White Gnat again exceeds 700 miles on a tank

[wmjinman]

Last fill-up was at 703.5 miles/59.806 mpg. This is the third consecutive tank of over 700 miles, and the second longest distance traveled on a tank (#1 was my last tank - 707.5 miles). However, it burned less gas this time (11.763 gal. vs. 11.870 & 59.604 mpg for the 707.5 mi. tank), so if I'd known, I could have "stretched" it to over 710 miles for a new "record".

This was near Auburn, CA on I-80 at the west side of the Sierras - elevation about 1000 ft. I was returning from Sacramento, so the next 60 miles were climbing to the top of Donner Pass - elevation 7227 ft. As I crested the summit, the ScanGauge trip reading for the new tank was 40.2 mpg! I just love my little White Gnat!!! How often can you get over 40 mpg while climbing one of the higher passes in the Sierras?

Of course, while coasting down the other side (engine on, because it was night & I needed to keep the headlights on) it was up to 50 by the time I was going through Reno, and then 55 by the time I got back home in Carson City.

[wmjinman]

OK, so this tank was started near Auburn at the west base of the Sierras on I-80. I was returning from Sacramento, and I got the mpg to 57+/- in the next few days driving around. Then I had to go to Sacramento again.

Problem - Snow storm and Donner was either closed or chains required, and neither one would give me good hypermiling opportunities. So I took my "snowy day alternate route" through the Feather River Canyon, a good 100 miles out of the way. But it was raining constantly, with an almost constant headwind - and I was running late, so had to hurry. I was actually going 60 and 65 mph during parts of it. ScanGauge dropped below 54 mpg by the time I got to Sac. - at 630 miles or so on the tank.

Heading back home the next day (on I-80 over Donner, as the road was clear now), I was calculating where I would have to eventually get gas. I knew my tank held at least 11.8 gallons, as I'd put that much in it before. And I had a filled "emergency" gallon gas can behind my seat - but that gas was a year old, too.

As I pass each exit, and the ScanGauge gets to 11.8 gallons used, I grow - "anxious" -. And I was now over 650 miles, but is another 700 mile tank even possible? So I continue - past Auburn. Where will the next station be? - but I've got that gallon behind the seat - will it be good enough to start the car on if I run my tank dry? And - oh, yeah -I'm also climbing one of the highest passes in the Sierras now!

I start pondering where I might have to pull over once the tank runs dry. Some spots have guardrails without much shoulder - on some pretty steep grades. I'm thinking, "Wouldn't be too nice to run out here".... Soon I'm at 691 miles - maybe I'll actually make it, but where can I duck in to get gas? Should I turn around at the next exit so I can coast back down to the last station I passed? Or will I still be short of 700 if I do that? - - - mental math - - -

Well it happens: 702.1 miles on the tank, and the engine dies. Furtunately, it's a nice, flat, wide spot. How lucky!! I write down the miles, pour the spare gallon in & take off again. Oh yeah - it's showing 12.6 gallons burned since my last fill-up, so I guess that's my tank's actual capacity. OK, so now I've got a gallon in there - that should be good for 50 miles +/- (well, ok, maybe more like 40 - or less - climbing this hill), and - no more spare gas!!! When I run out this time, it'll be for real!!!

But then I wonder if I can make it to the Soda Springs/Norden/Sugarbowl exit (basically the summit, and the highest elevation gas station on that road). So I make it to Sugarbowl, gas-up there, re-filling the gas can first. MPG works out to 55.43, which is a little less than I'd been getting, but considering the tank started at 1000 ft. and ended at 7000 ft, plus having 100 miles of it in a storm at higher than typical hypermiling speed, I can't complain.

And as the title of this post suggests, I think my biggest "success story" from that tank is now knowing my tank's limit - or maximum capacity: 12.5 gallons (had to adjust the 12.6 because at fill-up, the ScanGauge said 13.4, but it actually took 13.263...)

[nemo]

Great story! So is this number 4 in a row over 700.

[wmjinman]

Originally Posted by nemo

Great story! So is this number 4 in a row over 700.

Yup - but just barely! After having 3 in a row, I REALLY didn't want to drop below 700 again so soon. And the nice thing (I hope) about this new tank is I filled it up at such a high elevation (and it was cold too = dense gas), it should be much easier to make it again this time.

I reached Donner Pass 3.3 miles into the new tank, with 30 or 40 mpg showing on the ScanGauge. By the time I was down to Truckee on the east side, it was reading 97.x! I was hoping to see 100 mpg, but it didn't happen. As I had to feed it gas on the level or uphill sections, it would drop - sometimes into the '80's, but then when I could coast again, I'd get it back into the '90's. It was fun to see how long I could keep it in the '90's because, obviously, I can't maintain that on "level" ground. It was still showing '90's in Reno, but once I turned south towards Carson City (and into the wind), it dropped into the '80's, and then by the time I got home, was in the '70's.

But the thing is, I'm also 100 miles into this tank now, and STILL in the '70's, which is something I couldn't do short of a long, flat, straight run at 30 mph, where I *might* hit 70 or 71 if I'm lucky. So as long as nothing bad happens, this could be a great tank!!

[nemo]

Originally Posted by wmjinman

this could be a great tank!!

The Ecomodder's mantra.

[snakester]

This is great. You've given a newbie a lot of inspiration.

[wmjinman]

Thanks, snakester! I like the "lines" on that Toyota Yaris - really "clean" looking to my eye.

Before I started getting such great results, I read somewhere on this site about having a "race", but the rules would be to see who would be the first one to go 700 miles WITHOUT GETTING GAS. When I first read that, I thought, "Yeah, you wise a$$ - right!" thinking it was either some blow-hard who couldn't actually do it, or else some "mileage guru" who we mere mortals couldn't hope to match. But as I continue to improve my skills, learn new "tricks", and refine my car, I am VERY excited to see that the "700 miles without stopping for gas" is something that can actually be done in reality.

You may also notice that this is four CONSECUTIVE tanks over 700 miles. That means there was no trickery of filling up on top of Donner Pass, coasting to the bottom, filling up & bragging about the results & then having a "sacrificial tank" back up to the top to start my next bragging tank. These 4 tanks have all, I think, had at least one trip over the Sierras, mostly on I-80 over Donner, and filling up wherever I needed to.... sometimes Carson City, sometimes Sacramento, sometimes elsewhere.

One sad (sort of sad) footnote: in my running around town today, the ScanGauge is now showing that I've dropped out of the 70's. It was reading 69.9 when I pulled into my driveway last. (Of course, I think that's still the best "tank average" reading I've yet seen - and DEFINITELY after almost 100 miles on a tank.)

I guess if it turns out I re-fill this tank in Sacramento (or somewhere with a similar low elevation), it could be argued that was a "cheater tank"...