I know most all gas is the same that gets shipped to the tank farms but happens after that. I know I have had some brands run better then others around here. What's your thoughts

Well, just comparing the 550+ miles my wife has from the tank she bought in Oregon, plus the fact that there's still 1/4 tank in it and California gas only gets her 450 miles per tank, I'd say there's a big difference at least in legislated blends.

Well here in NY the pumps are labeled as 10% ethanol or less and I dont see any variation. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

Well, our Oregon gas is now 10% ethonol year round too. It sounds like your wife just took a very long trip and I guess that and the highway only mileage and type of driving is what increased the mileage, rather than Oregon gas being superior, because I can assure you, it's not.

I have heard here in the Ky, that our gas is changed. there is something differant done to it from winter and summer.

It's actually well know among smog techs I've worked with that Oregon and Nevada gasoline nets higher mpg. The measurements are probably skewed somewhat by the fact that the only people checking are returning from freeway trips and have a lot of nice long downgrades on the trip home, but there's also a noticeable difference in the fuel trim readings with a scan tool. Out-of-state gas requires shorter opening times from the fuel injectors.

Basically, California has a pretty screwed up blend and it's required to be that way by people who don't actually understand the way cars work.

But Teri's gas mileage is exaggerated by the highway end of it. We're still waiting to see the fuel economy increase with the trip up compared to the trip back. Unfortunately, she still had a lot of fuel when she got back, so that's been all in town driving.

To give you an idea of how screwed up California smog stuff is, the test for my smog license actually has questions on it that will cause you to fail the test if you answer all of them correctly. They teach us the "correct" answers in our smog classes so we know to look out for them.

Oregon gas has a higher octane as well has higher levels of benzene. I know the octane can help, and the benzene is considered a polutant.

Is that better? hard to say, it is differant. I found that both of my cars got better fuel economy when I moved up here two years ago. The CA gas was terrible.

This quote from the CARB seems to say benzene does make a differance, at least formulas without it seem worse.


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Kevin

Could be lower speed limit as well. Pretty much anywhere you go it's 55 mph and only 65 on interstates. I feel like I'm getting better mileage out of my Land Cruiser. Seems like I'm average about 17 mpg. Which is not bad for that truck.

That's a very good point. Most other states have highway speed limits of 70 or even 75 and we are maxed out at 65. If she reduced her speed, that would definately have an effect on economy.

I'm not sure where the idea that we have higher octane gas comes from. At least on the pump rating it's not any higher than most other states and is actually lower than some. But maybe I'm missing something.

Ironicly, common thought used to be the Oregon had the worst gas of the three western coast states, because ours was supposedly unregulated and so gas that was unsuitable for California and WAshington got shipped here. I have no idea if there's any validity to that or if it was true isn't anymore or ever was.

I know the vast majority of our gas comes from the major refineries of Washington state with the remainder coming from California refineries, last I checked.

She was driving at a speed lower than the limit in both states.

It's not like I made this statement haphazardly. This has been well documented by technicians in my trade.