Brief Summary
The video discusses the quality of gasoline from various gas stations in America, highlighting brands that can damage engines due to low detergent levels or contamination, and recommending brands that help protect and clean engines. It emphasizes the importance of using top-tier fuels to prevent carbon buildup and maintain engine health, and warns against the dangers of using substandard or waste fuels.
- Many gas stations sell fuel with insufficient detergents, leading to carbon buildup and engine problems.
- Some brands are inconsistent in quality, sourcing fuel from various suppliers with no guaranteed standards.
- Top-tier fuels like Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, Costco, and BP/Amoco Ultimate contain high levels of detergents that clean and protect engines.
Intro: Why 70% of Gas in America Damages Engines
Over 70% of the gasoline sold in America lacks sufficient detergents to maintain engine cleanliness, leading to carbon buildup and over half a million car breakdowns annually. The video identifies 11 gasoline brands to avoid and highlights five brands that actively protect engines.
#11: Safeway Gas Stations
Safeway gas stations offer fuel that is more budget-oriented than quality-focused, often leading to engine issues such as weak idle, sluggish throttle, and check engine lights. Independent tests reveal that their detergent levels are significantly below automaker recommendations, causing rapid carbon buildup in injectors and intake valves. Safeway's lack of top-tier certification means it doesn't meet the higher detergent standards trusted by major car manufacturers, resulting in costly carbon cleaning and injector replacements for consumers.
#10: 7-Eleven Gas
7-Eleven gas stations do not refine their own fuel, instead purchasing from the cheapest local suppliers, leading to inconsistent fuel quality. This inconsistency can cause rough idle, hesitation, poor mileage, and engine knocking. Reports indicate instances of excessive ethanol content or sediment contamination in 7-Eleven fuel, which can damage fuel systems.
#9: Sam’s Club Fuel
Sam's Club fuel is designed for volume rather than quality, sourced from various local suppliers without a guaranteed formula or consistent quality control. This can lead to contaminants that clog filters, cause uneven idling, and result in hard starts, with fuel often appearing stale and cloudy due to moisture or sediment. Sam's Club Fuel is not top-tier certified, meaning it only meets the minimum legal requirements, which can lead to fuel system problems.
#8: Circle K Fuel Problems
Circle K gas stations buy the cheapest fuel from local distributors, making engines test subjects for mystery blends that can cause gummed-up engines, sticky injectors, and carbon-coated valves. Water contamination has been reported, leading to fuel pump damage and corroded injectors. Several Circle K stations have been fined for selling water-contaminated fuel.
#7: Murphy USA (Walmart)
Murphy USA, located near Walmart stores, focuses on selling gas cheaper than competitors, often compromising on detergent packages. This can lead to rough idling, sputtering, and early fuel injector failure. Fuel sample data indicates that Murphy's detergent levels often fall short of top-tier standards, and ethanol content can fluctuate excessively.
#6: Speedway
Speedway gas often comes from mixed local suppliers, resulting in inconsistent fuel quality that can cause carbon buildup, sluggish throttle, and poor fuel economy. The fuel is typically low on detergents, leading to rapid sludge formation. Some Speedway stations have been caught selling fuel with high water content, which can rust the fuel system and damage pumps.
#5: Love’s Travel Stops
Love's Travel Stops fuel has been flagged for contamination and poor storage maintenance, leading to issues such as cloudy fuel and visible sediment. Microbial growth in tanks can clog filters and injectors. Love's Fuel is not top-tier certified, meaning there are no guaranteed detergents to keep engines clean.
#4: Amoco (Why It’s Not What It Used to Be)
Since BP acquired Amoco, Amoco's regular fuel is essentially BP's regular gas under a different name, criticized for weak detergent levels compared to top-tier brands. Complaints have surfaced regarding Amoco fuel causing carbon buildup in modern direct injection engines, leading to power loss, rough idling, and increased fuel consumption. Despite its nostalgic appeal, Amoco fuel isn't always top-tier certified, and some stations have older tanks that can leak moisture into the fuel.
#3: Pilot Flying J
Pilot Flying J was involved in a fuel rebate scandal, cheating truckers out of millions of dollars. Many drivers complain about fuel quality, reporting knocking or power loss after filling up. Some fuel tested high in water or had heavy sediment from old tanks.
#2: Sunoco Regular Grade
Despite Sunoco's prominent presence in racing, its regular grade gas often leads to engine deposits and knock issues due to low detergent levels. Some stations have failed state inspections for off-spec ethanol blends and water contamination. In 2016, Sunoco paid fines after the EPA found several locations selling fuel that didn't meet clean air standards.
#1: Toxic/Waste Fuel Scandals (The Worst of the Worst)
Some fuel distributors have been caught selling waste fuel, contaminated with used oil, solvents, and chemical byproducts, as regular gasoline. This toxic fuel can cause severe engine damage, including melted injectors, clogged filters, and destroyed catalytic converters.
The Top 5 Gas Brands That Protect Your Engine
The video transitions to recommending five gasoline brands known for protecting engines due to their high-quality detergents and adherence to top-tier standards.
#5: Chevron with Techron
Chevron with Techron features a strong detergent formula that scrubs carbon off valves, pistons, and injectors while driving. Engines running on Chevron gas often remain clean even after high mileage. Techron contains polyethramine compounds at three to four times EPA minimums.
#4: Shell V-Power Nitro+
Shell's V-Power Nitro+ fuel fights engine buildup with a nitrogen-enriched cleaning system that forms a protective barrier inside the engine, preventing carbon and gunk from sticking to metal parts. Shell stations follow strict top-tier standards, ensuring consistent quality. The fuel exceeds standards by 40% due to molecular technology that actively repels deposits.
#3: ExxonMobil Synergy
ExxonMobil Synergy gasoline blend is loaded with cleaning agents designed to protect critical engine parts from carbon and corrosion. Even their regular grade fuel meets top-tier standards, ensuring consistent detergent formula across all grades. ExxonMobil holds more fuel patents than any other company, emphasizing its commitment to molecular engineering.
#2: Costco Top Tier Fuel
Costco gasoline is top-tier certified and often contains more cleaning additives than many name-brand fuels. The high turnover rate ensures the fuel is always fresh, and storage tanks are kept spotless. Monthly tank inspections, aerospace-grade filtration, and automatic contamination detection ensure top-notch quality at discount prices.
#1: BP/Amoco Ultimate (NOT regular Amoco)
BP/Amoco Ultimate fuel is engineered to clean as you drive, with a strong detergent package that can remove existing carbon buildup over time. It is top-tier certified and creates a protective barrier that prevents future deposits. The technology bonds with metal at a molecular level, keeping engines cleaner than fuels without enough detergents.
Final Warning
The video concludes by warning against believing common myths about fuel usage that can harm engines.
