Better Gas Mileage

Maybe they aren't "bad", but I have a real hard time saying they are "good' when top exec's are getting $45+million bonuses while we're paying record amounts for gas.

Makes me think oil and gas prices are high more due to those bonuses and salaries than anything going on in the middle east.

I mean, the soul reason they exist (customers) are suffering because of these prices, but they are reporting record profits and giving MILLIONS to upper level execs who already make more than 95% of the population.

Unfortunately, we are all sheep and will continue paying these insane prices fueling their profits and letting them continue the high salaries and bonuses. I bet things would change real quick if their customer base suddenly decided to stop paying these prices. That'll never happen, but still... There needs to be a "wal-mart" for gas. Something that doesn't give out crazy salaries and bonuses so they can pass the savings on to the customer.

 

I'm writing you in for President !

 

lol

What can I say? I worked in gas stations for 3-4 years. I know how slim the profit margin is on gas. Some places run it so low that it's just a loss leader to get people in to buy overpriced milk, soda, beer, cigarettes, etc. The mark up on the stuff IN the gas station is crazy! I know, I saw what we paid for it, and then what price we put on it for the customers.

Then I read the news and see Exxon Mobil giving out $45-50million bonuses and reporting record profits. Meanwhile, I KNOW gas stations (even major chains) aren't getting that profit... The person behind the counter is probably making $7-$8 max. My ex is a manager for one of Burne Dairy's stations in Canandaigua, NY. She's their highest paid manager and she get's around $14/hr. Obviously not making a whole lot there. Maybe more than others, but nothing suggesting the company can drop $45,000,000 for a guy sitting behind a desk all day. I can't even imagine small mom n pop stations trying to survive. Maybe it says something when half the stations around my area are switching to 87 only and dropping the higher octanes. I'd have to say sales of those grades are dropping so much the stations are willing to risk losing customers that buy them. Or they can't afford to carry them. Take your pick I suppose.

And don't get me started on how our wonderful president has ties to big oil, and grew up with it in Texas. Still, I can't believe he seems to be going against them by requiring the increase in MPG.

 

Oh snap ! you go girl!

 

ummmm..... thanks? I am a guy so.....

 

Let's not forget the millions of people in pension plans and mutual funds, like myself, and those that own stock directly, like myself. The big bad oil companies make money for us, too. We want to live in a free society, capitalism reigns supreme. That's just how it is. Let the government take it over and see what happens. We already pay ridiculous amounts in taxes on gas, which everybody seems to forget. Doesn't seem like the govt wants to cut their share.

For some odd reason, people somehow think that oil companies control oil prices. They don't, it's a traded commodity. Prices raise and fall as the market dictates. OPEC has a much larger say in oil prices that oil companies ever have considering they control production.

BTW, the president does not have ties to the oil companies. They were severed when he decided to run for the presidency, just like all who do the same. I keep seeing this argument, just like the "war for oil" argument, but I never see any proof. I do understand why folks feel that way but unless there's proof, there's only conjecture.

GO EXXON-MOBIL! Keep filling my retirement coffers.

 

Well, that would mean taking over the entire middle east and Russia. This country doesn't have the stomach for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so imagine how that would go over. No, it's best to come up with new technologies. Then I'll have to shuffle my retirement portfolio around to those companies while the oil companies take a bath. Put it this way: I've made more in my retirement funds than I'll ever pay in higher gas prices. The smart man would do the same.

BTW, none of my ramblings are directed at anyone in particular so please, nobody take offense. I'd rather just agree to disagree if it's going to come to an argument.

 

I understand that the price of crude has an effect on everything else (plastics, kerosene, diesel, gas heating oil, etc). But if that's the ONLY thing and crude prices force the oil companies to raise prices for refined product then how did Exxon-Mobil report RECORD PROFITS a year or two ago?

I'm not trying to argue here, but if are essentially just covering the cost of delivery plus a small mark up, how are they making record profits? Is it from other investments? Or is it just because they are using the price of crude as an excuse to rape the average American? Ok, maybe not rape, but charge a higher than necessary price to help fill their pockets just because they know people NEED to and WILL pay the price for those thing? (and I feel that power has gone to their heads) I mean, it's not like you can decide to NOT put gas in your car to get to work or NOT heat your house during the winter.... They could charge whatever they want and people will still pay it. They may cut back (stay home more, car pool, buy more supplies less often, use alternative heating to cut down oil needed, etc), but they won't STOP buying those products.

