How many miles to a tank?
12-09-2011, 11:52 PM
#3
does the light come on at 280 miles? that's about the same gas mileage as my 05 TL as well, the reason is cuz it's always rush hour due to my work schedule, a lot of stop and go which really pissed the F**K out of me....
funny thing is i stopped and got some gas and it only put in about 13~14 gal of gas which means i still had around 3~4 gal of gas left.....i really think i would still be safe at 320~330 miles without putting in more gas but i wouldn't dare and plus its not good for the car.....i tend to fill it up when its pretty low before the light comes on...!!!
Another funny thing the gas price went down since i bought the car, i have been paying about $3.85/Gal Chevron Premium when it used to be at least $4 or $4.10 for Chevron Premium here in Norcal....
funny thing is i stopped and got some gas and it only put in about 13~14 gal of gas which means i still had around 3~4 gal of gas left.....i really think i would still be safe at 320~330 miles without putting in more gas but i wouldn't dare and plus its not good for the car.....i tend to fill it up when its pretty low before the light comes on...!!!
Another funny thing the gas price went down since i bought the car, i have been paying about $3.85/Gal Chevron Premium when it used to be at least $4 or $4.10 for Chevron Premium here in Norcal....
12-10-2011, 12:00 AM
#4
Resident Dingo
I get ~340 miles before I fill the tank. At a 340 mile fill up, I will put in ~12.5-13 gallons of fuel. I average anywhere from 24-27mpg and mid 40 average mph. Five days per week I drive 72 miles (round trip) to work and back. This is mostly back roads and interstate without much stop and go traffic. I use Shell and Citgo fuel for the most part. On long trips (interstate driving) I have no problem getting well over 400 miles per tank and average ~32mpg averaging anywhere from 75-77mph. I feel like this is average given how I drive the car. I do log gallons, price, miles and mpg/mph averages at each fill up along with other maintenance done to the vehicle. It's really nice to have that information to fall back on. I recommend everyone do this.
12-10-2011, 12:09 AM
#5
^^i travel about 22 miles a day roundtrip but only average 20mph....that really makes a big difference, on the highway i really feel like we save as much gas as corolla/civic, except we are required to have premium and they r not....
12-10-2011, 12:12 AM
#6
I once did a trip from Buffalo to Boston (~450 miles) without stopping just to see if I could do it... 99% of the time was spent in 6th gear. The empty light sure was glowing bright for the last 50 miles or so!
12-10-2011, 12:14 AM
#7
Instructor
Not an attack on the OP but i HATE when people ask how many miles per tank people get. Big ass trucks can get the same miles/tank as we can...doesn't mean we're getting the same MPG (which is what really counts). I ask my friend what kind of mileage he gets in his cobalt...he starts rattling off how many times a month he fills up, which really doesn't answer my question at all. That or I'll ask what kind of mileage someone gets in a car I'm unfamiliar with and they say so and so miles per tank. I know we all have a TL here so why do people refer to miles per tank instead of MPG which is a much more useful stat. Miles per gallon = miles per gallon regardless of miles driven/week or miles/tank. Miles/tank is just a lazy way of stating MPG here...especially since I thought all TL's have the MPG in the MID... /drunk rant
With that said, I get 20ish MPG...you can do the math. Also I have a TL-S...but i still get 32+ mpg on the highway.
With that said, I get 20ish MPG...you can do the math. Also I have a TL-S...but i still get 32+ mpg on the highway.
Trending Topics
12-10-2011, 12:14 AM
#8
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
i agree with Dingo here....
I usually get 340-350 on a 50-50 highway/city driving....all highway i get around 450 miles to a tank....
Once i got 505 in a tank....that was only once thow and my tank ran dry
I usually get 340-350 on a 50-50 highway/city driving....all highway i get around 450 miles to a tank....
Once i got 505 in a tank....that was only once thow and my tank ran dry
12-10-2011, 12:29 AM
#10
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
^^^ thats killer gas mileage 
12-10-2011, 04:04 AM
#12
The TL's I drove averaged about 25-26mpg with a 60/40 mix my CL-S gets the same. I fill up around 1/4 tank at 330 miles or so. Some weeks are better than that, some are worse... depends upon traffic..
The furthest I went in my CL was 510 miles on 15gals of gas....was in the middle of a car train. the result was 34mpg
The furthest I went in my CL was 510 miles on 15gals of gas....was in the middle of a car train. the result was 34mpg
Last edited by YeuEmMaiMai; 12-10-2011 at 04:06 AM.
