Tremors and high octane fuel

[JohnnyO]

People are odd. I knew a guy who kept every car he owned washed and waxed and looking new inside out….. but would NEVER change oil in one. He would drive them until they started smoking and trade them.

I had a cousin like that (R.I.P.). He never kept anything longer than three years though. I think he figured that washing and waxing was free but couldn't see spending money on them.

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[UncleWillie]

You got a tank of gas when you bought your truck? I think I got mine and it had 1/8 of a tank.

When I bought my ranger this was the case. Most dealerships keep them low.

Funny story though... when I bought my F150 last month, I was pulling off the dealer lot. Done deal. My salesman came sprinting across the parking lot flagging me down. He asked if the truck has fuel. I said it had an 1/8th tank. He said for me to meet him at the gas station across the road. He jogged across the street with a credit card and paid for me to fill up my tank...

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Hmmm, my credit card statement started to get mysteriously higher with 93 octane, and my back pocket became looser where I carry my wallet. How can this be? Could the high octane vapors be making my pants stretch? Is the electronic engine timing advancement with premium fuel somehow manipulating my credit card statement via AI? I'm definitely going back to 87 octane. (These are the kinds of answers we're seeing to a simple question)

You shouldn’t carry your wallet in your back pocket. It’s bad for your spinal alignment. May cause your right foot to move more than what your brain tells it to. May be part of your MPG problem

 

[DaveT]

You shouldn’t carry your wallet in your back pocket. It’s bad for your spinal alignment. May cause your right foot to move more than what your brain tells it to. May be part of your MPG problem

Hmmm, maybe if I install a "solid" shaft drive everything will be fine.

 

[LB'sTremor]

Hmmm, maybe if I install a "solid" shaft drive everything will be fine.
[/QUOTE]
one word, AMSOIL will solve ALL your problems

 

[9zero1790]

so i found out something yesterday that did make a dent in my mpg. parking brake has been hanging since new... longer i drove the worse the brake problem was. apparently it was an intermittent thing depending on lots of things like if the parking brake was used recently or not and the temp of the brake. no way to know how much it cost me in gas money or mpg but it surely did not help.

 

[NTXTremor]

It is difficult to scientifically measure the difference in fuel economy and "how it feels" when running 93 octane versus 87 octane in everyday driving conditions. There are far too many variables such as city versus highway miles, wind, hills, and most importantly, the driver's right foot.

That said, when I made the switch from 87 to 93 in my Tremor, the driving experience difference was more dramatic than I expected. I tracked fuel mileage closely for the first few tanks, but I never logged each tank.

I would say that I am getting somewhere between 1.5 to 2 mpg better with 93 in my normal driving conditions which is about 50 / 50 in town and highway. It is not enough to justify the cost difference but the improved smoothness and responsiveness is more than enough justification for me.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/im-a-premium-convert.24871/

 

[DaveT]

Not asking for a scientific analysis, just a simple answer to a simple question: does YOUR mpg change between low and high octane gas. It's kinda like asking the university presidents whether calls for genocide are appropriate on their campus. The answer is not "it depends of the context," or in this case driving style, wind, hills, and highways. I'm glad you came around and provided your answer: YES.

 

[NTXTremor]

Not asking for a scientific analysis, just a simple answer to a simple question: does YOUR mpg change between low and high octane gas. It's kinda like asking the university presidents whether calls for genocide are appropriate on their campus. The answer is not "it depends of the context," or in this case driving style, wind, hills, and highways. I'm glad you came around and provided your answer: YES.

Well, you might not care about a scientific analysis or think that "driving style, wind, hills, and highways" matter, but that doesn't change the fact that they DO matter. Your question was about an objective fact, not a subjective opinion, and certainly not in any way related to university presidents testifying before congress.

Whether someone gets better or worse gas mileage with 93 octane DOES depend on the context. As they say: YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY.

 

[Jason B]

Well, you might not care about a scientific analysis or think that "driving style, wind, hills, and highways" matter, but that doesn't change the fact that they DO matter. Your question was about an objective fact, not a subjective opinion, and certainly not in any way related to university presidents testifying before congress.

Whether someone gets better or worse gas mileage with 93 octane DOES depend on the context. As they say: YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY.

How so? My driving habits don't change depending on what octane I use. So those factors shouldn't affect a difference in my MPG when the only thing changed is octane. There will definitely be a difference in your MPG and my MPG because of different driving conditions and habits.
What I think OP is asking, is on an individual basis, does MPG change with octane used, all others things remaining the same.

 

[NTXTremor]

How so? My driving habits don't change depending on what octane I use. So those factors shouldn't affect a difference in my MPG when the only thing changed is octane. There will definitely be a difference in your MPG and my MPG because of different driving conditions and habits.
What I think OP is asking, is on an individual basis, does MPG change with octane used, all others things remaining the same.

Your driving habits might change depending on the octane you use since the truck behaves differently. You might find that you don't need to give it as much throttle to achieve the acceleration that you desire, or you might find that you really like the responsiveness and give it even more throttle.

And there is so much variation in driving conditions from one tank to the next. Did you have to stop at every stoplight between your home and your work, or did you get all green lights? Did you go to work at a different time than normal and experience less traffic? If you do a lot of highway miles, were you driving into a strong headwind or a crosswind? (Aerodynamics have the most impact on mpg, and driving into 30 mph winds as is common in Texas and Oklahoma can really impact your mpg)

On the other threads, we have established that the engine in our Rangers does adjust to octane via sensors such as the knock sensor. Higher octane allows for more aggressive timing without detonation which results in more torque and more HP. The engine is more efficient, and if you drive normally, you should experience improved mpg if all other factors are similar.

When you buy a new vehicle, it comes with EPA ratings for City MPG and Highway MPG. I spent two summers in college performing these tests, and they are very scientific. All of these variables are eliminated. The vehicle is secured to a dyno, and the vehicle is started cold. The driver tries to match the speed as indicated by the standard test, which at the time I did the tests was on a computer monitor in front of the windshield. A test like this is the only scientific approach, yet it even cannot account for wind resistance losses.

 

[DaveT]

Of course there is variation, but I would think that most people who have tried both octanes can answer the simple question as it applies to their experience. I can.

 

[Frenchy]

Of course there is variation, but I would think that most people who have tried both octanes can answer the simple question as it applies to their experience. I can.

If it helps when I first got my 2019 I was using 87. After a month or so I started using 91. Besides the MPG going up a bit I had.other factors that made me stick with it. Put simple use premium fuel and it will thank you.

 

[WhyNot21]

Put simple use premium fuel and the oil companies will thank you.

^ Fixed

 

[Frenchy]

^ Fixed

That is simply a different variation

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