Diesel Refining, prices going UP

Bird · Feb 9, 2006

( My wife hated my Ford Ranger . . . It was 2 wd drive but too high up because Ford makes them all 4wd height. )

Ralph, I don't recall much about '94 models, but I've got an '01 2WD Ranger. We also have an '01 Windstar that my wife wanted (and likes when I'm driving), but she prefers driving the Ranger, and I can't imagine anyone thinking it's too high up.

And I wonder how many people really know just what kind of gas mileage they get. You can get a more or less general idea by checking a tank or two, but since driving conditions, weather, road conditions, traffic conditions, whether you top off the tank, etc. affect it, you've got to do it long term to really know. Having been a fleet manager, I'm just in a habit of keeping spreadsheets on my vehicles so I can see what it really costs to own and operate one, and it's scary. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I bought the Ranger used with 36k miles on it. And in the last 10k miles, it's averaged 18.756 mpg, but if you look at the times it was "filled up", it's gotten as low as 14 and as high as 25 mpg; quite a spread. Not as good a mileage as I'd like, but I knew when I bought it that it had the 4.0L engine. I would expect much better from the 2.3L 4-cylinder or even the 3.0L V-6.

arthr31 · Feb 9, 2006

That's alright, Richard. I know, no problem... Bird, good post, I have been keeping track of my cummins 12v by spreadsheet for almost a year now, some interesting trends and differences... It's definitely the way to go... that is, keeping track by record keeping..

Now on a note to return to the topic, I can buy diesel at one place at 2.59, and everwhere else at 2.79+ Why do you think this is? I burned 16/17 gallons of the 2.59 stuff and had no problems (e.g. fuel gel'in; poor performance, etc);

why can one place offer at 20 cents lower than the other ? can't they match price, or is that part of the distiller agreement? ( cheep place is citgo, expensive place is mobil, private / independent dealer)
OK, thanks, -art

Bird · Feb 9, 2006

Art, I have no idea why the wide variation in prices. I suppose it happens just about everywhere. I know I routinely see gasoline prices posted at different stations within 20 miles of my house that vary as much as $.20 a gallon.

cp1969 · Feb 9, 2006

( i must be lair and you must be doing good with that cummins since EPA gave it the same 17 mpg rating as the gas 5.7 hemi. ) When has the EPA given a rating to the Cummins/Dodge? I thought all the Cummins were in trucks exempt from EPA mileage ratings.

( well i guess i am the first. wait till your first back surgery bending over just tie your shoes becomes a scary ordeal afraid that your going to re injure yourself. don't even ask me to get something heavy off of a low slung trailer i am liable to burst in to tears ) If I were you, I wouldn't lift anything heavy...period. Lest you re-injure yourself. The rest of us, non-back-injured types, though, would probably prefer to keep them that way by not having to lift heavy things any higher than necessary, i.e., when throwing stuff in the bed of a truck.

arthr31 · Feb 9, 2006

hey cp1969, thats right, the cummins isn't regulated by the epa, there are currently no MPG or emission requirements for that engine/truck - other than it pass a two stage soot test for diesels... let me just say, it's a good platform from which to modify/upgrade ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scott_vt · Feb 10, 2006

( When I worked for Exxon, they were barely making a profit on gasoline and often sold it at a loss. ExxonMobil aren't making record profits by selling gasoline and diesel. They're making their profits on what they call the "up stream" end of the business. This is the end where they get the crude out of the ground. The high price of crude has resulted in more profits.]

Mornin Ralph,
36 Billion last year, 10 Billion last quarter, and we the consumer are paying $2.40/ $2.50 a gallon /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

So its allright to pay that price because they arent supposedly making their profit on that business segment /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sorry, Ill keep burning wood /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

Iowachild · Feb 19, 2006

I am a Electrician / Instrument Tech. for the largest (if not the only) independent oil refinery in America, located in Warren, PA. We are having a shutdown of our distillate hydro-treater in March to ready the unit for the new 15 ppm ultra-low sulphur diesel. It will involve changing catalyst, which is very expensive stuff and adding an on-line analyzer to monitor sulphur content, among other things. Sulphur cannot be removed from hydrocarbons as sulphur. Hydrogen is added in the catalytic process to convert sulphur to H2S which is easily removed. Howerver, the H2S must then be converted back to sulphur in a Claus plant in order to get rid of the sulphur. I have worked at the refinery for 33 years and most of the money spent on capital improvement over the last 20 years has been meet newer, strict government regs. Yes, the regs. do add to the cost of the fuel you buy!

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There is no greater waste as a waste of time.

MikePA: Shortened extremely long line of dashes which caused the entire thread to widen. Note: Bolding is for emphasis and should not be confused with all caps which means shouting.