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Numba1goalie
03/30/2006, 10:17 PM
Alright. So 13.6 MPG is just not cutting for me. I have tried a lot of different methods of curing this problem like SeaFoam, Acetone, cleaning my EGR Valve and throttle body.

So now I am here, asking for help. Any ideas how to cure this? If I can fix it though I am gonna have to sell this beauty.

Thanks guys!

nocturnalVX
03/31/2006, 12:59 AM
No worries...
Sell the Heep & get a economy car to use as a daily driver. I ride motorcycles as much as possible, and (with that gas mileage @ 35 - 40 mpg) it evens out nicely. :thumbup:

psychos2
03/31/2006, 05:07 AM
have you checked your intake gaskets ? shawn

Amnesia
03/31/2006, 05:40 AM
I know what you mean about the mileage. Mine is like a spoiled little kid. It gets what it wants, when it wants.

When I first got my VX it had around 36K on it and I was pleased as it seemed that I always got at least 17-18mpg... really close to 19 oftentimes. Then it just got worse. It has just under 100K on it now and I've tried everything I can think of except the intake gasket. In the past 10K miles, I've gotten anywhere from 13mpg to a best of about 16.9. At its worst I was stone dry at 220 miles. At best, I've gone a little over 370 on a tank, without having to walk.

It's in the shop right now w/ TOD problems & it's getting the valve cover gaskets replaced (under warranty - warrantybynet.com... hopefully this solves my oil comsumption problem), so when I get it back I'm going to check for vacuum leaks around the intake. You might check your brake calipers. In the past 10K miles I've had to replace 3 out of 4 of my stock calipers, due to sticking. You could smell and feel the heat coming off the rotors after you drove only a few miles. I picked up one of those non-contact, point & shoot digital thermometers and found that the offending calipers had rotors on them that were in the 600'F - 800'F range... as opposed to one on a good side that was only around 94'F on the same trip.

Best of luck!
Shawn

VehiGAZ
03/31/2006, 06:03 AM
Good suggestion on checking the brakes!! Basically, anything that's dragging unnecessarily or not properly lubed will reduce your mileage, too. I'd suggest you have them change all drivetrain fluids (transfer case, differential, etc) and repack the bearings while they're at it, too. Good luck!!

thedutchguy
03/31/2006, 06:51 AM
HEAVY RIGHT FOOT ? :bwgy: :bwgy: :bwgy:

blacksambo
03/31/2006, 06:55 AM
I don't know if you've changed your air filter to something more exotic than the OEM, But believe it not that seems to make a difference. We have two '99 VX's with similar miles (70K+). One has a K&N the other OEM. OEM gets better mileage but doesn't sound so throaty or have the quick throttle response. Somebody once said on this sight that performance=lower mileage. They were right. Get back to original specs and you can get 20 mpg. It works for us.

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 09:39 AM
Well I have 66k on mine now.

at 50k i had all the fluid changed. at 62k I had the wheel bearings repacked (another try at getting better mileage).

I also have a K&N filter, but I don't have a heavy foot by any means, and 90% of my driving consists of to work and back which is strictly highway.

I will check into the intake gasket. I do know it looked like it had some black film around the gasket last time I was under the hood.

Also that is a good idea about the brakes, I know when i turn around corners I get alike a wearing sound coming from the front.

Joe_Black
03/31/2006, 10:00 AM
Plop an Isuzu 3.0L turbo diesel in there in place of that gasser and you'll always be in the 20+ MPG club. Plus you can make your own fuel too if you want. :) You should be able to recoup the cost within 1 - 2 years of driving, even sooner if you sell your good gasser to someone else.

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 12:46 PM
How nice, any real ideas how or why it's getting 13 MPG? Someone mentioned a while back that its because the 3.5L is a high horsepower high tourque engine but i dont buy that because look at the 350Z and Infiniti with the "ok" gas mileage their running.

Joe_Black
03/31/2006, 01:17 PM
You unfortunately probably have an engine that's in the bottom economy percentage. As mentioned above there are a great number of things to check on to eliminate unnecessary mechanical and aerodynamic drag, but there's also the possibility your engine just isn't at the top of the curve. Consider it's the same engine mass-produced for a great variety of Isuzu and Isuzu-supplied applications. Not all of them that make it successfully through testing and quality control are going to continually operate at peak efficiency. Some are going to work fine, be reliable and last as long as the best, but consume more fuel. Maybe the intake runners are slightly out of spec, the fuel map in the ECU corrupt, too much resistance in the sensor harness... any number of things you'll never find out while it dollars you to death looking to save pennies in fuel.

Cynical view? More realistic, based on experience. Take ten of the exact same mass-produced vehicle with sequential serial numbers and you'll find inconsistent economy and performance data. That's the nature of mass-production. Our beloved VX's are hand-built limited editions, but our drivetrains aren't.

