Does Sinclair Gas Actually Give More MPGs

[bilmac]

My Pastor is convinced that Sinclair gas gives him 3 or 4 more MPGs. They advertise that it does.Anybody else believe that it does? I am checking it out, but it is going to take a lot of miles and a lot of time for me to be sure. I am just going to continue to use my truck as I normally do, which means no consistency like I could get if I was on a trip where I was just using tankful after tankful under much the same conditions. The way I am using it now is sometimes loaded and sometimes empty.

Then the question becomes, if it does give more MPGs does that actually save money over gas that costs less. This is the way I figure it, but maybe I'm not looking at the problem the right way. If I pay $2.00 for a gallon and get 20 MPGs then gas is costing me $.10 a mile. So if I get only one more mile out of a gallon I would save about a dime. I don't think that Sinclair gas is a whole dime more than the gas I am buying, so I had better switch if in fact you do get better mileage with it.   

Using more real world numbers, if gas is 2.75 and I am getting 17 MPG, then I spend $.16 for each mile, so Sinclair gas looks even better.

[GatCat]

I think that the only way any one brand of gas COULD give better MPG would be in the formulation....those that use a blend of ethenol get less mpg, simply because there is less energy  in the fuel, due to the alcohol.
If blends are the same, and the fact is, nearly all ( or maybe ALL ) gas comes from the same refiners, then you get the same as everyone else.
Some brands add a bit of their specific additives to the bulk, mostly a sales gimmick.
Maybe your Pastor does get better MPG with the Sinclair, but if he does, I think it would be because he drives more conservatively with that brand, so the results are due to his expectations.
Mark

[bilmac]

That is kind of my take too, kind of the pleciebo effect. Sinclair does advertise that their gas is nitrogenated for better gas mileage or something like that, and I don't usually pay much attention to advertising. But, isn't nitro injection an old well known way to boost horsepower? Maybe they have figured a way to just make it an additive.

[spruce]

Forgive me, but I'm pretty skeptical/cynical about ANY advertising.  Companies advertise to try to convince you to buy their product and aren't shy about making vague, unsubstanciated claims.

I think if they had any actual proof their additives boosted mileage they would definitely make it part of their ads.  I mean if they could prove it really is true then people wouldn't buy any other brand of gas!!

Nitrous Oxide was/is used by hot-rodders to give a short, quick boost in horsepower (injected into the induction system when a boost was needed), but it certainly didn't improve their mileage.

[Empty Quiver]

Don't know about your situation, but in Mn. the gas is all blended with ethanol by law. The exception being for off highway use ie. lawnmowers, boats, etc. If you are not subject to this assinine law it is possible Sinclair sells pure gas, and your pastor is probably correct.  My Expedition gets 15.4 mpg on blended fuel. In Ia. I can buy pure gas and my mileage will go to 16.8 when running it. I have done this many many times and know it is not a fluke. That is roughly a ten percent rise in MPG, Going from 28 to 31 MPG would work out about the same on a percentage basis.

[GatCat]

Bilmac, you mentioned nitrogenated gas; it is also being adverstised here in Washington State by one of the gas Co., ( don't remember which ). This puzzles me..most people don't realize that the air we breath is about 80 % nitrogen. ( 18% oxygen & 2% misc). It's like some tire dealers filling tires up with nitrogen...I don't get it...I just think it is one of the newer ""Gimmicks", or buzz qwords.
Mark

[Lloyd Smale]

I have to seriously doubt it. Just like people that claim there vehicle gets better milage with premium. Premium is harder to ignite and burns cooler and will actually give less mpg in a vehicle not specificaly designed to use it. Now if you advance your timing to take advantage of the premiums slow burning then you may increase your milage but you will never increase it enough to offset the differnce in price. Ethonals effect of gas is the same as adding octane. It slows down the burning of fuel. Alot of hot rod guys are running ethonol mixes because there cheaper then running 100 octane gas. Believe me if Sinclar had a majic formula that got even one mpg better milage the lines would be long in front of there pumps

[bilmac]

My what a bunch of cynics we are here. If someone else had asked the question I would have given the same answer, in fact I did tell Pastor much the same thing when he brought up the subject the first time, but he insists, so I'm going to try to find out. It won't be easy though. Lots of folks will decide what their mileage is based on one tank full and then quit checking. Right now my tank is half Sinclair, half chiepo gas. My Dodge is very sensitive to how much it's loaded, and about half my mileage is loaded and half empty. I will try to be diligent though and maybe have an idea by this winter. I'll start a new thread then to give a report.