Summer gas?

[jake75]

Is it summer gas or winter gas that sucks in terms of mpg? I got pretty good mpg (32.4) on the '09 Vibe 1.8L on a 1,250 mile round trip to NC but a shorter trip last weekend in my T&C was just a hair over 20 mpg. I usually can get 24 mpg.

[ponta2147]

I was actually wondering the same thing, as my mpgs have dipped lately... wasn't sure if it was the gas or my driving habits changing.

[star_deceiver]

Winter gas sucks in terms of mpg (although for me, the heavy winter tires account for some of that).How much ethanol is in the gas you buy??? And do you put the same amount into the tank each time?Here, diffrent stations and even grades at each station have diffrent levels of ethanol (from 10% to 0%).

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 » wasn't sure if it was the gas or my driving habits changing.Hmmmmmm... You have received the reputation on this forum for wanting to "drive fast" so it is possible that it is YOU Enjoy it if that is the case! Onto a more serious answer... If you take away "warming up the car" time and merely use actual driving time, you are MORE efficient in the winter time vs. summer time. This is due to the density of air being different as the temperature changes. Now I'm not a chemical engineer nor a refinery expert BUT it is possible that the fuel grades could differ slightly from season to season and have a SLIGHT effect on fuel consumption in our cars also.

[ponta2147]

Quote, originally posted by tpollauf »Hmmmmmm... You have received the reputation on this forum for wanting to "drive fast" so it is possible that it is YOU Enjoy it if that is the case! Onto a more serious answer... If you take away "warming up the car" time and merely use actual driving time, you are MORE efficient in the winter time vs. summer time. This is due to the density of air being different as the temperature changes. Now I'm not a chemical engineer nor a refinery expert BUT it is possible that the fuel grades could differ slightly from season to season and have a SLIGHT effect on fuel consumption in our cars also. Of course I like driving fast, but I usually always drive the same way (aka fast, or at least "quickly", i don't usually speed much at all on normal streets but I do accelerate to my speed faster than most people) so I was curious why my mpgs were dipping... was I going crazier than usual? My guess now is............ construction, actually. Way more stop-and-go traffic, especially on the highway.And yeah I don't even know where to find the ethanol content... all it says is up to 10%... usually only buy gas from the same stations... I'm more inclined to think we've been making a lot more rush hour trips lately and that's what's killing the mileage.

[Zimm]

i got a hugely disappointing 26mpg from my last tank in my 1.8l auto. that was mixed city/local freeway driving. i usually get 28/29 for similar driving. i'm still under 10kmi, so it's not plugs/air filter, etc. tires are at their usual 38psi cold.

[Tubaryan12]

Any possibly using more A/C than normal? It is summer and last week was HOT! This week has been much better, but the hot weather is on its way back east of the Mississippi.

[Old Tele man]

...as my wife replies: "...I am NOT a fast driver, I merely drive decisively and promptly..."

[cptnsolo77]

Im confused about the summer winter blend myself. I have seen a spike in my mileage within the last month. I have owned the Vibe for 3 years & never seen a difference summer & winter mileage. I havent done any maintenance recently that would cause a increase in mileage....hmmmm.....

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 »And yeah I don't even know where to find the ethanol content... all it says is up to 10%... usually only buy gas from the same stations... I'm more inclined to think we've been making a lot more rush hour trips lately and that's what's killing the mileage.I am not even sure they are required to post an ethanol content disclosure anymore. That might vary from state to state. If I were a gasoline brand that did not use ethanol I would advertise "100% Gasoline for better mileage - no ethanol added". The govt. is currently trying to raise the maximum ethanol content to 15% - perhaps even mandate use of ethanol. I filed a comment opposing that but I am sure that was a waste of my time. I think all of the auto companies oppose as well. Issues are engine and parts damage, as well as lower mileage that will displease consumers. It is more political than anything else. Corn farmers like it - cattle farmers don't.

[PHXLavaVibe]

You know...it's not the gas at all. In fact, it's the air in your tires!I actually convinced a rather simple minded friend of mine a few years ago that one of the biggest issues with her new car's mileage was the simple fact that she needed to replace the winter air in her tires with summer air.You should have seen the look on her face when she returned from the tire shop! I could have die laughing!!! Aparently she had argued with a service technician for nearly half an hour because he refused to fix her extreamily important summer air problem.

[Wolfman213]

Quote, originally posted by PHXLavaVibe »You know...it's not the gas at all. In fact, it's the air in your tires!I actually convinced a rather simple minded friend of mine a few years ago that one of the biggest issues with her new car's mileage was the simple fact that she needed to replace the winter air in her tires with summer air.You should have seen the look on her face when she returned from the tire shop! I could have die laughing!!! Aparently she had argued with a service technician for nearly half an hour because he refused to fix her extreamily important summer air problem.(removed)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's one of the funniest thigns I've read. You should have had the vid camera ready for that response!!!

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by PHXLavaVibe »You know...it's not the gas at all. In fact, it's the air in your tires!I actually convinced a rather simple minded friend of mine a few years ago that one of the biggest issues with her new car's mileage was the simple fact that she needed to replace the winter air in her tires with summer air.You should have seen the look on her face when she returned from the tire shop! I could have die laughing!!! Apparently she had argued with a service technician for nearly half an hour because he refused to fix her extremely important summer air problem.When I was about 13 years old a neighbor sent me to the hardware store to get a quart of propeller pitch.

[tribalman]

depending on where you live decides if you have a summer/winter mix gas. in warmer climates they have the same gas year round. if you get frozen temps you will have the summer/winter mixes. the summer mix is actually better. a few less additives to hinder combustion. summer also usually nets higher miles per gallon because our cars idle a little higher when they aren't at operating temperature; warmer ambient temps mean the car warms up faster.jake, for your issue that's a pretty big hit. were you idle for a long time? if your engine is running and the car not moving you are getting exactly 0 MPG. otherwise something isn't quite right. to start i'd check the tire pressure, oil level, tranny level, and air filter. i keep a book of my service records and when and how much i fill up on gas for this reason, you can tell if something isn't quite right but not throwing a code when your efficiency drops.

[jake75]

This is a swb T&C with 3.3L V6. Usually get 24 mpg on trips. No idle on that recent trip - T&C only has 11,000 miles on it - tire pressure o.k. Oil level o.k. Maybe it is time to change the air filter.

[star_deceiver]

On my last tank I got 6.9 L/100kms 95% city driving. Temps were in the low to mid 20C's. All four tires were at 40psi when I checked them this morning.Rolling resistance and careful (A-typical granny) driving make a big diffrence!

[lovemyraffe]

I've been curious about this too. Recently my mpg's have gone from 30-31 to 34-35 with no change in driving habits. I'm not complaining but curious as to why this is.