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Thread: What caused the mileage jump?

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    What caused the mileage jump?

    Okay so I've been tracking my mileage on the Corolla with fuelly and I got a nice jump. I knew I was working on a good tank because I travel the same route all the time and noticed the SG was pretty consistently higher this tank.

    My first two tanks were 35.3 and 35.1 but my third tank was 37.62!

    I have three possible reasons:

    1. Mileage is now over 1k and it's more broken in.

    2. I drained the factory oil and am running supertech synthetic 0w20 for this whole tank. Stock oil is 0w20 too though.

    3. I filled up at shell. I usually don't gas up at shell and never have with this car, but I have heard shell giving ppl bette mileage?

    Maybe it's a combination of all of them.

    I'm getting pretty close to mirage mileage now for a tank.

    The 1.8L is not as efficient as the 2.0 overall on fuelly but I'm still glad I picked the simpler more tried and true 1.8L and beat plenty of the 2.0's on fuelly



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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    Okay so I've been tracking my mileage on the Corolla with fuelly and I got a nice jump. I knew I was working on a good tank because I travel the same route all the time and noticed the SG was pretty consistently higher this tank.

    My first two tanks were 35.3 and 35.1 but my third tank was 37.62!

    I have three possible reasons:

    1. Mileage is now over 1k and it's more broken in.

    2. I drained the factory oil and am running supertech synthetic 0w20 for this whole tank. Stock oil is 0w20 too though.

    3. I filled up at shell. I usually don't gas up at shell and never have with this car, but I have heard shell giving ppl bette mileage?

    Maybe it's a combination of all of them.

    I'm getting pretty close to mirage mileage now for a tank.

    The 1.8L is not as efficient as the 2.0 overall on fuelly but I'm still glad I picked the simpler more tried and true 1.8L and beat plenty of the 2.0's on fuelly
    Don't all vehicles do better when it gets warmer? My 42-43 mpg winter trips across Wisconsin, become 45-48 mpg summer trips.

    "In summer, gas has higher energy content, burns more efficiently, so more of that gas is used to move you down the road, improving economy."

    Google it & this is what you find.
    Last edited by Mark; 04-24-2021 at 05:22 AM.

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    Senior Member PityOnU's Avatar
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    *adjusts glasses*

    Actually, warm weather increases MPG by reducing the density of the air, which reduces wind resistance/drag. There is also less time spent by your engine running rich trying to warm up. Also also the decrease in air density reduces the amount of oxygen your engine is able to suck in each cycle, causing your ECU to reduce the amount of fuel it injects to maintain the oxygen/fuel mixture ratio.

    The latter point also makes your engine less powerful in the summer, and is also why cold air intakes (actual cold air intakes, not the dumbass under-hood pipes companies end up calling "cold air" intakes) and nitrous can increase engine power output. It's also why some members on the forum have intentionally put "warm air intakes" on their cars.

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    It hasn't been really any warmer though.

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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PityOnU View Post
    *adjusts glasses*

    Actually, warm weather increases MPG by reducing the density of the air, which reduces wind resistance/drag. There is also less time spent by your engine running rich trying to warm up. Also also the decrease in air density reduces the amount of oxygen your engine is able to suck in each cycle, causing your ECU to reduce the amount of fuel it injects to maintain the oxygen/fuel mixture ratio.

    The latter point also makes your engine less powerful in the summer, and is also why cold air intakes (actual cold air intakes, not the dumbass under-hood pipes companies end up calling "cold air" intakes) and nitrous can increase engine power output. It's also why some members on the forum have intentionally put "warm air intakes" on their cars.

    I think Mark was referring to the change in the seasonal blend of gasoline. But I enjoyed the physics lesson, Professor.

    https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...ine-explained/

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    Senior Member PityOnU's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    I think Mark was referring to the change in the seasonal blend of gasoline. But I enjoyed the physics lesson, Professor.

    https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...ine-explained/
    Lol, glad you enjoyed! Hey, if I can't use my doctorate to annoy people on the internet, then why did I even bother getting it? :P

    Very interesting about the gas blends, though. That's the first time I've heard of that. Kinda surprising how much happens behind the scenes just to allow our cars (and our lungs) to run properly. Makes me wonder how much different the ambient smell would be between present day and, say, the mid-eighties. I wonder if you'd be able to tell the difference?

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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    I'm sure there's a ton of variables that effect this, but I do know seasonal blends are a big one. Manufactures and engine design as well as aerodynamics, and tire compound/air pressure, too. I see a small drop off in my G4 in winter, but my wife's Equinox MPG plummets in the cold. Of course its a rolling brick, too.



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