Do the simple, inexpensive things to see what helps then assess where you feel the problem truly rests if you don't see improvement. You may simply have a thirsty 6VE1. :confused:

One thing I'm not clear on, and I can't find the info in this thread, is has your VX always had poor economy or did it just start happening all of a sudden?

marcosv6
03/31/2006, 01:46 PM
Are you running stock size tires?

Ldub
03/31/2006, 02:00 PM
(snip) because look at the 350Z and Infiniti with the "ok" gas mileage their running.

That's attributable to less weight & wind resistance. The VX isn't very big, but she's a heavy little pig.

psychos2
03/31/2006, 02:31 PM
It could also be the O2 sensors. If they are reading lean when it is ok they will add fuel. shawn

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 02:41 PM
No im running stock size tires.

Thats a good diea witht he O2 Sensors. might be a little bit early, but it could be worth it, I will have to work on pricing.

All in all, I love this car as much as most of you here, that why I want to get the best of out her and be happy with the economy of it as well. I'm sure most of you understand.

On another note, I thought maybe the fact we have 4.33 gears it might be another case, but then i think about how im only going 70 and cruising at 2800 RPM's, that may not be the best excuse.

Another thing, the FX35 which may not be as heavy get from what I've heard 23-24 MPG highway. I would think with the amount of horsepower it has less the weight should equal out to vehicross standards? maybe so?

any more input helps, thanks again for your ideas!

Ruflyf
03/31/2006, 03:30 PM
As Joe asked, did this start suddenly, escalating, or simply always been this way?

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 04:40 PM
Opps, I didnt read that part.

This problem accually just started to escalate shortly after I bought it. I origonally averaged 400-430 miles to the tank. Then I was starting to get 350-370, and you guessed it, I'm now averaging 275 miles to the tank.I was so proud that My VX was one of few that did get 20 MPG but i guess i forgot to knock on wood huh? Does that open a doorway to anything?

Joe_Black
03/31/2006, 05:02 PM
You may be having some issues with the venting/canister system. When I first took delivery of my new '01 Dragon I would notice a strong fuel odor after fill-ups until the tank was down to about 3/4 or more. Turned out one of the canister lines was pinched and damaged. After correcting the problem the smell stopped and my mileage went up a little. You may be having a related issue, like fuel in the canister from over-filling or perhaps just failure/degradation/damage.

That being said, our '99 IronMan that was purchased used with about 100K miles on it consistently gets better mileage than the purchased-new '01 Dragon.

Here's a web page with some general info on vehicle mileage, including some overview of the canister system and good methods for determining accurate mileage records: Fuel Mileage Calculation (http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/bgbb/7/ecep/trans/a/a.htm)

crager34
03/31/2006, 07:03 PM
Anyone have any ideas on stripping the VX down a bit.... save some weight? What can we loose, but still keep it the same (kinda).

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 08:45 PM
How about remove the box frame, lol! :p

I would start at the hood if they made a real carbon fiber one for it.

blacksambo
03/31/2006, 11:00 PM
Another trick you might try is boosting your tire pressure up to 39lbs. It sounds too easy but it works if you can handle the ride. Your just reducing role resistance like with the brake caliper clearence suggestion.

Numba1goalie
03/31/2006, 11:08 PM
Thats a really good idea however I have mine set to 35PSI but i will deffinatly put em up some more.

Anybody know if there is a way to adjust the pressure of the brakes while not stepping them?

GOVEHIX
04/01/2006, 04:19 AM
mine is even worse, i only got 10mpg since i changed to 20"rims...

JULIAN911
04/01/2006, 07:24 AM
As mentioned above. Bad gas mileage is usually (80% of the time) attributed to the O2 sensors. I only get 12MPG city but anticipated that is normal due to bigger tires.

climbcovey
04/01/2006, 03:25 PM
Im averaging 14.5mpg, partially attributed to my driving style. One improvement I made was putting a k&n air filter on. milage went up to about 16-17 mpg.

Numba1goalie
04/01/2006, 10:00 PM
Yea I have that K&N filter.

My girlfreidn took the VX to Tahoe today and said she got 210 miles to the tank.

Funny thing she said is she stopped at almost 1/8 tank to fill up, and the tank only took 11 gallons! Arent our tanks 22 Gallons? this could be the sign of something.

Dare2Dream
04/01/2006, 10:07 PM
How about the fuel filter? I know a friend with a civic who had never changed the fuel filter and suddenly got 2-3 mpg more when he changed it. If you've never had it changed, then I'd say it is overdue.

psychos2
04/02/2006, 06:50 AM
that would be 19 mpg. how do you figure your gas mileage? shawn

Numba1goalie
04/02/2006, 12:36 PM
Yea it would be 19 MPG if I had a 11 Gallon tank. But we have what i now know to be a 22.5 gallon fuel capacity.

