Willie Hank Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 I'm going to start this only because gas prices have gotten so high, and it was a topic of discussion today, at lunch. Holding your tire pressure to the high side has a significant impact to improving MPG. Of course, it will compromise your handling (cornering), but guess what, a 'doubling-effect", you should drive slower to compensate for that.... A fellow engineer stated cutting off your air intake pick-up line???? I had trouble seeing the measurable effect of that... Its about $ 2.40/gallon average, for regular, in Houston today..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 Willie Hank, I would not change the intake setup. The ROI on a freerer/louder exhaust might not pay out. Empty out the trunk. I don't thinkyou would like the 4-cylinder "limp mode. I'm really not sure it can run forever in that mode (or if it really saves that much fuel). Might be interesting to find out. Tell the ones at lunch to carpool with you. Ask Scotty about the "tracter beam" to tag onto the car ahead. Good luck, we are all in this one together. Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 Two words... light foot '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddypete Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 ride the Harley and leave the caddy at home good for an extra 15 mpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 One interesting idea I saw was "don't drive during rush hour". Get up early and get to work, thus avoiding stop and go traffic if you can. Offerring to drive for a carpool saves gas for everyone, and you have the nice car, after all. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike5514 Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 I like the tractor beam idea but I dont think scotty will lend it to you. Other things come to mind for example like tire pressure and wheel alignment, if you need new tires look for ones that give better mileage, of course maintenance items like air cleaner tune ups ect. and dont forget lighter weight oil the new sm oils are more gas conserving if you use a 10w30 you might try a 5w30. You can bump your timing up a degree or two and remove the not needed objects in the car (mother in law etc) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjayzway Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 One of the bigest issues these days! I would start with making sure your tires are at the maximum pressure +1lb. Also make sure your air filter is clean, and your plugs are good. I find if all these things are kept up, it is generally easier on fuel. I also like the k&n air filters too. Big Jay Life is too short to grow up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottshoe Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 Max air pressure is a good suggestion, or you could just let your wife drive it! My wife gets an average of 22 to 23 and I get 18 or 19! 3 floor mats on the driver side might help too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 These have been some good suggestions. I run my tires at about 35 but they always drop air, so I am continually checking them, anyone run your tires higher? I was speaking to Kger2 and he just had his tires balanced and they used nitrogen, he said that nitrogen doesnt increase in pressure as the tire heats up so you get a more accurate pressure plus nitrogen does not leak out as easy as its a bigger molecule.. I plan to look into it. I have been much more conscious about WOTs and have lightened my foot. The tractor beam is nice but I constantly end up at the wrong destination because I doze off, I am still working on that... You have to see the surprise on people when they pull into their driveway and I am behind them sleeping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Driving style has a HUGE effect on gas mileage. My mom has been driving our Caravan for the past few weeks (she's staying with us to help with the baby for a while). I got in the Caravan the other day and noticed the average economy was down to 17 mpg! My normal is 19-20, in the city. Take off from lights slow. Anticipate stops. Remember, the more brakes you use, the more gas you waste. You have to keep up with traffic to be safe, of course, but there are still LOTS of opportunities in every mile you drive to conserve fuel. I get 20-22 mpg in town in my 150k-mile Seville and I'm proud of that. I still blow it out once or twice a week, but I've grown out of beating everyone off the stoplights lately. I've realized there is a level of sophistication when you're driving a car you know is cool and don't have to show off to everyone else. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldgamer Posted August 15, 2005 Report Share Posted August 15, 2005 3 floor mats on the driver side might help too! I like that idea! Ajusting driver's seat as far as possible can work too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67coupedeville Posted August 15, 2005 Report Share Posted August 15, 2005 I've realized there is a level of sophistication when you're driving a car you know is cool and don't have to show off to everyone else. It looks a lot better to slowly pull away from a light than it does to be squeeling out of control. Makes everyone else that much more envious I think . Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Spence, yes! My DIC said 21.4 mpg this morning on the way to work (avg over the 110 miles I have on this tank). Gottaluvit! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Spence, yes! My DIC said 21.4 mpg this morning on the way to work (avg over the 110 miles I have on this tank). Gottaluvit! Did I read that correct? You get an average of 110 miles on a tank of fuel? Where was the fuel gauge indicator? Middle? If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Did I read that correct? You get an average of 110 miles on a tank of fuel? Where was the fuel gauge indicator? Middle? No, I have 110 miles so far on this tank. 5.1 gals used so far. I usually get 300-350 on a tank before I fill it up. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Did I read that correct? You get an average of 110 miles on a tank of fuel? Where was the fuel gauge indicator? Middle? No, I have 110 miles so far on this tank. 5.1 gals used so far. I usually get 300-350 on a tank before I fill it up. She sips!!! The 4.9 is a 19 gallon tank. At the so-called half-way mark, I usually have about 110 miles on the trip odometer but the gas guage is a bit odd. When the gauge mark reads 3/4 empty, I fill up and only take about 10 or 11 gallons. 1/4 of 19 gallons is about 4.75 gallons so 3/4 should be 14.25 gallons which means that there would be only about 4.75 gallons left in the tank but there is usually about 8 or 9 gallons left at the 3/4 mark. Go figure. <_ src="http://www.caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/uploads/emoticons/default_laugh.png" alt=":lol:"> If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal.carceller@cox.net Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 OK, here goes one for gas savings: I could not believe this one myself, on my 93 Seville with 4.9L I was getting about 17mpg on avg and then I changed my Spark Plugs to Bosch 4 Platinum plugs and my MPG went to about 19MPG. So I thought maybe I had a bad plug before? Next I decided to do the same to my Dodge Durango with 5.2L it was getting about 14MPG and after the plug change (Bosch 4 of course) the Durango pushed MPG up to about 15MPG or slightly better. If you can swing the $50.00 for the plugs (and you're in need of new plugs) try it and report the results. I was very surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottshoe Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Most cars with average or inferior (in the case of most OEM!) ignition systems will usually benefit from some good plugs. They will usually burn a little hotter and a little cleaner thus making the ignition process a little more efficient. You wouldn't see those kind of gains on a car with a good aftermarket ignition like an MSD-6 or equivelant... