Quote:
Originally Posted by ng2951
Not always true that top tier fuel is better. Sometimes the fuel is made to same spec as a top tier fuel. One of the bigger questions is if you will get an improvement by not using ethanol. If the non-ethanol fuel use something else to oxigenate with you might gain 10% over ethanol enhanced fuels. Not always true and when towing a heavy load you are putting quite a strain on a cold engine.
One other tip is to use your cruise control. Some vehicles have cruise controls that know how to handle towing conditions (wish my Taco did). When I am on level turf my cruise control allows me to manage my MPG much better than I can with my foot.
Mountains are a tougher matter. It generally takes some a little foot bias and cruise disengagement/re-engagement to improve fuel economy...
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I don't know of any fuel that is made to the same spec as top tier fuel. If you have a choice, do everything you can to avoid using fuel with ethanol. The least ethanol the better. What most people don't know is octane is NOT a rating of how much power/energy is in the fuel and that the best octane to use is the lowest octane that doesn't cause knock. Anything higher is just a waste of money. The manufacture knows what octane is best for their engine. Using higher octane then required does NOT make more power or produce better mileage. The most important way to get the best mileage out of any engine is to keep carbon build-up out of your engine (and keep it tuned).
I do agree that putting an extra load on a cold engine and trans MAY not be best to warm an engine, but only UOAs could answer that. Again, up to 80% of engine wear is caused by cold starts. Once the oil is circulating through the vital areas of the engine I don't see an extra load being a problem as long as you keep the rpms down. Heat and depleted fluids are the killer of engines and trans.
The only thing about using cruise control is if your engine doesn't have enough torque to maintain the speed it is set at, it will trigger a downshift when there's just a couple mph difference. Also many cruise controls will trigger a downshift to slow the vehicle when on a decent. You need to keep the trans from downshifting often. You need to find a gear that will not cause excessive downshifting which may in-turn cause excessive rpm. Sometimes it's best not to use cruise.
Koz