[tbm3fan]

I don't know if this would apply outside of California but here is something I noticed tonight. For the last two fill-ups my wife was asking me what is wrong with her car because she was getting about 50 miles less per tankful in the Sable. Told her I has no idea because her engine was running well.

Well I needed to fill up the two cars I use on a regular basis. The 2004 Focus is used to drive 14 highway miles to work and back 18 times a month. The 1991 626 is used to drive the 30 miles to the old Alameda NAS 6 times a month. So my driving style is very consistent compared to my wife going here and there. To my surprise the Mazda dropped from 34 mpg to 29.5 mpg, while the Focus dropped from 33 mpg to 29.2 mpg. My wife went from 23 mpg to just under 20 mpg.

Those are some pretty large drops across the board which tells me it isn't our cars but what is going into them this winter. Now it makes me wonder if the recent fill up of the Polara after 7.9 mpg was the car or the gas. I can't tell in regards to the Cougar, Mustang and Park Lane as it takes 3-4 months to use a tank. If this is unique to California then it is alarming to me. Winter gas, ethanol gas or whatever it is means that I need to use about 7 gallons more a month to go the same distance I did last fall 2011. Certainly not cheaper for me and certainly not helping me to be "Less" gas dependent on foreign suppliers of oil. Anyway just an observation and maybe a little rant as I hate losing gas mileage through no fault of my own...

 

[rjh1936]

I don't know about your area, but here in Eastern Washington we get gas in the winter to cut down the smog with 10 % ethanol. It also gets about 10% less mileage due to it decrease in BTU per gallon. I've always wondered how much we really save in air pollution when we have to use 10% more fuel.

 

[TheRktmn]

Ethanol is less efficient, therefore less power and less MPG. Best part of all is that the guvmint subsidizes the Ethanol industry with taxpayer's money, then taxes you to buy Ethanol, and makes you buy more of it because it's less efficient. Finally - a guvmint program that makes money! It get's worse - the EPA approved 15% Ethanol mix (E15), so expect that MPG to drop even further!

 

[Bad69cat]

X2 to Bob's comment. Ethy isn't all it's cracked up to be. California has stricter emission standards than most, but it's just a matter of time before it proliferates....I don't think it's anything you are doing. Here in Iowa we actually get Ethy at a reduced rate due to the subsidy, but the difference in mileage makes the regular gas about the same price when you put pencil to paper anyway.

 

[cougarrand]

"Best part of all is that the guvmint subsidizes the Ethanol industry with taxpayer's money"
That ended the 1st of this year. The goverment need to end all of the subsidy's.

 

[DANNY CLEMENS]

"Best part of all is that the guvmint subsidizes the Ethanol industry with taxpayer's money"
That ended the 1st of this year. The government need to end all of the subsidy's.

I was reading another discussion about this and some of them said that the government subsidies didn't end even though they were supposed to. It could be hearsay but knowing our government I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[Mike_B_SVT]

Personally, I don't like the idea that they are turning food (corn) into fuel. I shouldn't have to compete with my car for dinner!

 

[johnboy]

Personally, I don't like the idea that they are turning food (corn) into fuel. I shouldn't have to compete with my car for dinner!

Actually, Mike, apart from taking away from food sources, i Do get 100 Km (60 miles) less per gas tank on that [email protected]!

Up here, there are a lot of miles between communities, and the ethanol factor really hurts.

just my 2 cents

Jean

 

[tbm3fan]

California has had "winterized" gas for many years now. These cars have been through 7 winter seasons now and this was the first one for the gas mileage to drop and drop in a big way. That is why I am wondering what is different winter 2011-2012 as compared to all the others back to 2004?

 

[spiderjason]

Well gas here in Texas is getting bad also... we are all feeling the worst off this crap they sell they call gas...

 

[kal]

you can go online to places like gasbuddy an others an find gas stations that dont have the ethanol in them

 

[Bad69cat]

Careful Kal - your gonna make Al Gore cry....:cwm27:

 

[tlchaffin]

On top of everything already said, the EPA measures pollution per gallon instead of per mile. Considering the decreased mileage ethanol actually produces more pollution. Your tax dollars at work.

 

[1969XR7Vert]

you can go online to places like gasbuddy an others an find gas stations that dont have the ethanol in them

Got a link? I looked all over the site and I can't find anything about locating non-ethanol stations. Also, I thought ethanol was a federally mandated thing so all stations would have ethanol?

Edit: Guess not on the mandate, but I find nothing in NJ :-( using this site: http://www.buyrealgas.com/ Pa. seems to have some places.

Edit: Edit: Looks like most of the Pa. links were posted by the same guy, in Sept, 11, probably before the time of year they begin putting the ethanol in fuel?

My opinion is that it is not really feasible/practical to avoid the stuff (unfortunately).

 

[CougarRon]

http://pure-gas.org/

 

[Cedar Rapids Ia]

If you think that you are doing worse on the "corn blend" you'll really be PO'd when you try to burn that E85 junk... talk about reduced mileage...E85 is about (the last I knew $2.85 a gallon here in Iowa) not really a bargain when you have to put more in every day.

 

[kal]

you can google non ethanol gas stations an a list will come up one site is http://pure-gas.org. an bout Al Gore like I told me mom an them tell the EPA I got a problem with my car an I need them to stand behind it an see while I put it in Netural an punch it an let them choke on it an there regulations both my vehicles have no cats on them so let them deal with it.

 

[kal]

other sites are buyrealgas.com , www.gasbuddy.com

 

[1969XR7Vert]

http://pure-gas.org/

Nothing in NJ :-( And from what I could see the Pa. ones appear to be "specialty" sorts of places, not like a "regular" gas station. Like a Sunoco that sells race fuel for instance, or supplies stock car racing or AV gas... Anyone know of and use a non-ethanol station (for your car) regularly? If yes, how's the pricing, drive up pump, etc.?

 

[1969XR7Vert]

you can google non ethanol gas stations an a list will come up one site is http://pure-gas.org. an bout Al Gore like I told me mom an them tell the EPA I got a problem with my car an I need them to stand behind it an see while I put it in Netural an punch it an let them choke on it an there regulations both my vehicles have no cats on them so let them deal with it.

LOL, well okay, sure, if you say so. :buck: