In my state when it turns to fall all the way through winter until the start of spring, all the gas stations in town have to change their fuel to an oxidated one that allows for less pollution. It also kills your performance and doesnt give you as good gas mileage, as a side effect. Does this happen anywhere else?

 

not that i know of i live in newengland and they dont play with my gas if they do they dont tell me

 

It gets cold! (Oh, my bad)

I've heard of that as well, but I don't know why it's done. I think the air quality is the real issue though, unless they're worried about gasoline freezing in your fuel system (doubtful though).

 

hMMM..didin't even know that...
what i do notice...in a gasoline station only one truck comes to refill all the tanks for diff types of gasolines..

* how do we know if we really putting 87 or 92 or any other
type of gasoline in our vehicle....

 

I live in NYC and here they change over the gas for winter. Its for pollution reasons and I beleive the oxidated or whatever gas is less likely to freeze.

 

I used to know this in detail when i worked on alternative engines in school.. all I remember now is that it has to do with starting the engine in cold tmeperatures when the gas and engine is cold, it is very difficult to ignite under typical engine constraints. This is one of the issues with using ethanol as a fuel. the typical kind used widely is e-85, which has 15% gasoline, to allow for strarting in cold tmperatures, and to give color to flames. (it's quite fun and dangerous to have a fire you cant see).

the higher octane also does allow for better emmissions in the cold, specifically greenhouse gasses (i think).

 

I believe here in Canada it's even required by law. If you go to most gas station sites, they'll tell you what date it starts and what date it ends. Every year when they do this my gas mileage goes to crap! Also if you're running high boost in your car, it's a good time to turn it down a bit as "Oxygenated" fuel makes the engine run leaner.

 

well....here is everything you did...and did not..want to know about gasoline http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part1/

 

That, my friend, is some serious reading. Did you read all of that? I roughly skimmed it. In the case of adding oxygenates, more fuel is required, right? So in effect causing more gas to be sold but reducing the pollutants released. But if we have to buy more gas, won't there ultimatly be the same amount of pollutants released?

 

Milwaukee and St. Louis area both switch to reformulated over winter too, and I've seen my MPG drop by about 8-10 since the switch

I'm not too sure about Chicago...

I have to drive about an hour outside of Milwaukee to find non-reformulated crap

++schmeckp

 

actually... on September 15 everywhere in the USA switched to the winter gas. its a federal law.

 

Even in places like Nevada? Seems pretty excessive to me. It hasn't snowed here in LA since 1926, give or take.

 

well...in the states/cities that do not pollute as much they already have a more oxgenated gas in constant use. <---- 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA). in more polluted cities they switch to an even more oxgenated gas to compensate.