane
if they only sell 93 or 94 where you live- thats what you use

91 is a minimum rating for premium

 

91 octane minimum...don't try to skimp here.

 

I use Quick Trip 93 Octane, they guarentee their gas.

 

WHOA !!! So according to that Top Tier list, Phillips 66 is better then Shell ??? hmmm...

 

Shell has the cleanest gas at the moment.

Make sure to have a minimum octane rating of 91. Even if you wanted to "save money" you will end up losing money because lower octane fuel will make you lose power in your car and worsen your fuel economy. I have a 98 TL also and always have had Premium fuel, once gas prices sparked my mother decided to put regular which downgraded fuel economy and power, luckily, I realize that she put that in and told her to change than I put some fuel cleaner inside just incase it made the fuel injectors/gaskets dirty.

 

Shell FTW

sometimes i'll put Hess in....makes me feel like im cheatin on Shell tho haha

i put reg in by accident wasnt very fun

 

That's not what it says.

It only means that Shell has not applied for Top Tier and/or does not have a "Top Tier" detergent package in ALL of it's grades.

 

And some people (on these boards even) have done real life experiments and found that using Premium is more cost effective because it's more efficient and will give you better mileage on less gas when compared to Regular.

So treat your car/engine well AND save money.

 

You should add this only applies to engines designed for premium fuel use. Using premium fuel in an engine not design or modified for its use is a waste.

 

I thought texaco is owned by chevron.

I only use shell or chevron. Someone on this board was suggesting that using both (at different times of course) is a good idea, becuase they have different addatives in their gas so what chevron doenst clean up shell might be able to and vice versa

 

^ Yes, Texaco is owned by Chevron. I used to work for ChevronTexaco lol. In my Accord, I only use Chevron, but I'm thinking about starting to use Shell

 

Shell- now with Nitrogen added!

 

My fault I was mistaken, Texaco and Shell merged their refining assets, thats why you see all the Texaco stations (at least in my area) being converted to shell stations

 

ShelaxronCo oil company?!

 

qt premium fuel only....and yes, you get better fuel miliage with premium fuel...

 

I do a lot of short trips around the city with moderate to heavy traffic, and my mpg isn't great as a result (about 16 mpg). So, using premium is unnecessary, as mid-grade (89 octane) is good enough. When I go on long trips on the hwy, I always fill with premium gas, which gets me over 30 mpg!!

 

What it actually means is they have not paid to be added to the Top Tier marketing web site. A lot of other majors have chosen not to pay to be added as well, including the one I work for.

 

you should always use premium. Hello McFly, the reason you are getting 16mpg is because you are not using premuim. I do short trips in the city also and I get 20mpg.

 

I would think the opposite is true, your engine works harder in heavy traffic than when you're simply cruising on the hwy so it would actually be more important to use premium in heavy traffic.

I only put in 87 once, when I pulled into a gas station and that was all they had. So I only put in half a tank and then drove to another station and put in another half tank of 93. That should average out to 90 octane which is acceptable.

 

I see that BP isn't added to the list. Does anyone have any input on them. The closest Shell gas station is 40 miles south of me. Otherwise we have a bunch of Holidays, and private owned gas stations, do they have markings on the pumps on which gas they use?

 

Thanks for the information!

 

I've always used Shell but I don't think it matters which gas station as long as you pump 93/95 into the car.

 

I've said this before, and I'll say again.. that Top Tier website is a marketing gimmick.

All fuel when loaded on to fuel trucks leave the same hose. The difference between gas are the additives added by each brand.

But yes throttle body cleaning is a good and necessary process. I remember I use to clean the throttle body on my 2G TL every 20K (I enjoyed taking it apart, lol)

 

I'm also a believer that premium is more cost effective than regular since your engine is running more efficiently and thus using less fuel. Good for your engine and also cheaper in the end.

 

i learned on MythBuster that putting moth balls in the gas tank will increase the octane level...i am going to try and let yall know what i find

 

There's one of those stations right next to the McTacoHut down the road.

 

Wait. QT is on this list?! No.

 

I do the same. I haven't felt or seen any loss of power, and I've done this technique since I got the car in Jan. of '07. I average 21mpg (which is what everyone else seems to manage) in the city, and can get 280 miles out of the tank which is a lot better than some who are only getting 200.

Just like our BMW, the sensors in the car aren't retarded and know to make the engine run fine on unleaded. My family's done this for years and never seen any issue on any of our cars that said Premium Only.

 

Don't worry you'll have to keep saying it.. cuz its the power of marketing.

BTW I use Chevron and BP. No Chevrons really up in NY so when I'm in FL I rape it because I notice a complete different throttle feel.

 

Hell yeah. I fill up there with any car as much as possible.

They need to bring back the French Vanilla cold drink, though.

 

OX and anti-knock sensors send information to the ECU which, in turn, alters the ignition timing and fuel delivery to compensate. Also, all gasoline is unleaded.

As for running less than 91 octane, which is the recommended minimum for our engines, you will get less power and burn more fuel. But the choice is yours and yours alone.

 

lol wut you don't have to do it every 75K. You do it when the symptoms appear....if you really want to solve the carbon problem use quality gas and don't be afraid to romp on the throttle every once in a while, not to mention regular use of fuel additives.....my car has 82K on it and runs like they day it was new...

 

Another good reason to use Shell Gasoline:

http://www.shell.us/home/content/usa...aver_card.html

 

Yeah I was talking to a buddy of mine about this and he too said QT was . My Accord HATED QT gas. But it was old too... I will have to give them another shot.

Typically I stick with BP, Shell or Chevron.

 

On average, there's more load on the engine during city driving.

These things aren't like low compression turbo cars where you can run a lower octane as long as you drive it easy. These are 11.0:1 engines designed for 91 octane. They will ping at partial throttle on less than 91 and many times mine pings on 91 during normal driving.

I've done the research in the form of fuel logs and monitoring knock. Gas mileage is improved using 91 period. The car knocks on mid grade and regular period. It doesn't matter if you can hear it or not, trust me, it's there.

 

So you've used lower octane since you got the car and haven't noticed a difference? Did you ever run premium?

You can't compare your mpg to someone else's to prove a point. It's not a valid comparison, waaaaay too many variables like climate, altitude, driving style, and the type of driving.

The knock sensors are reactive meaning the car has to knock before the sensor can pick up on it and retard the timing. Timing is only pulled for a second and then it's put back in. The TL's ECM is not capable of pulling enough timing to prevent detonation on lower than 91 octane. Trust me, the car is detonating.

In the end, it's your car and if you want to hurt it you can, but I don't understand the reasoning of people saving $2 at the pump only to fill up more often, wasting money in the end.