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Old 04-14-2010, 04:56 PM   #1
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FE Turnaround: Disappointment to Satisfaction, 2010 Yaris. Almost +50 MPH. Thank You!

Four months ago in late December, I purchased my first new car: 2010 Yaris 3-Dr Hatchback, M/T, P185/60R/15 wheels. I had studied the Toyota line and made my decision for purchase using two main factors: 1) Fuel Economy (FE), and 2) Price. Not to mention, I did like the style of this Toyota vehicle. Driving it back home, I was thrilled thinking I will now be in the high 30’s FE range. Well, reality set in when I was filling up too soon the following week! Only 27 MPG!?!? What? How can this be? I’ve heard so much this was the car for FE. I felt stupid dropping 12 bills and getting less than 30 MPG on a supposedly high FE car! The estimated combined EPA MPG for the Manual 3-Dr is 32 MPG. Online, I found this Yaris Forum. For the next several days I constantly read the mileage threads and all other threads I could get my hands on. It was most interesting what Yaris owners had to say. I started to realize it was not the car... it was the driver! I needed to change my driving attitude and apply physical and mental common road sense to the car. So, that exactly is what I did! In the following weeks and months, I have seen improvements I can’t imagine. Thanks to the great Threads, “Using DFCO to increase your MPG” http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4248 and “Fuel Efficiency and the Yaris” http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5979 have brought up my FE to +49MPG (40city/60hwy combined) within 4 months and only 2,900mi on the vehicle... And most during the height of the Pennsylvania winter season to boot. What is the secret? I do glides (light grade PA mountains) using DFCO, never warm up the vehicle, only use the defroster when needed (short intervals), always slowly accelerate & brake (grandma driving style), keep my shifts at 1600-2000 RPM (little higher on hills and ramps-2,200 RPM), try as hard as possible to stay under 2,000 RPM cycle, and drive at 55 MPH or under. When I cruise (5th gear) at 55 MPH I’m roughly at 2,200 – 2,300 RPM, so I have brought it down to 50 MPH at 2,000 – 2,100 RPM on the highway. Also, at times I shut off the engine at long lights around town, and all the time at ATM’s, car washes, or drive-thru waits. There is one area I have changed and believe is one of the factors to better FE? I switched over to Non-Ethanol Reformulated Gasoline (RFG), instead of using Ethanol RFG. It is actually called, “Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending” or simply RBOB gas... a conventional gas. I started to use this gasoline with my second fill. Pennsylvania is not an Ethanol Mandatory State... yet! Give it some time Pennsylvania for the MTBE ban to fully take effect (http://www.npra.org/issues/transportation/smfs/?fa=pa) and all merchants to use ethanol. Although difficult to find merchants that deal with non-ethanol gas, it’s not impossible. There are some merchants who will not buy into Ethanol propaganda and take the incentive to sell. There are only three gas stations left in my area, in which the owners believe Ethanol is bad for the vehicles, as well as being just as bad environmentally as MTBE additive. Mind you, they do not care for government mandates and economic intrusions. Yet, they will have to comply when the law is in place. In the meanwhile, the merchants will sell as long as they can without ethanol... I highly recommend non-ethanol gas if you can obtain. Part for part there is more energy transfer without ethanol, meaning more MPG in RFG. In the summer, I plan to try the techniques of “Hypermiling” as well as physically increasing my tire pressure from 32 PSI to 38 or 40 PSI. With summer gas and using the hypermiling techniques, I’m shooting for +50 MPG! I already broke 500 miles on a tank (504mi) the other day, but less than 50 MPG in my calculation! I know this (+50 MPG) is an attainable value. I’ll be happy if I can make several +500 mile tanks during this summer along with over 50 MPG!?!? Thanks to all for the great wealth of information... I couldn’t have done it without you! I would recommend new owners to try these techniques and be consistent with them... you will definitely see improvement.

Cheers!


Deal Fill (Ethanol) 12/30/09 – 01/08/09 288/10.528 = 27.896 MPG
1st Fill (Ethanol) 01/08/10 – 01/26/10 360/10.276 = 35.033 MPG
2nd Fill (No Eth) 01/26/10 – 02/16/10 396/10.231 = 38.705 MPG
3rd Fill (No Eth) 02/16/10 – 03/05/10 428/10.192 = 41.993 MPG
4th Fill (No Eth) 03/05/10 – 03/20/10 466/09.952 = 46.824 MPG
5th Fill (No Eth) 03/20/10 – 04/05/10 472/09.972 = 47.332 MPG
6th Fill (No Eth) 04/05/10 – 04/13/10 504/10.253 = 49.156 MPG

Note: My 1st Fill (Eth) is when I started to drive with common sense. You can see the drastic change. Most fill-ups within 10mi during the flashing last bar, except the end of the Dealer Fill. 4th Fill (No Eth) involved a highway round trip of 200mi. 5th Fill (No Eth) gas gauge not flashing and two highway round trips of 70mi. 6th Fill (No Eth) involved two highway round trips of 180mi and 150mi.
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Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

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Old 04-14-2010, 08:46 PM   #2
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Old 04-14-2010, 09:03 PM   #3
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First off adding in a few paragraphs would have made that readable.

