Stumbled on some ethanol-free gas??

We last tanked up in Powell River, a little road trip. By the time we got back to Vancouver, 158 km's after fill-up, the display was reading 3.8 liters/100 km. That equates to maybe 4.0~4.1 calculated, or about 57 mpg US.



Running a few local errands, it crept back up, to maybe 4.3 displayed. Then we had a couple of decent drives, and I pushed it down to 4.1.

My wife was out-and-about last night, brought it home, and now with over 500 km's on this tank, it's at 4.0.



Now this is eerily low for us, especially with 17" Michelin Pilots, on the the OEM porker rims. I'm thinking either: the car benefited from a good highway run up to Powell River, blew out some carbon or whatever. Or out in the boonies you're more likely to get ethanol-free??

A little stumped, not complaining too loudly.

 

The fill-up was at a regular Chevron pump, regular price. I'm just speculating why this tank is so exceptional. I can kinda see rolling back into town at 3.8 displayed, which btw is about the best I've ever seen. And then with a bit of local running around it'll tend to climb, and stay higher. but it's dropping (good in metric). I'm thinking either some carbon blow-out, or sometimes out of the way gas stations will get ethanol free.

Chevron pumps in town have a sticker that says "maybe contain up to 10% ethanol" and another on the highest octane pump that says "contains no ethanol" or words to that effect. So the only way to ensure ethanol-free is to pony up for their highest octane grade, which is a bit pointless. And as you say: expensive.

 

Update: filled up backed in Vancouver, and now about 1/3 of a tank in, the display is around 4.6 liters per 100 km (roughly 51 mpg US). If I drive like Gandhi, I can get it down to 4.5. Slack off at all, and it's 4.7~4.8.

This is a far cry from the 4.0~4.1 displayed (roughly 87 mpg US) on our last tank, similar conditions. Strange. Maybe I'll try a tank of Shell next, see what happens.

 

The bulk of out driving on this tank was Sunday, here-and-there in North Van, fairly hilly, with anywhere between 2~4 adults in the car. And Friday, same area, it was actually my son, and then my daughter-in-law driving a fair bit, I cut myself off due to a beery dinner, lol. In short: not ideal hypermiling conditions. And we're on 17" Michelin Pilots (that actually roll pretty easy, aging).

Still, the "wall" seems definitely higher this tank, say 4.5, vs 4.0 with that last, procured up the coast.

Researching a little, I'm thinking to let this tank get pretty low, then fill up with 91 octane Shell, which is ethanol free, and I think cheaper than Chevron's 94 octane (also ethanol free). See what happens.

Just a few minutes of AC use, btw, when it was muggy AND started to rain. But normally once heating season is over, we just vent the cabin with the windows.

 

I googled Chevron Canada pump image, and have a hunch this is actually one I posted a while back, lol. Maybe in Powell River, in a trance, I went for this pump, lol. I don't think so though:

 

I'd shredded the receipt BUT: I'd logged the litres in my mpg log, and paid with plastic, so was able to look up the amount and do the math. It was $1.33 a litre which is regular gas price, and I recall looking at the pump, thinking not that different than vancouver. I've been reading a bit, seeing some comment that small communities ocassionaly (or frequently?) get ethanol-free.

In the interest of science I don't mind splurging for one high octane, ethanol-free fill up, I'd like to see what it does. Just wish it was possible to get regular ethanol-free, but I guess there's various factors at play.

It's a little hard to discern in the pic, but I believe it's roughly 20 cents increase (per litre), going from octane 87 to 94. From $1.35 to $1.55, or about 15%.

 

Castanet • Ethanol-free gas? - View topic

Specifically, Sept 12 at 9:50 pm, 2012, by Crazy Horse. An excerpt:

I was getting fuel at a Chevron that did not display the the "may contain up to 10% ethanol" sticker on the pump, so I asked the attendant if there was ethanol in the gas. He said no, but didn't know why. So I contacted the Chevron refinery and was told that the requirement was for an average of 5%, so they add ethanol to all their branded fuel in the metro Vancouver area up to 10% in 87 octane (none in 94). This satisfies the 5% mandate, so they do not have to add ethanol to their fuel outside of metro Vancouver. Chevron supplies somewhere around 30-40% of gasoline in metro Vancouver.

The current tank (a Vancouver Chevron fill up, with regular) is settling on a displayed 4.9. Tanks before the road trip up the coast were similar. The tank with the Powell River gas came in at displayed 4.1. And this was fill up when the tank was barely to the halfway mark on the gas gauge, 23.327 liters.

Basically, the difference (calculated) is about 4.9 vs 4.4, a solid 10% difference. 10% drop in mpg, with 10% ethanol? This makes NO sense to me...

 

I'm starting to wonder if we hit the ethanol-free jackpot once again. Primarily my wife driving, some longish cross-town drives, and starting it up this afternoon, with about 175 kms on the trip meter (reset at fill up), the fuel economy was indicating 4.1 liters per 100 km. By the time we got from a shopping trip it was 4.2.

That 4.1 equates to 57.4 mpg (US). Again, that is displayed. But, this is 3rd gen, on Michelin X-Ice, in December.

 

On the prairies?

This is not the norm for us, the numbers been steadily climbing, getting into fall, as you can see from the Fuelly link. Strangely improved so far this tank, has me wondering.

 

Ugh, bad conditions.