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 They will usually burn a little hotter and a little cleaner thus making the ignition process a little more efficient. And you have to be careful here because many times, aftermarket plugs aren't matched correctly to the engine (in terms of the heat range). I put Bosch plugs in my Nissan truck and it ran like junk. Put the stock NGK plugs back in and I was back to normal. Many examples here of non-OE plugs not running very well in Northstar engines as well. For sure, there are some people who have had success with it, but in the case of the aftermarket, you're doing the R&D (and using your own money to do it!), and in most cases, OE works best. Personally, I wouldn't put a piece of Bosch anything on any of my cars, unless they were specified from the factory. Those Bosch plugs made my truck ping like crazy...and a Bosch O2 sensor I once installed on my '84 Cutlass made that car run like poo. When I bit the bullet and bought a real O2 sensor, one from ACDelco, it was fine again. Unfortunately, Bosch just makes a narrow variety of parts that are supposed to fit everything. I used to work at an Advance, and Bosch is famous for boasting that they only make like 12 or 15 part numbers of plugs that fit 99% of the applications out there. That's no achievement...that's CHEAP! That means that for most vehicles out there, Bosch has built a lot of compromise into your plug, and designed it to work "okay" in like 40 different engines. Good for the parts man, because he only has to stock 10 plugs to fit "most" of his customers' cars. Bad for the consumer, because they're buying a compromise right out of the box. Not me, not again. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norton1 Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 I am averaging, so far in this test, 26.7 MPG. I routinely put 450 miles on a tank before refueling. And still have another 75 miles I could go - I'm not in good enough shape to push this car so it's the easier side! The last 10,000 mile test I got almost 26 I think. I have taken the guts out of the catylitic converter (immediate improvement), taken the air box and cut big holes in it to allow more air in (another immediate effect), and change my oil and air filters religiously. I am slow at the start up, take my time getting up to speed, within limits of rationality for the idiots who like to race, and use the cruise control. On downhill stretches I coast, as long as the speed doesn't drop off more than 5 mph, and my tire pressure is at 35 psi. Running it higher only wears the tread out in the center of the tire and it has no appreciable difference in mpg. With the cost of tires I'll run them about two years, or 50,000 miles, witchever comes first rather than have the centers wore out of them in a year. With the above changes at 140,000 miles I improved from 23-24 mpg to nearly 27 mpg over the last 11,000 + miles. I may replace the plugs. They are original and with that level of miles on them I'm sure they probably need replacing. But I won't throw them away. If my mileage drops I'll stick them right back in! Have a superb day Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 I have taken the guts out of the catylitic converter (immediate improvement)... How ironic, removing the catalytic converter to reduce fuel consumption! If you noticed that much of a difference, it was plugged, and a proper replacement would likely have had as much of an improvement. I hope your car isn't a big detriment to your local air quality, running around without a catalytic converter. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norton1 Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 jadcock - I'm not sure what you meant by your comment. But cats were never put on for economly. They were put on to reduce emissions of a certain size. Some folks suggested that what they in fact did was to reduce the size of the emissions to the point that lungs could not expell the particles. Leading to an increase in lung problems. I'm probably about to get a HUGE education in what the truth of that is. As far as my local air quality goes. For the 71 mile one way drive I drive 40 miles of it in land that no one lives, there are no power lines, fence posts, telephone, or other things to interfere with a quiet desert drive. The other 30 miles are farms and ranches. So if that was a nip at me not being enviro sensitive - sorry about that - I am pretty sensitive to the planet. And since you don't know me or what I have done with my life I'll assume it was a light jab. I have always believed that fuel economy meant that the vehicle was being more efficient. Hence less poluting. And my car will still pass a local emissions test. So your point was...........? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Steve, You are right to some extent - the better fuel economy the less fuel used the less fuel related pollution. But cats are placed there for reason. All of us including jadcock do not know much about each other and judge only on what is posted here. I would not blame jadcock for his conclusion since if one does not care of cat one most likely is not sensitive to environment. This may be not your case but that's what you posted... The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Heh...I still start by saying that yes, it was a light jab. I felt it was ironic because a catalytic converter was installed to reduce emissions...and that's also an effect of increased fuel economy (reduced emissions). It seemed to me that although your fuel economy may have been increased, your net emissions probably weren't, because the exhaust gasses were much "dirtier" now that you removed the converter. A converter doesn't reduce the SIZE of the particles coming out of the exhaust. It uses a chemical process to combust (or consume) certain pollutants and transform them into other chemicals...some of which are toxic and some aren't. I'm impressed that your car will still pass an emissions test (a tailpipe sniff?). Many cars (even ours!) will not pass an inspection with even a marginal converter, let alone one removed completely. The point of my post was simply to state that by removing your converter completely, you may be using a little less gasoline up front, but your overall air pollution has probably gone up by quite a bit. If it hasn't (and it may not have evidenced by you being able to still pass a tailpipe sniff test), your car is one in a million! I wasn't trying to judge your life or your decisions, just pointing out that your initiatives to increase fuel economy may be more detrimental to the cause overall. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95SLS Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Man I have figured this one out! Ya get one of those magnet thingy's for the fuel like, ya put it in your pocket and jump on a bike, ya ride it to where you are going and toss out that magnetic thingy. You can figure the mileage with a inexpensive bike odometer. Mike C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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