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Not sure of a winter vs summer blend in the gasoline. I do find that my power curve is different in the AM with the cooler air compared to the afternoon drive home after the temp has arisen.
After all...water injection (moisture) is known to improve the HP a wee bit so the cooler air (mosture laden ) is bound to help.
Do think the small amount is insufficient to worry about. Life has more meaningful things for us to worry about.
Now if the price of gas were to come down I'd be a happy person.
Very different blends of fuels throughout the country, highly dependent upon climate.
Cold weather gasoline must vaporize at low temps, so it's a more volatile fuel blend with a lower Reid Vapor Pressure test number.
Conversely, hot weather blended gasoline must have a higher Reid Vapor test number so that it doesn't vapor lock at the abient temperatures.
The EPA mandates different fuel blends for the climate changes, too ... in a lot of markets in the USA. That will also affect the fuel blends, the additives, and the amount of ethanol added to the fuel blend in many markets.
There is enough variation in the fuel density due to climate change to greatly affect fuel economy in many cars. I've seen 10-15% changes with seasonal blended fuels here in the Rocky Mountain states.
We used to have so many problems with the changing fuels, and with the fuel systems in a lot of cars, that one of the things I had to do in my shop was purchase a fuel quality test kit. I had a Reid Vapor pressure tester, an alcohol test set, and a water dipstick paste to detect water in tanks. You'd be amazed at how many cars came in with incompatible fuel which caused running problems, and we could demonstrate to our clients why we'd tested the fuel, then drained a tank and replaced it with an appropriate fuel. Of course, the automotive industry was forced to make their FI systems more compatable with the wide ranging fuels, which is why you've seen so many more high tech Oxy sensors and FI controls and mapping than in those earlier years.
Very different blends of fuels throughout the country, highly dependent upon climate.
Cold weather gasoline must vaporize at low temps, so it's a more volatile fuel blend with a lower Reid Vapor Pressure test number.
Conversely, hot weather blended gasoline must have a higher Reid Vapor test number so that it doesn't vapor lock at the abient temperatures.
The EPA mandates different fuel blends for the climate changes, too ... in a lot of markets in the USA. That will also affect the fuel blends, the additives, and the amount of ethanol added to the fuel blend in many markets.
There is enough variation in the fuel density due to climate change to greatly affect fuel economy in many cars. I've seen 10-15% changes with seasonal blended fuels here in the Rocky Mountain states.
We used to have so many problems with the changing fuels, and with the fuel systems in a lot of cars, that one of the things I had to do in my shop was purchase a fuel quality test kit. I had a Reid Vapor pressure tester, an alcohol test set, and a water dipstick paste to detect water in tanks. You'd be amazed at how many cars came in with incompatible fuel which caused running problems, and we could demonstrate to our clients why we'd tested the fuel, then drained a tank and replaced it with an appropriate fuel. Of course, the automotive industry was forced to make their FI systems more compatable with the wide ranging fuels, which is why you've seen so many more high tech Oxy sensors and FI controls and mapping than in those earlier years.
Word, there are a lot of factors, but here in NJ, there is definitely a winter and summer blend. You don't really notice a power or MPG difference per se, but there is a slight one.
There is in MD. I lose about 10% to 15% MPG with the winter blend across the range of vehicles we have. The older ones lose more whille the '10 Forester didn't seem to be effected.
It used to be necessary to add a de-icer to winter blends in northern states. I once drove up north with southern fuel still in the tank, and had to add a can of Heet to thaw the icing from the moisture in the tank. (In my '85 Corolla, I regularly went 500 miles on the 13.3-gallon tank.)
But I suspect that with nearly all fuel containing ethanol, that is probably no longer the case.
Very different blends of fuels throughout the country, highly dependent upon climate.
Cold weather gasoline must vaporize at low temps, so it's a more volatile fuel blend with a lower Reid Vapor Pressure test number.
Conversely, hot weather blended gasoline must have a higher Reid Vapor test number so that it doesn't vapor lock at the abient temperatures.
The EPA mandates different fuel blends for the climate changes, too ... in a lot of markets in the USA. That will also affect the fuel blends, the additives, and the amount of ethanol added to the fuel blend in many markets.
There is enough variation in the fuel density due to climate change to greatly affect fuel economy in many cars. I've seen 10-15% changes with seasonal blended fuels here in the Rocky Mountain states.
We used to have so many problems with the changing fuels, and with the fuel systems in a lot of cars, that one of the things I had to do in my shop was purchase a fuel quality test kit. I had a Reid Vapor pressure tester, an alcohol test set, and a water dipstick paste to detect water in tanks. You'd be amazed at how many cars came in with incompatible fuel which caused running problems, and we could demonstrate to our clients why we'd tested the fuel, then drained a tank and replaced it with an appropriate fuel. Of course, the automotive industry was forced to make their FI systems more compatable with the wide ranging fuels, which is why you've seen so many more high tech Oxy sensors and FI controls and mapping than in those earlier years.
Very good and accurate answer. There is a MPG penalty during spring and fall for a short time as the summer/winter fuel blends are consumed between the seasons. Once the storage tanks make a complete switch over your MPG should go back to "normal". More than one person has panicked due to this seasonal MPG drop and had unnecessary engine work done!
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