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Hello everyone,

I am in Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil.

I am 48 y.o. and have a Ford Ranger double cabine 2.3 16V. I am interested in improving fuel consumption through Scangauge.

Best regards,

Felipe

Hi Felipe, and welcome to CleanMPG.

As usual, we suggest you check "Beating the EPA - The Why’s and how to Hypermile (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510)" just before placing the ScanGauge to good use. ;)


Cheers;

MSantos

Welcome from a great distance! Wayne is a Ranger czar and I'm sure he will point you in the right direction.

How much is gas in Brazil???

Thank you msantos and misrach.

Msantos, I will read it carefully, thank you.

At my town, I get Brazilian gasoline (30% alcohol) at R$ 2,35

Misrach, take a look here: http://www.ibp.org.br/main.asp?View=%7BDFD80892%2DC9E5%2D490A%2DA8B6%2DA50E12B79ADD%7D&Team=&params=itemID=%7BBFA16A79%2D1309%2D4646%2DA3F4%2D334BEB012F4F%7D%3B&UIPartUID=%7BD90F22DB%2D05D4%2D4644%2DA8F2%2DFAD4803C8898%7D and
here http://www.ibp.org.br/main.asp?View=%7BDFD80892%2DC9E5%2D490A%2DA8B6%2DA50E12B79ADD%7D&Team=&params=itemID=%7BBFA16A79%2D1309%2D4646%2DA3F4%2D334BEB012F4F%7D%3B&UIPartUID=%7BD90F22DB%2D05D4%2D4644%2DA8F2%2DFAD4803C8898%7D.
(http://www.ibp.org.br/main.asp?View=%7BDFD80892%2DC9E5%2D490A%2DA8B6%2DA50E12B79ADD%7D&Team=&params=itemID=%7BBFA16A79%2D1309%2D4646%2DA3F4%2D334BEB012F4F%7D%3B&UIPartUID=%7BD90F22DB%2D05D4%2D4644%2DA8F2%2DFAD4803C8898%7D)


Best regards,

Felipe

Greeting caricoca1000,
You are paying 2.35 reals per liter? I looked up the exchange rate 1.62 reals per dollar, so it is $1.45 per liter or $5.50 a gallon? I think I must have that wrong. We
- USA - are under the impression that gas/ethanol is cheaper in Brazil than here because of your use of sugarcane to make the ethanol.

In the USA we made a big mistake - scammed by huge commercial farming interests - and we are using corn to make ethanol. BIG MISTAKE - it drove up the price of all food products that have anything to do with ANY TYPE of grain - meat, milk, bread,rice, corn sweetener. Almost all are food staples have gone up about 25%. Some of this is due to the oil price increase, but a lot is self inflicted because of the corn to ethanol scam.

We are very curious about your sugarcane to ethanol program. It is strongly touted here in the USA as potentially part of the solution to getting off foreign oil , and oil in general. We are curious, is it really that good or is it good only because of government subsidies?

I live in the state of Louisiana near New Orleans and just 1 mile from the Mississippi river. We are a sugar cane growing state, and the farmers here would like to cash in on a sugarcane to ethanol program. The corn to ethanol has made most folks cautious about using a food crop for ethanol.

Well, guess I have dumped too many questions on you.

Like others have said, the 4 cylinder Ranger is the primary vehicle of xcel -Wayne - and he manages to double the 17-18 mpg the average driver gets with it. It is a good mpg choice- lots of FE potential.

Thanks,
Charlie

Bom dia! There are some great tips here and great people as well.

Charlie,

Please let me answer below what you wrote, and as energy discussions tend to be also politically motivated, please excuse me for any mistakes taken:

You are paying 2.35 reals per liter? I looked up the exchange rate 1.62 reals per dollar, so it is $1.45 per liter or $5.50 a gallon? I think I must have that wrong. We - USA - are under the impression that gas/ethanol is cheaper in Brazil than here because of your use of sugarcane to make the ethanol.

If the international price of sugar increases, the "alcohol agrobusiness" :mad: shifts the production of sugar for export. If the international price of sugar is reduced, they lower the price of the alcohol as car energy for the inner market.

