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Placebo Effect? V-Power "Nitro" After 113 Miles

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Starship16, Jul 13, 2018.

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  1. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    Yes, I experience the same thing when I refill at the 1/2 tank or 3/4 point.
    Oh, and one more odd thing, I was watching the From-the-Flag display, and those numbers were jumping around wildly. One second it would be at 66, then suddenly drop down to 59, then jump back up to 64, then down to 61... it was crazy. (This was day 2, long after I had refilled.) It went nuts as I was just driving at a steady leisurely 45 mph, and then I stopped to take in the scenery....

    IMG_0916.jpg IMG_0914.jpg

    I was just a couple miles south of the Trump National Golf Club. I was tempted to stop in there and buy a hamburger at the restaurant. :ROFLMAO: One cheeseburger please... Ok sir, that will be $45!! :eek::eek:

    IMG_0923.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

    #61 Starship16, Jul 15, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  2. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yes, that's fairly normal early on a trip, particularly suburban driving. Mine reads l/100, and the average is about 4 avg. But starting a trip, it might go up to 9+, down the next hill, back to 2 and swing back and forth for the first few kilometres, ending up between 3 and 5 - the longer the trip, the closer to my overall average of 4. Not so much with Motorway driving though which is more steady.
     
    #62 alanclarkeau, Jul 15, 2018
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Are you paying with a credit card? If so, why do that? (n)

    FWIW, you're not alone; @bisco does the same thing.
     
    #63 Mendel Leisk, Jul 15, 2018
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  4. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    Yes. Old habit.
     
    #64 Starship16, Jul 15, 2018
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  5. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Fuel gauge showing full maybe the sender is stuck ?
     
    #65 kithmo, Jul 15, 2018
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  6. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Congratulations - maybe you've made history with the first?? (at least on PriusChat)
     
    #66 alanclarkeau, Jul 15, 2018
  7. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Here in Socal, Arco advertises their gasoline as "Top Tier", so lord knows what the straight skinny really is. I remember when I worked for Chevron, any brand stations running out of their brand of gasoline would, as needed, get gasoline from another brand; the public was never informed. Also, oil refining and gasoline production are batch processes which can yield variations in output. I don't know how much trust you want to put in the oil industry and their statements. I can tell you stories about what I saw and heard....
    All I know is the auto industry is more carefully regulated (in California at least) than is the oil industry. Someone ought to compare truth in advertising performance of these two behemoths; it would make for interesting reading!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
    AChoiredTaste.com
     
    #67 HPrimeAdvanced, Jul 15, 2018
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  8. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    At least you have a heart! Some in the public domain (need I mention names?), have none!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
    AChoiredTaste.com
     
    #68 HPrimeAdvanced, Jul 15, 2018
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  9. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    To the OP, you can always pick up an app to monitor your timing advance over time to see what the max advance is with various fuels.
     
    #69 El Dobro, Jul 15, 2018
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  10. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Neighbor, I guarantee the best way to ABSOLUTELY reduce the noise in a Prius is.... wait for it.....!!! Make sure it says "Prime" on the car! No ICE running; no noise! Ahhhhhh, nirvana!
    And, I recently raced a very hurried Gen4 taxi a few days ago; ate him alive! 2-3 car lengths ahead of him at 50mph. This guy was weaving in and out of traffic, trying to get somewhere in a big hurry. I love my Prime!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
    AChoiredTaste.com
     
    #70 HPrimeAdvanced, Jul 15, 2018
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  11. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Smog reduction and abandonment of lead in gasoline. Cheapest way to reduce some smog components, but ethanol does reduce mileage. Also "big corn" loves the ethanol subsidies!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
    AChoiredTaste.com
     
    #71 HPrimeAdvanced, Jul 15, 2018
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  12. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Ethanol is a much kinder way to boost octane.

    Keep history in mind:

    We got high-octane fuels ~100 years ago when automakers realized they could offer much higher engine power in small cheap engines.

    When faced with the technical problem of increasing octane ratings, the petro business knew in 1920 that they could add ethanol to achieve their goal.

    Their problem was that everyone knew how to make ethanol. Worse, they feared that people would figure out that they could just run the cars on straight ethanol and skip the gasoline.

    The production of tetraethyl lead was much more sophisticated, and it could be patented and monetized through licensed production. (Never mind the bit about massive lead contamination in the environment)

    Fast forward to the late 1960s- auto engineers realized that the only way they could hit the clean air demands coming up soon would be to use catalytic converters- but the lead in the gas would quickly clog and disable these converters. So they had to hold the lead but still maintain the octane rating.

    Welcome back, ethanol.
     
    #72 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jul 15, 2018
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  13. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    DB59FF0B-67DB-42E6-A693-7CEB731D94AC.jpeg

    Finally, the gas gauge just started to move at 234 miles driven! :) I pressed the fuel filler door open button, took the gas cap off, waited a few seconds, and put the cap back on and closed the door. Maybe it's just a coincidence but the gas gauge finally started moving.

    The ICE still sounds quieter and smoother with this Shell V-Power Nitro Premium. Instead of a noisy whiny engine, it's now more of a mature subdued growl. :)

    Back to the mean streets…:cool:
     
    #73 Starship16, Jul 15, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  14. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Maybe. But I'm pretty sure that the mechanical tank sender plays NO ROLE in any of the MPG calculations.
     
    #74 sam spade 2, Jul 15, 2018
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  15. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    I thought those mostly expired many years ago.
    Are there really any direct subsidies for ethanol still in place ??
     
    #75 sam spade 2, Jul 15, 2018
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  16. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    I'm headed back to the barn.
    Trip A shows 264 miles driven.
    60.5 mpg.
    Distance-to-Empty 474 miles.

    It is no longer a little wimpy 1.8 L.
    It is now a Lean Mean Smooth-Running Quieter Green Machine!

    Still brisk driving in Normal mode. No eco-maneuvers or pulse & glide. On my way to a 738 mile tank?... without even trying. ;)

    Lets keep this our secret. I don't want to start a stampede on Shell stations. :LOL: :ROFLMAO:

    Mr Spock, take her to warp speed!
     
    #76 Starship16, Jul 15, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
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  17. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    My guess is the nozzle you used had an extremely generous stop. An extra half gallon?
     
    #77 krmcg, Jul 15, 2018
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  18. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    That's possible. In the past (with 87 octane) I would intentionally squeeze in an extra $2, or 3/4 gallon? Thats why she overflowed once or twice. :LOL: But I never saw numbers like I'm currently seeing now.

    Honestly, I don't believe the current mpg display. I'm guessing the guage will start dropping fairly fast. And that's Ok, because the original purpose of this test was just to see if the ICE would run smoother/quieter with Premium. I really doubt I will make it to 700 miles. I'm driving like Mad Max. :ROFLMAO:
     
    #78 Starship16, Jul 15, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
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  19. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Yes, apparently they are still in place from what I've just read in Google, as of May 2017 article; several posters also mentioned Trump continuing support for ethanol subsidies, against objections by many.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
    AChoiredTaste.com
     
    #79 HPrimeAdvanced, Jul 15, 2018
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  20. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    That could be the problem - there's more explanation in the manual.
    upload_2018-7-16_9-53-9.png
     
    #80 alanclarkeau, Jul 15, 2018
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