Will the price of gas affect your photo habits?

rust = no pass inspection, and also increases the drag coeffeciency. especially when parts start to fall off and drag along the ground :-P

my car is already light enough, if it needed to be lighter i coudl leave the roof at home, take out passenger seat etc.

I drive a 1996 Ford Explorer SUV. I get 22 mpg on the highway. This isn't bad for an SUV. However, due to the 185,000 miles, I'm due for a different one. If I didn't have a boat to pull, I'd just get a sedan the next time. I sold a credit card terminal to a used car dealer a month and a half ago. We have the agreement that if he buys me a car at cost at a dealer's auction, he gets the terminal for free. Cars typically sell for about $3000 below retail at these auctions. I have researched gas mileage on just about any SUV available. There are only 3 that meet my standards of no less than 24 mpg highway. My explorer still runs good, so I'm in no big hurry. I know I'll have to settle for a smaller SUV, but I can live with that. I don't need a 4 X 4, so front wheel drive is sufficient. Besides, 4 X 4's get much worse mileage. I just find it amazing that fuel efficient SUV's are so difficult to find. Automakers have had the technology to make more fuel efficient vehicles for many years. It just makes me wonder if the car makers and oil companies are in cahoots. Maybe the oil companies pay the car makers to keep making gas guzzlers. Anyway, I'll keep driving my old vehicle until something shows up in my price range, that can save me money at the pumps. Even a 10% increase is like saving 35c a gallon, at these prices.

Also, how you drive can make a heck of a big difference. When pulling my boat, I've always got just 16 mpg. Last year, after reading some driving tips and practicing them, I increased my mpg to 18, when pulling the boat. That's about a 12 1/2% increase. I take off from a stop slowly. When approaching a stop sign in the country, I take my foor off the accelerator and coast the last 1/4 mile or more. In town, I'll coast at least 1/2 block, while approaching a stop sign or red light. These small things really make a difference and cost very little time.

I hope everyone knows that the price of oil per barrel you see quoted is a futures price. That means as the price per barrel goes up it will take a while before it is reflected at the pump; same if it goes down.
As for the WI plant that sent home 750 workers, if it is the Janesville plant, there are two reasons. One, no axles; thanks to the AAM strike. Two, Burbs aren't selling.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/1715/gasum2.jpg

Yikes.

I'm looking at studio space right now. The way it's going, I'd save in gas by paying a lease....

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Originally Posted by jgredline

Filled up my tank yesterday, Cost my $189.43 cents. I purposely let it get down to about 1 gallon in the tank. This is ridiculous...:mad:

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Well, this is a little off subject, but, Javier, and any others doing this...Please...don't let your truck(s) or vehicle(s) get that low on fuel. When you start getting that low, you start picking up settled material that works its way into your fuel filter and can cause your vehicle some major problems and actually cause you to burn more fuel. Besides, the longer you wait to fill up...the greater chance the prices are going to go up.

Last year at this time, I was driving about 100 miles a day 7 days a week. Newspaper routes don't get days off. So, now that I'm a "retired" gentleman again, I plan on getting out a lot more for photography, including several trips to Madison, so I guess my trips are going to increase. The nice thing is, I'll coincide some of these trips with my VA medical appointments, which I get fuel reimbursment...which will help tremendously.
Highest price I've seen so far is $3.69 in Madison. Mostly it was about $3.65

Also, the less gas in your tank, the more space for evaporation.

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Originally Posted by ken1953

Well, this is a little off subject, but, Javier, and any others doing this...Please...don't let your truck(s) or vehicle(s) get that low on fuel. When you start getting that low, you start picking up settled material that works its way into your fuel filter and can cause your vehicle some major problems and actually cause you to burn more fuel. Besides, the longer you wait to fill up...the greater chance the prices are going to go up.

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Most often, when my truck hits 1/2 tank, I fill it up. You are right about all the junk that settles at the bottom.

Maybe we should not complain.
http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/080501/050...rice.html?.v=9

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Originally Posted by ken1953

Well, this is a little off subject, but, Javier, and any others doing this...Please...don't let your truck(s) or vehicle(s) get that low on fuel. When you start getting that low, you start picking up settled material that works its way into your fuel filter and can cause your vehicle some major problems and actually cause you to burn more fuel. Besides, the longer you wait to fill up...the greater chance the prices are going to go up.

Last year at this time, I was driving about 100 miles a day 7 days a week. Newspaper routes don't get days off. So, now that I'm a "retired" gentleman again, I plan on getting out a lot more for photography, including several trips to Madison, so I guess my trips are going to increase. The nice thing is, I'll coincide some of these trips with my VA medical appointments, which I get fuel reimbursment...which will help tremendously.
Highest price I've seen so far is $3.69 in Madison. Mostly it was about $3.65

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Most newer GM vehicles do not have inline fuel filters to replace (nor do most Chryslers). There is no note to change or check in your owner's manual. There is a sock filter on most in-tank pumps.

Sediment and debris are heavier than fuel, they will naturally fall and as you drive, they will be disturbed and moved around and if there is any sediment or debris, it will be picked up by the pickup tube; regardless of the amount of fuel in the tank. (Pick up tube opening is about one inch above the bottom of the fuel tank.)

In addition, back in the 70s, the EPA required all in-tank fuel tanks to be switched from metal to fiberglass. This prevented fuel seepage into the ground due to the metal tanks rusting, but also prevented the fuel itself from being contaminated from rust and in-ground debris.
(Remember, years and years ago, they used to put a filter on the fuel hose at the pump? Most do not require those filters anymore.)
Fuel tanks in cars have been plastic for quite a few years. So, they no longer rust or corrode internally.
No lead. Lead was a killer to fuel systems, as well as exhaust systems.
Fuel lines are either stainless steel or rubber that can't dissolve. Unlike materials used ten years ago.

Not saying your tank cannot be contaminated, but chances are really slim in this day-and-age.

I know I run my tank to empty on all my vehicles and have done so for the past ten years, and I have never had a problem. (I hate stopping for fuel.) Good thing too, since my vehicles definitely do not have any inline fuel filters.

As for water, that never really mixes well, but will be mixed in with the fuel, and will be picked up. In addition, water can enter inside an in-ground tank from other means rather than a rusty hole. However, to help avoid this, the pickup tube inside the in-ground tank is at around six inches from the bottom. Most states monitor fuel tanks as well as the metering of the fuel pump (money to gallons). During these checks, they check for water and I know in MI, anything over 2 inches is illegal. Most service stations will dip their tank every day with a long stick with a chemical gel on the bottom of the stick that turns a different color when it hits water.

That is why they say never fill up within fifteen minutes of the in-ground tank being filled. If there is water, the filling of the tank will cause the water to mix in with the fuel. Usually in fifteen minutes after the fill, the water, being heavier than gasoline, will settle to the bottom, and will be lower in depth than the bottom of the pickup tube.

Yes, I am now taking more photographs, and driving further, while using less petrol.

I take the back roads from Basingstoke to the A34, driving no faster than 30 (so getting lots of MPG) and as you have seen in viewfinder taking lots of photos.


£1.119 per litre at the moment.
1 litre = 0.264172052 US gallons
£1 = $1.95

$8.78 per gallon
$2.31 per litre

I have started to walk more.

i won't be driving my car anywhere for a while... it will be all riding my bike or walking.

thats what happens when you wreck and total your car though... and need to save money until you can buy another.