38.5 mpg today

[mjoekingz28]

I went the same exact 210 mile route today. Filled up at the same station using the same pump and stop fueling at the same first click (cut-off) using the same pump setting (first notch). Previously I got 35.6 mpg.

Only two differences, I used a BP for the first time that is not advertising 10% ethanol and on my first synthetic (PP).

Which is it that granted me 3 mpg?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28


Which is it that granted me 3 mpg?

Tail wind?

 

[daves87rs]

Hmmm...

 

[sciphi]

Tail wind is entirely possible. Also slowing down. I picked up 3 mpg on my 70 mile commute today by slowing down from 70-75 to 65-70.

 

[Petrou]

well believe it or not, more than likely it was the no ethanol. it has an effect on some cars up here when its winter time. so it was probably that, the only way to really find out, is do the same run with the oil and uswe ethanol gas, the 10% stuff

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Tail wind is entirely possible. Also slowing down. I picked up 3 mpg on my 70 mile commute today by slowing down from 70-75 to 65-70.


Speed makes a big differance in MPG. If we want to make a differance in oil use in the US just do as you have done and slow up 10 MPH.

 

[DieselTech]

First click off doesn't say much. To be accurate you need to hand calculate these things

 

[Familyguy]

I vote for a change in speed too. On my winter/commute beater (96 Jetta with 2.0L gas engine with 5sp) I normally get about 34mpg on the highway @ 65-70mph. For fun, I slowed down to 60mph on my last 400 mile trip and my mileage increased to 38mpg.

 

[MNgopher]

Going by the pump shuttng off at the first click could by itself account for all the change you noted - they just are not that consistent - even with the same pump at the same station.

I don't get excited with one fillup. More often than not, when I filled up in that manner and got results like you, the next tank was terrible on mileage. Guess what that meant - the fuel shut off early and I didn't fill the tank full.

Look at long term trends only...

 

[sir1900]

My guess would be a combination of no ethanol gasoline and a drop in speed. 3 mpg change is a significant difference.

 

[gregester]

i put some high performance injectors (and rl 0w-40) in my csrt-4 and lowered my speed on the daily drive, and bumped my mpg to a average of 29.5 (the evic acually read up to 38.5mpg)....not bad for 375+ hp to the wheels.

 

[mechtech2]

One tankful can't be relied on too heavily for accurate results.
But the pure gasoline [no alcohol]could very well have netted you the better power and gas mileage that you experienced.
Fresh thinner oil may get you a bit more MPGs, but like .5 or something.

 

[Familyguy]

It's funny that myself and the OP have 10+ year old plain Jane gas economy cars ([censored], the Jetta is even a 4-door) that get better gas mileage than even some of the most modern gas sipping micro-cars available today. LOL

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: sir1900
3 mpg change is a significant difference.

Not when he's already at 35-36 mpg to begin with.

If we convert it to the more meaningful (IMO) liters/100km scale, it's a difference between 6.6 and 6.1 liters/100km. So, for each 100 km (62 miles) you're only saving an extra 0.5 liter of gas.

3 mpg difference would be significant if he went from 15 mpg to 18 mpg. That's 15.7 and 13.1 liters/100km respectively. So, for each 100 km (62 miles) you're saving an extra 2.6 liters of gas.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Nevermind fellas.

Did the same exact trip today, again setting my cruise at the same speeds and got somewhere below 36.5mpg because that's when the gas pump stopped and that 36.5 is as if I had filled up all the way but not enough money.

It was a fluke. I thought that PP was some really good stuff.