Tip for anyone who doesn't know
 

So I was getting terrible gas mileage in my 5th gen.. around 10 mpg. I was thinking something was terribly wrong but i found most of the problem.. I had been using gas from this gas station we have around here, the station is called Mapco (idk if anyone else has heard of it or if they are only around here). And i just decided to try Chevron gas for a while and it made all the difference! just from using Chevron gas for about 2 weeks i get 18-20 mpg now (which i know still isnt great, but a great improvement from what i was getting). Just a tip for anyone who is using ****ty gas from these knock-off stations.

you were using regular too, I bet.

The knock off stations are buying gas from the same big oil companys that bigger stations do. Plus the fact that there's no way for your MPG to double by changing brands. It's just not possible, even going from regular to super. The industry standards wouldn't allow that much difference in fuel dispensed at the pump level.

I call :bs:

To further this, you really should be looking at engine or vehicle performance such as tune up, tire pressure, O2's etc. as the reason you were getting on average 10 MPG on a vehicle that technically should be in the mid 20's to upwards of 30 on trips. You're talking over 66% difference here.

Ummm, OUCH! Stop slapping him this way and that way with facts. They hurt;)

No way. Something isn't adding up here....

I haul gas and the only difference between big name gas stations and small ones is that the big ones (chevron, shell, etc) use more detergents then the mom and pop stations. Walmart, valero, sams, and kroger is the same gas. Chevron, shell, and techron is the same gas. Quick trip gas burns so damn fast because of the type of detergent used. You can get bad gas from a chevron if the driver put the wrong gas in the wrong tank or the parking lot isnt even and rain water get in.

You left out Costco. I take it they're in the category with Sam's? Good?

That's all I use because they are 30 cents cheaper here. I also use nothing but premium.

Of course you can get get bad gas from ANYWHERE if "X" happens. I could win the lottery "IF" Hawaii had a lotto, but within a normal situation, the bigger names do in fact, have better fuel?

Costco is the **** !!!!!!! I deliver to them too. They have a additive that turns the gas black. If you was to take a table spoon of it ans put it in ur gas tank the octane would be off the charts.

I pull costco from the velero plant which sams, walmart, and kroger come from also.

^^ the gas man above me speaketh

Lol I didnt kniw until I started moving it

Are you being serious? I love Costco for many reasons, if this is true, add another reason!

yeah, costco gas is great! And cheap!

My grandfather was a baker at Costco for years before he passed away. Our family has always shopped at Costco when we could. Being from Texas though, we have HEB, which is a grocery store version of Costco, at least they are quality and cheap like Costco.

But when we moved here and started finding milk for $7 or $8 bucks a gallon, bread for $5 a loaf, iceberg lettuce for $5 bucks a head, and gas for $4.50 everywhere you go, Costco became our only store very quickly! Milk is like $5 a gallon, bread is $2 bucks and gas is cheap as well. It's the only way to live here.

Side note - I paid $4.11 for premium yesterday. $59.00 to fill er' up!

NEVER believe that you've solved a problem if the assumed solution doesn't make any sense. Your newfound MPG is probably due to the cooler weather tricking the O2 sensor or other issue into performing as normal.

So your gonna sit here and tell me about MY gas mileage in MY car? keep calling "BS" all you want but you havent sat in my drivers seat and observed my odometer at any point in your life. Tell me another reason why i would be using one type of gas for months and observed the mileage, and then all of a sudden i switch stations and the **** doubles.

Temp. here has averaged the same for over a month straight.

nope

You missed the point. That being, any increase in gas mileage is probably a lot more complicated than switching gas stations. I've thought problems were fixed by unlikely solutions before, and it's never the case.

ok then tell me why.

Malfunctioning sensors, exhaust leak, vaccum leak, injector leaks, clogged cat, fuel filter, air filter, low tire pressure, stuck calipers, ect..

Oh so they all just randomly fix themselves when i switch stations?

It's been said that the premium gas stations tend to put more detergents in their gas than the lower end stations. Assuming that, perhaps the Chevron gas had detergents in it that cleaned up your O2 sensor so it could read your exhaust more accurately and thereby have the ECU adjust for the correct air/fuel mixture.

