I was religiously using Chevron 93 in my 04 325I (Steptronic) up until very recently. However, I was getting only 15 or 16 miles per gallon for 100% city driving. I recently decided to try Exxon 93 just for the heck of it and my gas mileage jumped up to about 19 mpg on a tank that contained about 30% Chevron 93 and 70% Exxon 93. According to these numbers, for 100% city driving, I should be getting around 20 or 21 mpg on a tank that contains 100% Exxon 93. Has anyone made similar observations?
Exxon 93 gives better gas mileage than Chevron 93!
- Thread starter uzun
- Start date
I keep track of all gas fill-ups; type, octane, amount, cost etc. I didn't notice the dramatic diff you mentioned, but I can prove over the last year that using Exxon has provided me with better mpg vs. all the others. I stated this before, not sure if it's the car liking the gas or the gas being better than the others. The others being, Shell, Chevron, Phillips 66, Texaco, BP-Amoco, Entec, and Diamond Shamrock. BP-Amoco is a close second, with Shell giving me the worst. Regardless of which gas I use, adding FP has increased my MPG about 1%, costing just pennies a fill-up. The real benefits are not increased mpg, but a cleaner system which equates to longer life and better fuel mileage. My bimmers only a year old, imagine the benefits and cost saving for an older vehicle. If I have your curiosity, check out;
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi, great forum for a lot of vehicle things, like oil, filters, tires, etc. Lube Control & Fuel Power (LC and FP) is a paid sponsor and the links are at the top of the page in the Additives, fuel, oil, cleaners section.
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi, great forum for a lot of vehicle things, like oil, filters, tires, etc. Lube Control & Fuel Power (LC and FP) is a paid sponsor and the links are at the top of the page in the Additives, fuel, oil, cleaners section.
I have been driving the same way, no change in the driving style at all. So many people on the BMW forums say they prefer Chevron and that was the main reason I had decided to use it too. Maybe the Chevron gas around here is not the same as that in other parts of the country for some reason. Anyways, I think I will stick with Exxon for a while!
That's wierd. My car tends to like the Chevron 93.....and I regularly get 32 mpg...my test runs are a 1 1/2 hour trip from Roswell (suburb of Atl) to Athens...I do cruise control at 73 mph once I hit the freeway....I put it on 73 mph and I have the 2.8L engine and touring tires. I reset my mpg gauge...and Chevron has always given me good results. I was also told that BMW brand feul injector cleaner is Techron, which is Chevron.
Don't take this the wrong way but I have been driving for almost 30 years and have never noticed a drastic difference in gas milage from gas to gas in any of my cars ever, including my BMWs. I use Hess 93 in my BMWs because it is the cheapest around (210.9 today). I get a consistent 23-25 overall averaging 30 mph per tank in my 330 and 22 overall in my X5. My Corolla gets 35 mpg overall (on 87 octane of course). I will also use Sam's gas when I go there and need a fill-up as it is even cheaper (202.9 last time I was there).
I think something else besides the gas is changing your mileage.
My $0.02.
I think something else besides the gas is changing your mileage.
My $0.02.
I track all my fill ups on both my cars.The biggest changes to your mpg is city vs. highway and driving style ( aggressive vs. passive la la driving ). I tried the premium vs regular on my SUV and did not see any noticable different.
The only reason to use premium gas is when you car is designed for it. Normally for engines with higher compression ( above 10 atm ). The higher octane in the premium gas increases the flashpoint of the gas vapor. Higher compression heats up the vapor to higher temps ( MV=NRT ). The higher octane prevents the gas mixture from pre-igniting before the spark plug detonates it. pre-ignition is bad, can cause "knocking and pinging" to things far worst. Cars which uses regular gas can use premium, not the other way around.
Further more, I hear report of different parts of the country using different blends of gas. I can understand perhaps winter vs summer blends. whats the deal ?
The only reason to use premium gas is when you car is designed for it. Normally for engines with higher compression ( above 10 atm ). The higher octane in the premium gas increases the flashpoint of the gas vapor. Higher compression heats up the vapor to higher temps ( MV=NRT ). The higher octane prevents the gas mixture from pre-igniting before the spark plug detonates it. pre-ignition is bad, can cause "knocking and pinging" to things far worst. Cars which uses regular gas can use premium, not the other way around.
