Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

My 2010 Dodge Ram all of the sudden started getting 10 mpg on the highway.

For you motorheads , it is a 4.7V8 with the 3.92 rear and the 5 spd auto. I am taching about 1700 rpm's at 60 mph and can get in the low 20's on the highway when not towing on the 10% ethanol gas.

My last trip to Dulles Airport was around 225 miles and I did 50-60 most of the time. I don't do 75-80 like most of the crazies on the beltways. I have gotten 10 mpg when towing my 28 ft trailer.

The dealer said it is probably the switch to the summer blend gas with less butane.

Two things.

1. Stop buying ethanol gas. It is destroying your engine. It also affects gas milage.

2. Change your air filter on a regular basis. You would not believe how much a dirty air filter will affect milage.

While I am not a fan of ethanol gas , my truck is Flex Fuel. Are you stating that the ethanol is still harming my engine ?

My 01 Honda of course isn't and I am considering going back to ethanol free but there is only one gas station in my county that sells it. I still get 37 mpg on the highway as is.

That's a big jump from low 20's on the highway to 10. I'm not much of mechanic on the newer motors, but it sounds to me like it's a lot more than ethanol.

Yes, ethanol is evil. A sham. A farce. Do a little research on ethanol and outboard motors. Ethanol will flat out destroy an engine.

You can't buy gas w/o ethanol 6 months of the year out here and I can't say engines don't last as long as anywhere else. I generally get 100K on a vehicle before I get rid of it and never sold a car with a bad engine. And there are lots of cars older than them on the road.

It decreases gas mileage, no doubt, but I've neither seen nor heard of engines being damaged by it. It might cause problems with 2 cycle motors, but I hate them anyway.

Here's an article from Business Week talking about the myths and realities of it.

Ethanol: Myths and Realities (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2006/tc20060519_225336.htm)

I took my truck to the dealer who said if the truck isn't flashing any codes, there is little they can do. I will run to the ethanol free gas station and fill up and see what happens.

I am also aware that the Feds want to start making E85 all we can get. The local station that sells that stuff has it at 3.29 a gallon but I know that my mileage will drop off and the power output of the engine will do the same. I am pretty sure I didn't fill up with E85 ( I was in Maryland) because that would probably explain it !

I took my truck to the dealer who said if the truck isn't flashing any codes, there is little they can do. I will run to the ethanol free gas station and fill up and see what happens.

I am also aware that the Feds want to start making E85 all we can get. The local station that sells that stuff has it at 3.29 a gallon but I know that my mileage will drop off and the power output of the engine will do the same. I am pretty sure I didn't fill up with E85 ( I was in Maryland) because that would probably explain it !
They make all the gas here about 10% during the summer months. I suppose that 85% ethanol might cause them mileage to drop so much, I dunno.

I have to corroborate with Norm's analysis of Ethanol fuels.

A good while ago I heard horror stories about E85, and being the skeptic I am at times... I decided to use my sacrificial 3.5hp Tecumseh. That poor little engine hasn't given up under the sheer amount of abuse I've dished out... I'm very impressed.

But anyway, I did a little experiment. Over the course of two days, I ran the engine's tank empty with each fuel (one pint). I used two days specifically, because I knew the engine would be completely cool the morning after (and the fuel system would be purged for the next experiment).

The engine's temperature is very consistent after approximately 15min. of running, on 87 octane and on a good cold day (more dense air...) usually never exceeding 210F or so, give or take a few degrees.

I had noticed, that while running on E85, the temperature spiked to 240F (again, give or take a few degrees). :nonod:

While not an engineer, master mechanic, or professional engine builder... temperature increases are never good. With these results, I absolutely refuse to run E85 in any of my two-cycle equipment.

I think my mileage is about the same, but my wallet is sure getting thinner.