Is there a difference in winter and summer gas and will it effect gas mileage?

Question

Is there a difference in winter and summer gas and will it effect gas mileage?

Answer 1

Depending on your region, yes. California has it's own blend, even (CARBOB- California Reformulated something Oxygenated blend.

     The difference in the gas is that the additive ratios change to keep the gas burning at a standard rate despite changing air temperatures.

As to whether it will effect milage, possibly, depending on the blend and the season.  Sorry I can't be more specific.

Answer 2

well, benth was closest, so he got the thumbs up.  

There is no gas mileage difference between winter and summer blend gasoline ( there are chemical differences, jk ).  Winter blend gasoline has a higher vapor pressure, which means it evaporates more easily, necessary in the colder winter temps.  Summer gasoline has a lower vapor pressure, since the warmer temps encourage faster evaporation.

Your mileage wouldn't vary that much if you ran winter gasoline in your car during the summer or vice versa.  The difference is due to colder gasoline injecting into your cylinders and the time it takes to vaporize for maximum combustion.  You'd most likely see a difference if you ran summer gasoline in the winter, since it wouldn't vaporize as easily and you'd have performance issues.  The thing is, we switch to winter blend in September and back to summer blend in March, so unless you almost never drive your car, youre not going to have a situation where that could happen.

RBOB stands for  Regular Base Oxygenate Blend, PBOB is Premium, the CA is for California, which has it's own Clean Air standards.  "BOB" is what they mix with ethanol (the oxygenate) to create the gasoline we purchase at our local stations.  The mix is typically 90% gasoline, 10% ethanol by volume, but it can go up to 15% ethanol in some RFG areas.

When you see quotes on the news networks for gasoline futures, they're usually referring to RBOB.

EDIT:  duh, all major fuel retailers switched away from MTBE around April 2006, when the federal gov't removed protections.  MTBE is a nasty compound and was only allowed because at the time, there were no alternatives.  With the advent of ethanol oxygenate, the gov't saw no need to continue covering MTBE use.

Answer 3

We get about 10% MTBE, or Ethanol in some places for the winter.

Those blends, If you have them, have less energy per gallon of fuel.

It is listed on the gas pump if you get it.

Answer 4

there is no such thing as winter and summer gas.  there is in fuel oil but not gas.

Answer 5

yes there is because winter is harder on your car then summer but u will save gas in winter because u drive slow in the winter

in fear of sliding