Long trip fuel experience

[Vikas]

I have been running the Odyssey van with nothing but Mobil or Shell for last couple of years and it had been running well. Over the break, we took a family trip to Northern Virginia. It was running very strong on the way there. I put gas on NJ TPke (Sunoco).

Before returning from NoVa, I filled her up there with Sunoco. The returned trip did not have much zip in the van. The vehicle weight was same. In CT, I stopped at Mobil (most expensive gas) and filled her up along with Techron+ 20 Oz concentrate. Even after 150 miles on that brew, it is still not zippy as it was going down to NoVa. I always time to fill the tank in NJ but this time, the line was huge. We should not have waited until the last rest area. I generally try to fill at next to last.

Since we make this trip quite often, I always find myself with similar issue i.e. performance drop-off somewhere during the trip. It is real and I wish I could figure out what causes it. My logical mind does want to believe it could be just brand of the gas. I do not have real time scanner on this vehicle to see if ECM is retarding the timing etc.

Do you run in to similar issue on long trips?

- Vikas

 

[Turk]

Yes.

I also run into fuel issues. After going through mountains, low populated areas, there's usually a Mom & Pop gas station. STAY AWAY from those as I have ran into bad gas at those stations a few times! Don't run too low & stick with the top brands!!

 

[saberz]

I find that if I fill up at a Valero its the same, gas is gas and my car doesn't know the difference or feel any different. I do fill up at Shell on occasion and my mpg seems less overall and no pep difference between the two.

Valero is next to my work so I can fill up for 2.85 cash and its like 3.05 for credit/debit. If I goto Mobil on a busy part of highway its 3.11 for regular and 3.20+ for credit. Shell is nearby for the same price as Mobil/Exxon.

 

[saaber1]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
...I stopped at Mobil...

Probably the high iron levels... Kidding!

Was the ethanol content the same at both stations?

 

[rslifkin]

I try to fill up at higher traffic stations, preferably in nicer areas where premium has a higher turnover. If the 93 is getting stale, the Jeep pings.

 

[Malo83]

On my long trips I stick with Shell stations and 89 octane, car runs great both ways

 

[AuthorEditor]

Well, I've taken a lot of long trips and I generally look for whatever station is offering the cheapest gas whatever the brand and I've never noticed a difference. I do try to purchase from locations that are likely to have lots of turnover so the fuel is fresh. Around home here I regularly purchase from Mobil, Gulf, Sunoco, Valero, and occasionally Hess, Citgo, and some other no-name places. Never a difference either in feel or mileage measurements, except for the difference between summer and winter gas.

 

[Vikas]

I am still doing those trips as my other son also ended up in the same geographic are for the school. I have lost track of how many trips I must have made in the last 16 years!

Fortunately, I found that there is Mobil and Shell station between the start of the NJTP, which is exactly 250 miles from house. Now I no longer have to visit Sunoco on the way or coming back.

 

[southernjeeper]

Shell here, too! Or chevron or texaco.

 

[bbhero]

I use Shell 93 if at all possible but Exxon runs good in my car too. But yes bad gas can affect the way a car runs. I got really bad gas in the middle of a snow storm one time because it was the bottle of the tank and the car ran horribly. I went to Vermont two summers ago and had to buy different gas than I usually ran Shell 93. Thank goodness I did not get any poor gas.

 

[southernjeeper]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
I use Shell 93 if at all possible but Exxon runs good in my car too. But yes bad gas can affect the way a car runs. I got really bad gas in the middle of a snow storm one time because it was the bottle of the tank and the car ran horribly. I went to Vermont two summers ago and had to buy different gas than I usually ran Shell 93. Thank goodness I did not get any poor gas.


Unless your car manufacturer requires 93 octane you are wasting money or so I have heard.

Just add an injector cleaner or octane additive and you won't have to pay that extra 30 to 40 cents more.

 

[HTSS_TR]

My cars require premium 91 octane, no 93 octane is available in California and Nevada and Arizona.

The difference between 91 and 87 in California is 20 cents at most stations, some as little as 16 cents.

 

[camperbob]

We just did 7,200 miles cross country trip, and I tried to use as many brands as I could. After hand calculating, they all came in within 2.5 mpg of each other, which could have been wind, terrain, or any number of things. Sinclair gave me the best, 16.7 though, but 14.5 was the lowest on the whole trip. One thing I noted though was the name brands (Exxon, Shell, Amoco, Arco, Sinclair, Chevron, and Texaco) all performed in the upper portion of my calculations, whereas Caseys General Stores, Qwik Trip, Sheetz, and the other private brand gasoline performed in the lower portion. The only exception was Pilot

 

[Vikas]

By the way 2.5 at 15.5 is pretty good variation. As you have pointed out they could have been due to wind or terrain. How many total fill-ups were there? Five hundred gallons, and you were probably filling 25 gallons at a time, so about 20 fill ups?

 

[Brigadier]

The way I understand how ECM's work, this statement is incorrect. The ECM is always trying to advanced the timing for most HP/MPG. The knock sensor keeps the timing in check. The two are always fighting against each other. Higher octane allows the ECM to advance the timing further before it bumps against the knock sensor. Besides, you recommend adding an octane additive, but it doesn't matter?

 

[Jetronic]

the ECM doesn't try to advance beyondit's programmed limit.

 

[Brigadier]

And we have no way of knowing what that limit is, do we?