Tony29

I used to get 19 mpg (US equivalent) on avg with 50% highway & 50% city driving my 2013 RX350 in Toronto in summer, however the mileage has dropped to 17 mpg with winter approaching. This includes the decrease in fuel average due to warming up before short trips etc. I have read about pros and cons relating to use of fuel system cleaners in newer engines and would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks!!

charley95

I always use BP or Shell brand gas. I never use cut rate stations. I never use any cleaners due to buying quality fuel. Not needed in my opinion.

Tony29

Thanks for your feedback. I, too, use either Esso or Shell brand of gasoline 87 or 89

ThumperPup

Only Fuel Aditive that i will ever use is Techron From Chevron Fuel System cleaning put a bottle of that in my fuel tank every 5000 miles

2013FSport

iTrader: (2)

Same Same.... but just 4x a year with a double down before freezing temps arrive. Not all cleaners remove water but going from average 75F temps to 45F temps and you know stored fuel has some condensation in it which ends up in your tank. Esp with the mandated ethonal which attracts water...
That said, if you have real seasons you likely need something just to extract the moisture.

Cocal

Use Petro Canada fuel, it has already Tactrol in it which is another form of Techtron. If Petro Canada is not available get fuel injector cleaner Jectron from Liquimoly. IMO Techtron & Jectron are the best cleaners.

ThumperPup

Techron Concentrate formula from Chevron is the only one i have ever trusted
i know back in the late 90s and early 2000s when GM vehicles had so many issues with their fuel gauge reader on the pump which is inside the tank at the bottom if that got dirty which it did quite a bit and i know some who drive their cars to empty and the contacts have issues they would put this in and run it through a tank of fuel and their guage would start reading accurately again.
back in ohio when i would have to go for a state emission inspection every now and then i would have a car that would fail i would put this in the tank and drive it for a bit with premium fuel do a oil change and go back in and it would pass test fine.
id say every 3 or 4 months autozone and advance auto parts run sales of buy 1 get one free on these they are expensive like 13 dollars for a 20oz bottle but when they o on sale ill buy 2 of them even if i have two un used still sitting int he garage

Tony29

ThumperPup<br />Thanks for your detailed response.

iolmaster

iTrader: (1)

I have no idea where you get your information, but alcohol and water do in fact mix. I could go into the chemistry but it is too involved. Both are polar molecules and do in fact mix together. Alcohol does not attract water. In fact, in the old days people would put alcohol in the tank to get rid of condensation. If you looked at the ingredients of the bottle you bought at the parts store it was basically ethanol. There is no need for a drying agent if you are using an ethanol blended gasoline.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

If you aren't aware, the gas mix you buy from the same station also changes from summer to winter and you'll see a difference in MPG (typically 1 - 3%)
http://newsroom.aaa.com/2013/06/what...lend-gasoline/
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-...ummer-fuel.htm

Tony29

DaveGS4

Thanks, learnt something new today!!

ThumperPup

Yup unless you live in deep south states and even in most of those because they add the addetives at the reffinerys you will see this
because of winter fuels need to be different mixture than summer fuels.
in the winter time i don't even try to pay attention to my MPG between flush highway driving heavy snow car having to over work to get throughs some road contitions and not using cruice control in fair of hitting black ice or something bad and driving mostly in 4th or 3rd not using D or OD in my cars when its bad out that kills the MPG i dont even pay attention to it

just put a top tier fuel in when avialable and thats that

2013FSport

iTrader: (2)

Yes they do. But if left to rest (no agitation, movement, motions), they seperate. That's when it becomes a problem.

I just did a ramdom search and here we go. What gets the water out is the ability to mix the fine molecules and burn it as a mixture vs a car left to sit for days, the water will seperate, go to the tanks bottom and freeze. If there is enough, that could freeze the pickup and fuel line. Hence me saying use a product to get it out before freezing temps occur. That said, no engine wants a slug of straight water. It doesnt burn and empty or low tanks have more surface area to condensate making the problem worse.

Read the opening lines...
http://www.fuel-testers.com/expirati...hanol_gas.html

iolmaster

iTrader: (1)

You defend your statement by quoting an advertisement. They are trying to sell something. Not to be trusted. I have a degree in engineering, two semesters of P chem, two of O chem and three of physics. Water and alcohol dissolve each other. One does not "attract" or "absorb" the other. Lots of big words in the quote you offered but scientifically wrong. Secondly, water and alcohol do not separate. If that were the case you would have to agitate your beer or gin to mix it up again after it sat for a while. The way you separate the two is through distillation.They do not separate if left alone. It is your money. Use what you want.

tus

I never use additives and have not had any fuel system problems in any of the vehicles I've owned over the last 30 years, As long as you buy from a "name brand" gas station there will be additives already added.

As far as the OP's decrease in mileage, I have to ask if they switch between summer and winter blends for gas in Toronto? In suburban Chicago I always get a drop in mileage around this time of the year when the switch is made.