What gas are you using?

[Rein89]

Add water? LOL. That's pretty 1970s conspiracy, isn't it?

Happens all the time around where I'm from, cheap owner's trying to get every nickle and dime they can. (We tend to find out it's from a hole in the wall run down stations) Every shop I've worked at regardless of brand, it'll happen every couple months or so. We'll take a fuel sample and let it sit for a bit, I've seen up to a third of it be water to fuel ratio. Most of the time it ends up being a 1:5ish ratio.

There are good and bad stations, picking a good station to me, is far more important than branded gas.

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[sdtkeld]

Most gas comes from the nearest pipeline terminal. Whatever is in the pipeline at the moment in time the hauler picks up at the terminal is what ends up at the station. The farther you are from the terminal, the more you pay for gas. The rest is marketing.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Except water and fuel don't mix. Only ethanol can hold water - gasoline doesn't. In fact, water will stop fuel flow. I used to drop a lot of fuel tanks and clear water out in the 80s because it plugged the "sock" in the tank. It wouldn't let the gas through.

The farther you are from the terminal, the more you pay for gas.

That would seem to make sense - except here, I live 10 minutes from the terminal and gas his several cents higher in our area than miles away. It's obviously not all due to distance from terminal. It also depends on "who else" is in that area.
I've also noticed, since I used to drive right buy the terminals twice a day commuting, that there were trucks that DID stop there for gasoline - and trucks that did not. There were a couple of station name trucks you never saw there. Theirs came from elsewhere. I found that interesting - hey, Casey's did not ever fill up there, nor did another I can't recall at the moment, but you saw Pilot, QT and others there.

 

[NachoRuby]

I use 87 octane whatever is cheap. Manual Trans Rubi. 15-16 mpg inner city, 18.2 mpg overall, and 20-21 mpg on highway trips. My gas mileage has slowly crept up though. I was pretty disappointed at first. I think I'm settled in now at about 8500 miles. I haven't noticed any changes the last few fill ups.

100% stock, 285/70/17 MTs

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I use 87 octane whatever is cheap. Manual Trans Rubi. 15-16 mpg inner city, 18.2 mpg overall, and 20-21 mpg on highway trips. My gas mileage has slowly crept up though. I was pretty disappointed at first. I think I'm settled in now at about 8500 miles. I haven't noticed any changes the last few fill ups.

100% stock, 285/70/17 MTs

That ain't bad for your configuration. Not at all.

 

[NachoRuby]

That ain't bad for your configuration. Not at all.

No, but it's not the 23 mpg highway on the window sticker! I guess the epa cycle is probably at 55 mph though, and these aren't exactly aerodynamic. I've always been able to beat epa estimates in other vehicles though, but not in this one, no matter how hard I try. Not complaining, I know it's a box on wheels.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

No, but it's not the 23 mpg highway on the window sticker! I guess the epa cycle is probably at 55 mph though, and these aren't exactly aerodynamic. I've always been able to beat epa estimates in other vehicles though, but not in this one, no matter how hard I try. Not complaining, I know it's a box on wheels.

Funny thing about those numbers, and I should have realized this myself, but CURRENT information says that most of the testing is now done by the auto maker. EPA only checks so many of them. Too many makes and models sold in the US for the EPA to possibly test - the equipment and staffing would be impossible for them according to one article in the EPA documents. So they passed along the test criteria to the car makers - and do some testing, and especially if they receive a number of complaints (like happened with Kia and Hyundai a while back (which turned out to be staff bumbling, supposedly not on purpose)
But yes, the testing is very specific and what they consider city driving and highway driving do many very closely with a large segment of the population (supposedly in the last couple of years or so the EPA numbers match the majority of drivers) but some locations and conditions - just impossible to drive like the testing specifies is done on their dynos. (they "drive" the vehicle on a dyno, not on the open road)

I wonder - do the numbers on your sticker take into account MTs or is that tire not the standard with your truck? (maybe an option?)

I was getting better MPG before the PCM flash, and before the A/Ts. The stock Overland tires are absolutely for mpg. I took hits each time I swapped on A/Ts and now that hit is permanent as I sold my stock tires and bought A/Ts for it. The dealership warned my mpg was going to take a hit - and it did. (but the bumper and winch knocked off 1 mpg as well)

Anyway, these should do "fine" on 87. I recommend top tier gas when/where possible but many have good luck on Costco gas and so on as well.
The problem is that switching back and forth, a tank of this, a tank of that, you can't get a real test that way because of the two different tables involved - long term and short term fuel trim I THINK are the terms. It takes time - miles, to see a difference generally speaking. Run 87 cheap gas and then try something better, perhaps 91 and expect a difference in the time it takes that gas to get to the injectors? Hardly! Things don't change that fast with these.

 

[Bucephalus]

Always Chevron or Exxon Mobile. Chevron gives me more power and better milage.

 

[wchevron]

I run 87. We have a local place across the street from my office, not sure whose brand they use. Have a 2021 Rubicon with stock tires. Average between 17.8-18.2 mpg. Just brought my daughter 400 miles to college. Figured I'd be able to see how good of mileage I could get on a long highway trip. Averaged 18.2 on the way down going 70-75 mph the whole way. Thought it would be better.

 

[balucipher]

Costco 87 is cheap

 

[Midnight Rider]

Always run 87 octane. ConocoPhillips, Mobil & BP/Amoco are abundant around here so it’s usually on of those. 24 mile round trip daily to work; majority is 2 lane highway with stop & go city the last couple of miles. Sport S , Pentastar, 8AT, 3.73 gears with 33’s, I average 18.5-19 mpg. No complaints.

 

[Phishs]

Unleaded

 

[Jeepin' John]

Mine runs smoother at low rpm on 89. Low speed rattle is notably reduced. I've also seen a slight bump in mileage. The current tank i'm almost out of i selected 93, and have not seen any improvement on knock over 89, so i'm going to settle on 89. Exxons are everywhere and that's what i usually get, but i'm going to try chevron like some of you guys are suggesting

 

[Spur]

Raw gas is raw gas. That is why you see different trucks at the terminal. It is all about the additives.

Top tier gas has better add packs. It is tested and meets the top tier requirements. I only use top tier gas.

 

[redrider]

I spent over a decade servicing the point of sale(cash register computer thingy), dispensers(the pump is in the tank) and tank monitoring gizmos. Mostly Gilbarco, Veeder-Root, and Veriphone with Tokheim and Wayne very infrequently. Gas is gas until the corporate brand and goobermint specifies a particular additive package. That package is blended in at the time of tanker fill. Tank monitoring systems are very precise and will allow the station managers to order only enough fuel as needed with no surplus. Water alarms are required with shutdown limits. Water trap filters are available but can be a PITA. Chevron owns the patent for a specific cocktail of cleaners. It is called Techron. It is the best in my experience and is also blended into the go juice coming out of the dispenser so you may find that after running Chevron for a tank or two, your engine may be a bit smoother. Your mileage will be higher with straight gasoline vs. ethanol blends.

Did I miss anything?

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