Any magic bullets for increasing MPG?

[GoHeels1981]

With gas prices heading north, again, are there any legitimate ways to meaningfully increase mpg other than:

tires properly inflated
fresh fluids and filters
engine in good tune
remove extra weight from trunk
etc.

 

[adam123]

You could look for a Underdrive pulley for your vehicle since this would decrease parasitic loses. But You would have to figure up if the intial cost would offset the MPG benefeits.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Stay off the brakes, keep the RPMs at the lowest in the highest gear available.

 

[surfstar]

I've found FP60 and Lucas UCL to help with MPG, while no positive effect from MMO or Acetone, or other one tank cleanings like techron. I will write up my findings soon, as I think I have enough tanks for the UCL and FP60 to compare.

The biggest factor has been tires and tire pressure, and the tune-up stuff seems to be close to the effect of the above gas additives.

 

[Bill in Utah]

The biggest factor is your right foot.

Next would be tires.

Make sure your engine is running correctly.

Thats about it.

Bill

 

[Turk]

Go:

I've done a lot of experimenting with my digital instant, average & trip MPG system during the last gas spike, so here you ( and other BITOG'ers too...)

1) When I follewed behind a moderately larger vehicle in the draft (without being too close - duh

), I got 1-2 MPG higher.

2) When you know you'll be slowing down for a stop sign or light, let off the gas way before when you know you'll coast to the stop.

3) Run Chevron Techron in your tank and rev 'er up a few times with it in to blow the carbon out and I saw a distinct gas mileage increase for a while.

 

[55Test]

These are some fuel saving tips I can think of.

No drag race starts

Do not exceed the speed limit, and where possible, drive under it.

No passing unless really necessary

If your car has an upshift light, obey it

Keep alignment in spec

Don't carry un-necessary weight

If you have more than one gas station in the area you drive, don't fill your tank more than half way. Think of the weight of 10 gallons of gas versus 18 or 20 gallons

Use the lightest grade of oil specified for your engine, and of course keep it properly tuned up

When traveling up a hill, if traffic conditions permit, allow your car to slow down by 5 mph or so.

 

[Titan]

I just got 36.1 mpg on a car that is rated at 28 or 29 hwy. I got the same mpg on the return trip, too. I did it by driving no more than 64 mph (speed limit 55-60), WATCHING ahead and throwing it into neutral every time I hit a "Reduce Speed Ahead" sign. I also sometimes go to neutral down hills steep enough to maintain my speed. I did pass a couple of trucks, and did have a few full-throttle starts, but, mostly just ran sensibly. Same car on the Interstate on this same trip, got 32 mpg both ways...went as high as 95 mph, but, mostly kept it just above 75, except for the times traffic brought me to a dead-stop, with subsequent 30-40 mph crawling, where I kept it in 3rd or 4th gear most of that time.

What it all boils down to is, keep the car in good shape, and use your BRAIN, because that is what controls the feet (ideally, of course!)

 

[racer12306]

I dont know about other cars, but i know my neon shuts off injectors when you are coasting in gear. Do other cars have this setup? If they did it would be better to leave it in gear when coasting.

 

[Palut]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 55:

Do not exceed the speed limit, and where possible, drive under it.

---

I see this one everywhere, and it's wrong.

Most cars get their best fuel economy between 50 and 60 mph. Speed limits around town are lower than this. By obeying these limits, or worse, driving slower than them, you obstruct traffic and, since you're below your most efficient speed, you get WORSE mileage. Exceeding these limits (say doing 40-45 in a 35 zone) gets you closer to your most fuel efficient speed, and thus gets you better mileage. I can say from experience that this works. When I was doing pizza delivery, I would drive in LOTS of stop and go traffic, and always idle my car for 30-120 seconds while making deliveries. I wasn't the gentlest driver either. If the car was warm, it got revved! These driving patterns should have gotten me very poor mileage.

But I went 50 everywhere but small residential streets, where I'd go 20-25 (I'm very safe!!). My car is rated 25/31, and I'd get 28.5-29 mpg on EVERY tank. Of course this only works if one can anticipate traffic and time lights so as to avoid needing to slow down or stop. Of course, never go too fast for conditions, especially in residential areas.

When on the highway, DON'T SLOW DOWN IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE GAS!!! So many people do this, and they're wasting fuel because of it. Keep up with traffic and you'll get better mileage. Here's how: Park behind somebody, preferably an SUV or minivan, and follow them at a reasonable distance doing the same speed. If you're following them at 65 mph, and they cause the air in front of you to be moving at just 10 mph when you hit it, then you have the same wind resistance you'd have if you were going 55 mph. You get the same mileage benefit, and since you're not obstructing traffic you're a safer driver!

