Some people think you have a point..

http://www.ngvglobal.com/index.php?option=...id=663&Itemid=2

 

to whom it may concern...

I have been very diligently tracking my MPG since I bought my car (June 2003) and found that as my motor broke in, my fuel economy very steadily tracked upwards (more efficient)... then suddenly in January I saw a 10% drop, and has plateau'd at this -10% level ever since, no matter conservatively I drive.

it could be one of many things, but I am starting to think that in January is about when they started adding ethanol to gasoline.

 

Interesting observation. For most of us the change to ethanol should in theory result in less than a 1% decrease in mileage, but it might be a bit more for you... I believe that the SF Bay Area was one of the only places in California that previously allowed fuel that was not oxygenated, so it could mean a bit more in your area.. but a 10% decrease is much more than the data would suggest, I would look for other changes to explain it.

 

dear everyone... i'm one of those people that meticulously keep track of what gas i put into my car. i have heard very bad things about ethanol and how it builds up in your engine etc etc etc... whether thats true or not... i really dont know. but what i wanted to say is that i keep track of what additive is in my gasolione... i usually put chevron gas in my car, the chevron stations have a sign that says it has MTBE as the additive, more recently (because of the price hike) i've been putting shell gas where the station has a sign that says gasoline dispensed at this station may contain up to 10% ethanol. now what i've noticed is that when i put shell gas (ethanol) i get less miles per gallon... probably 3-5 mpg less than what i'd get if i put in chevron (MTBE). i've noticed that gasoline with ethanol burns faster. though to some people 3-5 mpg doesnt really matter, it hits me hard in my wallet because i commute to school about 100 miles every day for 4-5 days a week. that being said, i'd choose my wallet over the environment everyday. i agree with the guy that says ethanol is bad.

 

I totally believe the 10% loss, or even more. I live in WI, specifically the Milwaukee area, which uses the 10% blend. In my fullsize dodge truck, 4.7l, if I'm on the freeway using 10% ethanol I get about 16-17.
Drive out to Madison, which during my last trip, did not have blended gas, with non ethanol blend, it was 19-20. Same day, same conditions, similar driving.

In the s2000, granted with mixed driving, I usually got in the 24-25mpg range when I was still living in OR, and that was with only 0-6k miles on the clock. With the 10% blend in WI, its 21-23.

Lastly, had a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Portland, daily freeway commute, would get around 17-18 in the spring/fall/summer. Winter time would come, PDX would add 10%, down to 15-16 everytime.

The 1% is wishful thinking in my experience, and sounds like a corn farmer study....

 

The 1% is just a calculation/estimate using accepted energy values for gasoline, gasoline with 15% MTBE, or 10% ethanol. It would be really surprising to see a 10% drop in mileage indicating there was no usable energy content in the ethanol.

I have seen no real change in my mileage from 15% MTBE to 10% ethanol.

Do you think your mileage in the winter could have gone down due to choke/fast idle operation in cold weather?

I am not an ethanol fan at all.. just trying to be realistic about what has been forced on the public.

 

I'll take my real world experiences over a best case scenerio using laboratory formulas, calculations, and estimations.


Kinda like the thread asking if sunshades work in keeping temperatures down! Don't always need a test to confirm simple observations!

 

sometimes you just have to go out there and experience the results yourself. a lab can only simulate the real world, in some cases it does a good job but in others, it doesnt fair too well. my experience with ethanol is that there was about 10% less gas milage, i dont think i can buy into the 1% theory even if its really makes sense that a 10% drop would mean that there is no usable energy in ethanol. i guess what i'm trying to say is that its the real world that counts, not what the lab says, because the applications are in the real world, not the lab.