brillo
12-12-2004, 02:27 AM
Since I’m kind of an efficiency nut, I’ve been doing some detailed studies of our 8’s fuel economy, since that is obviously one of the hot button issues with our cars. Since I think environmental conditions have a meaningful impact, I thought I’d share my thoughts on my findings in the regional section since nearly everyone here has fairly similar weather/temp/humidity conditions, or in some cases better, than Houston. Combined with Houston’s terrible traffic (I live in the heart of the Galleria), I hope I’m as good a torture test as any for gas mileage.
I should preface this with my typical driving style. All of these observations are with city cruising shifts in the 4K range with the occasional 5-6K shift and maybe a handful of redlines. I set the cruise on 70 on the hwy and roll. My car has about 7,000miles on it. I do some mild spirited driving during these tests, so I wasn’t driving like a grandma in the city.
1. Make sure you have the “M” flash, which seems to lean out our air/fuel mixture for both better economy and performance.
2. Tire Pressure – I check mine once a week, higher than the recommended 32lb doesn’t seem to help, but make sure its at 32. Not to mention your tires last longer and the care handles better (NOTE: Becareful, now that Houston is experiencing some rather dramtic temp changes from lows in the 30s-40's to highs in the 70's, your tire pressure will jump around as well. All the more reason to check it once a week)
3. Keep Moving – Ok, I know this sounds obvious, but crawling on the freeway at 20 is better than stop and go at 40, I know I’ve done a lot of both. Just think about your commute, and try to find a way to stop as little as possible.
4. A/C – Ok this is killer, I’ve done several long distance trips @70mph on cruise and managed to get 24+mpg without the A/C on. In fact, driving to San Antonio just recently, I got 25.7mpg with no A/C. My return trip with the A/C on, got me 22.7mpg. City wise this is also a big deal, in the dead of summer with normal driving, I average ~15mpg with the A/C on. Without the A/C were talking 17-18mpg.
Now that the weather for this region is cooler, we here in Houston get about 5 months of minimal to no A/C, which should help everyone across the board. A/C is a big drag on the car, I have found that if you have to use it, fire it up to cool the car off, then just switch over to the fan with the air set to reticulate.
5. Transmission Fluid Swap – Royal Purple or Redline, get it and enjoy it. Makes the car shift smoother and should make the drive train more efficient at the margins. Best single mod to date for the money, and you only have to change it every 40-60K miles depending on your driving style.
6. Alignment – Houston roads suck, and potholes suck even more. After installing my suspension, I went to NTB, paid $130 for a 3 year unlimited alignment and get it checked every 6 months unless I feel something outta wack. Not only does this extend the life of the tires, which are $$$$, it improves the handling and gas mileage.
7. Royal Purple Engine Oil – I’m going to include this b/c its possible this is helping me as well. I know that some people are not fond of synthetic as per previous debates, but I figured since they claim it can help, I should mention it.
8. K&N Filter – Ok, we have a Cold Air Intake already, the aftermarket intake kits thus far appear to be a waste of money, but this simple $50 filter helps the car breath better and is reusable. We have a good intake system, just upgrade the filter and be done with it.
I should preface this with my typical driving style. All of these observations are with city cruising shifts in the 4K range with the occasional 5-6K shift and maybe a handful of redlines. I set the cruise on 70 on the hwy and roll. My car has about 7,000miles on it. I do some mild spirited driving during these tests, so I wasn’t driving like a grandma in the city.
1. Make sure you have the “M” flash, which seems to lean out our air/fuel mixture for both better economy and performance.
2. Tire Pressure – I check mine once a week, higher than the recommended 32lb doesn’t seem to help, but make sure its at 32. Not to mention your tires last longer and the care handles better (NOTE: Becareful, now that Houston is experiencing some rather dramtic temp changes from lows in the 30s-40's to highs in the 70's, your tire pressure will jump around as well. All the more reason to check it once a week)
3. Keep Moving – Ok, I know this sounds obvious, but crawling on the freeway at 20 is better than stop and go at 40, I know I’ve done a lot of both. Just think about your commute, and try to find a way to stop as little as possible.
4. A/C – Ok this is killer, I’ve done several long distance trips @70mph on cruise and managed to get 24+mpg without the A/C on. In fact, driving to San Antonio just recently, I got 25.7mpg with no A/C. My return trip with the A/C on, got me 22.7mpg. City wise this is also a big deal, in the dead of summer with normal driving, I average ~15mpg with the A/C on. Without the A/C were talking 17-18mpg.
Now that the weather for this region is cooler, we here in Houston get about 5 months of minimal to no A/C, which should help everyone across the board. A/C is a big drag on the car, I have found that if you have to use it, fire it up to cool the car off, then just switch over to the fan with the air set to reticulate.
5. Transmission Fluid Swap – Royal Purple or Redline, get it and enjoy it. Makes the car shift smoother and should make the drive train more efficient at the margins. Best single mod to date for the money, and you only have to change it every 40-60K miles depending on your driving style.
6. Alignment – Houston roads suck, and potholes suck even more. After installing my suspension, I went to NTB, paid $130 for a 3 year unlimited alignment and get it checked every 6 months unless I feel something outta wack. Not only does this extend the life of the tires, which are $$$$, it improves the handling and gas mileage.
7. Royal Purple Engine Oil – I’m going to include this b/c its possible this is helping me as well. I know that some people are not fond of synthetic as per previous debates, but I figured since they claim it can help, I should mention it.
8. K&N Filter – Ok, we have a Cold Air Intake already, the aftermarket intake kits thus far appear to be a waste of money, but this simple $50 filter helps the car breath better and is reusable. We have a good intake system, just upgrade the filter and be done with it.