About 6 wks I switched tires from 35x12.5/20 Mickey ATZ's to 275/65/20 Nitto Terra. I gained about 1mpg from that alone. But I wanted to see if I could get better from another switch: gas. My driving habits are as follows: cruise on 65-67 on the hwy, speed limit in town, and rarely do i "get on her" unless its for grins. On 87 octane I would get about 470miles from a 28.5 gallon tank. thats roughly 16.5mpg which wasnt bad. So i switched to 93 and made a few tweaks to the tune, and i'm getting 505 from 28.5. Thats another 1mpg jump, up to 17.6 now! But, let's break down the dollar numbers too, just to see if this is paying off, or blowing dough. in my area: 87 - 3.44 93 - 3.64 Price difference is $.20. When using 93, a complete fill up will cost be just $5.70 MORE than if I filled up using 87. That $5.70 could get me an additional 1.65 gallons of gas. If I was getting 16.5 on 87, than that 1.65 extra fuel difference would net me an additional 27 miles, giving me a total of 497. But, i'm getting 505 w/ the 93. So on 28.5 gallons, I get far more distance (30+ miles), and its still cheaper on 93 than if I ran 87 for that same distance. Less fillups for me, which means I can prolly drive M-F for work w/ never filling up if i'm full sunday night. So I dare you, make the switch to 93 and drive smart, not racecar, and let me know if you see a difference. 1 added pay-off is that the truck actually runs quieter since its burning cleaner fuel. not sure if that is a direct result, but i notice a tone change, and its good.
When i get my edge back on i wanted to see about running 93. My mileage sucks bc i drive like an A-hole, but im sure if i didnt cruise on the highway at 80-85 i would probably have some interesting results. I hope to be able to do this in a few weeks.
I'd say 8 miles per 28.5 gallon tank is well within the margin for error (or margin for one spirited leave at a stop light). I've done similar tests in the past and for me it has turned out to pretty much be a wash when figured mileage per dollar. I figure the fuel companies know this and is probably why the prices are set the way that they are.
going 80-85 is your main problem. you are maybe, MAYBE, saving 5-10 minutes by driving that fast. speeding is only really beneficial over great distances, such as driving from houston to chicago. change to just 70 and you'll see a significant jump, enough to make you even try 65 i'm sure. i understand what you mean, 87/93, bout the same when you factor in the additional gas i can buy w/ the added cost of the 93. but you are missing the point. 93 gives me better gas mileage, which is the test i performed. the cost is the same true, but the mpg PER tank is greater, resulting in less fillups. I drive 100mi/day, so if I can get a true 500+mi tank, I'm happy. Hell, 500 miles is better than most people get runnin 34" tires w/ a slight lift. Spread that day difference over a complete year. 93 = 5 days of driving = 365/5 = 73 fillups. 87 = 4.5 days of driving = 365/4.5 = 81 fillups. Its about 10 min/fillup, so by running 93, you gain an additional 80 minutes per year. thats 80 min extra i can spend w/ my daughter or wife instead of the fuel pump. And time is just ONE added benefit besides the extra mpg.
I dont even think i speed for the time saving. I went from driving a 2 door car that might as well have been a go-kart to the truck. The speed racer driving never left me i guess.
Have all ways run 93 octane in the Ranger 3.0 unless they we out where I had to stop. I'm betting if I checked out old receipts from before the government's ethanol mandate there would be less mileage from the newer E-10 fuels. I've heard some misinformed persons say 93 octane causes more carbon build up in the cylinder head, valves and piston tops. My brother-in-law in Daytona was asking about valve rattle and I asked what grade of gas was he using. 87 he said because the higher grades are more expensive. I tried to explain the mileage benefits of 93 and less valve train wear vs using 87 octane. All he understood was the fill-up cost at the pump.
80 minutes per year is only 13 seconds per day. I can't speak for you but I don't know that I would ever notice the difference. The biggest added benefit to me even if it is a monetary wash is that your vehicle just plain runs better (usually) and you can run a more spirited tune... which usually goes back to putting my foot in it and watching the mpg go down the drain.
That's a sucker bet. Ethanol contains over 30% less energy per unit than gasoline so it is an automatic that your mpg goes down when burning it in any concentration. It helps with those farm subsidies though, right?
