Altitude is the distance between ground and your position.
ELEVATION on the other hand--- is distance between level position on earth... ;^)
Try resetting your pcm--- driving from San Diego to Bremerton Washington netted me ~14.5 mpg average in California, 15.9-16.5 with fill ups in Oregon/Washington.
California fuel is oxygentated year round and now with menthonal (no longer MTBE)... which means you burn more of it, get worse gas mileage, and it costs more... vicious circle.
Had same thing happen in 2004 when I drove to Houston... once you get out of the California gas supply (IE-- Arizona, Nevada) your fuel mileage goes up... And it did for everyone that drove out with me.
Sam
www.socaldakota.com
619-274-1292
>
> From: "Rick Barnes" <rascal@scrtc.com>
> Date: 2006/01/30 Mon PM 07:33:14 EST
> To: <dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net>
> Subject: DML: RE: California Truck and Gas
>
>
> Altitude is much higher in Washington Ryan
>
> Rascal
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net
> [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net] On Behalf Of Ryan
> Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 2:23 PM
> To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
> Subject: DML: California Truck and Gas
>
>
> Hi list,
>
> I have a 97 Club Cab with 318 and 5spd. I bought the truck new when I
> lived in the Los Angeles area. About 5 years ago, we moved to Seattle,
> and make an occasional trip back to L.A. in the Dakota to visit family.
>
> As soon as we moved up here, I noticed my Dakota started pinging running
> 87 octane gas. I had about 40,000 miles on the truck at the time. It
> never pinged when in California. So, I started putting 92 octane in,
> and the pinging went away. I have been running 92 octane ever since,
> and it has been fine for over 60,000 additional miles.
>
> Now, here's where my question comes in. When traveling south from
> Washington to California, I usually fill up right over the CA border in
> Yreka because I refuse to fill up in Oregon as they don't let you pump
> your own gas (insane!). Anyway, by Yreka, I'm pretty low and fill up
> around 20 gallons. Within 10-15 miles, I notice a power increase. It
> is substantial (say maybe 20-25 horsepower by the butt meter). For the
> rest of the trip in CA, I use 87 octane gas. The extra power remains,
> and there is no pinging. Once I get back to washington, the pinging
> returns, and I have to go back to 92 octane.
>
> I have noticed this now on all of the 3 trips we have driven the Dakota
> back to CA. So, there must be something in the CA gas that is affecting
> my motor for the better.
>
> Any ideas? Anyone have an idea on what I can change on my truck so as
> to go back to 87 octane gas here in WA?
>
> Ryan
> 97 cc,318,5sp,105k miles
>
>
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Feb 01 2006 - 20:27:16 EST