octane and mpg

[Robert Myers]

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Shaun,

Lacking empirical evidence let me provide this reply.

mpg, all else being equal (same car, etc), is related to the absolute
energy content of the fuel - the amount of heat obtained when a specific
amount of the fuel is completely burned.  A higher energy content should
(again, all else equal) provide more "oomph" (technical term) and therefore
a greater distances covered per gallon of fuel.

Octane rating is a measure of how well the fuel burns.  A higher octane
rating will tend to permit the fuel to ignite and burn with a "whoosh" as
opposed to a "bang" (more technical terms).  The "whoosh" effect is
preferable in higher compression engines where a "bang" type behavior
produces knocking and can lead to engine damage.

The two are entirely different standards and probably should not be compared.

At 02:20 PM 5/27/2003 -0400, Shaun D. Mullen wrote:

>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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>Hello, old friends:
>
>I'm back on the q-list after an absence of a couple of years.  My
>curiosity got the best of me, I guess, and the boy racers over on the
>AudiWorld forum are a bit much to take.
>
>I have a question right out of the gate:  Is there a relationship
>between octane and miles per gallon obtained?  In other words, and
>understanding there probably are other factors, will I get better gas
>mileage running my A4 on 93 octane than 89 octane?
>
>-- Shaun Mullen
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One nation, under surveillance. :-(

Bob
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