SideOfBacon

anyone had any success or have suggestions on increasing the gas mileage without having to stop "drive it like you stole it"?

not sure what everyone else is getting.. but on a full tank of V-Power shell gas I only got ~210 miles without really "pushing" the car, just to give me an idea of what I would get per tank...

its not a HUGE deal, as I can afford the car payment, I guess I can afford the gas, just wondered if anyone has any suggestions or any success without losing performance on increasing mileage...

air filters maybe? :dontknow:

TIA!

-caveney

Hightshoe

hahahahaha, its impossible.

SideOfBacon

thanks :P

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

if you want to spend some $$$ on a piggyback you can get as much as 1.5 MPG improvement without changing your driving habits . Of course it will take several years to get your money back ............

brillo

Keeping the MAF and filter clean, a REVi intake and making sure your tires are inflated are your best bets.

HCTR154

Experiment some with different brands of fuel. I seem to always get a few more miles per tankful when I use Valero 87 octane gasoline, as opposed to Shell or Exxon.

Also, set your cruise control at the speed limit, regardless of what it is, and shift at around 3,500 rpm. This should get you at least 20 mpg. Of course, every situation is different, so don't be surprised if these tips don't help you any!!

rotarygod

You might be able to improve it a little bit if you change your driving habits but driving it like you stole it is the fastest way to burn through a tank. Aftermarket mods may do very little for you in the way of fuel economy. It's not really a money savings if you are spending a lot of money in an attempt to save it anyways. The only thing you can really do if you don't want to slow down or change your driving habits is to make sure your oil gets changed regularly, your air filter stays clean, and your tires stay aired up. That's about it. I actually run 5 psi of air pressure more than the rated level and see a noticable improvement in my gas mileage but keep in mind that is in a Honda. It should work in any car though.

Nubo

The worst thing for mileage in this car is stop and go traffic. This car really gulps fuel at idle. That's the biggest impact by far for me. I get around 15 mpg in commute service and about 23 on the open road with cruise control.

SideOfBacon

the drive it like you stole it comment was a bit of jokingness to my post.. sorry, im new here and you guys dont know me or my sense of humor :P:.. I will try the airpressure changes... on a sidenote with oil, is checking every 300 miles sufficient enough... I have read up and heard that the rotarys to burn oil, and am just wondering the ideal checking mileage... i do plan on changing it between 2000-2500 miles to keep this motor up to mint condition as long as possible.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Theres only one way to save Gas

Get off the car and start walking

Mazda-Rati

I can't believe no one mentioned the TORNADO!!!!!

ken-x8

Way more than enough. You'll probably check it that often in the beginning, just for the fun of fondling your new car. When my RX-8 was new, my wife had to go to the garage every now and then to drag me back into the house.

Once you see how often you actually need to add oil, you'll taper off.

Look for the "Houdini dipstick maneuver" post in the tech forum. Makes checking the oil *much* easier than the Mazda way.

Ken

RazzyBRX-8

To add to that...

Get a 600cc motorcycle. Most get 35-50 mpg, and you're going to be faster than every car on the road. Thus solving two things people gripe about!!

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I think its safer and healthier to walk tho.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I was thinking about it too but I will save it for someone else.

RazzyBRX-8

Actually, it's safe to ride a motorcycle. It's just those people who don't pay attention. Same thing could happen walking, too. At least riding a motorcycle you have protection....hopefully.

Healthier, though....I think you win.

OT: Gas mileage is gas mileage.

Mazda-Rati

If you really get desperate for gas mileage and don't care about safety, you could throw it in neutral when going down a hill.

RX8Maine

I'm not sure about that. It takes a lot of fuel to idle the engine, and fuel is cut off when coasting in gear.

RazzyBRX-8

In Virginia, that's illegal. If he doesn't care about safety, a used older motorcycle will probably get 50-60 mpg.

(My '96 yzf600r gets 55mpg and it's faster than any car. Walah!)

rotarygod

If a car were that light, it would get that mileage too.

RazzyBRX-8

Haha, yeah. The 8 would be faster than it, too.

corners

Stay out of drive-throughs. You really do burn a lot of fuel at idle- I get 2 more MPG per week if I don't go through a drivethru every day.

Tanaka826

im starting to get bad mpg too.. i used to get 250 miles per tank..but now i barely get 200....what happend?

Jax_RX8

You are never going to get great mileage out of a rotary, but there are some basics to keep on top of it and get the best you can

- Use a good fuel cleaner regularly (best if used in every tank) as this minimizes the carbon buildup that causes many other issues. FP60, SI-1, 44K

- Clean MAF often with non-conductive spray cleaner (CRC makes a good one). It seems our MAF get dirty easily (especially if you use an oil-based air filter) and when dirty, just kills MPG and power because of inaccurate air flow readings

- replace plugs often (less often required with every tank fuel cleaner use)

- check/replace coils often - seem to not have a very long life

- Red-line/"Beep it" twice per day

- Driving habits seem to have some impact on MPG, but not much, unless you are wide open all the time

- Excessive idling really sucks gas in a rotary

chritcos

I don't know if maybe its where you live but when i drive my car i get roughly 240-260+ to a tank in my car using shell v-power. i live in new jersey im not sure of where your located i know that altitude differences can change mpg and such. also i noticed that when highway driving at around 75mph if you set cruise control i was able to beat 300 one time. the only mod i have in my car is a K&N intake (short ram)