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Just pulled a head off a 2018 Silverado that had me shaking my head
The truck came in with a misfire and low compression on cylinder 3. When we got the head off, the exhaust valves were caked with carbon, but the intake valves were almost clean. The owner said he only used top-tier gas for the first 50,000 miles, then switched to the cheapest stuff at a no-name station for the next 30,000. That's exactly when the problems started. The cheap gas had way more junk in it, and with direct injection, that junk just bakes onto the hot exhaust valves. It took us 8 hours to clean and re-seat everything. Has anyone else seen this kind of damage from a specific fuel switch in under 100k miles?
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drew9656mo ago
That "only used top-tier gas for the first 50,000 miles" part got me. I always figured gas was gas, but seeing a real case like this makes you reconsider.
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cameron5386mo ago
Top tier gas is mostly just marketing. Modern engines and fuel systems are built to handle different gas grades just fine. James_kim's beater running on cheap stuff proves the point. You'd need a lab test to show any real difference in engine wear from gas brands.
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