carb questions

[RossLH]

Typically winter blends contain more ethanol and cold weather additives, so your gas mileage should decrease.

[weedahoe]

Hmmm.... Maybe I got it backwards then?

[RossLH]

You got the relationship between ethanol and gas mileage right, at the very least. The idea behind winter blended fuel is to prevent the fuel from freezing. Easiest way to do that is to add more alcohol.

[adidasguy]

You got the relationship between ethanol and gas mileage right, at the very least. The idea behind winter blended fuel is to prevent the fuel from freezing. Easiest way to do that is to add more alcohol.

Isn't the freezing point of gasoline -97* F?
Didn't cars go for decades until the political activists and earth muffins forced us to add alcohol to limit oil imports (though can't figure out if we import oil, why do we export some of our oil? Couldn't we reduce dependence on foreign oil if we just stopped exporting our own crude?)

[RossLH]

Isn't the freezing point of gasoline -97* F?
Didn't cars go for decades until the political activists and earth muffins forced us to add alcohol to limit oil imports (though can't figure out if we import oil, why do we export some of our oil? Couldn't we reduce dependence on foreign oil if we just stopped exporting our own crude?)

Correct, and the freezing temperature of ethanol is a good 75°F colder than that. The political reasons behind ethanol fuels are a little more complex than I care to get into.

[Phil B]

You got the relationship between ethanol and gas mileage right, at the very least. The idea behind winter blended fuel is to prevent the fuel from freezing. Easiest way to do that is to add more alcohol.

ah, we're having a little problem with regional differences. Califurnaiay aint like that.
Aint no freeze problems here!  So California winter blend is more regular. Whereas summer blend is "special" , to decrease pollutants or some guff, I think.