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For a hybrid car, don't all of the electrics ultimately run off electricity generated by the IC engine? Doesn't the charger for the battery run off of the IC engine? If the front wheels are connected to the motor/generator then when the IC engine is pushing the vehicle along there is drag due to the operation of the charger, right? Is the mechanical/electrical system of your car explained on the net somewhere?
"Curious minds want to know"
If I remember how generators work parts don't really need to touch to create a current.
Don't tell Iowa that.
So is it ethanol or the lack of ethanol people feel like they need an additive for?
No idea. But Some of the Heet gas dryers, which are very popular in Alaska, has Methanol. The one that sells the most is the red color can of Heet. It's used to aid with the removal of moisture in the fuel tank.
I have a Camry Hybrid with 47K miles. At the beginning of a three hundred fifty mile trip I added Toyota's fuel injector cleaner to a full tank of gas for the first time. My front wheels regenerate the hybrid battery as they rotate. During the last leg of the trip which was about 100 miles, I got 44 MPG.
I understand that the hybrid battery was constantly being recharged over the two days, but at highway speeds with the AC on, 44 MPG is more than impressive.
What are your thoughts on crud build up on fuel injectors, and gasoline additives to resolve it.
Many years ago I drove a Chevy Celebrity that had a fuel injection engine. I asked my mechanic if it was a good idea to use an additive that was made specifically for fuel injectors. He told me then to stay away from them as gasoline had enough detergents and cleaners. I would imagine now 20 years later that would be even more true.
No idea. But Some of the Heet gas dryers, which are very popular in Alaska, has Methanol. The one that sells the most is the red color can of Heet. It's used to aid with the removal of moisture in the fuel tank.
They switched from ethanol to methanol some bignum years ago so people would stop drinking it.
Not needed now that regular gas has ethanol which mixes with the water in your tank and moves it out. Except when it just sits there in your lawnmower until spring in which case it messes things up. Maybe in Alaska, like the Northeast, in Winter they don't add the ethanol?
They switched from ethanol to methanol some bignum years ago so people would stop drinking it.
Not needed now that regular gas has ethanol which mixes with the water in your tank and moves it out. Except when it just sits there in your lawnmower until spring in which case it messes things up. Maybe in Alaska, like the Northeast, in Winter they don't add the ethanol?
You are correct. Methanol can be corrosive, so parking a car for winter with a full tank of fuel that contains methanol is said to cause corrosion in the tank. But I have no idea about such things. All I know is that our gasoline in Alaska does not have methanol, and that Heet does help dry the fuel in the tank during the winter.
I don't think any perceived improvement in performance when adding fuel injector cleaner is actually due to the fuel injectors themselves. If there were real FI issues you would probably be taking the vehicle in for service. These additives clean the entire fuel system and IMHO the majority of improvement comes from the cleaner throttle body and sensors therein being cleaned. Similar results can be had by using higher octane fuels and/or doing an Italian tune-up. That said I have used Techron and it is effective and is much safer than the Italian tune-up!
Similar results can be had by using higher octane fuels...
Ugh, octane is used to resist "ping", it does absolutely nothing else. High octane fuel (from the same brand) has Nothing more than a higher level of octane in it with a few very rare exception that advertise more detergents. Octane absolutely, positively can NOT "clean" anything. It *does* have a placebo effect of "I spent my money on it, so I'm going to notice a difference" combined with a less violent explosion (which means less total power) that "feels" smoother.
Ugh, octane is used to resist "ping", it does absolutely nothing else. High octane fuel (from the same brand) has Nothing more than a higher level of octane in it with a few very rare exception that advertise more detergents. Octane absolutely, positively can NOT "clean" anything. It *does* have a placebo effect of "I spent my money on it, so I'm going to notice a difference" combined with a less violent explosion (which means less total power) that "feels" smoother.
Certainly I'm no automotive expert but I would contend that a higher octane fuel, which requires a higher combustion temp thereby reducing pre-ignition, also produces a hotter burn, resulting in the combustion chamber components being cleaner, like the spark plug and valves, resulting in improved performance. What I'm proposing is that the very fact that it reduces pinging in of itself is a cleaning process as the fuel is burned more completely than pre-ignited fuel.
Certainly I'm no automotive expert but I would contend that a higher octane fuel, which requires a higher combustion temp thereby reducing pre-ignition, also produces a hotter burn, resulting in the combustion chamber components being cleaner, like the spark plug and valves, resulting in improved performance. What I'm proposing is that the very fact that it reduces pinging in of itself is a cleaning process as the fuel is burned more completely than pre-ignited fuel.
Here we go, amateurs discussing combustion chemistry. Higher octane fuel will not ignite as readily as regular. That is why it does not knock until a higher compression ratio. The fuel is used in a research combustion engine with a variable compression rating. Iso-octane has a rating of 100. This is because it ignites and burns slowly, thus it does not knock at the test compression ratio. The flame front of high octane fuel is slower than low octane fuel.
Premium fuel has less energy so that it will work in higher compression engines. https://www.thoughtco.com/gasoline-a...verview-602180
Summary:
"High octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane gasoline
in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning the engine.
However modern high octane fuels may contain additional detergents
to help protect high compression engines. Consumers should select
the lowest octane grade at which the car's engine runs without knocking.
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm the engine and
doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. On the other hand,
a heavy or persistent knock may result in engine damage."
That is when you need to switch to a higher octane or pour in some snake oil.
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