Anyone interested in an experiment?

[Matts4313]

I dont think the provider matters nearly as much as what time of day you buy gas. The colder the weather, the more dense the gas. So if you fill up at peak heat in the afternoon, your MPGs will be less.

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[Chestnut]

I'd be more interested in someone doing a 10,000 mile average test of the E-10 vs E-0 3-4% worse mileage claim.

Comparing tanks in my car I've never noticed a 3-4% difference. Ethanol free premium is readily available in my area and I've done back to back tanks and changes in wind make it too difficult on short distances to determine any statistical relevance.

 

[redrider]

If you're comparing E10 to 100% gas, there would likely be a measurable difference. Probably 3-4%.

Thinking in round numbers, Ethanol produces about half the energy of gasoline so it will take twice as much to do the same amount of work. Your mileage per tank is less with ethanol blends. How's that E85 working out?

 

[jbehrn]

No one uses Sunoco?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I always use BP or Shell and try my best to find one when I'm traveling. MPGs stay pretty consistent. I try to avoid QT Gas in my area because my JKU didn't seem to like it much. The few times I filled up there in it i had rough idle each time. Our old BMW 328i had the same issue when getting gas at QT. I've heard others say similar things. Could be just in my head but I've never had a issue with BP or Shell.

 

[MPMB]

I dont think the provider matters nearly as much as what time of day you buy gas. The colder the weather, the more dense the gas. So if you fill up at peak heat in the afternoon, your MPGs will be less.

That makes 0 sense.

1. Temperature of gas during pumping has nothing to do with miles per gallon.
2. It's been debunked by many people this line of thought because tanks are buried underground. In most of the US, the ground temperature doesn't swing nearly as wildly as air temperature.

 

[Matts4313]

That makes 0 sense.

1. Temperature of gas during pumping has nothing to do with miles per gallon.
2. It's been debunked by many people this line of thought because tanks are buried underground. In most of the US, the ground temperature doesn't swing nearly as wildly as air temperature.

So you are telling me its an old wives tale? Learn something new every day.

 

[Renegade]

I'd be more interested in someone doing a 10,000 mile average test of the E-10 vs E-0 3-4% worse mileage claim.

Comparing tanks in my car I've never noticed a 3-4% difference. Ethanol free premium is readily available in my area and I've done back to back tanks and changes in wind make it too difficult on short distances to determine any statistical relevance.

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml
http://www.granitefallsenergy.com/images/E0157701/ACEFuelEconomyStudy.pdf

 

[GrubbyBaja]

I'd be more interested in someone doing a 10,000 mile average test of the E-10 vs E-0 3-4% worse mileage claim.

Considering fuel energy densities alone, ethanol has roughly 60% of the energy content of gasoline. Assuming you replace 10% of a gallon of gasoline with ethanol, the total energy of a gallon of E10 would contain roughly 4% less energy than a gallon of gasoline. In the tuner world, I know there are gains in efficiency which can be found when going to E85 since timing can be advance, higher pressures, blah, blah, blah...but you're still going to be burning more ethanol than gasoline to produce the same amount of power.

 

[Gvsukids]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/regular-vs-ethanol-free-gas.44218/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/what-octane-gas-do-you-guys-run.44216/

 

[Jason Oliver]

Like we need another 'brand or kind of gas' thread....

 

[Renegade]

Like we need another 'brand or kind of gas' thread....

We should probably just hijack this one and turn it into an oil or tire thread...

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Here in Western PA I know that the same pipeline flows into 3 main holding facilities. No matter what the name is on the side of the truck, they haul gas out of those locations.

Is it possible that they add something on site at the gas station? I wouldn't think so but I could be wrong.

I get gas where I can... I am pretty steady at 19.5 - 20 mpg depending on where I'm driving.

Nothing is added at the station. It's all done at the refinery.

I only use name brand gas now. I've had a few bad experiences with bad/cheap gas and its just not worth it. Shell, BP, Exxon usually. The prices are typically about the same, so it doesn't hurt me to take the extra minute to go to the better station or pay a couple bucks more.

They sometimes dump unbranded gas in to tanks at branded gas stations.

They sometimes dump branded gas in to tanks at unbranded stations.

I don't sweat where I'm getting my gas. Never noticed a difference.

 

[steveorama]

We should probably just hijack this one and turn it into an oil or tire thread...

I'm just waiting on this conversation to turn about octane.

It's exhausting trying to explain to folks that higher octane doesn't equal better gas or more energy content, but instead elevated knock thresholds and clever marketing.

 

[dfwxjer]

Anecdotal evidence based on 1-2mpg observed difference is hardly a reason to waste money on more expensive fuel stations. It would have to be a blind test before it could even begin to hold water. Have your spouse randomly fill up the truck and not tell you where they went and see what the results are.

My commute is 100+ miles every day using an identical route, and after 14k miles I've realized I can make radical shifts in my fuel economy. I can go from 15mpg to 20mpg depending on minor throttle inputs. I don't mean going from super aggressive to hyper miling it. I'm talking about getting up to and maintaining 70mph. My wife and I drive a lot and minute changes to throttle response while maintaining speed up a 2% grade can affect mpg. A slight headwind can affect mpg. Following traffic vs being out in the open affects mpg.

1.) Using 91 octane in the Jeep, or any vehicle not programmed to advance timing, is worthless. People get it in their head that premium means better but for fuel it does not. The 3.6 does not advance timing and is setup for 87. Anecdotal evidence from people with misconceptions about terminology don't change this fact. If you put 91 octane in the Jeep 3.6 you are wrong. Period. End of story. There's a reason it says to use 87 and the manual states no added benefit to using 91. If anything you're slightly hurting performance since the higher octane requires advanced timing to get the full benefit.

2.) Fuel stations are audited and the fuel comes from the same sources. The additive packages won't affect gas mileage to the point it can be noticed. There's no "bad gas" and only misconceptions combined with ill informed driver bias that leads to incorrect statements made of forums. This isn't the 1970s where tanks were in disrepair, stations screwed with the fuel to save money, etc.

3.) Manually calculating fuel economy isn't extremely accurate either. Most people go off when the pump clicks off which isn't an exact science. Using this method will instantly invalidate minor differences in calculated fuel economy. Just because it feels like more work, and validates the user's preconceived biases doesn't mean it's scientific.

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