E85 and mpg

[ukrkoz]

or any ethanol containing fuel, for that matter.

Came across interesting technical info today.

Apparently, many modern cars cut short on mechanical sensors, and use "virtual sensors" instead.

E.G., sensors that used to detect amount of ethanol in fuel are obsolete now, and replaced with virtual sensor. That "sensor", in its turn, is an algorithm based on O2 sensor readings.

Here's the cute part:

WHEN O2 SENSORS READS LEAN MIXTURE, ECM INTERPRETS THIS AS ETHANOL PRESENCE IN GASOLINE, AND REMAPS FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE TO HIGHER GASOLINE SUPPLY.

And here goes you mpg....

Source - Popular Mechanics

[WhiteSands]

I did lots of looking here in our city of 38,000 for a station that did not use ethanol. I read it lowers the power some and mpg. That was enough for me to search out which stations did not use it. Chevron was one of the last to start including ethanol. A usually low priced Phillips 66 station is only a block from a mom & pop cut priced station. The 3 to 5 cents higher Phillips 66 for a few years now does not contain ethanol. I dreaded seeing my mpg drop maybe 3 to 5 mpg which is not that much in price. I just like to keep the mpg at peak as long as I can.

[ukrkoz]

I emailed, few years ago, most major gas companies in the area and, surprisingly, they responded. Shell was the last to surrender here. We have only small enclaves left up in the mountains, where local regulations prevented them from going gasohol. But it is not worth driving there.
When I moved into Seattle area in 2005, big gas companies where mostly petrol. As of 3 yrs ago, it's all gasohol. including Phillips. Was quiet transition, you simply saw your mileage drop and white stickers on dispensers everywhere.

[WhiteSands]

Our gas here in southern New Mexico comes from El Paso. The Fina, Valero and a few convenience store gasolines comes from a small refinery 80 miles east of here. They get their oil from nearby oil wells. Our major top tier gas comes from El Paso 80 miles south of here, from the big Chevron refinery. They get their oil piped up from Houston, Texas.

I once talked to a gas tank truck driver off-loading at a Texaco station. I asked and he told me it was Chevron he was putting in the large tanks. He also carried some Shell in his truck for the Shell station near downtown. I remember the Shell here was the first with the gasohol sign on the pump.

I have looked up many gas companies homepages. I found that Texaco and Chevron are the same company. Conoco, Phillips 66, and 76 are also the same gasolines. Most know that Exxon and Mobile are the same and are now in the top-tier list.

Here is the list if your interested. Be sure to read the other links on the page.

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html