Are these tips valid? - GreenHybrid

Marianne · #1 (**permalink**) 05-23-2008, 10:34 AM

I saw these on another website... and a couple seemed like they might boost MPG value.

Quote:

1. Gasoline is denser at low temperatures, so if you fill up in the afternoon or evening when it's warmer, your 1 litre/gallon isn't quite a litre or gallon, so try to get your gas in the early morning hours when it's colder.
2. Pumping at full speed produces bubbles and gasoline vapor which is calculated by the pump as going into your tank. Pump at a low setting to reduce this.
3. You will get more gasoline in your tank if you never let it go less than half empty. This will reduce the amount of vapor buildup in your tank. Storage tanks in the ground have a 0 barrier floating roof to prevent innacurate storage tank readings.
4. Find which stations don't import their oil from the Middle East. In the US, those companies that do: Shell, Exxon/Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, and Amoco. Most others don't unless they buy it wholesale somewhere. Last year Exxon/Mobil reported $1.4 TRILLION US in Net Profit!! There is an effort underway in the US to boycott Exxon/Mobil in hopes of starting a price war (down)
5. Never get gas when the tanker truck is filling the tanks because the dirt and debris in the bottom of the storage tank is being stirred up and ends up in your car's gas tank.

JTirak · #2 (**permalink**) 05-23-2008, 10:44 AM

Can't speak for the others but number 1 has proven to be wrong. the tanks are so deep that the temperature is relatively constant.

check these common myths. http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/12/auto...ey_mostpopular

Atlantix2000 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-23-2008, 12:50 PM

The points on that website come from well known chain emails. As usual, Snopes has the low down on these urban myths. Their analysis says filling in the morning is ruled out since the temperature underground doesn't change and the rest of it is questionable at best especially when there's the tradeoff of your time.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/gastips.asp

As for the part about the source of gas, again Snopes has checked it out. This one they says is false due to very outdated information and the standard debunking of gas boycotts as a useful way to change prices.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/saudigas.asp

--A2K

townboy · #4 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 05:00 AM

i'm pretty sure #3 is wrong... on my 97 Accord SE i have alway filled up when the light almost on or on... but i still getting avg. 32-33MPG. i have used only to work 30 miles each way.. the old EPA i think is about 30 or 29 on freeway

cwerdna · #5 (**permalink**) 05-29-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marianne

I saw these on another website... and a couple seemed like they might boost MPG value.
...
5. Never get gas when the tanker truck is filling the tanks because the dirt and debris in the bottom of the storage tank is being stirred up and ends up in your car's gas tank.

Personally, I am wary of pumping gas when the tanker truck is filling up. However, one time I arrived at a gas station, asking the tanker truck driver when he'd be done and we had a conversation about this.

He claimed that it really doesn't matter whether he's there pumping or not. He said that the underground tanks (in California anyway) had stirrers to mix the ethanol w/gasoline which were constantly running anyways, so it's in a sense as if the truck were pumping all the time. IIRC, he also said that the contaminant problem is less of an issue now since the tanks are fiberglass.