HUGH drop in mpg...Why??Suggestions?
Super Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,261
From: NW Georgia
Re: HUGH drop in mpg...Why??Suggestions?
Larry,
Don't get me wrong, I love alcohol in my drinks and in my business partners race car. It's easy to get horsepower due to the high octane and the engine runs cooler and cleaner but it is a pain to crank when cold. The bigger problem is that it takes almost double the alcohol to get the same power. Mind you this is an aluminum 413 ci big block setup for dirt track racing. Over 750 HP on the dyno with gas or alcohol (just replace the carb).
Mileage becomes an issue on the track when you can't finish the race on a single tank. In modified, if you pit, you lose.....
I do wonder about our political process though. We are placing a tarriff on ethanol of 54 cents a gallon to protect who????
Don't get me wrong, I love alcohol in my drinks and in my business partners race car. It's easy to get horsepower due to the high octane and the engine runs cooler and cleaner but it is a pain to crank when cold. The bigger problem is that it takes almost double the alcohol to get the same power. Mind you this is an aluminum 413 ci big block setup for dirt track racing. Over 750 HP on the dyno with gas or alcohol (just replace the carb).
Mileage becomes an issue on the track when you can't finish the race on a single tank. In modified, if you pit, you lose.....
I do wonder about our political process though. We are placing a tarriff on ethanol of 54 cents a gallon to protect who????
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,051
From: New Jersey
Re: HUGH drop in mpg...Why??Suggestions?
From today's WSJ.com
Do EPA Economy Ratings Rely On Ethanol-Gasoline Fuel?
July 22, 2008; Page D4
Q: Do the mileage figures printed on new car stickers reflect use of ethanol-blended gasoline, the only fuel now available for most or all consumers, or whether the sticker mileage claims are based on using 100% gasoline. If the latter, does the government intend to mandate the use of gasohol to create more realistic mileage numbers?
-- W. Hayes,
Dover, Mass.
A: The fuel-economy ratings on new-car window stickers are calculated using pure or "straight" gasoline, not the commonly used 10%-ethanol blend called E10. I can't recall the last time I filled up using gasoline that wasn't blended in this way.
Fuel economy decreases by about 2% for vehicles running on E10, so a car rated at 25 miles per gallon will actually travel about 24.5 miles. Of course, the negative effect of blended fuel is tiny compared with the effects of changing one's driving style and keeping the car in top shape. Still, a loss is a loss. While E10, and E15, and may reduce overall oil consumption, it isn't helping individual vehicle fuel economy.
July 22, 2008; Page D4
Q: Do the mileage figures printed on new car stickers reflect use of ethanol-blended gasoline, the only fuel now available for most or all consumers, or whether the sticker mileage claims are based on using 100% gasoline. If the latter, does the government intend to mandate the use of gasohol to create more realistic mileage numbers?
-- W. Hayes,
Dover, Mass.
A: The fuel-economy ratings on new-car window stickers are calculated using pure or "straight" gasoline, not the commonly used 10%-ethanol blend called E10. I can't recall the last time I filled up using gasoline that wasn't blended in this way.
Fuel economy decreases by about 2% for vehicles running on E10, so a car rated at 25 miles per gallon will actually travel about 24.5 miles. Of course, the negative effect of blended fuel is tiny compared with the effects of changing one's driving style and keeping the car in top shape. Still, a loss is a loss. While E10, and E15, and may reduce overall oil consumption, it isn't helping individual vehicle fuel economy.
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 47
From: Tampa,Fl
Re: HUGH drop in mpg...Why??Suggestions?
I don't agree with you statement that FE decreases about 2%. E10 has about 3% less energy than regular gas but that doesn't translate to a 3% loss in FE. Ethanol adds more oxygen which messes with the O2 sensors causing you to burn more gas. This decrease FE can be as much as 10%. Some people report greater gas mileage with E30 and improved performance with E85. I don't think you can make a blanket statement that all formulations of ethanol hurt FE.
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,051
From: New Jersey
Re: HUGH drop in mpg...Why??Suggestions?
Contact the article's author
Write to mecarATwsjDOTcom
Article page (may require registration)
Last edited by haroldo; Jul 23, 2008 at 05:58 AM.
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