Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 23:35:55 -0600
Reply-To: Joel Walker <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
Subject: Re: While we are onthe topic....
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> Do we notice a increase in fuel economy when we use higher octance fuel?
> A power increase? Any increase? well besides cost obviously.
> I use 92 octane 76 fuel consistently, for me it makes a difference, the
engine makes more power, smoother too.
i've been keeping close records on my 88 bus since i bought it new. six
brands of gasoline and three octanes. as far as i can tell, there ain't a
nickel's worth of difference in the brands or the octanes. that is, 87
octane gets just as good mpg as 92/93. only when you calculate the
miles/dollar do you see the difference! and the higher octanes get lower
mpd. :(
if you like, i can send you the raw data or the processed "report" (dippy
little thing written in REXX).
but that's MY bus with MY driving style(s) in MY region, using the gasolines
blended and sold hereabouts. other regions and other gasolines may (and
probably will) vary. and you can't count on Shell gasoline actually being
"Shell" ... i've seen Exxon and Amoco and Texaco trucks filling up the Shell
stations around here ... which is probably why the gasoline brand doesn't
seem to matter. :(
joel
oh, what the heck .... here's the brand comparison. :)
brand octane tanks gallons cost miles mpg $/gal
miles/$
Amoco R87 46 592.0 654.38 12,077.3 20.4 1.11 18.46
Amoco R89 23 300.2 343.26 5,774.0 19.2 1.14 16.82
Amoco P92 23 305.8 395.49 6,111.8 20.0 1.29 15.45
92 1,198.0 1,393.13 23,963.1 20.0 1.16 17.20
Bp R87 46 574.5 627.48 11,577.0 20.2 1.09 18.45
Bp R89 23 313.6 367.39 6,231.3 19.9 1.17 16.96
Bp P92 25 308.9 397.89 6,139.3 19.9 1.29 15.43
94 1,197.0 1,392.76 23,947.6 20.0 1.16 17.19
Chevron R87 45 604.6 668.75 11,984.0 19.8 1.11 17.92
Chevron R89 23 295.6 355.33 6,042.9 20.4 1.20 17.01
Chevron P92 24 304.1 399.03 6,175.9 20.3 1.31 15.48
92 1,204.3 1,423.11 24,202.8 20.1 1.18 17.01
Exxon R87 46 617.5 679.13 12,270.3 19.9 1.10 18.07
Exxon R89 23 297.8 345.06 5,655.4 19.0 1.16 16.39
Exxon P92 24 302.3 389.09 6,205.6 20.5 1.29 15.95
93 1,217.6 1,413.28 24,131.3 19.8 1.16 17.07
Shell R87 45 581.6 644.01 11,317.3 19.5 1.11 17.57
Shell R89 23 301.6 353.11 5,997.0 19.9 1.17 16.98
Shell P92 24 311.9 392.46 6,338.1 20.3 1.26 16.15
92 1,195.1 1,389.58 23,652.4 19.8 1.16 17.02
Unocal R87 43 580.1 618.57 11,418.2 19.7 1.07 18.46
Unocal R89 21 269.1 311.73 5,332.1 19.8 1.16 17.10
Unocal P92 21 274.1 349.98 5,581.4 20.4 1.28 15.95
85 1,123.3 1,280.28 22,331.7 19.9 1.14 17.44
Z-other R87 2 27.0 28.62 533.6 19.8 1.06 18.64
Z-other P92 1 3.5 4.28 55.6 15.9 1.22 12.99
3 30.5 32.90 589.2 19.3 1.08
17.91
Z-start R87 1 15.7 14.10 0.0 0.0 0.90 0.00
1 15.7 14.10 0.0 0.0 0.90 0.00
7,181.5 8,339.14 142,818.1
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