Oil and MPG

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You would think but as I have said in the past everything stayed the same except results. It has been very constant too. I use same gas same station go figure.
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
I switched from Ultra/PP to PYB and went from 30mpg to 31/32 mpg in mt 09 Civic. On Civic's Forum I got an acceptance that it could happen and has for others. Amazing why would dino do better??? Hard for some to believe me included.


Question: Did the outside temperature warm-up 20* after the downgrade to dino oil? Some other factor is likely involved here BEYOND the quality of oil.
 
I have been using PP 5w30 for about 170,000 kms or just over 106,000 miles on my Corolla. Its give me a fairly good bead on how the car consumes fuel through the seasons over the years. Probably 95% of that was spent travelling the exact same road time and time again with very little variation, almost always filling up at the same gas station even. I have seen great fuel economy as a result much higher than EPA but other than the affect of nature I have endeavoured to keep my driver input variations to a minimum, but I have to admit my meticulous record keeping of fuel consumption has revealed that there are a multitude of factors that effect fuel economy. A slight wind from front, back side direction, a bit of moisture on the road, a small variation in ambient temperature & humidity. Each of these can effect fuel consumption to a surprising degree. Perhaps in a lab there might be a possibility of some degree of fuel savings with a lighter weight oil, but in real world conditions it would be extremely difficult to substantiate, if not impossible...after all you can't control nature.

I have also learned that a scan-guage, the cars on board computer are slightly optimistic when compared to real pump calculations, which in itself has room for error...amount delivered after handle-click shut off, ambient temperature etc.

Due to the aforementioned sale on PYB I am going to try it for the next...20,000 km or 12,500 miles and see how it goes. I hope it increases, but since it is also a 5w30 I won't hold my breath.
 
Mazda Moly oil to the rescue!

Also, my onboard MPG readout is dead on accurate to the tenths of an MPG. I think most are more accurate than people realize.
 
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
So you're questioning OPs methods, because he did not use ultra, hyper, super, low viscosity oil

You aren't understanding what I am discussing.

I said I didn't question his methods. I was saying that he was an hypermiler and therefore his MPG was too sensitive to many factors to deduce a 1 MPG or so gain from switching from xW-30 to xW-20. Other posters also mentioned seasonal factors.

I also never said ultra-low viscosity. An ultra-low-viscosity oil would break an engine into pieces. 0W-20 oils are no thinner than 5W-20 oils. In fact they tend to be even thicker in many cases.

What I said was ultra-high viscosity index. An ultra-high-viscosity-index oil such as Toyota 0W-20 SN, with a viscosity index around 220, has about the same HTHS viscosity as a regular 0W-20 or a regular 5W-20. However, it has a smaller viscosity when cold (during warm-up), it has a larger kinematic viscosity (low-shear viscosity) at operating temperature and it has a smaller or equal high-shear viscosity at operating temperature but yet higher viscoelasticity and comparable oil-film strength.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Mazda Moly oil to the rescue!


Is it still as good as it was in the SM version? I thought that it was one of the ones that got neutered with the switch to SN. Then that would be the best answer for what the OP should use.
 
I've always added MoS2 Lubro Moly for improved MPG and a smoother running engine.

Pennzoil's use of moly and boron is a difference maker.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Mazda Moly oil to the rescue!

Also, my onboard MPG readout is dead on accurate to the tenths of an MPG. I think most are more accurate than people realize.


If you go to any fuel economy based site or even a hybrid website they almost universally confirm that on board fuel consumptions readings are optimistic by a couple of miles per gallon compared to real life pump and paper calculations. You are the first user I have seen in 5 years to say that it is dead on.
 
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Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Mazda Moly oil to the rescue!

Also, my onboard MPG readout is dead on accurate to the tenths of an MPG. I think most are more accurate than people realize.


If you go to any fuel economy based site or even a hybrid website they almost universally confirm that on board fuel consumptions readings are optimistic by a couple of miles per gallon compared to real life pump and paper calculations. You are the first user I have seen in 5 years to say that it is dead on.


I was meticulous in verifying it over a 5 tank run to help get out of the noise area of accuracy because pumps are so inconsistent on when they kick off. It was spot on.

It is probably because my speedomoter is exactly right, too. I have noticed most cars aren't like that now days. This is due to many reasons like having the nicer wheel options.
 