 

[Palut]

quote:

---

Originally posted by racer12306:
I dont know about other cars, but i know my neon shuts off injectors when you are coasting in gear. Do other cars have this setup? If they did it would be better to leave it in gear when coasting.

---

My sister's old '91 DeVille has one of those instant mpg displays. I once coasted down the same road in D and then in neutral from 60 mph down to 50. I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was a few mpg better in D than neutral.

I always stay in gear in my 5 spd Accord to save brakes and to save wear on the transmission.

 

[cousincletus]

You can't just drive the speed limit around Richmond anyway or you'll get run over, esp. on I-95. I think the difference will be small anyway, so I would keep up w/traffic and not worry about it. Keep your car running well and drive reasonably.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Palut wrote:

" Park behind somebody, preferably an SUV or minivan, and follow them at a reasonable distance doing the same speed. If you're following them at 65 mph, and they cause the air in front of you to be moving at just 10 mph when you hit it, then you have the same wind resistance you'd have if you were going 55 mph. "

That'll work only if you follow so closely that you can't stop in time if he brakes hard. If you're 2-3 seconds' distance back, as you should be -- tell that to the flying monkey morons in New Orleans sometime -- it would be like riding your boat behind another one. Close up to him, and you get the benefit of the water he pushed out of the way. Hang back for safety, and you hit his wake, and turbulence would increase your friction and lower your fuel economy.

Flowing air and flowing water are both fluids, and behave much the same way, don't they?

-- Paul W.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

No magic bullets, but here's the things that I've found help out MPG:

Using the FP/LC combo has shown a 2MPG increase. I'm amazed at how going from any gas grade to BP/Amoco's 93 has netted *another* 2-3MPG. Having data in hand after a few more tankfulls will tell the whole tale...

38.9MPG on the last tankful with lots of stop and go and a traffic jam to boot. That's by far, the best MPG I've gotten on a hwy/city mix of driving. Highway traffic is almost always above 70MPH.

Car = 1996 Saturn SL2 1.9L, 148K, M1 5w-30.

I'd like to try Amsoil 0w-30 one of these days as many have stated here at BITOG that it bumps MPG.

 

[skate1968]

"1) When I follewed behind a moderately larger vehicle in the draft (without being too close - duh ), I got 1-2 MPG higher."

I went to a speed skating clinic and they said to draft someone properly you need to be right behind them, real tight. And if you're a comfortable foot or two away you're not really helping yourself all that much.

I'm not sure how that logic translates to trucks on the freeway.

 

[skate1968]

GoHeels1981,

I haven't had time to pay attention to how many mpg i'm getting now. But i'm certain that it's better after i AutoRxed my engine. Granted, my car was quite the oil burning sludge monster before the treatment. (i'm not sure if this tip falls under "keeping engine in tune")

 

[V1]

Wind is a huge factor. It can easily give or take 2 mpg from you. Drafting with a tailwind can work wonders, but like skate1968 said, truckers usually don't like that.

I agree that the best way to save is to drive conservatively. There are just so many drivers out there who keep on speeding up only to find themselves at the next red light again, and again, and again... Why don't they get it?

 

[oilyriser]

Covering your radiator opening when its cool enough outside will impove MPG by 2% on the highway. Use high viscosity index oil for short-trip improvement. Keep your airspeed low -- slow down extra if there's a headwind. You can speed up another day when there's a tailwind so it all evens out.
Palut is correct about following traffic. Traffic creates its own tailwind. If driving on a two lane road, stay out of the headwind created by oncoming traffic.

 

[twb]

Contrary to 55, I think you'll find you get better gas mileage when keeping your tank fairly full versus keeping it low.

I know this seems counterintuitive.I think I first read about this on Bob's original forum. I thought he was crazy, but tried it. It has been true for me on three different vehicles, a '98 Silverado, '02 Passat 1.8T and a '93 Tempo.

Try it.

 

[dailydriver]

quote:

---

Originally posted by skate1968:
"1) When I follewed behind a moderately larger vehicle in the draft (without being too close - duh ), I got 1-2 MPG higher."

I went to a speed skating clinic and they said to draft someone properly you need to be right behind them, real tight. And if you're a comfortable foot or two away you're not really helping yourself all that much.

I'm not sure how that logic translates to trucks on the freeway.

---

The hole punched in the air by a skater or cyclist (I was a racer for many years) is nowhere near the volume (or speed) of a tractor-trailer, and does not "fill in" as quickly as the slipstream behind a skater/cyclist. But I know what you mean by close. The uninitiated swore that we must crash when riding < 2" behind the leading rider in a pack. BTW; the only place you can really draft in speedskating is in short track packs as the drafting effect is minimal in the long track crossovers, right?