10% Less MPG on American gas vs Canadian gas

[oilyriser]

After an oil change, my car is now completely back to normal. It idles smoothly, and gets the expected fuel economy.

After I entered the USA and started buying gasoline there, my fuel economy dropped by 10 to 15% and stayed low for the whole length of the trip. Upon returning to Canada, my fuel economy returned to normal. How could the oil companies do this kind of thing?

I tested my car again today, and scored 35.4 mpg, which is close to what I was getting on Canadian gas before the trip.


Is there anyone here who has access to a bomb caloriometer, who can accurately measure the heating value of the current gas formula and compare it to some gas bought in Canada? I'm curious if the energy content is 10% less in the USA.

Would this make front page in the newspapers if it could be confirmed?

 

[BigAl]

If you were buying reformulated gas with oxygenates (Ethanol or MTBE) in the US, then, yes it has less energy than "pure" gasoline. Common knowledge here.

 

[GarrettSocling]

makes sense, if you get less milage, you have to buy more, buy more means quarter after quarter, record profits

 

[Audi Junkie]

My mpg is totally tanked right now. I can't stay at 20 and used to get 23-24.

 

[oilyriser]

The 10% ethanol gas from Sunoco here only gives me a 2 or 3% drop in mileage.

 

[pennzoil_guru]

Canadian gas, with the exception of Sunoco, does not contain any oxygenates. In 2008, all gas sold in Ontario must contain 5% ethanol

 

[Blue_Goose]

Avg'd 33 to 34 mpg in the summer/early fall.....since then anywhere from 27 to 32 mpg(if I'm lucky)....mostly 30-31

mpg seemed to drop a bit when I went with GC also but probably a coincidence

OIC probably next week with either M1 or Castrol Blend..see if that improves anything

 

[Gotrek]

I get better gas mileage(about 5%) running Mohawk/Husky brand premium (10% ethanol blend 94 octane) gas then I do running regular old shell or Esso 87 octane

 

[Ray H]

Yeah, but at least 'merican gas often smells like rotten eggs when it burns... (Just doin' our bit for acid rain, Canucks!)

 

[Burbanite]

Hmmm, that sounds strange. Out here on the West Coast I head down to the Seattle-Bellingham area frequently and down as far as California and buy gas down there and I get the same mileage whether I fill up in Canada or the U.S. I never use regular gas (87 Octane). I always use (89 Octane)and I stay away from the cheapo(No Name) gas stations. When I am in the U.S. I will fill up at either Exxon or Chevron. Whether that makes a difference is debatable.

 

[GMGuy]

Oilyriser, "winter fuel" in the U.S. (the oxygenated stuff mentioned) is worse than the 10% ethanol blend you can buy at Sunoco.
Try a summer trip, and you will find the U.S. fuel will get you a bit further than the Canuck stuff.

Alex.

 

[GarrettSocling]

quote:

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In 2008, all gas sold in Ontario must contain 5% ethanol

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we installed two vacuum kilns in Walkerton, ON, and they dry a lot of hard maple.

the water removed from the hard maple is what they drill holes in the trees to make maple syurp from, in a fashion.

If they do nothing but hard maple, they'll get about 132400 gallons of (hopefully sugary) water per year.

They are very interested in extracting the sugars to make ethanol from, due to the new rule changes : http://www.newsday.com/news/local/w...ov13,0,5946784.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

We contacted SUNY about the possiblity of working with them to apply there technology to our system, but it hasn't progressed very far yet. Pretty neat tho, anything that increases efficency, reduces waste, reduces pollution, I'm all for.

 

[Ken42]

My old beat up Toyota Corolla (86) hates ethonal so I have to drive out of WA state and go over to Idaho for gas. Mind you this car has a rebuilt engine and soon will have a new never used short block but I get 32 mpg highway and 21 to 26 city.

Ken