Fuel economy....weird shit man......

[mrvette]

I drive fairly quickly and mostly for short trips, and so the '72 vette with LT1 injection on a L98 engine, 200 4r trans.....336 rear has been getting a fairly consistent 15-17 mpg.......

now on my last fill up, I reset the odo to zero, and so this trip.....I went 21-25 mpg but nothing less than 21mpg......

I happened to hit a local chain called Kangaroo , and sometimes their gas does that, gets great economy, where other brands do NOT,

I have NO where else to go but blame ethanol content.....and I paid 3.60/gallon for it.....BTW, I use a stick to plumb my tank for honest level readings, not the gauge....it is an honest 18 gallon tank, no bladders or other assorted BS.....:smash::thumbs:

 

[69427]

That's about a 50% mileage improvement you're claiming there Gene. ????

 

[Twin_Turbo]

the stick must have shrunk from saturation

 

[mrvette]

That's about a 50% mileage improvement you're claiming there Gene. ????

the stick must have shrunk from saturation

I don't know what to make of it guys, just noted the gauge said near empty and so noted the miles at 150, and went back and check my bank account and pulled the last fuel ticket....stopped the ticker at 30.63 bux....and 8.5 gallons....got home and plumbed the tank with a small maple stick and noted 9 gallons in the tank.....plumbed it again and noted 3 gallons in the bottom ....

so even being off by a gallon, which I don't think I am....I still setting here goint WTF???

IS ethanol really as bad as I think??? much less all the watered down gasoline that happened here with it's intro a few years ago???

 

[JPhil]

Maybe Florida is finally sinking into the sea and so you are driving downhill all the time......
Combine that with stick shrinkage, I think you might have a good theory there.
I mean we all know what cold water does to our stick.....

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I had an 06 GTO (biggest piece of crap I've owned - which is saying a lot) - but one of its issues was when you filled it up when it was warm, it wouldn't actually fill up the tank. It'd leave indicating a full tank but it'd actually be 7/8 tank.... of course, if you weren't paying a lot of attention you could be led to believe you got amazing gas mileage.... which, of course, wasn't the case. (14 city/17 highway... maybe).

 

[Garys 68]

You know...there was a scam going on a few years ago where they programmed the pumps to be inaccurate (of couse pumping less gas or at a higher than listed price).
So the states started monitoring by sending someone out and filling a 5 gallon gas can to make sure the pump volume was accurate and price correct. Then someone figured out they could programmed the pump to pump accurately for the first 5 gallons, then increase the price or decrease delivery for subsequent gallons. One news show, you could actually see the digital dollar sale display speed up after 5 gallons.
Sounds more likely that a 50% increase in milage with one stations gas.

 

[mrvette]

You know...there was a scam going on a few years ago where they programmed the pumps to be inaccurate (of couse pumping less gas or at a higher than listed price).
So the states started monitoring by sending someone out and filling a 5 gallon gas can to make sure the pump volume was accurate and price correct. Then someone figured out they could programmed the pump to pump accurately for the first 5 gallons, then increase the price or decrease delivery for subsequent gallons. One news show, you could actually see the digital dollar sale display speed up after 5 gallons.
Sounds more likely that a 50% increase in milage with one stations gas.

Being a '72 shark I can easy put a stick in the tank, mark the top, and then 1/2 then 1/4 and interpolate from there, most other cars would not have that convenience.....SO, I don't have to fill it up all the way to know WTF is going on......and what with price/gas these daze and my use volume, I fill up maybe 6? gallons every month or so....

Hence my inquiry.....what is the honest variation in fuel economy for the added ethanol,??? I suspect it's much worse than anyone wants to admit.....pray for a ROMNEY win so we can find out the truth of this bullshit, I believe my eyes and ears, and my maple stick.....

:smash:

 

[69427]

You know...there was a scam going on a few years ago where they programmed the pumps to be inaccurate (of couse pumping less gas or at a higher than listed price).
So the states started monitoring by sending someone out and filling a 5 gallon gas can to make sure the pump volume was accurate and price correct. Then someone figured out they could programmed the pump to pump accurately for the first 5 gallons, then increase the price or decrease delivery for subsequent gallons. One news show, you could actually see the digital dollar sale display speed up after 5 gallons.
Sounds more likely that a 50% increase in milage with one stations gas.

Being a '72 shark I can easy put a stick in the tank, mark the top, and then 1/2 then 1/4 and interpolate from there, most other cars would not have that convenience.....SO, I don't have to fill it up all the way to know WTF is going on......and what with price/gas these daze and my use volume, I fill up maybe 6? gallons every month or so....

Hence my inquiry.....what is the honest variation in fuel economy for the added ethanol,??? I suspect it's much worse than anyone wants to admit.....pray for a ROMNEY win so we can find out the truth of this bullshit, I believe my eyes and ears, and my maple stick.....

:smash:

It's my understanding that E10 ethanol has 96% of the BTUs of straight gas. I welcome correction if I am wrong.

 

[mrvette]

You know...there was a scam going on a few years ago where they programmed the pumps to be inaccurate (of couse pumping less gas or at a higher than listed price).
So the states started monitoring by sending someone out and filling a 5 gallon gas can to make sure the pump volume was accurate and price correct. Then someone figured out they could programmed the pump to pump accurately for the first 5 gallons, then increase the price or decrease delivery for subsequent gallons. One news show, you could actually see the digital dollar sale display speed up after 5 gallons.
Sounds more likely that a 50% increase in milage with one stations gas.

