Do you think the brand of fuel makes a difference

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Most cars nowadays have an MPG counter on their dashboard that's pretty accurate!

...if being consistently 5-10% too optimistic(*) is accurate, maybe...otherwise, give me a 'calibrated' SGII or UG.




(*) = what our GM Cruze MPG Display Information Center (DIC) reports.

[Mustang Dave]

My Mustang's information display is usually only between 3% and 5% optimistic, depending on seasonal fuel blend.
Largest difference was last Summer when the information display showed average MPG at 34.0 MPG. Actual was only 32.318 MPG.

[ctgottapee]

Probably covered elsewhere but briefly tell me how the scan gauge can be magnitudes more accurate using the same data the car display does - or at least as I understand for my car - that is if the car is left with stock tires and everything else in stock norms.

I could understand how some car displays would be geared optimistic or some car displays limited in capability.

[gone-ot]

SGII has user-adjustable "calibrations" for both (A) distance (MILES) and (B) fuel consumed (%)...OEM has neither.

[Cobb]

I over heard the women I work with talking about how they need to buy gas more often than they use to. One women said shes seen a new sticker on the pump that use to not be there. Something about 10% ethanol. Another women was saying her car laguhs at her as it knows she will need to refill it up before the end of a week where a tank use to last a week and a half.

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by Cobb

I over heard the women I work with talking about how they need to buy gas more often than they use to. One women said shes seen a new sticker on the pump that use to not be there. Something about 10% ethanol. Another women was saying her car laguhs at her as it knows she will need to refill it up before the end of a week where a tank use to last a week and a half.

So 10% ethanol is reducing FE by over 33% (1.5 weeks/tank down to under 1 tank/week)? I suspect not. E10 only has ~3% lower energy content.

[rbrowning]

I found this article on Wikipedia interesting on differences in gas brands. It may not be a difference in the octane or energy rating directly, but the cleaner injectors being able to atomize it better.

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"While General Motors' fuels engineer Andrew Buczynsky says that no one has identified the exact molecule in gasoline that causes engine buildup, he says that top tier detergent gasoline will remove the deposits.[15] Engine "gunk" typically builds up in fuel injectors, intake valves, and in time may foul combustion cylinders. Without some level of detergents, engine deposits form in most vehicles and this causes reduced fuel efficiency, acceleration, and power, as well as increasing emissions, rough idling, and increased motor repairs.[16]"

[ctgottapee]

My issue is the only non-ethanol gas around is 87octane and not a top tier station

When you get the higher octane blends at the pump, they mix in the higher octane gas and that has ethanol at this station. Haven't noticed a big difference either way, and it would take lots of A/B to determine....

[suspectnumber961]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...if being consistently 5-10% too optimistic(*) is accurate, maybe...otherwise, give me a 'calibrated' SGII or UG.

(*) = what our GM Cruze MPG Display Information Center (DIC) reports.

My SG seems to be ~1.5 mpg too optimistic...around 4%. This is with everything "correctly" entered. Probably need to lower the engine displacement from 2.0L to 1.9L or so?

[Cobb]

Beats me, one women drives a camry and she says its like 100 bucks to fill it up. Maybe shes using tier 3 preminum fuel?