Sudden crash in mpg
Just filled up and it's estimating 250 miles to the tank - it used to be around 400. It recalculated but only to 275, which is still substantially less than I used to get. I just hit 36,000 miles on a 2016 HRV, any ideas? Not a lot of idling etc where I live - quiet smooth roads.
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Actually, it is the automakers that wanted higher standards.I could see how you could have gotten confused. The Feds here in the US DO regulate and require detergents in all grades of gasoline. However, years ago when they started doing so, their requirement was actually less than what many retailers were doing at the time. This made some retailers cut back to only providing the required amount of detergentcy, to save money. Other retailers kept their standard or increased it. These are the Top Tier brands.
8 things to know about Top Tier detergent gasoline
If you've always believed that all gas is the same, read on to find out what makes Top Tier fuel better for your car.
clark.com
I was getting just shy of 27 mpg in mixed driving up until about 2 weeks ago. Since I've been working from home for the last couple of years, my drives are almost always the same every week. Very little change from week to week. The only change was an oil change at the dealer. Now my avg mpg has dropped to 25.8. Not sure how an oil change could affect fuel mileage that much but it did. Nothing else has changed including tire pressures.
If you got an oil change, I suspect they checked your tire pressure. And if they checked it, they likely changed it. I'd do a cold pressure check just to be sure. Dealers and tire stores generally overfill in my experience.
I'm used to that so I checked and fixed the tire pressures. Literally zero miles on the almost 30 psi in the tires. Good thought, thought.If you got an oil change, I suspect they checked your tire pressure. And if they checked it, they likely changed it. I'd do a cold pressure check just to be sure. Dealers and tire stores generally overfill in my experience.
This is the time of the year that they start changing over to a summer blend of gas having a lower RVP(Reid Vapor pressure) here in the US. The summer blend is said to actually offer better MPG, however the difference is very slight and other differences, mainly ambient temperature, make it hard to detect.I was getting just shy of 27 mpg in mixed driving up until about 2 weeks ago. Since I've been working from home for the last couple of years, my drives are almost always the same every week. Very little change from week to week. The only change was an oil change at the dealer. Now my avg mpg has dropped to 25.8. Not sure how an oil change could affect fuel mileage that much but it did. Nothing else has changed including tire pressures.
I worked at a dealer for years and and have seen how things are done there. This is why I do as much mantainance and repair myself, if possible. Usually oil changes are not done by a certified technician. I am wondering if some bone-head lube boy put in a heavy, high viscosity oil 🤔
I worked for 30+ years at a major oil company.
First, gasoline is the highest volume product, so when "something" needs to be "slopped", it is intentionally bled off into gasoline at low concentrations, and hopefully goes un-noticed. Hopefully!!
Secondly, even if the refinery sends out clean gasoline, it faces contamination at every step of the distribution system. Pipelines to tanks back to pipelines to tanks many times. Then to distribution terminals, more pipes more tanks, then a tanker truck, then to service station underground tanks, then to your car's tank. All, of which are not treated with the same contamination care care as aviation Jet fuel!! So nearly infinite numbers of ways to get contaminated fuel.
Thirdly, ethanol. Water is common everywhere, and ethanol now makes it possible to dissolve and suspend water in the mainly hydrocarbon fuel. Prior to ethanol, hydrocarbons would separate water and most tanks were 1-G separators with a layer of water on the bottom drawn off periodically. Now, such water stays with the fuel.
Fourthly, the reason ethanol free gasoline is so expensive is that it needs a separate distribution system. The fuel itself is actually cheaper.
Fifthly, ethanol provides no emissions or combustion benefits whatsoever, but it does confer a host of lousy problems.
Finally, we used to vary gasoline properties, and then run driveability tests in employee cars. Poor gasoline caused every problem imaginable, that we'd normally blame the car.
In defense of Major Oil, they all know the above and seek to get good fuel to you, but it ain't nowhere near 100%.
First, gasoline is the highest volume product, so when "something" needs to be "slopped", it is intentionally bled off into gasoline at low concentrations, and hopefully goes un-noticed. Hopefully!!
Secondly, even if the refinery sends out clean gasoline, it faces contamination at every step of the distribution system. Pipelines to tanks back to pipelines to tanks many times. Then to distribution terminals, more pipes more tanks, then a tanker truck, then to service station underground tanks, then to your car's tank. All, of which are not treated with the same contamination care care as aviation Jet fuel!! So nearly infinite numbers of ways to get contaminated fuel.
Thirdly, ethanol. Water is common everywhere, and ethanol now makes it possible to dissolve and suspend water in the mainly hydrocarbon fuel. Prior to ethanol, hydrocarbons would separate water and most tanks were 1-G separators with a layer of water on the bottom drawn off periodically. Now, such water stays with the fuel.
Fourthly, the reason ethanol free gasoline is so expensive is that it needs a separate distribution system. The fuel itself is actually cheaper.
Fifthly, ethanol provides no emissions or combustion benefits whatsoever, but it does confer a host of lousy problems.
Finally, we used to vary gasoline properties, and then run driveability tests in employee cars. Poor gasoline caused every problem imaginable, that we'd normally blame the car.
In defense of Major Oil, they all know the above and seek to get good fuel to you, but it ain't nowhere near 100%.
elaborate on the ethanol not providing any benefits
Because almost every forced induction guy runs e85...due to its benefits..
or are we referring to this particular engine?
Because almost every forced induction guy runs e85...due to its benefits..
or are we referring to this particular engine?
They do that because ethanol is higher octane. That is literally the only real benefit.elaborate on the ethanol not providing any benefits
Because almost every forced induction guy runs e85...due to its benefits..
or are we referring to this particular engine?
Ethanol is more costly to produce, both monetarily and environmentally.
Long-term it's more harmful to the environment, especially in relation to the health of people having to breathe the air containing the emissions of it's use in gasoline engines. (I did a study on this a little over a decade ago.)
The biggest advertised benefit is that it burns clean. However they aren't taking into account the impacts of production, or that you are trading carbon emissions for other hazardous chemicals.
HA the best benefit!They do that because ethanol is higher octane. That is literally the only real benefit.
Also don't need to add gas-line antifreeze in the winter. I wonder how many people still remembered those?They do that because ethanol is higher octane. That is literally the only real benefit.
Alcohol Fuel Basics - Circle Track Magazine
We take a look at the use of alcohol as a fuel in race cars and learn the basics behind alcohol based fuels. - Circle Track Magazine
The safety issue is new to me, but it makes sense, gasoline has a much higher vapor pressure so more prone to light off accidently.
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