Posted on 04/04/2014 4:14:34 AM PDT by Haiku Guy
The milage in both of my cars had dropped off in the last couple of months. Instead of getting 280 miles per tank, I am now getting 260 miles per tank, or even worse.
I keep a close eye on the milage as a general indication of how my cars are running, but I can't see why this has happened. I have no leaks, no lights, no rough running. I Checked the Engine, and it is still there. The plugs look good.
I think it might be the fuel blend. If that is the case, a lot of people should be seeing the same thing. Before I start tearing things apart, I thought I would ask my friends at FR what they are experiencing.
So how about it? How's the milage on your vehicle these days?
Cold weather and tyre pressure.
I am in New Jersey. As near as I can tell, we’re running about 10% Ethanol these days.
Have you been pushing the speed? When I commuted 100 miles R/T, the difference between 65 and 70+MPH accounted for 25 or more mile difference on a tank.
Tires are good, and the milage has gotten worse as the weather has warmed up.
“I have a wrench in my hand and I’m about to do some major damage... “
What could possibly go wrong? Go for it.
If you are using more ethanol than you did before, that may be the reason.
Mine always drops off when the summer blends come in, plus the cold temps mean the gasoline is more concentrated.
Gas has some amazing thermal expansion properties. Ethanol percentage is a big factor too.
I do admit that I drive fast. The section of the GSP where I commute runs 75+ MPH on a daily basis. But that has been very consistent, with no changes in recent months that would explain the drop off.
If I drive the Double Nickel, aside from being a hazard to navigation, I would get about 300 miles per tank. But I only did that a couple of times as an experiment.
Alcohol in the fuel.
Ethanol in fuel = less energy available per gallon. *IF* your fuel now has entered the ‘oxegenated’ phase of the year, then yeah, your mileage will drop.
The rest falls into driving practices and mechanical condition.
I bet it’s the fuel blend - my car has the same problem. With no ethanol, the car would routinely get about 330 miles per tank, but now it gets about 260 ... double-plus ungood!
If it is a fuel blend issue, others should be seeing the same thing, because I have switched suppliers and it does not seem to matter who I get the fuel from.
Have you seen any changes in the milage performance of your vehicle?
Don’t rule out the winter fuel blend. You might be back to normal once they go back to warm weather blends.
But the EPA says the oxygenated fuels are just as good as real gasoline!
And it is also good as a floor wax!
And a desert topping!!!
Check for any loose nuts behind the steering wheel.
That happens to me all of the time.
Yes I have, but mostly here one drives in heavy traffic so it could just be traffic-related.
However I seem to be running a lower gas mileage also.
(Seem to)
Gas with alcohol collects water. You might try buying a gas dryer chemical at Wal-Mart.
Also, the amount of alcohol varies from station to station and delivery to delivery. The more alcohol the lower your performance.
Then I’d say low tire pressure, something wrong on fuel injection or CC timing control, or the like. Or it just could be the fuel. I HATE ethanol! It destroys seals and gaskets, O2 sensors and a whole range of things.
I’ve had gaskets, seals and diaphragms on 2 cycle engines just dissolve because of it in regular gas mixed with 2 cycle oil. I’ve had to rebuild every carburetor in all my yard engines.
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