12-10-2011, 09:59 AM
#17
Team Owner
iTrader: (4)
Usually I get about 350-360 miles until the light comes on. I do 80/20 highway/city. If I did all highway I can get over 400 before the light comes on. The best I have gotten was 472 miles on about 15.3 gallons.
I do about 750-800 miles a week.
I do about 750-800 miles a week.
12-10-2011, 11:15 AM
#19
I always get 400 miles on a tank. When the light comes on, that's supposed to mean you've got 40 miles left. After that 40 miles is up, it takes me 14 gallons to fill up. The tank is 17 gallos which means there are still 3 gallons of emergency reserve in the tank. That means, I could probably get ~490 miles before I would run out completely. I average 30mpg.
12-10-2011, 01:13 PM
#21
Registered Member
I never concern myself with how long my car can go on a tank since running the tank dry just to see how far you can go is not a good idea. Better to measure your fuel economy in the traditional sense; miles per gallon. With that said, my '04 manual averages between 29 and 32 MPG on the highway (warm months) depending upon the speed at which I am driving. My best has been 33.94 MPG. For around town, I average over 25 MPG in the summer and around 24 MPG in the colder months. Best for a week of work commuting was 27.98 MPG in the summer.
12-10-2011, 01:31 PM
#22
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
another mpg thread
12-10-2011, 07:09 PM
#24
12-10-2011, 09:19 PM
#25
12-10-2011, 09:57 PM
#26
Racer
still on my first tank of gas since i bought the car... 
about 1/4 tank left and i've driven about 140 miles.
mostly city driving. 21 mile daily commute (2 round trips per day).
about 1/4 tank left and i've driven about 140 miles.mostly city driving. 21 mile daily commute (2 round trips per day).
12-11-2011, 12:43 AM
#29
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
^^^ yeah 103 burns cleaner and hence that gas mileage....
all highway i get 33-35mpg as well on 91/93 octane....overall is what they are discussing...
all highway i get 33-35mpg as well on 91/93 octane....overall is what they are discussing...
12-11-2011, 08:09 AM
#30
Registered Member
103 octane is not going to do a thing for your car. It would be similar to putting 93 in a car that requires 87. Not only will your engine produce less power but your fuel economy will drop. And you will be creating more contaminants in your exhaust.
12-11-2011, 08:49 AM
#31
I get that gas mileage even if I pump full 93. I just do that once a month cause my Uncle uses 103 octane all the time so I borrow some once a month from him. I do it to prevent knocking during the hot summer. I do it less during the winter time.
12-11-2011, 08:51 AM
#32
Not necessarily true. As per your statement, the TL would produce less power and gas mileage if you were to put Premium instead of Regular. So that is wrong already. If I'm not mistaken, even with 91/93 the engine still has some knocking. A ideal octane for our TL during the hot summer is 96/97 Octane. IHC explained this a lot further in one of his many informative post.
12-11-2011, 09:58 AM
#33
Advanced
Not necessarily true. As per your statement, the TL would produce less power and gas mileage if you were to put Premium instead of Regular. So that is wrong already. If I'm not mistaken, even with 91/93 the engine still has some knocking. A ideal octane for our TL during the hot summer is 96/97 Octane. IHC explained this a lot further in one of his many informative post.
12-11-2011, 12:00 PM
#34
Registered Member
Not necessarily true. As per your statement, the TL would produce less power and gas mileage if you were to put Premium instead of Regular. So that is wrong already. If I'm not mistaken, even with 91/93 the engine still has some knocking. A ideal octane for our TL during the hot summer is 96/97 Octane. IHC explained this a lot further in one of his many informative post.
12-11-2011, 12:03 PM
#35
Registered Member
hold on i thought the higher you go in octane the better it is for your car.. i put 91 or 93 on my car, whatever the highest i can find at the gas station i pull up.. you guys are contradicting each other.. some one please make it clear b'cus if i been paying 0.75 cents or more for higher octane that isnt necessary im going to be mad..
12-11-2011, 12:20 PM
#36
You were saying that the 103 octane would lower my power and my mpgs which is incorrect. Even IHC stated that even 93 octane is too low for our cars. The 11:1 needs a 96-97 octane to be optimal. 93 Octane still gives me knock in the Summer, I don't feel/hear any once I put the 103.
12-11-2011, 12:23 PM
#37
AZ Community Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: N35°03'16.75", W 080°51'0.9"
Posts: 32,488
Received 7,770 Likes
on
4,341 Posts
One.
I gassed up, drove it to the park and sat idling for 3 days.
OR
Infinite.
I gassed up, drove home, parked it in the garage and never drove it again.
IOW - it kinda depends on how you USE the tank doesn't it?
BTW, here's what is possible:
The J32 Mile per Gallon Official Competition!!
I gassed up, drove it to the park and sat idling for 3 days.
OR
Infinite.
I gassed up, drove home, parked it in the garage and never drove it again.
IOW - it kinda depends on how you USE the tank doesn't it?
BTW, here's what is possible:
The most miles I've been able to get on one tank was 450. I could have gone probably 30 more miles (from past times that i've gone below 0 by more than this), but there aren't many gas stations in Bar Harbor Maine.
Driving a stick shift I believe helps. I tend to get 36-37 if I drive 60 and fill up with 93. If I use 87 I tend to get 30-31.
.....
Driving a stick shift I believe helps. I tend to get 36-37 if I drive 60 and fill up with 93. If I use 87 I tend to get 30-31.
.....
The J32 Mile per Gallon Official Competition!!
Last edited by Bearcat94; 12-11-2011 at 12:26 PM.
12-11-2011, 12:29 PM
#38
Registered Member
Ok, I'll offer a few more comments about octane and engines. Then I would suggest to you folks who have more questions to read the link I am posting here and also look up some of "i hate cars" postings on the topic. They are very good.
There are three primary factors which dictate the octane requirements of an engine. In no particular order, they are: mechanical compression ratio, ignition timing, and combustion chamber design. Octane is added to fuel to postpone the onset of detonation.
Contrary to what many people believe, fuel is burned in an internal combustion engine.... it does not explode. Were it to explode, also referred to as detonation, your engine would be destroyed. The lower the octane rating, the more volatile the fuel and therefore, the greater the chance of the fuel/air mixture to detonate instead of burning.
When the compression stroke takes place, the atmospheric air which exists within the combustion chamber is squeezed rapidly and violently. This causes a dramatic rise in cylinder temperatures. Using lower grade octane fuel can cause the fuel to pre-ignite or in the worse cases, detonate (explode). Should it detonate, a lot of internal damage can result. Also if it pre-ignites, that pre-ignition can lead to detonation because the ignite flame front, as it spreads across the combustion chamber raises temperatures even more and fuel which has not ignited can suddenly detonate. Higher octane fuel is less volatile and can therefore ward off pre-ignition and detonation. This allows the engine to best make use of the fuel burned.
Our electronically controlled ignition systems can sense pre-ignition (ping) but they are reactive, not proactive. Once the ECU senses this condition, it retards the ignition timing and I would bet richens the fuel mixture as a measure to stop the pinging.
Once again, read the link and then look up postings by i hate cars. He knows more about the details and minutiae of this topic then do I.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-e...question90.htm
There are three primary factors which dictate the octane requirements of an engine. In no particular order, they are: mechanical compression ratio, ignition timing, and combustion chamber design. Octane is added to fuel to postpone the onset of detonation.
Contrary to what many people believe, fuel is burned in an internal combustion engine.... it does not explode. Were it to explode, also referred to as detonation, your engine would be destroyed. The lower the octane rating, the more volatile the fuel and therefore, the greater the chance of the fuel/air mixture to detonate instead of burning.
When the compression stroke takes place, the atmospheric air which exists within the combustion chamber is squeezed rapidly and violently. This causes a dramatic rise in cylinder temperatures. Using lower grade octane fuel can cause the fuel to pre-ignite or in the worse cases, detonate (explode). Should it detonate, a lot of internal damage can result. Also if it pre-ignites, that pre-ignition can lead to detonation because the ignite flame front, as it spreads across the combustion chamber raises temperatures even more and fuel which has not ignited can suddenly detonate. Higher octane fuel is less volatile and can therefore ward off pre-ignition and detonation. This allows the engine to best make use of the fuel burned.
Our electronically controlled ignition systems can sense pre-ignition (ping) but they are reactive, not proactive. Once the ECU senses this condition, it retards the ignition timing and I would bet richens the fuel mixture as a measure to stop the pinging.
Once again, read the link and then look up postings by i hate cars. He knows more about the details and minutiae of this topic then do I.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-e...question90.htm
12-11-2011, 01:48 PM
#39
In this day and age, the octane you use is dictated by the tune of the ECU. Your ECU is "tuned" to run 91 octane. Anything less will cause knock, and the ECU will retard timing to control it (engine runs at lower power). Anything higher, and your wasting your money because the ECU cannot tell the difference. That is unless your car was still knocking on the recommended octane. If that is the case, you may have a problem, and higher octane fuel should not be considered a "fix" (only a patch).