275 miles to the tank last week. 22.5 fuel capacity.

275/22.5=12.22

here is a list of thing I am going to fix or replace.

*Fuel Filter
*o2 Sensor
*infalte tires to 39 PSI
*Clean EGR Valve and Tube
*Replace Intake Gasket
*Check Brake Calipers for possible drag

psychos2
04/02/2006, 05:24 PM
I know we have a 22.5 gallon tank. But if you does not take 22.5 gallons at the time you fill it then you do not use the 22.5. If you drove 200 miles and it took 10 gallons to fill it up, you would divide 200 by 10 and get 20 mpg. The only time the 22.5 comes into play is if it takes 22.5 gallons when you fill it up. You are figuring your fuel mileage wrong. You need to go buy the amount of fuel you put in, not the capacity of the tank. And it sounds like your fuel gauge is wrong. shawn

Numba1goalie
04/02/2006, 09:39 PM
I am not figuring my milage from what my girlfreind says. Shes a woman after all. They are not to be trusted right. :p

I am going off my experiment from last week, the week before, and since June when I bought it.

I have somewhat of an update however. Since i put my K&N filter is I had been having a problem at startup with the engine reving up and down real bad. I would imagine that somehow, the engine might of been asking for more gas too along the highway if it was reading stuff right from the MAF sensor guessing thats what was wrong.

Well i unplugged the battery for a good 15 minutes or so to reset the computer and walla, no more angry reving, and from the looks of it, I may pull of 300 miles to the tank this time around? I will let you all know when I get to the bottom of my tank.

Dare2Dream
04/02/2006, 10:45 PM
One reason for crazy reving is an air leak. An intake or EGR air leak will cause it.

Numba1goalie
04/02/2006, 11:38 PM
Well whatever it was, it was subsided by reseting the computer. When I put the filter on, I also took that elbow off. Thats why I figured it was doing that reving because the MAF sensor was getting TO MUCH air.

With my last car which was a VW Golf MK4. I put a cold air intake on it, when i did so the check engine light came on and it did the rev thing. I then just took the negitive side of the battery off to reset the computer and it stopped and the engine light came off. Never had a problem with it again.

VehiGAZ
04/03/2006, 06:14 AM
Goalie, take a minute and review what was posted about how to calculate your mileage. You might have it right, but it really, truly sounds like you are calculating your mileage wrong and coming up with an incorrect (and way low) number.

Forget about the fuel tank capacity and what the fuel gauge needle says entirely - they have nothing to do with it, unfortunately. The tank gauge is not meant to be an gallon-accurate measurement (as the 11 gallon fill up your g/f put in at an eighth of a tank showed), and you cannot make any meaningful calculations with it.

There is only one accurate way to calculate your mileage:

1) The next time you fill up, zero out your trip odometer.
2) The next time you fuel up AFTER that, divide the number of miles showing on your trip odo by the number of gallons you put in the tank on that second fill-up.

If you had it right, please excuse my presumption. If this is not the way you've been calculating your mileage, try it again this way.

Numba1goalie
04/03/2006, 09:56 AM
Thats sorta simular to the way I have been doing it. I just drained my tank till it was getting to a dangerous low, fill up the tank, and zeroed the odometer. after I got the the end of my tank I calculated and got that number. I will try this next time around with noting how many gallons I put in and estimate from there.

SPAZZ
04/03/2006, 04:01 PM
the way your suposed to do it is...

1)fill your tank
2)zero trip meter
3)drive till empty
4)fill tank
5)divide miles on trip meter by gallons it took to fill

this is your actual mileage.

Ruflyf
04/03/2006, 06:51 PM
Aye, what spazz said is correct, however you dont really have to drive til empty, 1/2 tank, 3/4 tank... or so will also work. makes the process a lil faster not having to empty the tank.

Numba1goalie
04/03/2006, 11:41 PM
true true

nater
04/04/2006, 02:01 PM
A couple of thoughts on this, be certain not to top off the tank for fear of ruining the charcoal canister system, and forever after suffering poor gas mileage.

When filling, get the nozzle to the point where will fill at a reasonable pace and leave it there. When it shuts off, pull it out. DO NOT try to add a few cents more. It will cost you in the long run.

Next, zero your trip odo, then drive around. At the next refill, fill it the same way, and divide your gallons into your miles. There's your MPG. Do three tanks in a row to get a good feel for the true MPG. If the "stopping point" on the pump varies, three tanks in a row will balance them out. Add up all gallons bought and all miles traveled. Divide Total gallons into Total Miles, that's your MPG.

Is it possible to convert a VX to RWD only? Then, can manual locking hubs be put on the front? This ought to gain you 1-2 MPG above stock, and more power to boot.