We do not have until now an federal state IVA, we have a non cumulative federal state tax. Federal state means the federal states which are part of the Union, there are 27 or 28 federal states in Brazil. When the alcohol goes from the producer's federal state to another federal state, part of the tax remains with the originary state. Gas, diesel and electrical energy are not taxed at the federal state of its producers. So alcohol benefits its orginary state producers, the opposite hapennas with the remaining energies.

In the USA we made a big mistake - scammed by huge commercial farming interests - and we are using corn to make ethanol. BIG MISTAKE - it drove up the price of all food products that have anything to do with ANY TYPE of grain - meat, milk, bread,rice, corn sweetener. Almost all are food staples have gone up about 25%. Some of this is due to the oil price increase, but a lot is self inflicted because of the corn to ethanol scam.

The same here as profit is almost certain they tend to explore more sugarcane and alcohol than other cultures.

The sugar farm worker receives by ton collected. So they normally live less than other workers, because they work more hours daily than the others.

We are very curious about your sugarcane to ethanol program. It is strongly touted here in the USA as potentially part of the solution to getting off foreign oil , and oil in general. We are curious, is it really that good or is it good only because of government subsidies?

We are discovering oil at deep sea, and our state firm Petrobrás has developed its own technology to get the oil at deep seas. In short terms we may have less problems with energy than the USA.

I live in the state of Louisiana near New Orleans and just 1 mile from the Mississippi river. We are a sugar cane growing state, and the farmers here would like to cash in on a sugarcane to ethanol program. The corn to ethanol has made most folks cautious about using a food crop for ethanol.

I do not know if the corn prices are more speculative than sugarcane. The "alcohol agrobusiness" is actually extremely profitable. I do not remember any subsidies for them. If you know, please note me against, lol.

Well, guess I have dumped too many questions on you.

You are welcome.

Like others have said, the 4 cylinder Ranger is the primary vehicle of xcel -Wayne - and he manages to double the 17-18 mpg the average driver gets with it. It is a good mpg choice- lots of FE potential.

I am near my vacation time but will search for his ideas and conclusions. Do you have links?

I adore my gas Ranger!

Regards,

Felipe

Filipe,

Thanks for the quick answer. It is good to know that sugarcane to ethanol makes economic sense, and isn't a scam like our corn to ethanol. We- in the USA- have read that Brazil decided to attain energy independence about 30 years ago, and sugar cane was a large part of that plan. Brazil is developing deep water oil deposits; that is a huge plus.

Our - USA - energy problem is self inflicted. Brazil is waaay ahead of us in respect to energy independence

On the bright side the USA is filled with bright energetic folks who are eager to develope and embrace new technology. We will eventually become energy independent. We actually have HUGE energy resources - HUGE - even in respect to the way we waste energy. Coal- largest reserves in the world, and wind. We have HUGE open areas Texas, Oklahoma that are very windy and much of our coastline has fairly constant wind.

On links to Waynes techniques- this whole site is his brainchild. Check Msantos links.

A huge aside; yesterday's NASCAR race was just won by Dale Earnhart Jr using a hypermiling technique. He was going to run out of gas ,but he did a pulse and glide technique to extend an extra 5 laps.He shut his motor off and glided for long distances then he would restart it and gun it up to speed and shut it off and glide again. Granted NASCAR isn't Formula 1 and Earnhart isn't Aryton Senna, but winning by hypermiling is a big deal.

Thanks,
Charlie

Charlie,

I have other alternatives for my Ranger like gas too. In Argentina and Brazil Ford sells Ford Rangers with gas installation without loosing the warranty so far the instalation is made at their authorized workshops.

http://www2.uol.com.br/interpressmotor/lancamento/item15810.shl

http://carroonline.terra.com.br/serverpage_new/default.asp?tipo=1&cod=9&info=15411

http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/testes3/ranger-gnv-1.htm

http://200.160.251.167/ShopTour/saopaulo/motors/materias/30_179_200K.wmv

We were heavily dependent in gas from Evo Morales's Bolivia, but with the new discoverires maybe we will move to a less vulnerable position. But the federal government is heavily supporting alcohol and discouraging gas.

Will the folks of Scangauge launch a Scangauge III soon? Is it worth to buy a Scangauge II now without being soon outdated?

I disagree with you as you mention Senna, Piquet is the guy!

Regards,

Felipe