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My 2011 G37 was pretty close most of the time on MPG, the F150 is too early to judge. BMW is optimistic, just like the TSX was. I wish we could tweak those... Are speedometer calibrations legal/expensive?
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Mazda Moly oil to the rescue!

Also, my onboard MPG readout is dead on accurate to the tenths of an MPG. I think most are more accurate than people realize.


Verified how precisely? A tool that could accurately verify to the tenths of an MPG requires a fuel flow sensor and a super-accurate distance measuring device (trailing wheel). There are a couple of cars that have fuel flow sensors but I don't recall who makes them.

I've driven a LOT of different vehicles in tests and few were closer than a few percent (in the optimistic direction) than calculating by mile/gal.
 
By my count you have used 8 different oils, and also one mixture. You noticed a mileage improvement in the spring when switching to 10W30, then a mileage decrease in the fall after switching to 5W30.

Of course those of us that do not switch also notice a considerable mileage increase every spring, and a decrease every fall. Colder starting temperatures, denser air and switching to winter gas make this happen for all of us. One refiners website stated that their gasoline varied from 116,000 btu's to 123,000 btu's depending on if it was winter blend or summer blend....and varied even then depending on the exact demand proportion of heating oil from the individual refinery.

Interesting, but I think you have attempted too much and have therefore lost any statistically valid inferences from your data. Maybe now an entire year with just one constant oil would be in order....I would of course recommend a 0W20 as the best bet.
Our local Wallyworld stocks Mobil-1 in 5 qt jugs for 24.97. No, not proselytizing for it but the convenience keeps me in a happy rut!

You choice of vehicle seems excellent, the 4 cylinder 5 speed Sonata certainly offers one of the best large car/gas mileage combinations in the industry. At one time I owned a 1986 Taurus MT5....4Cyl 5 speed manual......wow, what a vacation cruiser. Nice family car and top gas mileage. With the optional 19.2 gallon tank, 500 miles on a fill was common!
 
I calculate mpg manually as the dash gauge reads 3-5 mpg higher than actual, the Ultragauge read to within .3 +/-.
 
I'm up to putting a 0w20 to the challenge of the records set by the PYB10w30 if someone wants to recommend which one to try. The TGMO and Mazda are the top candidates going by VI, moly, price and ease of purchase.
 
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
I'm up to putting a 0w20 to the challenge of the records set by the PYB10w30 if someone wants to recommend which one to try. The TGMO and Mazda are the top candidates going by VI, moly, price and ease of purchase.


Either or are good candidates. Keep us informed please. I like these kinds of tests.
I'm far from scientific however I do drive mostly the same distances and my driving habits are consistent,so I notice when I am getting better mileage and so on.
Thanks for your input
 
Am I the first to mention HTHS values in this thread?... hmm

OP, have you noted all the oils HTHS values and related them to MPG at all? I'm guessing there will be at least a slight correlation between number but in the end there are too many variables to know for sure. For example, I'd guess the PU has a high HTHS than PYB and your MPG ave seemed to show that as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
I'm up to putting a 0w20 to the challenge of the records set by the PYB10w30 if someone wants to recommend which one to try. The TGMO and Mazda are the top candidates going by VI, moly, price and ease of purchase.


One of the best in my last car was Royal Purple with synerlac. It is a non API version now days. The 5w-20 would be my recommendation. It is a long drain oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
I'm up to putting a 0w20 to the challenge of the records set by the PYB10w30 if someone wants to recommend which one to try. The TGMO and Mazda are the top candidates going by VI, moly, price and ease of purchase.

Since I am very pleased with my experience with Toyota 0W-20 SN throughout the OCI (the engine runs very smoothly) and it's made by ExxonMobil, whom you can trust, I would recommend it over Mazda OEM. Toyota 0W-20 SN likely uses Infineum's trinuclear (trimer) moly, which is many many times more potent than the large doses of cheap moly found in PYB, the older versions of Toyota 0W-20 (SM versions), etc.

Negotiate with the dealer to get the Toyota. You should be able to get it under $6 per quart after negotiation. Show them a printout of this Web page linked here or show it on your smartphone.
 
The 3 tanks before the change from PU to PYB were 39.98, 38.83 and 39.12 mpg. First tank after the change is 42.16 mpg with similar weather, seeing as how spring will just not show up....
 
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