Being a '72 shark I can easy put a stick in the tank, mark the top, and then 1/2 then 1/4 and interpolate from there, most other cars would not have that convenience.....SO, I don't have to fill it up all the way to know WTF is going on......and what with price/gas these daze and my use volume, I fill up maybe 6? gallons every month or so....

Hence my inquiry.....what is the honest variation in fuel economy for the added ethanol,??? I suspect it's much worse than anyone wants to admit.....pray for a ROMNEY win so we can find out the truth of this bullshit, I believe my eyes and ears, and my maple stick.....

:smash:

It's my understanding that E10 ethanol has 96% of the BTUs of straight gas. I welcome correction if I am wrong.

Does the square law of fizzicks apply?? I would think so.....

so ~16% loss in economy at 10% and there are threats of higher ethanol up to 15% and I not so damn sure Shell is not doing that already....

something fishy....

:fishing:

 

[Garys 68]

Take a look at E85 vehicles. Even though 85% of the fuel has only about 1/2 the btus, the milage decreases only about 25% over gas. However, the spark tables are adjusted and knock sensors keep advance optimal, so that helps on flex fuel vehicles.

 

[mrvette]

Well, the mystery still remains.....

 

[Garys 68]

Gasoline Gnomes stealing your gas????????

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Take a look at E85 vehicles. Even though 85% of the fuel has only about 1/2 the btus, the milage decreases only about 25% over gas. However, the spark tables are adjusted and knock sensors keep advance optimal, so that helps on flex fuel vehicles.

and it's 30% less costwise.... not a very good deal IMO.

that said, I love E85 in my race motor

 

[Bullshark]

Gene, As I am sure you know, those early C3 gas tanks are easily subject to trapped air pockets when trying to fill. I still chuckle about the time we entered the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend fuel economy run a few years ago. The event gas pumps where everyone filled up prior and after the run were on a slight grade. We filled pointing in opposite directions before and after the event such that our gas mileage calculated out to be 36 mpg. We won the event in our class, but I was too embarrassed to go up and pick up the trophy. :rofl:

With the relatively low miles you appear to put on your 72, I seems to me your "Pole vaulting over mouse turds". :harhar:

Bullshark

 

[Garys 68]

That sounds like the kind of explaination you would get from a Rocket Scientist.
I'll stick with gas gnomes........

Gene, As I am sure you know, those early C3 gas tanks are easily subject to trapped air pockets when trying to fill. I still chuckle about the time we entered the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend fuel economy run a few years ago. The event gas pumps where everyone filled up prior and after the run were on a slight grade. We filled pointing in opposite directions before and after the event such that our gas mileage calculated out to be 36 mpg. We won the event in our class, but I was too embarrassed to go up and pick up the trophy. :rofl:

With the relatively low miles you appear to put on your 72, I seems to me your "Pole vaulting over mouse turds". :harhar:

Bullshark

 

[Bullshark]

Retired rocket scientist? Amazing how much we forget!!
:crutches::rofl:

That sounds like the kind of explaination you would get from a Rocket Scientist.
I'll stick with gas gnomes........

Gene, As I am sure you know, those early C3 gas tanks are easily subject to trapped air pockets when trying to fill. I still chuckle about the time we entered the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend fuel economy run a few years ago. The event gas pumps where everyone filled up prior and after the run were on a slight grade. We filled pointing in opposite directions before and after the event such that our gas mileage calculated out to be 36 mpg. We won the event in our class, but I was too embarrassed to go up and pick up the trophy. :rofl:

With the relatively low miles you appear to put on your 72, I seems to me your "Pole vaulting over mouse turds". :harhar:

Bullshark

 

[mrvette]

That sounds like the kind of explaination you would get from a Rocket Scientist.
I'll stick with gas gnomes........

Gene, As I am sure you know, those early C3 gas tanks are easily subject to trapped air pockets when trying to fill. I still chuckle about the time we entered the Eureka Springs Corvette Weekend fuel economy run a few years ago. The event gas pumps where everyone filled up prior and after the run were on a slight grade. We filled pointing in opposite directions before and after the event such that our gas mileage calculated out to be 36 mpg. We won the event in our class, but I was too embarrassed to go up and pick up the trophy. :rofl:

With the relatively low miles you appear to put on your 72, I seems to me your "Pole vaulting over mouse turds". :harhar:

Bullshark

UMMM HUMM, the car is settin in MY garage in the same spot for the stick measures, and the tank is naked/bare steel inside, no air pockets possible....I know the measures are correct,

SO, the mystery remains....and we note my wife's '99 Escort seems to suffer for the same variations....like I said, I drive quickly, but not race car fast....but she drives like the granny with the 14 grandkids she has.....

and so it's the same shit....all over the map....one minit her Escort gets 30+ next it's down to ~26 and she wondering why....

I going to have to pay more attention to this shit, after the camshaft failure and NOW getting the engine straightened out, FINALLY....I have a much better handle on the other issues....

and this is a huge one that popped up the other day....so the question is WTF/WHY??

:gurney:

 

[SmokinBBC]

Linda was siphoning gas into her escort....she just forgot to do it last week.

 

[mrvette]

Linda was siphoning gas into her escort....she just forgot to do it last week.

:loveletter: She maybe be smart, but I still curious as to WTF is going on....


when the tank gets down to nearly zero again....I fill up to maybe 1/2 way at Shell, and plumb the tank again, and so it's a mile away from me....

and I have a locking /vented gas cap.....I got the only key....


:skeptic::loveletter: