Recently I heard about a group of friends complaining about the lower miles per gallon (MPG) on their cars. They wondered if the new gasoline mixtures from the oil companies are to blame. One of the friends remarked that the same drive from Columbia to her grandmother’s house now used half a tank of gas instead of the normal quarter tank. Her other friends chimed in with similar experiences.
Has gasoline changed? Yes, it has. Oil companies are adding more ethanol. Summer and winter blends are also refined differently. This can make a difference but not the 50% difference the friends say they are experiencing.
What are the other changes that effect the MPG of your vehicle? Here are the top 4:
- Roads have become more congested.
- Car owners are driving at higher speeds, driving more aggressively, accelerating fast, and braking more. The more you brake the less MPG you get! Try driving more proactively to increase your MPG.
- With a difference between regular gas and higher octane gas of around $2 drivers are selecting the cheaper gas and this leads to lower MPG.
- Drivers are doing more local driving since COVID because they are working at home and are doing less highway driving.
Another factor that can affect your MPG is the performance of the vehicle and how well it’s maintained. Each manufacturer lays out a detailed maintenance schedule that should be followed. It includes things like changing the air filter and checking the performance of the electronics and the engine. More importantly, there is a comprehensive safety inspection that could reveal dragging brakes and low tire pressures that can lower MPG.
Low MPG could also be an indication of an engine fault. To cover all bases, check out the diagnostic form on our website. These forms are questionnaires, and they are designed to provide the auto technician with the details he needs to efficiently diagnose the problem.
However, before doing anything else, check your MPG over a period of a few weeks. Fill the tank, reset the trip meter on your dash panel, drive for 100 miles and refill the tank and do the math. Record this information on the diagnostic sheet.
