MASSIVE FUEL FRAUD? I have a fuel consumption meter in my Prius. With this meter I can easily and instantly tell what quality gas I have. And I know that I have been getting far lower mileage that I should be getting. No, it’s not my tires, nor my heater, nor a change in the weather, nor a change in driving habit. It’s THE GASOLINE, STUPID. Even cars without a fuel consumption meter exhibit car engine knock meaning low octane (inferior gasoline) and thousands of complaints have been made from those who noticed. But has any gas station, or oil company been fined, as specified by law? I wonder! BLAME IT ON THE ADDITIVES? Oil companies have been introducing cheap additives for years into the gasoline they sell to the consumer. The additives are to keep the gasoline from freezing in cold weather. But the additives have another effect. They cut the miles per gallon about 10% or more depending on how much additives they add. The more additive the less mpg you get. In effect you get inferior gasoline. I suggest the oil companies are purposely introducing into the gasoline more cheap additive than is needed. This gives even less miles per gallon. What else would account for the huge decrease in mpg? Not anything else. Because when I get gas from a different gasoline company I get back to 45-50 mpg, where I should be. With bad gas, to go the same distance, you need to buy more gas. And, ahem, more profit for the gas companies. There supposedly are inspectors that go around inspecting the gas by testing in the laboratory. They are employed usually by the local counties Division of Weights and Measures. Have you ever heard of any gasoline station being caught and fined for having inferior gasoline as specified by law? Not even one? Gee, I never saw such honesty in an America that doesn’t lack crooks. Remember all those shadowy guys going in and out of the White House for years? You know, the guys who Bush and Cheney don’t want you to know about? The “Executive Privilege†guys? Remember the last Exxon Chairman who walked off with $600 million “take home pay� U.S. oil companies got thrown out of African countries shortly after this became known. The oil industries in those countries became nationalized. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad idea for the U.S. too? This is a massive fraud being committed under our noses. You see, if the oil companies aren’t caught and fined, if there’s a universal complaint, they need only go back to the normal amount of additive (oops, sorry, we made a mistake), and the evidence (the bad gas itself) disappears out your tailpipe, and the oil companies are off the hook and get to keep the profit-by-theft or maybe just get a slap on the wrist. Nothing else but the GAS ITSELF can account for the large variations in MPG!
MASSIVE FUEL FRAUD? I have a fuel consumption meter in my Prius. With this meter I can easily and instantly tell what quality gas I have. And I know that I have been getting far lower mileage that I should be getting. No, it’s not my tires, nor my heater, nor a change in the weather, nor a change in driving habit. It’s THE GASOLINE, STUPID. Even cars without a fuel consumption meter exhibit car engine knock meaning low octane (inferior gasoline) and thousands of complaints have been made from those who noticed. But has any gas station, or oil company been fined, as specified by law? I wonder! BLAME IT ON THE ADDITIVES Oil companies have been introducing cheap additives for years into the gasoline they sell to the consumer. The additives are to keep the gasoline from freezing in cold weather. But the additives have another effect. They cut the miles per gallon about 10% or more depending on how much additives they add. The more additive the less mpg you get. In effect you get inferior gasoline. I suggest the oil companies are purposely introducing into the gasoline more cheap additive than is needed. This gives even less miles per gallon. What else would account for the huge decrease in mpg? Not anything else. Because when I get gas from a different gasoline company I get back to 45-50 mpg, where I should be. With bad gas, to go the same distance, you need to buy more gas. And, ahem, more profit for the gas companies. There supposedly are inspectors that go around inspecting the gas by testing in the laboratory. They are employed usually by the local counties Division of Weights and Measures. Have you ever heard of any gasoline station being caught and fined for having inferior gasoline as specified by law? Not even one? Gee, I never saw such honesty in an America that doesn’t lack crooks. Remember all those shadowy guys going in and out of the White House for years? You know, the guys who Bush and Cheney don’t want you to know about? The “Executive Privilege†guys? Remember the last Exxon Chairman who walked off with $600 million “take home pay� U.S. oil companies got thrown out of African countries shortly after this became known. The oil industries in those countries became nationalized. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad idea for the U.S. too? This is a massive fraud being committed under our noses. You see, if the oil companies aren’t caught and fined, if there’s a universal complaint, they need only go back to the normal amount of additive (oops, sorry, we made a mistake), and the evidence (the bad gas itself) disappears out your tailpipe, and the oil companies are off the hook and get to keep the profit-by-theft or maybe just get a slap on the wrist. Nothing else but the GAS ITSELF can account for the large variations in MPG! And to make it easy to conceal, do the adding intermittantly!
so have you noticed any difference in results in the "winter" gas and that supply available during the warmer months? Also, what type of consumption meter do you have, where did you get it, and how much was it? I'm definitely interested in one.. thanks for your post and your research !! **edit** I also just saw you're a member since '05. Has you been conducting this research over that entire period of time?
Hi CalPal, Are you aware that low octane gas has more energy per gallon? With a Prius one can actually get better mileage on Regular than Super.
i have heard of a distributor in Wa state that was blamed last year for a batch of tainted gasoline... last i heard, the refinery involved had paid out over $200,000 in damage claims with few more million in claims on the table. as far as the additives... you wouldnt be referring to ethanol would you??... you know that ethanol replaces a much more dangerous chemical right? and yes, it does lower the BTU content of a gallon of gasoline. winter additives also do the same. not a conspiracy... available knowledge and in the public domain.
I wasn't aware that gasoline froze in the cold weather. The Soviets thinned the oil in their aircraft with gasoline to keep them flying during the winter when the Luftwaffe was grounded. Personally I don't think it gets cold enough in North America to freeze gasoline but I'll defer to our Canadian members.
The meter I have is what came with the car, the GPS system is as good a meter as anything. It immediately tells you the quality of the gas.
calpal, Where do you live or fill up with gas? It might make a difference. I used to fill up my truck in a Central American country a few years back and from time to time I had to change filters, adjust the carb among other fixes. It would help if members/posters would update their profiles to let us know where they live and what vehicle they drive. Gary
I assumed he was pointing out the small gas lines we of the over 60 bunch had problems with in Iowa in the winter. ;-) You can get a blocked line in below 20 degree weather without additives or 'stuff' we used to add ourselves. Alan Cady
Contrary to popular notion, fuel mileage INCREASES with lower octane rather than the other way around! There are more BTU's available per unit in lower octane versus higher! Winter fuel additives are largely in place due to clean air regs, and in fact decrease fuel mileage. Icarus PS I just completed a 5000 mile trip, half of it was burning 83octane rather than the 85 in most regular. My mileage was 2-3mpg higher on those tanks, even though the temps was near 0f.
Double yawwwwwn. I think oxygenated fuels have been required in the winter since 1992 in California. Maybe the OP woke up after a sixteen year nap, and to him this is news
And 9/11 was a big fake, engineered by the Bushes! Planes didn't actually bring down the buildings!!!! lol
OK, try to take a deep breath and relax. So, let me see if I get your point. When and if that nasty Bush fellow (AND especially that evil Cheney guy) leave the White House and Obama, Hillary, McCain, or Mitt start the massive socialization of America (free health-care, free college, free housing, guaranteed high paying jobs for everyone everywhere, I watch their stump speeches and they all say it will happen!, etc.) then a lowly bureaucrat in the then government run oil industry will eliminate those nasty additives which cause you to get 4 miles less to the gallon. And we will finally get rid of those pesky 'Executive Privilege' guys! Now I see the light... I wish we could only run our country as efficiently as the great oil rich republics of Nigeria, Mexico, or Venezuela... Rick #4 2006
