Re-fueling and you

[Grass Roots Tour]

So as gas prices rise and we all b*tch up a storm I get to wondering what can logically be done. This is where a forum of semi-sensable people come in handy. :D
I've re-fueled the last two times with high octane fuel wondering if I will get more milage.

[racmbs]

This is where a forum of semi-sensable people come in handy. :D

Oh great, that means I can't participate now. :mad:

[Grass Roots Tour]

Oh great, that means I can't participate now. :mad:


Ha ha, now do the damn poll uncle Scotty.

[The Troll]

I've re-fueled the last two times with high octane fuel wondering if I will get more milage.

There is no benefit to putting high octane fuel into a car designed for regular. It is just wasting money.

On some vehicles designed for high octane you will get terrible mileage with regular gas. Lots of raw gas will go thru the exhaust.

[nearace]

So as gas prices rise and we all b*tch up a storm I get to wondering what can logically be done. This is where a forum of semi-sensable people come in handy. :D
I've re-fueled the last two times with high octane fuel wondering if I will get more milage.from my experience higher octane gas is a lot better for mialeage and makes the engine preform better,buying octane additive is an option.

[racmbs]

Ha ha, now do the damn poll uncle Scotty.

I drive Miss Daisy everywhere, ala uncle Scotty and use regular fuel.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Yeah...and it works.

[pdonnelly]

So as gas prices rise and we all b*tch up a storm I get to wondering what can logically be done. This is where a forum of semi-sensable people come in handy. :D
I've re-fueled the last two times with high octane fuel wondering if I will get more milage.

If your vehicle is made for regular not high octane you could be doing your vehicle a disservice by using the higher octane. I know that my Tacoma and Yaris simply require regular. I used high octane early on with the Tacoma a couple of times with no gas saving and the truck seemed to run rougher. The vehicles are set up to run most effeciently with the recommended fuel. I also read quite a bit of stuff about high octanes disadvantages on Tacomaterritory website when others had tried higher octane in their Taco's with no success either on performance or gas milage. Often pings (not the clubs) were heard in the engine when using a non approved octane. :)

http://www.engen.co.za/home/server/cleaner_fuels/faq/octane.asp

[The Troll]

If your vehicle is made for regular not high octane you could be doing your vehicle a disservice by using the higher octane. I know that my Tacoma and Yaris simply require regular. I used high octane early on with the Tacoma a couple of times with no gas saving and the truck seemed to run rougher. The vehicles are set up to run most effeciently with the recommended fuel. I also read quite a bit of stuff about high octanes disadvantages on Tacomaterritory website when others had tried higher octane in their Taco's with no success either on performance or gas milage. Often pings (not the clubs) were heard in the engine when using a non approved octane. :)

http://www.engen.co.za/home/server/cleaner_fuels/faq/octane.asp

Totally agree....

REGULAR VERSUS PREMIUM GASOLINE
Regular Gasoline Has As Much Merit As Premium Gasoline "Put a tiger in your tank," says a classic advertising tagline. In today's motoring world, what kind of fuel grade will have the power to place a beast in your gas tank?
The answer, according to experts who study fuel efficiency in detail, is both regular and premium gasoline. And it would be a waste of money to favor premium over regular, especially in these times when gasoline prices are high, according to the experts.
Virtually nothing is gained by filling up with a premium or more expensive grade of fuel than the vehicle manufacturer has recommended, the experts say. And many of the same experts explain that drivers may not lose much performance from their cars by using a lower grade of fuel than recommended by the car manufacturer.
There is little difference in energy content of regular versus premium gasoline. They both contain about 111,400 British Thermal Units of energy per gallon.
The price difference, however, between the fuel grades is anywhere from 20 cents to 40 cents, depending on where you live in the United States. The experts' consensus goes against the long-held belief by thousand of drivers who fill up with premium only, or on every third or fourth trip to the pump. The idea is to fill up with premium every so often to clean out the engines or rev up the performance of older engines.
But according to the experts, this practice is like tossing quarters in a wishing well, since most engines are designed to operate on relatively low-octane regular unleaded gasoline.
Octane is defined as a fuel's resistance to knocking. There is no benefit if the octane is higher than what the engine needs. Engine knock occurs when fuel in a combustion chamber ignites before it should. This disrupts the engine's operation. But electronic knock sensors are now common and have nearly eliminated engine disruption.
The American Petroleum Institute says if you find that your car runs fine on a lower grade, there is no sense switching to premium. The Institute recommends following manufacturer's recommendation, but even those manufacturers say that it is more of a suggestion than a command.