I bet if you go back to the cheap gas station, your mileage will still be good.

You should look at the TCW3 thread on here. Just adding 3 ounces to a full tank starts the process of cleaning all the car innards, intake manifold, exhaust, injectors, etc. When I first started using TCW3, my tailpipe was coated in black for a while, and it really stank. I still use TCW3 somewhat regularly now and my exhaust no longer stinks and is no longer black from all the carbon.

I've heard this from several people now. I think it's time to give it a whirl.

I heard that adding a bit of urine to the gas tank will help improve MPG.

:hide:

I listed several legitimate reasons for poor gas mileage. All it takes is one. And there's such thing as intermittent malfunction. Of course you completely excluded that and the O2 sensor as the fault. Must be that Zippo fluid the other station was selling you.

Anyway, stop arguing with people and contact your local authorities to report the station that's trying to pass off lighter fluid as gasoline if you're so sure about it.

Or just have an open mind and listen to what people are saying.

:sprint:


So, do you have exact miles per gallon calculations?

Lmfao. more like you need to have an open mind since its so hard for you to believe that a switch of stations is all it takes to improve mpg. This thread wasnt made because i needed help, all it was was a statement and was just trying to help people. Also, you named all these problems that could have caused the bad gas mileage.. so if these "detergents" are what caused the fix then switching to chevron is still the reason that i get better mpg now. You name all these things that could be the culprit but if they fix themselves because i switch stations, then my statement is still valid.

So with that being said, a switch of stations is still the reason i get more miles to the gallon :laugh:
thanks for the tip though, ive never heard of that stuff i think im gonna give it a try

Before switch: 10.8 mpg.
After switch: 19.2 mpg.

I only use BP Ultimate (which cost me $3.29/gallon tonight) and I usually average around 19 as I use Fuelly (long highway trip last year netted me 25MPG). I've noticed my car is very sensitive to driving style and throttle aggressiveness, but I'm wondering if my spark plugs should be done soon since they're probably original with 53k on them since maybe it would make a difference even though they're rated for 100k. Probably needs a fuel system clean-out as well since it was only driven 2k miles a year before I got it in 2011.

TCW-3 Marine 2stroke oil as a gas additive works as advertised! TCW-3 is a 2stroke oil additive/detergent formula designed to burn clean & remove combustion deposits. TCW-3 also lubricates components & removes contaminants in the fuel system. Helping offset the negative effects of ethanol/gasoline fuels.

I used it constantly (1oz/5gal) in my 01 Max & the VQ30DE-K loved it. The engine ran 'electric motor smooth' & seemed to gain a bit more torque. I'm on my 4th tankful w/ TCW-3 in the G35x & starting to notice the same results, as it cleans out the engine over time. Patience is the key, you may notice a slight improvement after 2-3 tankfuls. It really takes at least 6-8 consecutive tankfuls w/ TCW-3 to realize the full benefits. Only downsides; more carbon coming out the exhaust & 'rotten egg' smell when driving aggressively. That said, they could be a function of the 'cheap' WalMart (Dino-Oil vs. Synthetic) TCW-3 & Hess 93 octane gas I use. Plus, those issues tend to decrease over time w/ consistent use.

Where do you get this stuff?

Any autoparts store. Just make sure it's TC-W3 rated, it will say so on the bottle. Now go read the first post in this thread. :D
http://forums.maxima.org/fluids-lubr...itive-new.html

I use Walmart brand. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech...allon/16795065

Pennzoil in the article. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-M...1-Gal/16401577

I never said that your switch in gas stations fixed anything, nor do I think it. You're the one who said or assumed that. I think you have an intermittent problem, and will see your poor gas mileage return, whether it's a day from now or next summer.

All I ever said was not to assume a major problem is fixed by doing something unrealistic such as going to another gas station. Any improvements you get from Chevron's additives would come over time, it wouldn't completely double your gas mileage and definitely wouldn't happen instantly. Unless the other station was selling you something other than gasoline.

THANKS MAN. And no, I'll just take your advice.

Good looking out man! I am headed there tomorrow and now what to look for. So you just add a little bit?

yes Tex. one ounce in the gas tank per every 4 or 5 gallons.