American Automobile Association says top-tier gas really does keep your engine cleaner

The American Automobile Association has said that top-tier gas keeps your engine cleaner.

According to tests by the AAA, fuels that meet top-tier standards produced 19 times fewer valve intakes.

Switching to top-tier gas can help clean up carbon deposits over time.

But how practical is it for the average driver to access top-tier gas?

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The benefits of top-tier gas, according to the American Automobile Association

Before going any further, it’s crucial that we understand what top-tier gas is.

It’s essentially a gasoline standard with higher levels of detergent additives than are mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

These detergents help keep the engine clean by preventing and removing carbon deposits, which could gather in the fuel injectors, intake valves, and combustion chambers.

As such, the engine’s performance is improved when you use it.

While carbon deposits are normal within an engine, they can cause issues when they build up over time.

When heat, pressure, and oxidation build up, unburned fuel can be turned into a black soot-like substance.

When this gathers around the injectors, intakes, and pistons, it can reduce performance efficiency.

That in turn can lead to costly repairs further down the line.

So, can a top-tier gas save you a lot of frustration and money?

The American Automobile Association took a look at this very question back in 2016.

This isn’t the first time that the AAA has carried out a test like this – it also tested driver assistance systems.

What the study found

Over a simulated 4,000-mile engine test, top-tier fuels kept engines 19 times cleaner.

So think that about – non-top-tier gas is creating 19 times more carbon deposits in the engine.

“AAA was surprised to learn the extent to which detergent additives impact gasoline quality,” AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, Greg Brannon, said.

“As advertised, tested top-tier gasolines kept engines remarkably cleaner than other fuels we tested.”

So there you have it.

Now, top-tier fuel isn’t a brand, and it’s offered by various gasoline distributors.

If you’re looking for it next time you go to fill up, keep your eyes peeled for a sticker by the pump.

Alternatively, you can find gas stations that carry it by using the search function on the Top-Tier website.

When it comes to buying gas, there’s so much to take into account, not least of all cost.

Across the US, gas prices can vary depending on which state a driver is filling up in.

Although California comes out on top.

And with a recent survey finding Gen Z drivers are scared to pump gas by themselves, there’s never been a better time to get more acquainted with your local gas station.

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