October Blues

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Well, it's fall here in west/central Pennsylvania and they've made the switch over to the winter fuel blend until next March or April. My fuel mileage was poor on the summer blend but now it's total [censored] on this stuff. My V8 swallows it like it's going out of style. Oh well, what are you going to do? Do they switch nationwide or just in the northeast states and California?
 
Originally Posted By: Troy_Built
What is winter blend?


I borrowed this:

The difference between conventional summer- and winter-blend gasoline has to do with the Reid Vapor Pressure of the fuel. RVP relates to the volatility of a gasoline. The more volatile a gasoline, the more likely it will evaporate as the temperatures rises; evaporated gasoline contributes to unhealthy ozone and smog levels. Summer gasoline has a low RVP and is less likely to evaporate when compared to the high RVP winter grade. The Environmental Protection Agency says conventional summer-blend gasoline contains 1.7 percent more energy than winter-blend gas, which contributes to the summer blend’s slightly better gas mileage.

------------------------------------------------------------
Note summer blend produces slightly more power, which gives better mpg.
 
So that's why my current tank is down 10% compared to the last several. And the snows have yet to go on.
 
I've noticed we're on winter blend here too now: proof was in consistent poorer mileage following an October fillup using the same gas from the same vendor I always use, and no other changes to anything.

Not much to be done about it, unfortunately. The [censored] weather tends to reduce my driving in the winter anyway (no pleasure drives or road trips, just the essential driving), so even though I'll wind up paying more for every tank of gas (in that I'm getting fewer miles out of the winter blend), it'll be offset somewhat by the fact that I'll be doing less driving anyway, so total monthly fuel costs should even out.

Its also a slap right back at them: if they're going to give me [censored] gas in the winter that doesn't go as far, then I'm content to reduce my driving anyway so that they wind up making no more money from me in the winter than they do in the summer (and most likely, less money off me).

-Spyder
 
I have to drive all over the place for work. So this hits me right in the wallet. Oh well, it's either pay more in gas or pay for a more efficient car. The gas is still cheaper...
 
Originally Posted By: Hemi426
Well, it's fall here in west/central Pennsylvania and they've made the switch over to the winter fuel blend until next March or April. My fuel mileage was poor on the summer blend but now it's total [censored] on this stuff. My V8 swallows it like it's going out of style. Oh well, what are you going to do? Do they switch nationwide or just in the northeast states and California?


Same here. My MPG has plummeted now that winter blend fuel is here which is hard to believe based on how bad it is on summer gas. What stinks for me is I do 99% of my towing( duck boat )and I drive a good 50% more during the winter months to go waterfowling. I don't drive very much during the summer.
 
It immediately goes down by at least 10%. I can watch on my ultra-gauge in real time and I now know what it should be saying at a particular stretch of the road and specific speed. The instantaneous mileage has dropped significantly like at least 15%.

- Vikas
 
Same here, except substitute scangauge for ultragauge. Same trips and trip legs all produced a major drop in my first October fillup that's been consistent ever since. I responded by steadily reducing my driving ever since, as they are also charging more for the [censored] gas.

Despite the mileage hit, this tank has been outlasting the previous one by leaps and bounds since its all short tripping when I have to go anywhere other than work. Then I take the highway in to exercise the engine and burn off any moisture, and the shorter route home. And my driving will continue to decrease until I'm down to absolute essential trips until winter blend is over and prices start dropping again.

My own solution since most of my typical mileage is non-work related. Spending money on over-priced gas is a major pet peeve of mine, and doubly so when its winter blend.

-Spyder
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
It immediately goes down by at least 10%. I can watch on my ultra-gauge in real time and I now know what it should be saying at a particular stretch of the road and specific speed. The instantaneous mileage has dropped significantly like at least 15%.

- Vikas


Is is "at least 10%" or "at least 15%"?
Let's just round it off to 20%.
 
The previous tank mileage dropped by at least 10%. The current tank seems to be getting used up even faster if I were to extrapolate based on the instantaneous mileage.

So, I will go with the 20% drop :)

- Vikas
 
One of the cars has gas mileage down by 1-3%, the other 2 cars are about the same. May be the summer gas in Kalifornia is already lousy such that winter gas does not effect the gas mileage too much.
 
So, what would you all rather have - a car that gets better mileage in winter.....

....or one that starts?

:p
 
My major beef isn't that its just [censored] gas. Its that they progressively add insult to injury by then gradually upping the price every winter throughout the winter.

So I respond by cutting my driving back so that, even though I'm paying more for every tank, I'm making that tank last long enough so that they get less of my monthly gas money until the blend is finished and the prices begin to come back down again. I dislike paying more for less so I punish them the only way I can for it: by making sure they see less and less of my money as the price rises by reducing non-essential usage enough to more than offset the increased cost.

-Spyder
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Spyder7
My major beef isn't that its just [censored] gas. Its that they progressively add insult to injury by then gradually upping the price every winter throughout the winter.

So I respond by cutting my driving back so that, even though I'm paying more for every tank, I'm making that tank last long enough so that they get less of my monthly gas money until the blend is finished and the prices begin to come back down again. I dislike paying more for less so I punish them the only way I can for it: by making sure they see less and less of my money as the price rises by reducing non-essential usage enough to more than offset the increased cost.

-Spyder


Wow. Boycottation.
 
Yep. Something I do rarely but in this case its an easy decision anyway: our winter sucks, and although I'll drive in any weather, I don't take pleasure from the things associated with winter driving, like driveway shoveling and snow blowing, and freezing my butt off until the engine is warmed enough to start blowing heat out. So its an easy (though not complete) boycott for me to make.

When Spring comes, winter blend ends, gas prices come down, and driving becomes enjoyable again: the perfect trifecta is reached and I begin driving more again.

-Spyder
 
Originally Posted By: addyguy
So, what would you all rather have - a car that gets better mileage in winter.....

....or one that starts?

:p


The summer vs winter blend has to do with emmissions not starting.
 
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