Beating the EPA - The Why’s and How to Hypermile

xcel · #21 05-31-2007, 10:06 AM

Hi Mitlynch:

___Two reasons. Price and the amount of power you could pull from a panel would be almost miniscule by comparison to what is needed to bring her SoC back to full with a panel that could fit on top of the car. There are many Prius II and some FEH PHEV conversions but I have not read of a PHEV conversion for an RXh yet …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

whitevette · #22 06-01-2007, 10:27 AM

Hello, Wayne !
I've been here (off and on) reading the comments...and noting one huge MPG parameter which no one knows to address. All seem to recognize the importance of tire pressure, hot vs. cold engine temp., oil viscosity, driving cycles, terrain, driver temperament ... and on and on.

The parameter not addressed? I almost hesitate to bring it up ... due to its "volatile" nature and its subtle but direct effect on FE. This parameter is gasoline quality.

Do you know exactly what it is you are putting in your gas tank when you refuel? I didn't...until I started an investigation into the origin of the "oily" smell of pump gas! I first noticed the smell ... faint at first ... in the early '70s ( about the time of the Arab Oil Embargo...remember?). Long story short - I developed a technique for separating the unknown halves ( volatile / non-volatile ) of this gasoline. Assuming gasoline was a derivative of crude oil, and crude oil is not a fuel, I questioned "What makes the higher distillate of this 'oil' into a fuel (gasoline)?"

Another long story short ... I found pump gas is composed of one part gasoline (the volatile part) and one part non-gasoline (the non-volatile part); this mixture separation is not apparent without physically "taking the fuel apart" ... as I did. The numbers were / are dramatic! What the numbers say is : Pump gas is one part diesel fuel and one part gasoline. How do I know it is diesel (and its components)? I did the only thing I know how to do in my crude (?) analysis...burn some of this "residue"! After managing to light a test sample, I noticed a sooty cloud given off...and, catching a whiff of this cloud,I detected the aroma of a diesel bus! Unmistakable!

This explains the "oily" smell of pump gas. How "big" is each part? It varies with octane and...over time, it changes.

There are many question concerning the "whys" and "hows" of the presence of this mix.
I have several... yet, EPA knows of this...having decreed the gasoline suppliers must reduce the volatility of their product ... so we helpless sheep can pump our own gas in a safe(r) manner. And, we must not forget the profit margin (obscene?) part of the equation. Oil is cheaper than further cracking to straight gasoline.

Can you still get good MPG with diesel in your gas? Obviously...but I wonder, how much better can you get with just gasoline? Hmmm.... It is a sign of the times...sheep can't think for themselves, right?

- Whitevette

tbaleno · #23 06-01-2007, 11:02 AM

It may not be addressed in the original article because it is very hard to do anything about the gas you use. Some people do travel to get gas in areas that don't have additives, but it is rare because the extra amount of gas you use to get to the "good" gas stations offsets any benifit of the higher mpg.

However, that being said, I know inbetween chicago and milwaukee there are stations without "junk" in the gas. I will fill up at those pumps if I am traveling through the area.

Also, note when you put in your tank data that there are quite a few fuel types to chose from. So that kind of data can be stored and compared at cleanmpg (if people actually enter the data when they put in a tank).

xcel · #24 06-01-2007, 02:49 PM

Hi Whitevette:

___We have discussed top Tier fuels but again, you do not have a choice other then the station you can use most of the time so it doesn’t matter. We have also discussed the real fuel related hits wrt RFG types, E10 additions, and winter summer formulations in various parts of the country. These have a much larger impact then any trace amount of diesel that may have gotten into the RBOB mix. These Q&A's are beyond the scope of this article as well ...

___Good Luck

___Wayne

johnburwell · #25 06-04-2007, 05:55 PM

Good points. Also, you will not see it on your MPGs but you will use less fuel if you take the inside of every curve (trafic allowing).
Thanks,
Woody

adel_Altima · #26 08-25-2007, 12:20 PM

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for this article - I'm starting to use as many of the FE methods as I can - mainly I've stopped using the AC and I'm trying to avoid breaking a lot like I used to do.

I'm hoping to use as many of the Hypermiling techniques as I can on my '01 Altima(automatic). According to EPA it gets about 22 MPG in the city, and if I can get it up to at least 30 that would be great.

Thanks for all the help,
adel

psic · #27 08-27-2007, 06:41 PM

Hi, everyone,

Another new member here, I've got a '96 Toyota Carina (also known as the Corona, I don't think it was ever sold in the US, curious people click here

) with a 1.8 petrol engine and manual transmission. I'm getting around 40 MPG with it, which is pretty good for this kind of car.

Anyways, I've just read the great article on 'The Why's and how to Hypermile' and some other threads on these forums, but I can't find many suggestions for cars with manual transmission? Most of the topics are about hybrids which, for the time being anyway, doesn't help me much.

Oh, and great site by the way!

lightfoot · #28 08-27-2007, 07:24 PM

Welcome to the forum!! There are plenty of people here who drive manual transmission cars - me for example. Just look at their signatures. You can use most of the general methods described here and they usually work BETTER with a manual than with automatics. Pulse and glide especially. There has been discussion on this but unfortunately I can't point you to a specific thread.

Glad you like the site - it's certainly a congenial bunch of people!

Ruminator · #29 09-19-2007, 01:22 AM

This article is the first I've read on the topic of improving vehicle mpg.

My thanks xcel! Its an excellent eye-opener!!

I've known about tire pressures and rolling resistance; I am wondering if there has been any comparison studies of specific rubber compounds, and specific tire models showing their rolling resistance numbers?

I apologize. I'm not trying to hijack your thread, my initial excitement got the better of me.

psic · #30 09-19-2007, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruminator

I've known about tire pressures and rolling resistance; I am wondering if there has been any comparison studies of specific rubber compounds, and specific tire models showing their rolling resistance numbers?

Well, I know the German ADAC (car association, think AAA in the US) does tests every year on quite a few different tires at a couple of different sizes. One of the things they test is rolling resistance, though they usually put more of an emphasys on grip (in the dry and in the wet), braking distance, etc. The site is www.adac.de, but I think it's only in German, and the tires might be different to what is sold in the States. The tires I have at the moment have the lowest rolling resistance of all (the tires are Michelin Energy something), I'll have to check for winter tires for my dad soon.