Further more, I hear report of different parts of the country using different blends of gas. I can understand perhaps winter vs summer blends. whats the deal ?
The formula is actually PV=nRT, Pressure times Volume = Moles times Constant R times temperature. I don't know where you got M from, maybe its a different way to word it but it doesn't matter as long as you know how to use it and you obviously do.
bmwrocks, I know somebody who always used Hess gas up until his gas tank froze a couple of times. Not to start a flame war but you really don't care what gas you put in your tank, do you? I mean, come on, the cheaper the better? What if the cheaper gas costs less because they add lesser grade to a higher grade? Right now I don't have much money at all but I am still going to the say BP station and putting in the same 93 octane gas, I know I don't need it, but what if they mix in some 89 in there and make it 91? By the same principal they would make 91 something even less and then I am screwing the car over by not using the required octane of gas. I am sorry for all of this but you obviously have money (looking at the cars you have), why not use the higher octane gas at gas stations with better reputation? Just to be on the safe side of course. Then again, I am not you and I can't be telling you what to do or how to act. I am sorry, just had to release a little steam with everything that has been happening lately.
bmwrocks, I know somebody who always used Hess gas up until his gas tank froze a couple of times. Not to start a flame war but you really don't care what gas you put in your tank, do you? I mean, come on, the cheaper the better? What if the cheaper gas costs less because they add lesser grade to a higher grade? Right now I don't have much money at all but I am still going to the say BP station and putting in the same 93 octane gas, I know I don't need it, but what if they mix in some 89 in there and make it 91? By the same principal they would make 91 something even less and then I am screwing the car over by not using the required octane of gas. I am sorry for all of this but you obviously have money (looking at the cars you have), why not use the higher octane gas at gas stations with better reputation? Just to be on the safe side of course. Then again, I am not you and I can't be telling you what to do or how to act. I am sorry, just had to release a little steam with everything that has been happening lately.
I doubt the gas made the difference - i bet YOU made the difference. When I first purchased my car, I was getting 17 - 19 mpg. Without changing gas and everything else I started to become a more sane driver - and then got 22 - 25 mpg city, which for a car thats rated 19?... isn't that bad!!
Andreyiv - People say "its all the same" but in a lot of gas, like the cheap brands (Hess, sheetz, etc.), you can smell sulfur in the gas itself or other bad smells. You go to Sunoco, Exxon, or other higher priced gas, and it has no fould smell - in fact it has almost the smell of alcohol. I imagine it is becuase the gas is more pure, better filtered, etc.
Andreyiv - People say "its all the same" but in a lot of gas, like the cheap brands (Hess, sheetz, etc.), you can smell sulfur in the gas itself or other bad smells. You go to Sunoco, Exxon, or other higher priced gas, and it has no fould smell - in fact it has almost the smell of alcohol. I imagine it is becuase the gas is more pure, better filtered, etc.
I doubt they add water... adding water would keep customers from returning (they wouldnt have running cars). I think the big problem is dirt in the tank/gas, efficiency of their meters, and overall quality of the gas (yes it all comes from the same place - except companies have their own refineries and cracking towers.)
The big difference between budget gas stations and better ones (Sunoco, Exxon, etc.) is the effects on mid-grade gas. I wish I could find a way to tell if I'm really getting 89 when I buy it at one of the cheap stations. They mix low and high grade for middle.
The big difference between budget gas stations and better ones (Sunoco, Exxon, etc.) is the effects on mid-grade gas. I wish I could find a way to tell if I'm really getting 89 when I buy it at one of the cheap stations. They mix low and high grade for middle.
Believe it or not you could. There is an octane meter, you drop it into a container of gas and it tells you the octane of it, I have yet to find one but my dad did see one or had one, something like that. The other reason for not adding water is: since water is heavier than gas, it will sink to the bottom and separate from the gas, well, at least in theory. My point being, if you love the car, treat it like you love it, if you don't love it, why not buy something you do? Anyway, I am off to bed, everyone have a nice day.
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Maybe not water, but something. Maybe they mix the regular grade into the premium or something. I don't know gas so I dunno what they do. I do know that some gas stations of the same brand give you better performance than others. So, when you find one that's good, stay with that one or at least avoid the one you've found to not do so well.