BMW recommends Shell gas, but it's more expensive than other brands

[David70]

For all the people thinking Shell gasoline makes their car run better on one tank, they get better mpg on a tank, or whatever, I can't even see a way for this to be possible. Base gasoline is the same as Walmart, Shell might have more detergents in it but past that I think it is in your head.

Different or more detergents won't suddenly raise performance and/or mpg and even if it did it wouldn't suddenly drop when you went back to some other gas.

[ZL9M2]

BMW will change it's recomendation as soon as the next fuel company writes them a bigger check. Just like their oil and oil change recomendations. I wouldn't get too caught up in it.

[SnowCover]

Originally Posted by David70

For all the people thinking Shell gasoline makes their car run better on one tank, they get better mpg on a tank, or whatever, I can't even see a way for this to be possible. Base gasoline is the same as Walmart, Shell might have more detergents in it but past that I think it is in your head.

Different or more detergents won't suddenly raise performance and/or mpg and even if it did it wouldn't suddenly drop when you went back to some other gas.

I sometimes get premium gas at the local Sam's Club because it's the cheapest.($3.149 last week) For some weird reason, there are always a lot of Mercedes and Audi waiting in line. I figured that if it was good enough for them, it was probably good enough for my BMWs?

Back when BP was still Top Tier, my local BP station was forcibly closed for over a month by the state's department of weights and measures(or something like that) due to bad pumps and contaminated underground gas storage tank. Needless to say, I never went back again.

[FrankMstein]

Originally Posted by David70

For all the people thinking Shell gasoline makes their car run better on one tank, they get better mpg on a tank, or whatever, I can't even see a way for this to be possible. Base gasoline is the same as Walmart, Shell might have more detergents in it but past that I think it is in your head.

Different or more detergents won't suddenly raise performance and/or mpg and even if it did it wouldn't suddenly drop when you went back to some other gas.

One tank will not clean a valve and suddenly improve deposits but valve cleaning (with detergents) WILL improve performance. I cleaned by wife's R56 mini valves and it felt like it just got tuned! Detergents will keep/increase performance over time. If you have ever had bad fuel and/or live with riding on the limit of a knock sensor in a rotary engine, it happens. Experience.

Also injector cleaning (in the fuel) WILL increase performance.

[David70]

Originally Posted by FrankMstein

One tank will not clean a valve and suddenly improve deposits but valve cleaning (with detergents) WILL improve performance. I cleaned by wife's R56 mini valves and it felt like it just got tuned! Detergents will keep/increase performance over time. If you have ever had bad fuel and/or live with riding on the limit of a knock sensor in a rotary engine, it happens. Experience.

Also injector cleaning (in the fuel) WILL increase performance.

All gas has detergents in it, I've never seen someone even attempt to prove one is better than another, just a lot of marketing and internet talk. If you ever come up with proof that a brand of fuel is better than another it might be believable.

In addition, if you have a direct injection engine without port injection (like your car), the ability for the gas to clean the valves is close to non existent.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by David70

All gas has detergents in it, I've never seen someone even attempt to prove one is better than another, just a lot of marketing and internet talk. If you ever come up with proof that a brand of fuel is better than another it might be believable.

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