Quote:
Originally Posted by Gealii
rather removing ethanol see if there is an ethanol free gas station in your area
Find ethanol free gas near you!
lists most ethanol free stations
and like daox said read over the hypermiling tips and vehicle modifications.
Some people are against mods because they don't want to make their car look bad in the
eyes of others, but there are mods that are look oem or are invisible to normal day to days looks |
I have done a search. There are reportedly still some ethanol-free stations in Texas, but none that I know of within a couple hundred miles of where I live (Austin). And I'm not going to drive a hundred miles or more just to fill my tank. Though I might have to do that once just to verify the ethanol - no ethanol factor. For testing and control purposes, the gasoline should be the same supplier and grade - and the only factor is the presence or absence of ethanol. If I use different suppliers, it introduces other variables, which may be significant.
From what others have commented on, I suspect the mileage problem (once I factor out the lead foot) is ethanol related. The vehicle may simply not be made with ethanol in mind. Anyway, I intend to test that suspicion myself. I read in other forums that others have done exactly that testing, with the conclusion that ethanol was the mileage culprit, and once it was eliminated, mileage improved drastically.
If I conclude that to be a fact, and ethanol-free gasoline is no longer reasonably available, then removing the ethanol will be the focus.
Of course, I'll also be complaining to the dealer, but from what others have said, that will be a certain dead end.