I have a '93 reg cab RWD 2.3L 5 speed, and I generally get 25 mpg (I don't know how, from what I hear I should be doing about 20). Anyway, I get that about 85% of the time. However, every so often after a complete fill up I'll get only 21 mpg out of the tank. Are some stations selling me bad gas, or do I have some other problem? What about this E15 stuff, do they have to tell you if they are selling that to you?

 

Well. . . Maybe not bad gas, but different refineries have different blends and methods to refine gas. My grandfather swears that he gets better mileage from the Shell station, than say the BP station.

 

Jman, I've gotten that much mpg difference between brands, where I live in SW Va!!!!

If you intermittently run a gas/ethanol blend I wouldn't be surprised if you got less mpg, as there is less thermal energy to be had from the ethanol in the blend.

So the higher the percentage of ethanol in the blend, the less thermal energy to be had & the lower the mpg you're likely to get.

In my area since 97, I've found Chevron & Texaco offer me the best mpg, in that order, in my 99 4.0L Ranger & 94 3.8L Taurus, & I've tried all the brands available to me locally.

Of those two I had never used Chevron as it wasn't marketed here until the mid 90's & I hadn't used Texaco for many years, as it didn't perform well in my engines of years past.

However I found the they had changed their formultion in 89 & had a very good add pack that really woke the 3.8L Taurus up & it's city gas mileage went from the low to mid 17's to 22-24, where it remains today.

So for me it was worth trying differnt brands & keeping good records of mpg.

Do the same, but give each brand, say 5 tanks & average them to get good results.

I even went so far as to use the same station. pump & facing the same way on each refill.

If you decde to do this & Texaco will be one of your test fuels, be aware that until mid year 06, there will be two mfgs of Texaco fuels. Shell & Chevron/Texaco!!!!

The add pack is different between the two.
Shell s still using Texaco's origional reciepe "Clean System Three" add pack & Chevron/Texaco, Texaco as of Aug 05, is using Chevron's Techron add pack.

You can tell who's gas your buying by looking on the pump to see which add pack is listed!!!!

In my area, the Shell Texaco doesn't run as well, in anything I have, including my marine engine, so I don't know what the heck they've done to it here, just be aware there may be a difference where you live too!!!!

Good testing!!!!!

 

Don't forget that Unocal and Chevron Texaco just merged.
I just think that it's dumb that You can use a Texaco card at a Chevron or Shell station but you can use a Chevron card at a Shell station. Thats just stupid.

 

I'd say it's the brand of gas too. I get the best mileage out of Chevron, but Husky/Mohawk sucks.

 

yeah i'm pretty much sure by now it is the brand of gas, but I only ever go to three stations, so now I have to figure out which one is causing my lower gas mileage. Maybe I should ask each station if they are selling E15. I haven't seen it posted, but I don't know if they have to advertise that like they do E85.

 

The EPA estimates on the 94 2.3L (that's what I looked up, so 93 should be close if not the same...) are 22city/27hwy and I lean towards and above the hwy ratings most days.

25 average is fine.