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Shell V-Power: All Gasolines are not the same!
When I first powered up the Automotive Rhythms (AR) Project Audi S4, I knew that with so many miles on the vehicle (131,000), I could not put just any gas in the tank.
Why couldn’t I just use any gas? Because shortly after cars leave the factory, they can begin to build deposits in fuel injectors and on the backsides of the intake valves in the combustion chambers.
Think about today’s modern fuel injected vehicle. When you shut the car down after a long run, minute amounts of fuel have been sprayed in anticipation of the next “power” cycle that will never come (because you turned off the vehicle). This fuel hits the hot valves and has nowhere to go. The result is that it “cooks” on the tips of fuel injectors and on the back of the valves and ultimately leads to deposits that can mar performance, affect emissions, and do a number on your wallet to have them cleaned off.
It has been estimated that 60% of fuels sold in the U.S. are at or near the minimum level of engine cleaning power allowed by law. This means that you could be driving around with a gasoline that does virtually nothing to inhibit the sorts of deposits on critical engine parts that can lead to a significant loss of performance and fuel economy. Many “discount” gasolines fall under this “do virtually nothing” category.
 Shell V-Power premium gasolines can clean up deposits on intake valves and fuel injectors left behind by low quality, low detergent gasolines. That’s because V-Power contains more than five times the amount of cleaning agents required by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Shell V-Power is also recommended for vehicles that can benefit from higher octane (check your owner's manual for the octane level recommended for your vehicle).
All Shell gasolines meet the “TOP TIER” Detergent Gasoline Standard. Many major auto manufacturers agree that a clean engine performs better, so BMW, General Motors, Honda and Toyota developed a TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline Standard that exceeds the EPA standards. According to GM.com, TOP TIER detergent gasolines keep engines cleaner than gasolines containing the lowest additive concentration set by the EPA.
The low quality gasoline problem is amplified even more in a high mileage vehicle like our Project Audi S4. Combine the Audi’s extreme heat from its 300-horsepower turbocharged engine, and the deposits can cook under the heat so long that they become as hard as diamonds!
So what to do? Well, you have two choices: You can stop driving altogether, or you can buy a premium fuel like Shell V-Power as a regular course of ongoing maintenance.
 As part of AR’s partnership with the AutoSense program on XM Satellite Radio, we spoke on air with Mark Ferner, chemical Engineer with the Shell Oil Corporation. We know that for many of you, and for us, the bottom line sometimes can be measured in cents per gallon. Mark broke it down for us in a way that ensures the Project S4 or any other AR Project Car never sees the lanes of a discount gas retailer.
“You can pay now, or you can pay later,” said Mark. Given the local Audi dealer’s $103 per hour labor charges, we’ll stick with Shell V-Power!
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