[pdonnelly]

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/600/28460/

I also bought one of these and have been riding this to work daily, it is awesome!:)

[Grass Roots Tour]

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/600/28460/

I also bought one of these and have been riding this to work daily, it is awesome!:)


I don't see a rack for your golf bag on that bad boy. :D

[pdonnelly]

NO and if ya did it'd have to be plaid.:)

[Section ThirtyOne]

I use diesel fuel, and get about 1,000km per 55L tank. :eek:

Will, you shouldn't use premium in your car if it is not asked for. It won't improve mileage, and the engine computer will just adjust to account for the higher grade fuel and run normally.

[Grass Roots Tour]

I use diesel fuel, and get about 1,000km per 55L tank. :eek:

Will, you shouldn't use premium in your car if it is not asked for. It won't improve mileage, and the engine computer will just adjust to account for the higher grade fuel and run normally.


Would that be a VW deisel you're refering to? Which model and what do you think of it?
Do you have to drive slow to get the 1000K per tank?

[SoNgMaN]

Do you have to drive slow to get the 1000K per tank?

it's a diesel it's slow no matter how you drive it ;) to get the 1K KM you just have to do a lot of highway driving, driving a diesel in the city or short trips isn't good for it and will clog the engine.

if i drive all highway and the speed limit 100KM/H i can get 750KM out of a 55L tank but i need 91

and as everyone else has said octane does nothing for preformance it allows the fuel mixture to compress and not detonate from the compression. which causes pinging and knocking. to me having the motor knock scares the heck out of me.

[nobdyhere]

as my dad always says, "you can have the fastest car, but you can never out run the gas station!"

that is so true... i'm glad i ended up with my corolla S and not the XRS.
so far i've been averaging 550km/45L on regular gas .. so i'm happy with that. filling up about once every 1.5 weeks sometimes i can stretch it to 2 weeks but that means no golf :( ...

[mikejb]

I am able to consistently get 700+ per tank (62 per fill) on the good stuff with a mix of highway and commuter traffic.

On pure highway I would be confident in saying I could get 800+ on the tank. My guess is actually around 860 to 880 per tank.

I am personall waiting for this - http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/volkswagen_news/article_1929.shtmlWith reference to the new Passat BlueMotion this means: an average of 5.1 litres of diesel over 100 kilometres. The Passat Estate BlueMotion needs 5.2 litres (137 g/km) – also a top value, even in comparison to vehicles worldwide. Both body versions have a driving range of up to 1,350 kilometres with a full tank! With an average annual distance driven of 15,000 kilometres, this means that the driver only needs to refuel eleven times a year with an average of 68 Euro* in fuel costs per month.

BTW - If you are doing research on cars fuel effiecency check out the real world results here - Volkswagen Passat fuel economy (http://www.truedelta.com/fuel_economy.php?stage=powertrains&brand=Volkswagen&modelCode=282&email=Guest)

[Section ThirtyOne]

Would that be a VW deisel you're refering to? Which model and what do you think of it?
Do you have to drive slow to get the 1000K per tank?
That would be correct, it's an 06 Jetta TDI. It was what I replaced the RX-8 with after I got fed up with 13MPG. It's loaded with every concievable option, and just like my previous VW TDI, I absolutely love it.

1,000+ tanks are mostly highway, and if it's ALL highway and around 120km/hr I can pull 1,100. My old 02 Golf TDI my best tank was 1,235KM on a single fill up. If it's 100% city driving I can expect upwards of 850KM to a tank.

For a guy like you who drives a lot, I would recommend it. As for the previous posted mentioning short trips being bad for the engine, take that with a grain of salt. If you're doing a fair number of short trips, just wind it out every now and then (once warmed up) to clean out the "gunk". This really is a non-issue with todays high pressure injection systems though.

[The Troll]

It was what I replaced the RX-8 with after I got fed up with 13MPG.

Hey, I was just going to look at a couple of used RX-8's tomorrow. :cool:

[Blue]

I re-fuel the car at least twice a week. I drive almost 100 km one way to work and 3 out of our 4 vehicles require high octane (91+) gas :help:

[dekker]

The only caveat for 91+octane is a high compression engine.
Using reg.fuel with octane booster will not increase your milage.
Reg.fuel with a motor that has in excess of 9:1 compression is asking for pre-ignition with or without a chip.
Chips control your timing and your fuel/air mix ratio.They do not/cannot change your compression.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Hey, I was just going to look at a couple of used RX-8's tomorrow. :cool:
Great cars, and a lot of fun to drive... if you can afford to keep it fuelled up. :D

Also, watch for taillights with condensation in them. This is a known problem with these cars, and the taillights are expensive to replace!

