The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I just ran through a tank purchased from Sinclair and got over 2mpg increase.

Can you imagine the kind of racket money they are making off that ethanol?  I am never going back.

I thought I could see a drop in mileage with my old F-150 a few summers back when QT went to E-10, then at some point the mileage seemed to return.  With the Sonata I drive now, I average the same whether I get 100% or 90% fuel.  I realize others have similar results to yours, I just don't seem to see it.

I've seen no difference as everyone is really selling 90% gas. The only difference is QT it 10% ethanol and the people charging 20-30 cents more are using 10% MTBE (which is ironically also based on alcohol)

Modern engines adjust over time for the change which is why you rarely see anyone with a long term analysis. I vary 2-3mpg per tank every tank.

It takes a lot more than a promise of 1mpg to get me to pay 10% more for gas.

I'v run only 100% for about two years now because I was having problems with slight rough idle.  It made a major difference in how the car ran and the increase in mileage was also about 2-3mpg. My wife did the same thing, and gets a 1mpg boost. I change my own oil on both cars and have noticed that the old oil is nowhere as dirty as it used to be at oil change.  Both cars are 2008 models.

Considering that her car gets around 17mpg and mine about 24, gas with ethanol puts around a 8% hit on mileage, but only costs about 5% less than 100% gas at the Valero station.  We also get a free 20oz fountain drink with every fill-up witch makes up for the fact that the Valero on 67th and Sheridan is an absolute armpit. Buying 100% gas is actually costing us less, and perhaps, if the color of the oil is an indicator, it is less damaging to the engine.

Dang are you guys telling me that the Sinclair gas is more expensive than say QT, cuz I didn't really look. :o  No win situation I guess.

Either way, I am quite familiar with my mileage and driving habits.  I get maybe 320 miles to a tank running it bone dry.  Since I put the Sinclair in there, I got 365 miles, and still had another 30 miles in it.  

Anyway, I just filled 'er up again today....we'll see what happens.

But yeh, back when they first started putting that crap in there, I thought I had problems with my car due to the mileage drop...took it in to the shop 2 or 3 times asking them what the hell :D

Got a car already set to use flex-fuel but don't use it for obvious (availability) reasons.  I get about 24mpg in the Avenger.  Haven't run a full tank of no BS gas in it yet, so I don't really know what mileage it gets.  I might try it once after I run it all the way down nearly to see how it does.

When I first moved to AZ there were two types of gas in Phoenix, summer blend which contained 10% MTBE and winter blend which is 10% ethanol, and the winter blend was always higher than the summer. (You cannot get 100% gas in Phoenix and Tucson so that the areas can maintain clean air standards) In the first couple of years there (starting in 98) I never noticed any real difference in mileagein my car and never had any issues with the fuel. After MTBE was banned in AZ and E90 E10 became the norm was when I started noticing a difference and that became even more noticeavle with the car I have now. During the summer with E90 E10 regular (87oct) my car would knock and ping even when not usinge the A/C and the only way to make it stop was to go to mid-grade. During the rest of the year it was not a problem. I found out from some friends that are certified mechanics that the ethanol blend doesn't bur efficiently in the hot dry air, where as the MTBE compensated for it.

Here is an article on the affects in gasoline pricing from 2005. (You can draw your own conclusions)

http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=35692 (http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=35692)

And an article on the difference in pricing between winter and summer blends in Phoenix.

[url][http://ktar.com/?nid=388&sid=986682/url]

I think you mean E10, right?  E90 infers 90 percent ethanol.

Yes, you are right I will edit it. Thanks. I wouldn't want anyone to think of me as some noob that lacks trolling skills.  :D

That's my biggest complaint about QT -the ethanol.  SWMBO uses QT in her car, and I can't seem to get her to change.  The one I go to most is the same price as the Sinclair across the street. 

Since I buy diesel, it doesn't affect me.  Get yourself a Dodge RAM with diesel and you will get 20 to 23 mpg.  (I have gotten as high as 26 mpg in this truck, driving route 66...just can't keep myself that slow for too long.)

lol, there's nothing wrong with being a noob.  And there's certainly nothing wrong with not being a troll.  But if you are a troll, and you think you're better at it than me, you might need to pack a lunch. :D

I been meaning to get at you about that job you are looking for as well, will put it in the other thread.


I'm glad to hear that...I will take a closer look next time I fill up, but all things being equal, I don't see any reason for myself to go back.

Somewhere down the line I read or heard that the reason that stations that sell 100% gas (which really isn't, but that is another discussion) is because the tanks had flaws in them which kept them from being rated for E10.  Don't know how much truth is to it, and too tired to go to the google.

Close, it was the 10%MTBE gas mix that was the cause, because it was not only leaking from tanks, but pipelines as well since ground water contamination started happening in states that did not require the MTBE/gas mixture.


http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=35692 (http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=35692)

A - I'm not a noob here
B - I don't troll, I'll call you outright and I don't wuss out in that aspect by stalking with PM's
C - The resume was mostly sarcasm, I am currently caring for an elderly parent, so my chance of moving      anywhere to work is on hold for the time being.

No one said you were...okay, well you kind of alluded to it here.


No one said you did...okay, well you kind of alluded to it here.  But even in the other thread, I wasn't addressing you about it, I think I was talking to Hoss...I could be wrong.  I appreciate the straight-forwrdness, as I am the same.


Okay, well maybe I missed something, this a Tulsa forum, you not in Tulsa?  Anyway, condolences or whatever on the current situation, I know that can be quite a difficult period to go through.  I get the sarcasm now, but you were quite specific in your post, and although sarcasm was one of my options, I thought I would check for sure.

Did I hear the word Job?

lol, maybe, but with further research you will find that it is quite rare that I am in charge of the hiring :D