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Being Cheated at the Gas Pumps?

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Old 08-09-2007 | 02:32 PM
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Default Being Cheated at the Gas Pumps?

I am curious if any of you guys have noticed what I have. I believe gas companies are putting alot of ethanol in gas nowadays. All of the sudden my suburban and my towncar are getting a solid 10-20% less gas milage. I am in the SE. Where this really concerns me is if they are doin this with premium! Will ethanol do a dirty deed to a procharged motor? Seems to me the gas companies should have to disclose how much ethanol they are putting in gas! Opinions?
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Old 08-09-2007 | 02:47 PM
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All I know is that 87 is $2.69 on land and $4.19 on the water!
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Old 08-09-2007 | 02:53 PM
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I think ethanol boost octane slightly, but it does reduce gas mileage.
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Old 08-09-2007 | 03:10 PM
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Ethanol DOES reducegas mileage.....I've seen experts claim this is a temp fix. They claim ethanol is costly to make (we see that at the pump) creates significant polutants during production, and is less effiecient than what we've been using. The proponents claim the loss is only 3-4% and this will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil...WHATEVER!

and BTW: ethanol fuel breaks down much faster than the old "gas" you were using. I had 2.5 month old fuel in the tank and was pinging the knock sensor.....put new fuel in and everything was fine. There are some gas stations out of town that do not have ethanol....I now tow to them on the way to the river to avoid ethanol all together.
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Old 08-09-2007 | 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by t500hps
Ethanol DOES reducegas mileage.....I've seen experts claim this is a temp fix. They claim ethanol is costly to make (we see that at the pump) creates significant polutants during production, and is less effiecient than what we've been using. The proponents claim the loss is only 3-4% and this will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil...WHATEVER!

and BTW: ethanol fuel breaks down much faster than the old "gas" you were using. I had 2.5 month old fuel in the tank and was pinging the knock sensor.....put new fuel in and everything was fine. There are some gas stations out of town that do not have ethanol....I now tow to them on the way to the river to avoid ethanol all together.

The big question is: How do you know whose fuel has ethanol and whose doesn't????
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Old 08-09-2007 | 03:14 PM
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Ethanol makes gas mileage worse, but also makes more power...

Catch 22 I guess.

Also, My Town Car has been getting worse mileage lately too, but it's been so dang hot that the A/C has been working overtime... The A/C usually sucks 2 MPG, and now it seems to be eating even more... on top of the fact that the car is less efficient in the extreme heat anyway
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Old 08-09-2007 | 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by pachanga
The big question is: How do you know whose fuel has ethanol and whose doesn't????
In VA stations have to have the pumps marked with stickers stating that it's 10% ethanol......somewhere we were able to find which counties in the stat had ethanol...and which did not. It's not information that is readily available so you'll hav eto dig around or ask the gas station attendants to find out.
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Old 08-09-2007 | 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by t500hps
In VA stations have to have the pumps marked with stickers stating that it's 10% ethanol......somewhere we were able to find which counties in the stat had ethanol...and which did not. It's not information that is readily available so you'll hav eto dig around or ask the gas station attendants to find out.
I must say...cudos to Va. I do remember seeing a notice at one gas station with a warning or notice posted in Va. that said gas may contain up to 10% ethanol. Tis not the case here in Ga.
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Old 08-09-2007 | 06:22 PM
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Here is the map.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/infr...5_stations.cgi
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Old 08-09-2007 | 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by White Knuckles
I believe you will find (from my experience) that many stations are selling gas with ethanol with no notice. Seems ta be the quicktrips,racetracks,etc. I went to Baltinore around 6 weeks ago. Drivin the Lincoln...usin the cruise...Quicktrip 1st tank...damn...where did my fuel economy go?...2nd tank...BP....By the time I filled up again my fuel economy average was up 10 + %! I reset the computer when I hit the highway when we left...so no city driving before we started Next long trip in the Suburban was the same...they are not telling us there is ethanol in the gas! I will gladly pay up to 30c per gallon more for gas now if I know there is no ethanol in it!
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