Anyone else notice a HUGE loss in MPG, It's NOT your imagination

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Could be but most fuel here for sale in Reno is imported from the San Fran APCD refiners via pipeline and meets that spec, except for Maverick which has quality control issues. Drive 20 miles to Carson and they get their fuel elsewhere (modesto?) By truck.

Vegas and surrounds are pipeline from LAAPCD via 14" pipeline out of san berdue which is prone to leaking when trains derail onto it.

Oh interesting, that's why Carson City has much lower prices I guess?

I started off with a full tank of Costco summer fuel that sat around for a while, then I added a little E85 to it to boost the octane. Then I filled it with some winter fuel at a 76 and it seemed like the mpg dropped a bit.

Then I went up to Reno, filled at a Costco on the way. Seemed like I lost more mpg but it could have been the wind.

Finally in Reno I had a full tank of Raley's fuel and at that point I was extremely sure the gasoline was lower density because I could go downhill and still have less mpg than before.

All I know for sure is that I'm getting 10% lower mpg compared to the summer despite diluting my motor oil with some 0w-16 to reduce its viscosity. I still have the same piece of tape covering the oil cooler to keep the oil hotter, and I pumped the tires up more to compensate for lower temps.

[Tahoe_Hybrid]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

Oh interesting, that's why Carson City has much lower prices I guess?

I started off with a full tank of Costco summer fuel that sat around for a while, then I added a little E85 to it to boost the octane. Then I filled it with some winter fuel at a 76 and it seemed like the mpg dropped a bit.

Then I went up to Reno, filled at a Costco on the way. Seemed like I lost more mpg but it could have been the wind.

Finally in Reno I had a full tank of Raley's fuel and at that point I was extremely sure the gasoline was lower density because I could go downhill and still have less mpg than before.

All I know for sure is that I'm getting 10% lower mpg compared to the summer despite diluting my motor oil with some 0w-16 to reduce its viscosity. I still have the same piece of tape covering the oil cooler to keep the oil hotter, and I pumped the tires up more to compensate for lower temps.

we had all ready been on winter gas FOR A LONG time so it's not relevant


I mean they do put fresh gas in 2-3 times a day it's not like it still had summer gas in it from 5 months ago


the switch is done in oct 1

[Piotrsko]

CC has lower tax rate on the fuel and their sources are cheaper because it isn't SFAPCD fuel. Still CALI fuel, however, so it gets "oxygenated" after September.

If you bought left over summer fuel, it would be so full of water as to be almost unusable.

Reno is technically "up hill" but mostly the prevailing wind through Washoe valley favors southbound travel with a tailing portside flow. 70 posted with a 20mph headwind...........

[Tahoe_Hybrid]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

CC has lower tax rate on the fuel and their sources are cheaper because it isn't SFAPCD fuel. Still CALI fuel, however, so it gets "oxygenated" after September.

If you bought left over summer fuel, it would be so full of water as to be almost unusable.

Reno is technically "up hill" but mostly the prevailing wind through Washoe valley favors southbound travel with a tailing portside flow. 70 posted with a 20mph headwind...........

this is a new gas station the product is moving fast they have a weekly deal on gas so yes it's moving fast

maybe a miscounting faulty pump?

[serialk11r]

The fuel in my tank was summer fuel because I filled the tank in July and didn't drive the car for a few months (I put a few ounces of Lucas fuel stabilizer).

[kach22i]

I too noticed a drop in mpg with the switch to winter gas this year, new to me car so cannot compare to other years. However, it was a bigger drop than I ever noticed in my Geo Tracker and Chevy S-10 going back 30 years in memory collectively.

I unfortunately used twice a Shell gas station that was selling something else than Shell, just as bad as other gas stations.

If your car(s) use premium like my two cars (45 old Porsche, 10 year old Infiniti) the nitrogen additives in Shell make just as much of a difference as between summer and winter blends of gasoline.

[Tahoe_Hybrid]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I too noticed a drop in mpg with the switch to winter gas this year, new to me car so cannot compare to other years. However, it was a bigger drop than I ever noticed in my Geo Tracker and Chevy S-10 going back 30 years in memory collectively.

I unfortunately used twice a Shell gas station that was selling something else than Shell, just as bad as other gas stations.

If your car(s) use premium like my two cars (45 old Porsche, 10 year old Infiniti) the nitrogen additives in Shell make just as much of a difference as between summer and winter blends of gasoline.

i replaced both o2 sensor on bank2 it had a bad sensor causing issues with the DFCO and showing like 0.1volts randomly on sensor 2. when it should be 0.8v

[serialk11r]

I don't think additives affect mpg, they are very miniscule in concentration. I don't think the difference can come from ethanol either, because E10 is capped at 10%. However a lot of lighter aliphatic hydrocarbons do have much lower density and can be blended in to produce gasoline that has lower energy density, but they would need to keep the RVP down, so there are limitations too.

[Tmugz88]

Based on our fuel changes in Wisconsin I'm losing 3-5mpg even with my all season tires . I thought that maybe my winters had effected my mpg but it has to be fuel. My driving hasn't changed , my commute is the same and since right around late October my mpg has dropped significantly.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by Tmugz88

Based on our fuel changes in Wisconsin I'm losing 3-5mpg even with my all season tires . I thought that maybe my winters had effected my mpg but it has to be fuel. My driving hasn't changed , my commute is the same and since right around late October my mpg has dropped significantly.

Same. I can barely push 50 mpg average on my Ioniq right now with dry sunny roads and ambient temps of 45 degrees and hyper milking techniques.