Cheap gas vs expensive gas

The internet has 'taught' people that paying more for gas means your vehicle is faster, cleaner and more reliable.

I read it on forum x. It must be true.

 

You sure it wasn't summer vs winter blend?

 

You obviously read none of my post except for the first line...

 

My motorcycle maintenance class teacher was curious about ethanol content, so he bought a small ethanol tester and began testing the gas he bought for a while. He said that the percentage of ethanol, although legally limited to 10% maximum, actually got as high as 16%! It's completely possible that the expensive gas station has been selling gas with less actual gasoline in it.

 

I use the GasBuddy app to find the cheapest price of a brand I prefer that is a reasonable distance to me when I need to fill up.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/

 

Incorrect. Octane/heptane content DOES affect energy content. Not to the same degree that ethanol does, perhaps, but it does affect it.

That being said, octane RATING usually has a larger effect than actual octane content since the higher octane ratings are often achieved by mixing more ethanol instead of adjusting the octane/heptane ratio.

 

I usually go most convenient then cheapest if within a few block, which really is not the case here. I just filled up this weekend and I averaged according to my math 22.3 MPG for the last tank.

 

I have found that ethanol free 87 gas works best in the taco when I had it, as well as in my 4Runner now. Gas mileage improves, smoother running engine and no worries about the ethanol separating if it sits too long. I have redline si1 additive that I will add, so it makes my ethanol free gas basically top tier. Just my experience so far.

 

I'm going throw my two cents in here and you guys can make fun of me later for being an idiot.

First of I use only regular 87, I just don't see any point in paying/using anything more than that. Secondly I prefer to use only Chevron in my truck, I just feel their additives are better than others. However, 76 gas seems to last longer and Shell is right between the two. Chevron feels like it burns faster and I go to fill ups more frequently if I use only Chevron. My driving habits are consistent as well.

Again, my two cents.

 

Dude this is not how you calculate fuel mileage.

As far as the gas, it all comes from the same refineries

 

The extra detergents in Top Tier gas is added at the refinery for Top Tier stations only. Others get cheaper gas since they only add enough detergent to meet the federal minimum standard.

 

You have data to prove this right? From somewhere OTHER than a gasoline company? "Octane" and "Octane Rating" are words that are interchangeable to the general public. My posts are geared to the general consumer.
Octane is simply a measure for a fuel's resistance to knock. As a matter of fact, higher octane fuels could have even LESS energy per gallon of gasoline.

Now, if you run say, 93 octane in a vehicle that says to run 87 octane, and you run it religiously for thousands of miles, most modern vehicles will adjust engine timing accordingly to the fuel's resistance to pre detonate. This will give you a little extra horsepower. This has nothing to do with energy content of fuel and everything with that fuel's resistance to knock.

Here are a few links to prove my point:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/news/a18008/premium-fuel-futures/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...uld-boost-performance----and-price/100938746/
http://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-a-brief-history-of-octane
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/engineering-explained-high-vs-low-octane-petrol/
https://www.pei.org/wiki/octane-number
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ef050433t
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density

You will notice in my last link on energy density that "gasoline" is not sub divided into different octane ratings. That's because gasoline has "X" energy density per gallon. Octane does nothing to change this.

Bottom line: The higher octane rating does nothing to increase the potential energy of a gallon of gasoline, which is what I stated in my last post. But, higher octane COULD (if run all the time) cause some modern engine management systems to adjust timing and a small increase in engine HP. This change could yield a bit higher mpg if you stay out of the throttle. It's not the gasoline energy content though.

Lastly, I know I am new here. But if you see a post by me, and it involves an actual statement that can be proven, then there's a damn good chance I'm right. I don't post crap and I don't post about topics I know nothing about just to see my thoughts on the screen. I know a lot of people do this but I'm not one of them.

 

I like how we're all arguing about it and the OP hasn't given any specifics as of yet.

OP what octane and ethanol level if any.

 

My truck gets better mileage on 87 octane, but I run 93 because otherwise it pings and feels lethargic. (I have the 4.0, which for several years of production recommended 91 or higher)

I can get 91 ethanol free if I go over the border to VT. I always buy this for the lawn tractor, snowblower, push mower, and weed wacker because it seems the carburetors don't get gummed up if I run ethanol free. I'll usually fill the truck with it if I'm filling the gas cans, and it likes that fuel a lot. Sounds like a different engine. I get slightly better mileage, too, usually around 1 MPG better.

I expect 87 ethanol free would be the best result for mileage in my truck, but we don't have that here.