Today , 26 deg F in Naperville , 25 in Elk Grove. A nice wind from the west of 8 MPH helped a lot on part of the trip , didn't seem to hurt the northbound part. 35.1 miles , 61.0 MPG. Tank is at 523.1 miles , 45 remaining , 59.4 MPG.
Wow, big difference Andrew - also like uphill/downhill trips! Going home Tuesday, 3UP, detour #2 plus extra detour on second half, usual busy crawling traffic, 39°F, crosswind W9: 38.9 / 21.1 Wednesday morning, 3UP, motorway route, raining 37°F, cross/headwind WNW9, snow in the air: 43.1 / 22.6 Going home last night, 3UP, detour #2, more stupid busy traffic, 38°F, head/crosswind SW6: 39.2 / 20.3 This morning, 3UP, motorway route - big queue before traffic light section, sleet 35°F, cross/headwind WNW7: 43.2 / 22.6 Not doing very well at the moment - weather and traffic really hitting my mpg.....extra passenger and drop off - excuses, excuses!!! Tank down 0.8 at 44.4 (FCD 46.7) / 464.1 / Range 125 . Guess gauge F____|_«««E . UG down 0.3 at 45.2 / DTE 145 Lost 5th pip (of 8) @ 418 miles
45.8 home into a diminished headwind. 44.6 this morning after defrosting. Tank was up nicely, yes. Down a tick now to 45.9 mpg.
Filled up this morning , but I had to go to TWO stations to do so. The pump at the Shell ( the one I used to go to on Eola Rd ) kept shutting off , even when I tried to hold it open. After about 0.6 gallons of struggling with it , I left there and went to the BP across the street. That one worked. 561.6 miles , 61.6 x .956 = 58.9 MPG. Can you guess which station will never get my business again ? 19 deg F in both Naperville and Elk Grove Village. 35.1 miles , 56.2 MPG. New tank is at 30.4 miles , 58.8 MPG. Price of 87 E10 = $2.799.
I've had problems like that in the past, but everything has been great for years. Knock on wood. Come to think of it, I never had problems when pumping 87 octane ethanol-free gasoline (E0).
Sometimes I wondered if it might be the pump mechanism that is designed to reduce or stop gasoline emissions while fueling. I think the anti-emissions systems have been improved, so they don't cause fuel pumping interruptions, as much. Most of the E0 pumps tend NOT to have the anti-emissions system.
Going home last night, 3UP, detour #2, usual rubbish traffic and extra detour on second half, 40°F, tailwind W9: 39.0 / 21.6 This morning did a bit better, 3UP, motorway route, wet 36°F, crosswind S9: 45.9 / 22.6 Tank down 0.3 at 44.1 (FCD 46.5) / 508.3 / Range 75 . Guess gauge F____|__««E . UG down 0.1 at 45.1 / DTE 100 Lost 6th pip (of 8) @ 470 miles
I had to go to Dallas again on Friday. Slightly better weather and I had more time so I took the state highways instead of Interstate. 44 mpg instead of 34.
Americans can't be bothered with upping their MPG by even 10 points..... if it means they have to travel under 80MPH (more?). "If I slow down, I starve to death".
More often, the excuse is "if I slow down a little, I'll be rear-ended." With nearly everyone trying to be faster than the median speed, and very minimal enforcement, the median keeps creeping higher.
That's why I travel often to areas with few or no traffic lights. I remember the 1970's, when I traveled 90 miles to Mt. Rainier, numbers of times, on many different roads (only one brief freeway run) AND thru 9 towns....... & never encountered a stoplight AND only 3 stop signs.... two of them, with no traffic, but me.
Oh yes. I've had the same person angrily pass me three times in 5 minutes, just from timing the lights and lanes the right way. I did give a smug grin.