But I see your claiming that you have been using gas that dose not contain ethanol and you live in PA. A few years back a federal law was passed that all gas must contain at 10% or more ethanol unless it’s sold under a special use permit. I know my owners manual says not to use more than 10% ethanol.
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Old 04-15-2010, 09:50 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by firebob View Post
First off adding in a few paragraphs would have made that readable.

But I see your claiming that you have been using gas that dose not contain ethanol and you live in PA. A few years back a federal law was passed that all gas must contain at 10% or more ethanol unless it’s sold under a special use permit. I know my owners manual says not to use more than 10% ethanol.
I was not aware of this? I thought it was a Federal Ban on MTBE additive (2006) in reformulated gasoline that has not fully taken effect? Long legal process that was placed on the certain states? The petroleum company I buy gas from is CS Meyer in Son, Inc. They purchase Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (RBOB) gas... no additives like Ethanol... MBTE... or TATE. Just coventional gasoline. He said it meets emissions performance and benzene content standards of federal-program reformulated gasoline even though the gasoline may not meet all the requirements of federal-program reformulated gasoline. He said he would not like to take the incentive to add 10% Ethanol, because a lot of his customers like this conventional gas in operating their small engines (motorcycles, lawnmowers, tractors, etc) smoothly. It is nice that there is no sticker on their pumps telling you the gasoline may contain Ethanol

Cheers...
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2010 Yaris 3-Dr Liftback, 5-Speed Manual, P185/60R 15, Bayou Blue Pearl
I Love my YARIS - (Click below to see Gaslog):

Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

"The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people." -- Frank Kent
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Old 04-15-2010, 10:34 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by STC View Post
I was not aware of this? I thought it was a Federal Ban on MTBE additive (2006) in reformulated gasoline that has not fully taken effect? Long legal process that was placed on the certain states? The petroleum company I buy gas from is CS Meyer in Son, Inc. They purchase Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (RBOB) gas... no additives like Ethanol... MBTE... or TATE. Just coventional gasoline. He said it meets emissions performance and benzene content standards of federal-program reformulated gasoline even though the gasoline may not meet all the requirements of federal-program reformulated gasoline. He said he would not like to take the incentive to add 10% Ethanol, because a lot of his customers like this conventional gas in operating their small engines (motorcycles, lawnmowers, tractors, etc) smoothly. It is nice that there is no sticker on their pumps telling you the gasoline may contain Ethanol

Cheers...
You're right, STC. Ethanol has only been mandated for population centers that have failed the EPA's clean air standards as part of their "Attainment" program. Some States have adopted 10% ethanol as a State-wide standard of their own accord but this has not been mandated across the nation by any means

Welcome to the forum, by the way. You're off to a great start in your fuel efficiency pursuits and I'm sure you'll be punching out 50+ MPG tanks in no time! And you've already caught onto the most important realization which is it's the driver, even more than the car, that makes efficiency happen.

(P.S. I'll say it as well: The proper use of paragraphs would have made your post much more readable, so please work on that in the future. )
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Old 04-15-2010, 11:02 AM   #6
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My understanding is that the MTBE ban is a state thing also, but is widespread enough that the U.S. fuel producers have dropped it altogether. I may be wrong. The knock against it is that it smells and tastes terrible at extremely low concentrations in water, and because of leaking tanks contaminating groundwater and boaters spilling gas in lakes and rivers, it was affecting municipal water supply quality.

The Federal government did pass a mandate (pushed by George W. Bush) for using ethanol that requires the sale of minimum quantities of it, supposedly to replace imported oil with "renewable alternative fuels," and the amount they have to sell now is hard to get rid of when they're limited to a 10% blend. That's the reason for the push to license E15 or E20, and why some folks who test what they get at the pump report finding ethanol levels approaching 20% already.
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Old 04-15-2010, 12:41 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by BailOut View Post
You're right, STC. Ethanol has only been mandated for population centers that have failed the EPA's clean air standards as part of their "Attainment" program. Some States have adopted 10% ethanol as a State-wide standard of their own accord but this has not been mandated across the nation by any means

Welcome to the forum, by the way. You're off to a great start in your fuel efficiency pursuits and I'm sure you'll be punching out 50+ MPG tanks in no time! And you've already caught onto the most important realization which is it's the driver, even more than the car, that makes efficiency happen.

(P.S. I'll say it as well: The proper use of paragraphs would have made your post much more readable, so please work on that in the future. )

Thank you, BailOut. I’ll keep the posts short and simple and make sure to separate the paragraphs for easier reading. The excitement of almost getting 50 MPG must have been a factor?