[The Troll]

Great cars, and a lot of fun to drive... if you can afford to keep it fuelled up. :D


A few years ago I had a Jaguar XJR....if I could keep that pig refueled.... :rofl:

Looking at it for a fun second car, luckily my office is in my house so my driving mileage per year isn't that high. Don't really like to drive my current second car, an MR2, all that much.

That's for the tip btw.

[Section ThirtyOne]

A few years ago I had a Jaguar XJR....if I could keep that pig refueled.... :rofl:

Looking at it for a fun second car, luckily my office is in my house so my driving mileage per year isn't that high. Don't really like to drive my current second car, an MR2, all that much.

That's for the tip btw.
Nice! I think you would really enjoy the RX-8...not the fastest in a straight line, but the thing can handle like nobodies business. Winding it out to redline at 9,500RPM is always a treat too. :D

The only other caveat with the car is the "flooding" issue. You must let the car warm up somewhat before shutting it off. This is because the car runs extremely rich when cold. If you don't, you won't be able to start it and it will need to be towed to the dealer, have the fuel drained from the chamber, and the spark plugs replaced. Also, you need to keep an eye on the oil level, as with all rotaries, it burns a small amount of oil to keep the apex seals lubricated.

[jcggolfer]

A guy I know leases a Ford Pick up. He says when the price is around $1.04
it costs him $125 to fill the big 8 cyl. I could not do that. I get mad when it costs me $35-$40 to fill my Honda.

[The Troll]

The only other caveat with the car is the "flooding" issue.

Wasn't there a recall to address this. :confused:

I know there are a few problems with them but they are sweet and, frankly, used ones are cheap and getting cheaper.

Also considering a big pig of a Deville....I could use a bigger vehicle time to time and they give these away.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Wasn't there a recall to address this. :confused:

I know there are a few problems with them but they are sweet and, frankly, used ones are cheap and getting cheaper.

Also considering a big pig of a Deville....I could use a bigger vehicle time to time and they give these away.Yes... and no.

The recall is simply for a reflash of the ECU, which helps the problem but does not eliminate it. For example, if I was waking up on a frosty winter morning and had to move the car so my wife could get out, I would drive around the block before parking and turning the car off.

I didn't do that once and was without my car for a couple of days while it was at the dealer. (covered under warranty)

[AnnikaFan]

hooray for fuel efficient Honda!

I only need to fill-up every 2-3 weeks... :D

i see gas is slowly dropping now...saw 109.9 today

[MasZakrY]

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/102203/gas-is-so-expensive.gif

[Big Shooter]

There is no benefit to putting high octane fuel into a car designed for regular. It is just wasting money.

On some vehicles designed for high octane you will get terrible mileage with regular gas. Lots of raw gas will go thru the exhaust.

...and for all of you with HYBRID vehicles, for the price you save in mileage,
it's doubtful you'll ever re-coup that amount from the price you paid for the car in the first place!! :shhh:
...same CONSPIRACY as Bottled Water, which btw costs more for a litre than GAS!!!???:hush:

[MasZakrY]

...and for all of you with HYBRID vehicles, for the price you save in mileage,
it's doubtful you'll ever re-coup that amount from the price you paid for the car in the first place!! :shhh:
...same CONSPIRACY as Bottled Water, which btw costs more for a litre than GAS!!!???:hush:

Toyota Camary Hybrid:
40 mpg city
38 mpg hwy

Toyota Yaris:
34 mpg city
40 mpg hwy

as per http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/119083/article.html

The Yaris is a very efficient gas only car.

[mikejb]

The yaris is efficient, but where are you going in the golf cart?

Diesel will be what we see more and more of when bluetech hits are shores:
As shown by the Passat "15,000 kilometres, this means that the driver only needs to refuel eleven times a year with an average of 68 Euro* in fuel costs per month."

Those numbers equal 46 MPG. Sorry Yaris and camary hybrid. Diesel has the tourqe and experience behind it.

Honda's termination of the accord hybrid is a perfect example of companies rushing products to the market to fill the void. No one has the right answer.

[Big Shooter]

Diesel will be what we see more and more of when bluetech hits are shores:
As shown by the Passat "15,000 kilometres, this means that the driver only needs to refuel eleven times a year with an average of 68 Euro* in fuel costs per month."

