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Drive It Forever
By Bob Sikorsky
(Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.)
Dear Bob: I just read your piece on the drop
in gas mileage attributable to ethanol blends, in which you state
that the drop may be as high as 25 percent. I believe you are
mistaken.
A blend of 10-percent ethanol that has 30-percent less BTUs than
gasoline cannot reasonably result in a mileage loss greater than
3 percent. In fact, studies on the subject show that the actual
decline across a fleet is between 2 percent and 3 percent.
It would be nice if you would correct the misinformation in your
recent piece.
Best, W.M., via e-mail
A: Read on!
Dear Bob: Where do you get your information? Did you check the
EPA fuel-efficiency testing on oxygenates? This testing showed
an average mileage reduction of 2 percent to 3 percent in their
fleet testing when using ethanol blends.
L.J., via e-mail
A: Seems like you and the gentleman in the prior letter read the
same EPA test results. And I imagine you're the same two guys
-- I've heard they existed -- who actually believe the EPA's fuel-economy
tests that generate the estimated-mileage figures for new cars.
Have you ever known anyone who actually got those EPA figures
from a new car? My files are littered with letters from disgruntled
new-car buyers complaining about not getting even close to those
EPA figures posted on the window sticker.
Both of you cite EPA test results on oxygenates -- that is, ethanol
-- as something I should take as the Gospel Word on the subject.
Yeah, right, when the cows come home to roost.
I'm more on the side of the reader who originally wrote to me
about having experienced a fuel-economy drop of approximately
25 percent from using ethanol-blended gasoline. Not to mention
my own personal experience using ethanol blends in the winter
here in Arizona, which has resulted in an approximately 10-percent
decrease in my fuel economy during the ethanol-use period, each
and every year.
These are real-world results and not some EPA pipe dream. And
that's where I get my information: from the real world.
Dear Bob: You had a reader who complained about a sudden mpg drop
in his 1999 Chevy. I have the same problem in a 2003 Saturn Vue
with a 4-cylinder engine and 36,000 miles.
About six months ago the gas mileage dropped suddenly, from 28-30
mpg highway to 21-23 mpg. I have had it back to the dealer, and
he put it on an instrument that gives instant mpgs and it got
-- so they said -- 30.2 mpg. But when I figure the mileage at
the pump, it is still 21-23 mpg.
Does such a test actually show the problems you mentioned in your
original answer?
K.McC., Cheny, Nev.
A: The best and surest answer is the one you get when you check
your mileage at the pump.
The tests conducted by the dealer produce information that is
computer generated through sophisticated electronic simulations
of actual driving. They are not always reliable: I have driven
test vehicles in which the onboard computer said that I had averaged
25 mpg for a tank of gas but, when I filled up, my actual mileage
was more in the range of 21 mpg.
So the fact that a computer says that you are getting X miles
per gallon is no guarantee that you really are. I'm not saying
that every mileage computer is off base -- all I'm saying is that
the final judgment comes at the fill-up, when your real-world
gas mileage can be accurately measured.
I'd take the vehicle to another shop and have a mechanic look
at it. There is something more going on here than merely a difference
in opinion as to what fuel economy you are getting.
I'd believe your own mpg figures and ask the shop to investigate
the cause of your sudden drop in gas mileage. My guess is that
it will prove to be one of the items I mentioned in that previous
column, such as a bad EGR valve, O2 sensor, coolant-temperature
sensor or throttle-position sensor, or any of a number of other
sensors and switches.
AMERICAN DRIVERS FIGHT BACK
Here's a tip that will help you get better gas mileage while fighting
terrorism and cutting our nation's dependence on Mideastern oil:
Years ago I wrote a booklet for the State of Arizona on how to
save gasoline, called "Ease the Squeeze." In each copy
of the booklet was included a pressure-sensitive sticker with
the words "Think Economy" printed on it. I advised readers
to place this sticker on their dashboards to remind them to think
about fuel economy and to prod them to drive economically.
You can make your own label and tape it to the dash in a conspicuous
place. You might want to change the slogan to something more appropriate
to your particular driving situation. Perhaps something like "Gas:
$2.40 per gallon" would do nicely.
You'll be surprised at how much it will help you keep your mind
on the task at hand. It's probably the least expensive fuel-saver
ever invented. Hey, it really works -- try it!
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