Fuel Economy

[Tabazooron]

Does using a gasoline with a higher octane rating increase your miles per gallon?

[Shadow Catcher]

Unless your vehicle needs it (it is "recommended" for my H6 3L Subaru) no it will not likely improve gas mileage certainly not enough to over come the price difference at the pump.

[TENNJIM]

+1 to above, plus 10% ethanol WILL drop your mpg.

Jim B / Utah

[Gage]

your only hopes on grades of gasoline is to find a farm bulk dealer and buy "REAL" gas with no ethanol in it.
if you can locate a place not adding ethanol to the gas. I would recomend buying all your gas there and packing it with you.
SLow.

Another advantage to living on the West Coast. NO ethanol (well not yet anyways).

[Larry C]

your only hopes on grades of gasoline is to find a farm bulk dealer and buy "REAL" gas with no ethanol in it.
if you can locate a place not adding ethanol to the gas. I would recomend buying all your gas there and packing it with you.
SLow.

Another advantage to living on the West Coast. NO ethanol (well not yet anyways).

A friend just got back for an around the country 7000 mile trip. He told me a he got 100 miles more per tank with straight gas out west!! He drives an older 6 cyl. Buick with a 13 gal tank. My brand new truck says to not use ethanol!!!

Larry C

[Shadow Catcher]

Larry
When they say do not use ethanol they are referring to E85 fuel which is 85% ethanol and can be used by flex fuel vehicles and is considerably less expensive per gallon. I had heard recently that there is a move to increase the allowed ethanol from 10% to 15%.
Have you ever wondered why you get much poorer MPG in winter, it is not all the cold. Winter formula gas has more lite hydro carbons to prevent fuel line freeze up.

[mikeschn]

Does using a gasoline with a higher octane rating increase your miles per gallon?

The answer is not. Higher octane is just more anti-knock ingredients to keep your fuel from spontaneously igniting in higher compression engines.

You can read more about it here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-effi ... tion90.htm

Mike...

[Larry C]

Larry
When they say do not use ethanol they are referring to E85 fuel which is 85% ethanol and can be used by flex fuel vehicles and is considerably less expensive per gallon. I had heard recently that there is a move to increase the allowed ethanol from 10% to 15%.
Have you ever wondered why you get much poorer MPG in winter, it is not all the cold. Winter formula gas has more lite hydro carbons to prevent fuel line freeze up.

Shadow Catcher:

E85 is only one warning in my new Nissan Frontier's owners manual. the other fuel warning is indeed about ethanol, MTBE, and methanol. The recommendation is DO NOT USE.

There are specific cautions about using such fuels IF YOU MUST!!. The recommendation is to ask about the actual blend of ethanol/methanol so it contains no more than 10% ethanol or 5% methanol, and to be sure it contains the appropriate cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors.

It certainly doesn't read like an enforcement of ethanol, and actually warns about possible loss of warranty!!

How does anyone know the actual blend of fuel you are receiving? You may be damaging your engine, and not know for thousands of miles in the future.

Larry C

[H-Balm]

How does anyone know the actual blend of fuel you are receiving?

Larry C

I got curious....

I know in New York State we have a labeling law.
Not all states do apparently...
http://www.fuel-testers.com/state_guide_ethanol_laws.html

http://blog.gasbuddy.com/posts/Does-your-state-require-ethanol-labeling/1715-402716-251.aspx