Upgrading gas for the winter

[Lefty]

I'm within 10 miles of THE Jeep factory and a major GM plant.
Rams and Silverados see to it that our streets are not fouled with Ferraris

We don't make cars here anymore. Saint Paul was once home to a Ranger assembly plant. A lot of good people lost their jobs when the plant closed. Minnesotans love their trucks and Jeeps, but poverty seems to do a very good job of keeping Ferraris out.

 

[sgtsandman]

There might be some benefit realised with the SOHC engine since it is a higher compression engine than the older ones but it isn't going to be huge. I've experimented some on both trucks and didn't see enough benefit to warrant the extra cost in fuel. So, with the 2011, I stick with 87.

If you can find nonethanol fuel, it might be worth the extra cost. Here, it's $1 more a gallon for the cheap stuff and wasn't worth the cost.

The 2019, 87 runs fine for most about town driving, and again, the added cost of higher grade fuel wasn't enough benefit to be worth it. So, unless I'm towing, I stick with 87. And since the trailer I tow isn't that big or heavy, stepping up to 93 is probably over kill.

 

[SenorNoob]

We have ethanol free 93 octane at the CO-OP in town. I'll say my cold idle is noticeably better with it.

 

[Brain75]

...If you can find nonethanol fuel, it might be worth the extra cost. Here, it's $1 more a gallon for the cheap stuff and wasn't worth the cost....

I can completely corroborate this with several vehicles. In the teeny tiny town where I am (no lake, no marina, no dock), they carry e00 (as "regular no eth"), e10 (as "regular"), and e15 in both super and premium. The E00 costs like $0.05 a gal more than E10. Absolutely nobody in this town buys E10, you can see em all line up for the one pump that has E00.

Running E00 in the company 2015 dodge dakota, the '90 ranger, everything but my GM (which has horrible mileage - think it needs the MAF replaced). I got a full 30% better MPG on the dakota, tank after tank after tank. Whenever I am forced to go back to the big city (Denver/ whole front range metro) where there is no E00, I get crappy mileage coming back.

I can't testify about the other family vehicles, but they all run E00 90% of the time as well - complaints that it runs like crap and "go through a tank incredibly quick" on anything else (which I interpret as bad MPG).

full vehicle list:
'18 escape
'15 dakota
'07 ranger
'07 pontiac G6 convertible
'06 pontiac G6 convertible
'90 ranger
.....something Chevy 2500 pickup, don't know, mom's boyfriend not interested in asking specifics (probably roughly a '00).

 

[DeeRanger]

Just try to keep more of it In the tank, whatever it is.....

 

[sgtsandman]

I can completely corroborate this with several vehicles. In the teeny tiny town where I am (no lake, no marina, no dock), they carry e00 (as "regular no eth"), e10 (as "regular"), and e15 in both super and premium. The E00 costs like $0.05 a gal more than E10. Absolutely nobody in this town buys E10, you can see em all line up for the one pump that has E00.

Running E00 in the company 2015 dodge dakota, the '90 ranger, everything but my GM (which has horrible mileage - think it needs the MAF replaced). I got a full 30% better MPG on the dakota, tank after tank after tank. Whenever I am forced to go back to the big city (Denver/ whole front range metro) where there is no E00, I get crappy mileage coming back.

I can't testify about the other family vehicles, but they all run E00 90% of the time as well - complaints that it runs like crap and "go through a tank incredibly quick" on anything else (which I interpret as bad MPG).

full vehicle list:
'18 escape
'15 dakota
'07 ranger
'07 pontiac G6 convertible
'06 pontiac G6 convertible
'90 ranger
.....something Chevy 2500 pickup, don't know, mom's boyfriend not interested in asking specifics (probably roughly a '00).

I can agree with the mpg findings with a good nonethanol fuel. I accidentally stumbled on a station that offered that and there was a significant difference in mpg. I was not able to find that station again on the return trip. Much to my disappointment.

 

[Brain75]

I'm surprised you feel a need to switch fuels summer vs. winter.... out here the news makes a big deal mid October about the "winter blends' coming... every station switches over between there and halloween depending on how quickly they run out their supply... the only issue with winter fuels I have ever had was a diesel car gelling up when cold.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Octane should be more of an issue in summer not winter, preignition happens as combustion temperatures increase, in the summer the intake temperatures are higher causing the temp in the chamber to be higher, in winter temps are lower... it's why you can run more spark advance with an intercooler on a turbo engine... but every engine design is different, if you're high altitude that also negates the need for high octane somewhat as well with the "density altitude" as the aviation world uses...

I wing it with everything I do, for the most part all my junk gets regular, the turbo ranger will get premium if I'm playing in low altitudes or in heat or if I know I'm going to use power in those areas, I can run it harder without pinging (knock sensor doesn't work...), if I'm going to altitude I'll top off with regular or mid grade or whatever...

 

[JohnnyO]

I don't think octane matter for the winter, just run what you usually run.
The manual for the 2019+ Ecoboost recommends 91 for "best performance, trailer towing, and extremely hot weather" but 87 is the minimum. I find that I get 1 to 1.5 better mpg on 89 so it doesn't really cost more in the end. I run E15 88 most of the time because it's cheaper than 87 and the mpg is the same.
Regular gas here is 10% ethanol anyway unless you spend big money for E-free.

 

[Lefty]

I don't think octane matter for the winter, just run what you usually run.
The manual for the 2019+ Ecoboost recommends 91 for "best performance, trailer towing, and extremely hot weather" but 87 is the minimum. I find that I get 1 to 1.5 better mpg on 89 so it doesn't really cost more in the end. I run E15 88 most of the time because it's cheaper than 87 and the mpg is the same.
Regular gas here is 10% ethanol anyway unless you spend big money for E-free.

I never really kept records but I am inclined to believe that my little pride and joy really likes 89 and runs better on it.

 

[superj]

My 04 3.0, also /\

 

[Lefty]

My 04 3.0, also /\

nice quote too