Redline contributing to better MPG? Placebo?

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Brandon Gatz

Brandon Gatz

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After trying pretty much every high end synthetic oil recommended here, I've decided to stick exclusively with RL from here out.

This may well be 100% placebo, but i just took my first roadtrip(400mi roundtrip) since switching to RL approx 10,000mi ago and my trip computer showed 28.4mpg average for the trip. this is the first time i've ever seen 28+. My last long haul(2400mi roundtrip) I was lucky to get 26mpg. Temperatures and climate conditions were similar on both trips.

I have run 5 ARX treatments in the 36k mi that I've owned the 2000 Volvo XC, which now has 119k mi on the clock. This is once slow and heavy and underpowered beast, even though she is turbocharged. I'll plan on chipping the wagon in addition to an upgraded exhaust, hopefully these won't negaticely impact fuel economy that much....
 
It is all of the moly and ester basestocks. Almost everyone who runs Redline reports an increase in fuel ecconomy.
 
How can you pin the increased mpg on the Redline oil when you also did A/Rx cleaning regiment? Did you run any feul system cleaner? How about a tune up?
 
Its really not possible to see that increase (IMHO) I saw no increase..but this is also a statistically invalid resultas would yours be
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I don't buy it simply bc there are too many variables at play that weren't controlled. Why 5 AutoRx runs?

RL is heavily friction modified with it's POE base oil and boat load of Moly but it's also very shear stable and that can actually lower Hp in "some" engines.
 
The biggest problem is your "readout" is not actual MPG.
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Run 10 tanks, then figure out the mileage using how many miles vs how many gallons you used. Then you will have ACTUAL MPG.
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Oh, and no.. Redline is not getting you 2+ mpg improvement. (neither will any other oil)
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Take care, Bill
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PS: Chipping and mods will not help your gas mileage either.. Having a light right foot and slowing down will.
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Quote:

Redline is not getting you 2+ mpg improvement. (neither will any other oil)

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Not entirely true, all engines react differently. I switched my car from Castrol GTX to Castrol High Mileage, and went from 16.5 average to 18.2 average. Same driving style, commute, tire pressure, and gas station. Went to Amsoil in all drivetrain components and my car averaged 20 mpg, under the same conditions as when I got 16.5 mpg with Castrol GTX. No, this is not statistically proven, but it is what I recorded, without playing with numbers.
 
Even if Redline does improve MPG 2mpg sounds optimistic. When driving most of the power (and fuel)is spent to overcome rolling resistance at the tires and wind resistance. Driveline losses are part of the equation too, but a much smaller part. If your engine were truly frictionless, perhaps you might get 2-3 extra mpg, but not from the incremental improvement of one oil over another.
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Congratulations on your mpg increase!
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I'm a Red Line user myself. I presently have it in both crankcases and both gearboxes of our 2 vehicles. I like the product and have had extremely good results with it in the one vehicle (according to the esteemed Mr. Dyson). The other hasn't had a UOA with it yet.

Having said that, I believe I have tried it enough in enough vehicles in the past near-decade that I am comfortable saying that every vehicle I own or have owned and tried Red Line in gets somewhere between the same and lower mpg with it, as compared to either conventional fluids (Chevron, Pennzoil, Exxon, and Shell are all brands I've tried in the last few years) or other synthetic brands (M1 and Amsoil). This applies to engine oil, mtx fluid, and differential fluid, either separately or in combination.

I have my opinion(s) as to perhaps why I see the results I see. I believe they are not relevant here as they are no more than WAG estimates.

I still like and use their fluids in many applications, and expect to continue to do so, just not because of improved mpg.
 
Quote:

Quote:

Redline is not getting you 2+ mpg improvement. (neither will any other oil)

Click to expand...


Not entirely true, all engines react differently. I switched my car from Castrol GTX to Castrol High Mileage, and went from 16.5 average to 18.2 average. Same driving style, commute, tire pressure, and gas station. Went to Amsoil in all drivetrain components and my car averaged 20 mpg, under the same conditions as when I got 16.5 mpg with Castrol GTX. No, this is not statistically proven, but it is what I recorded, without playing with numbers.

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So your saying that you got a 21% increase of MPG with oils alone...

I just got done about 2k miles ago putting Amsoil in my transmission and did not see any mpg improvement.
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Just think if the car mfgs just went and put in different oils they could bump up their MPG avg 20%.
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They would rather spend millions trying it the hard way.
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Glad to hear you got an improvement.
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I still stand by my opinion.
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I've run Full Syn, semi syn and conventional oils in many different engines (I4, V6, V8 and different makes) and no major difference in MPG (less than 2%).

(and I fill up at the same pump the same way 99% of the time. Drive the same route the same way at the same times of the day. Figure out MPG over many tanks using math, no "readouts" etc.)
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The car makers would be all over the Syn oils route IF it improved mpg.

Take care, Bill
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Well say that it does give you a ~2mpg improvement BUT you also paid out of your nose to get this oil so in the end you spent more money to use this product so even realizing the increase in mpg you still come out on the short end of the stick.
 
Quote:

This may well be 100% placebo, but i just took my first roadtrip(400mi roundtrip) since switching to RL approx 10,000mi ago and my trip computer showed 28.4mpg average for the trip. this is the first time i've ever seen 28+. My last long haul(2400mi roundtrip) I was lucky to get 26mpg. Temperatures and climate conditions were similar on both trips.


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But hills and stops were not similar. I have the same drive to and from work, but to work I normally achieve about 33MPG, from work to home I usually achieve 34-35MPG. Same route only reversed. To work there are more "uphills". From work those same hills are down.

Driving to NW Iowa I usually achieve 35+MPG. Driving to NE Iowa I usually achieve around 32MPG. The difference? NE Iowa has hills where NW Iowa is relatively flat.

I suspect your significant fuel increase was based on terrain rather than your oil. Even minor differences in terrain can make a 2MPG difference in fuel economy over the course of a trip.
 
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Just think if the car mfgs just went and put in different oils they could bump up their MPG avg 20%.
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They would rather spend millions trying it the hard way.
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Are any of the huge fleets (UPS, FedEx, USPS, JB Hunt, etc) - the folks who buy millions of gallons of fuel and run engines for a half million miles - running syn engine oils?
Not that I know of. Other opinions welcomed
 
If Redline oil could increase fuel economy by as little as 5%, US auto manufacturers would be falling all over themsleves to use it to help meet CAFE requirments. A 10+% increase is Twilight Zone material.


I keep detailed gas mileage logs on all my vehicles. Single tank average can be really misleading. I've never been able to see any fuel economy increase when switching from conventional oil to synthetic (Mobil 1). I could see a tiny increase when using 5W20 instead of 5W30, but nothing like 10%.

The EPA did find that one engine oil that improved gas mileage by 2 to 3% - http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/devices/r99001.pdf . If Redline really provides a measurable increase in fuel economy, they should submit their oil for testing by the EPA.

Ed
 
I'll agree with the crowd that says there shouldn't be a difference. I drive 110 miles one way to work - been doing it for a year. Throughout the year I get different readings depending on wind, people pulling infront of me, and traffic. Example: a strong headwind from a storm caused me to get 31.3 MPG when I normally get 36MPG on the same route. So many factors in MPG.

I've switched from using a heavy GC 0w30 to a light TropArtic 5w30 and noticed the engine revving easier but the MPG was basically the same. I figure me putting more effort into driving easier/slower would easily make up 5% of my MPG compared to an oil weight change.

Now for cars spec'ed for 5w20 - you will see a MPG difference if you put 5w40 in there.
 
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