On a different note though, I'm looking forward to a new technology out there. It uses plasma to break down hydrocarbons (damn near EVERYTHING) into it's component gases, and then extract them. It can get gas, natural gas, etc out of old tires, plastic, just about anything you can put in it. NYC is buying one in a pilot program. I'll see if I can find the link again.

Edit:
Found them.
This one converts waste to energy:
The Prophet of Garbage - Popular Science

This one extracts the oil out of animal parts, fat, etc. Not the one I'm looking for, but it works.
http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2004/Changing-World-Technologies4apr04.htm

Here's the one I was looking for!
PopSci's Best of What's New 2007

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCcV0DhkDtk

Global Resources Corporation (GBRC) can extract oil from plastics, tires, oil shale, tar sands, and coal using microwaves set to a specific frequency (different for each material).

 

yeah, that's the company in my 3rd link. PopSci did an article on them. Long Island is getting one of their machines. I'm hoping it catches on and Upstate NY does it too. God knows there are ACRES of old tires littering the countryside up here in private junk yards.

I always thought the person that actually designs and builds a star trek-like replicator that can convert matter into anything else would never have to work again! The guys behind the Hawk Recycler are damn close! Gas, oil, natural gas, etc from just about anything on earth! lol Now they just need to market it and rake in the royalties!

 

So after two hours reading this thread I think the two testers approve of this product. How many are actually signed up for the group uy?

 

Not me. I don't trust butt dynos. Besides, there are too many variables involved with annecdotal testing to concretely say it's doing anything. That and there is no real scientific explanation on the site on what it's supposed to be doing to the fuel.

The towing numbers don't really make sense to me given the difference on the other samples and clues me in that it's doing nothing. Anything that's increasing the efficiency of your fuel should see a difference regardless of what's being pulled (if it's more effective, it's more effective). My guess is that one is inadvertently being more careful with one's driving while testing the unit and it's harder to be careful when you're pulling something heavy.

The line that it's defusing the fuel making it more effective in the cylinder also doesn't make sense unless it was installed after the injector port (after all it's still fuel pumped through the same nozzle).

Think about it like this, if you put your windex bottle's nozzle on stream and and put a nozzle on spray before the stream nozzle (breaking up the fluid before the injector), would it still spray or would the fuel build up enough pressure eventually to stream like nothing was in front of it.

Any type of test for stuff like this needs an independant double blind. Put some that do nothing (looks like real deal but simply passes fuel) on a sample of equally equipped trucks and some that are installed as sold and see if there is a significant difference between the two sets. You don't tell the drivers which truck has the good units. That rules out inadvertant driver intervention.

 

all that laser/radar detectors do is tell you when you're going to get a ticket lol, i had one a couple years back and i got tired of the false sense of security, i just drive slower and keep my eyes open now. and wilson is right about the 10mph over the speed limit, as long as you're not more than 10 over, you're usually fine

 

Air craft have fuel mixture control near the throttle. With an adjustable, or constant speed prop, you can choose how much bite to take out of the air. An EGT is the only way to adjust the mixture. Too cold you foul the plugs and waste gas. Too hot is very bad.

 

You crack me up... Some of the shit you post seems completely unrelated to the subject, and reminds of all the random crap running through my head that doesn't make it out. Or it does and it irritates the hell out of others because I just randomly change the subject mid-conversation.

 

Yeah I know the chip does all this. But one should understand why. A load on an engine is a load on an engine. Or not.
You have the right to remain ignorant.
Just don`t believe me.
If you can`t get real 91 or 93 gas for the TRD SC that I want, the chip just retards it.
It would be better to richen the mixture by what the EGT is.
87 runs fine on no load driving. I could not find an MPG difference. And my brother checked my math.
I do have a lot of random thoughts. Consider yourself lucky.

 

I bought my 07 Taco (6 cylinder double cab)with the Ecosystem Fuel Vaporizor and I did not notice the mileage increase as the product stated that it would. I drive mostly highway miles and I was hoping to get 22 or 23mpg, but I averaged close to 20mpg. I had the dealer remove the vaporizer for a refund and I still get close to 20mpg. I would not recommend the product. Just my experience.....

 

What part of this comment is "completely unrelated to the subject" as you say? The subject is titled "Better gas mileage".

BTW, Danusa is correct.

 

Also CFII`s only sweat on the right side of their face.
I`m a pilot too.