Yeah, it has been mandated only in certain population centers... Federal RFG is required in the Philadelphia area, summer and winter. I’m not sure what is required for the Pittsburgh area? Here in Central PA... no requirements as of now. It is pretty much a cow town where I live!

Cheers...
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2010 Yaris 3-Dr Liftback, 5-Speed Manual, P185/60R 15, Bayou Blue Pearl
I Love my YARIS - (Click below to see Gaslog):

Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

"The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people." -- Frank Kent
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Old 04-15-2010, 12:52 PM   #8
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^Shippensburg is a cow town. I went to college there. The campus was surrounded on 3 sides by cow farms...
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Old 04-15-2010, 01:28 PM   #9
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My understanding is that the MTBE ban is a state thing also, but is widespread enough that the U.S. fuel producers have dropped it altogether. I may be wrong. The knock against it is that it smells and tastes terrible at extremely low concentrations in water, and because of leaking tanks contaminating groundwater and boaters spilling gas in lakes and rivers, it was affecting municipal water supply quality.

The Federal government did pass a mandate (pushed by George W. Bush) for using ethanol that requires the sale of minimum quantities of it, supposedly to replace imported oil with "renewable alternative fuels," and the amount they have to sell now is hard to get rid of when they're limited to a 10% blend. That's the reason for the push to license E15 or E20, and why some folks who test what they get at the pump report finding ethanol levels approaching 20% already.

In 2005 there was a large spill... leaking tank in a gas station chain, where MTBE contaminated local “Spring Creek”... It took over a year to clean up.

Yes, you are correct... a mandate was passed for requirement in minimum amounts of Ethanol during the Bush watch. I know there is a push to up the amount to 20% blend. My question is... doesn’t a vehicle have to be re-fitted to run this concentration?

Cheers...
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2010 Yaris 3-Dr Liftback, 5-Speed Manual, P185/60R 15, Bayou Blue Pearl
I Love my YARIS - (Click below to see Gaslog):

Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

"The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people." -- Frank Kent
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Old 04-15-2010, 01:33 PM   #10
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^Shippensburg is a cow town. I went to college there. The campus was surrounded on 3 sides by cow farms...
Okay... I meant a cow town and some horses.
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2010 Yaris 3-Dr Liftback, 5-Speed Manual, P185/60R 15, Bayou Blue Pearl
I Love my YARIS - (Click below to see Gaslog):

Most miles Tank: 538 tank/10.148 gal = 53.015 MPG / Most MPG: 54.95 MPG (ethanol) 425 tank/7.73 gal

"The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people." -- Frank Kent
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Old 04-15-2010, 08:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by STC View Post
Yes, you are correct... a mandate was passed for requirement in minimum amounts of Ethanol during the Bush watch. I know there is a push to up the amount to 20% blend. My question is... doesn’t a vehicle have to be re-fitted to run this concentration?
I expect a new Yaris will run on anything up to E25 without problems. I doubt they make special fuel systems just for the ones they export to Brazil. The company doesn't currently approve of using anything over E10 at present in the U.S. The EPA recently sponsored tests indicating that any cars built since 2000 ought to do fine with E20. Last year I read a fellow's post here, on the Toyota Nation or Clean MPG boards, I forget which, about his experiments blending E85 with E10 in his Yaris. It ran fine up to something over 40% ethanol, when it began to set lean mixture codes. I know many people have an almost religious fervor against ethanol in gasoline and believe it will cause terrible automotive disaster, but I've used E10 much of the time since 1977 in cars and motorcycles old and new, and never had any problems. It's more of an issue for outboard motors, 2-stroke powered lawn equipment, chainsaws and such using premixed oil.
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Old 04-15-2010, 09:28 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton View Post
I expect a new Yaris will run on anything up to E25 without problems. I doubt they make special fuel systems just for the ones they export to Brazil. The company doesn't currently approve of using anything over E10 at present in the U.S. The EPA recently sponsored tests indicating that any cars built since 2000 ought to do fine with E20. Last year I read a fellow's post here, on the Toyota Nation or Clean MPG boards, I forget which, about his experiments blending E85 with E10 in his Yaris. It ran fine up to something over 40% ethanol, when it began to set lean mixture codes. I know many people have an almost religious fervor against ethanol in gasoline and believe it will cause terrible automotive disaster, but I've used E10 much of the time since 1977 in cars and motorcycles old and new, and never had any problems. It's more of an issue for outboard motors, 2-stroke powered lawn equipment, chainsaws and such using premixed oil.
agreed, i remember about a year or two back reading about a somebody who took a newer car (not sure if it was a yaris)... and found that doing a 50/50 mix of E85 and E10 gave no problems.
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Old 04-16-2010, 11:21 PM   #13
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Having mentioned Brazil, i went and took a look. They don't sell Yarises there. You can get a Corolla or a Camry, though.
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