In Reply to: More Gasoline Info than you can shake a stick at (inside) posted by AndyB (AndyB) on September 30, 1999 at 21:09:51
This is a summary of a report originally published in 1991.
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Withing groups listed alphabetically. Gasolines checked (X) have passed the "unlimited
milage" standards of BMW's test* for preventing the build up of deposits on valves,
acording to the refiners responses to a Consumer Reports questionaire (see story) Those
marked (-) have not passed BMW's test.
Brand Regular Midrange Premium
Amoco X X X
Arco X 1 X
Antlatic _ _ _
BP 2 2 2
Chevron X X X
Citgo 3 3 3
Diamond
Shamrock - - X
Exxon X X X
Fina 4 4 4
Gulf - - -
Hess 4 4 4
Marathon X X X
Mobile X X X
Phillips 66 4 4 4
Shell 5 5 X
Sunoco - - 6
Texaco X X X
Unocal X X X
The following refiners did not respond to our questionnaire. Lacking any information about
the presence or effectiveness of the detergent packages, we cannot recommend their
gasoline for latemodel cars with fuel-injected engines. Beacon, Clark, Getty,
Kerr-Mcgee.[1] Midgrade gasoline is not available[2] According to company, som BP
stations sell gasoline that meets BMW "unlimited milage" requirements and some do not.[3]
Company says new detergent package that will pass BMW "unlimited milage" test is to be
introduced in all three grades in first quarter of 1990, but not necessarily in all three
grades.[4] Company says new detergent package that will pass BMW "unlimited milage"
test is to be introduced in all three grades in first quarter of 1990.[5] According to the
company, only the premium grade has passed the BMW "unlimited milage" test, but the
regular and midgrad fuels contain the identical deturgent package.[6] According to the
company, Sunoco Ultra, a super-premium grade, passed BMW "unlimited milage" test;
Sunoco Super has not been tested. According to the company, in other Sunoco blends, the
lower the octane, the less the protection.* The gist of the BMW test described in the article
is to take a new or clean engine, dissassemble it and weigh the intake valves. Reassemble
the engine, run it on a test track in a 10,000 mile simulation of typical driving, tear the
engine down and re-weigh the intake valves. The "unlimited milage" rating goes to
gasolines which accumulate deposits averageing less than 100 milligrams per valve or
50,000 miles in which the average weight gain is more than 100 milligrams but less than
250 milligrams.