As long as "BIG OIL" doesn't lose, maybe!? :(

[pdonnelly]

[quote=mikejb]The yaris is efficient, but where are you going in the golf cart?


All over town, before the Yaris we drove our Echo to Florida, two golf bags and supplies for two weeks. The yaris (or similar) is a car people should be driving around town, to work, etc.. If I need to go up a mountain I'll use the Tacoma Dble Cab:)

[laps]

Toyota Camary Hybrid:
40 mpg city
38 mpg hwy

Toyota Yaris:
34 mpg city
40 mpg hwy

as per http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/119083/article.html

The Yaris is a very efficient gas only car.

In looking at the Camry Hybrid numbers it looks like the Hybrids have an advantage in the when they are running on the battery. I wonder if the advantages of a hybrid diminish if you do mostly highway driving.

[Grass Roots Tour]

I wonder if the advantages of a hybrid diminish if you do mostly highway driving.


It sure looks like the diesel is the most efficient. And the Passat is a bigger car than even the Jetta which is bigger than any model Yaris.

Makes me wonder what the 3 cylinder diesel Smart Car gets for milage. Regardless, I ain't driving it. Air bags or not, it look like a death trap to me.

[dekker]

Hybrids are dead and diesels are a pollution disaster.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Hybrids are dead and diesels are a pollution disaster.
:nono:

Read up on the new Bluetec diesels.

[dekker]

:nono:

Read up on the new Bluetec diesels.
I just did!
urea-ka! lol

[ontario]

Everyone seems to be looking for some solution through technology. Higher octane, diesel, ethanol. That's to be expected. We have been trained to believe in the Victorian ideal - the notion that "progress" is good and technology can fix every problem. Perhaps we need to rethink that. Maybe we need to back away from the lifestyle we've created for ourselves and go back to a simpler way of living.

I look around my office and I see LED lights everywhere. I see eight devices that never existed in my parent's era - computer, cordless phone, fax machine, printer (two of them), shredder, scanner, cellphone, digital camera. Multiply above by 20 million for Canada alone and then ask yourself why we have dug ourselves in a huge hole.

But will I give up any of the above? Or the three vehicles in my driveway? It'll be tough. It's called over-consumption and I am probably more guilty of it than most. If we don't scale it back, a catastrophic event is unavoidable. Global war? Natural disaster? Ice age? No one can say, but it'll be something big. Then we'll be discussing the cost of horse feed or the high price of shoe leather. And it won't be over the Internet, either.

[Grass Roots Tour]

Everyone seems to be looking for some solution through technology. Higher octane, diesel, ethanol. That's to be expected. We have been trained to believe in the Victorian ideal - the notion that "progress" is good and technology can fix every problem. Perhaps we need to rethink that. Maybe we need to back away from the lifestyle we've created for ourselves and go back to a simpler way of living.

I look around my office and I see LED lights everywhere. I see eight devices that never existed in my parent's era - computer, cordless phone, fax machine, printer (two of them), shredder, scanner, cellphone, digital camera. Multiply above by 20 million for Canada alone and then ask yourself why we have dug ourselves in a huge hole.

But will I give up any of the above? Or the three vehicles in my driveway? It'll be tough. It's called over-consumption and I am probably more guilty of it than most. If we don't scale it back, a catastrophic event is unavoidable. Global war? Natural disaster? Ice age? No one can say, but it'll be something big. Then we'll be discussing the cost of horse feed or the high price of shoe leather. And it won't be over the Internet, either.



I see what you're saying but fuel is not something most of us (or dare I say, any of us) can live without. It's like taxing the crap out of air somehow. You can't live without it so guess what, we're gonna screw you so we get rich. Why? Because we can, and theres not a damn thing you can do about it.

I firmly beleive the oil companies have paid people to bury research into cheaper / better ways to power vehicles.

Example?

Solar. Hmm, we learned about solar in grade school in the 70's. Is there some strange reason THAT hasn't become affordable as fast as DVD players?

Wind. See solar.

Im positive theres LOTS more but this is certainly not my field of expertise. I'm just the poor schmuck paying more than double what gas is worth.

[dekker]

Who are we kidding here guys?
We'll whine about the cost of fuel and then go to a drive-thru for take-out.
Virtually every modern convenience item is from an oil based derivative. Over 3000 American young men have died so far to ensure the future oil source of for our SUV's and other lifestyle necessities.I can't even tell you the countless Iraqi civilian lives lost on this "Peace" project. So next time your sitting there in line say a little thank you,and offer up a prayer for all the innocents while you wait for your donut.