Nate

Numba1goalie
04/04/2006, 07:39 PM
I am not sure about the manual locking hubs.

Its funny you tell me not to top off my tank. I am the master at doing this and in no way thought it could harm the vehicle. I always top it off till I can barley squeeze anything left into it. Well not all the time, but you get my drift. I will start doing that method though. I am waiting for my tank to go down but ever since I rebooted the computer I have been getting what looks to be like fair milage.

Joe_Black
04/04/2006, 08:09 PM
Its funny you tell me not to top off my tank. I am the master at doing this and in no way thought it could harm the vehicle.
That link in post #18 goes over what fuel can do to the charcoal canister. Not a good thing.

http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/bgbb/7/ecep/trans/a/illus-c.gif

bulldog
04/05/2006, 07:59 AM
have you checked your intake gaskets ? shawn

sorry to be dumb but how do i check the intake gaskets?? :confused:

Numba1goalie
04/05/2006, 11:14 AM
Take that engine cover off the top and look to see if there is any black film coming from around the seems of the intake manifold.

Ruflyf
04/05/2006, 11:55 AM
And, yes I have locking hubs on the front of mine, however I hardly ever unlock them making it 2wd.

Joe, is there a way to check the canister for functionality/damage to see if it needs replacing?

Numba1goalie
04/05/2006, 04:17 PM
All that was very helpful. thank you.

Joe_Black
04/05/2006, 05:24 PM
Joe, is there a way to check the canister for functionality/damage to see if it needs replacing?
I've attached an Acrobat file of some various info regarding excessive fuel consumption from the service manual. Y'all should find it interesting, especially the component locator table.

DK
04/06/2006, 05:35 PM
I posted a couple of months ago that my mileage dropped from 16.5 to 13.5 immediately after I had my 30,000 service at Sierra. Today I took the VX in for them to check things like the 02 sensor.

Here's what found:''Diag fuel ratio in specs, 025 sensor in specs...no problem found - performed scan tool diag -- found no DTCS -- all fuel trims in spec -- fuel ratio is right on -- 02 sensors working correctly"

Looks pretty thorough to me. No problems identified.
Am I correct in assuming that if some of the things mentioned above -- pinched lines, etc. -- were the cause this would have showed up in the testing?

So other than brake drag or flat tires, what else could it be?

Question: if the brakes were dragging enough to reduce my mileage that much would I not notice excessive heat and some kind of burning smell?

Numba1goalie
04/07/2006, 09:20 AM
Update: When i first started this thread I was fresh with a new tank of gas and apparently the VX heard my growling and got 355 miles to the tank.

Now with a new fill up, I'm at half tank and only have 134 mile sont he odemeter. Here we go again I guess.

I am ordering a new intake manifold gasket soon along with some other things.

VehiGAZ
04/10/2006, 05:59 AM
And here I go again - Goalie, before you go ordering parts, please - finish the mileage experiment. Don't do any math with the fuel gauge - it's only accurate to maybe +/- a quarter of a tank of gas, and you even said in a previous post that itt was showing only an eighth of a tank left, but only 11 gallons went in.

If you don't have the patience to wait until you finish this tank of gas, then go ahead and fill up now just like you did the last time when you reset the trip odometer and DO THE MATH... divide the number of miles showing on your odo by the number of gallons you just put in your tank, and that will tell you your true mileage. By the numbers you yourself posted before, you are getting over 19 mpg! (210 miles on 11 gallons of gas... 210/11 = 19.09).

Make sure you have a problem before you try to fix it. Problems that aren't really there have an annoying way of not responding to fixes.

Good luck!

nater
04/10/2006, 10:13 AM
You know, have you changed your driving style/ route/ schedule lately? Bad traffic, lots of starts and stops, even aggressive driving can affect your mileage.

I noticed when I worked late for a week that I got better mileage. (The drive home had almost no traffic).

Nate

Joe_Black
04/10/2006, 11:47 AM
^^^^ Heed what VehiGAZ is saying, good advice! ^^^^

Numba1goalie
04/10/2006, 09:30 PM
I notice real bad fuel economy mostly on the highways over 70 mph. which is about 2800-3000 rpms.

I am still following your advice though, I am just giving it a few tanks to get the average number. I feel like im in a Math class again. lol.

SPAZZ
04/11/2006, 08:15 AM
I installed my new Fuel pressure reg yesterday. Pathetic how small that thing is. My idle is more regular now instead of so high and it seems to start easier.

Hopefully my mileage will gain from the new one.

WyldWeasel
04/11/2006, 04:02 PM
A Thousand Pardons if this is a stupid question, but wouldn't driving with the Power button activated affect mileage? The location of the button is such that it could accidentally (or purposefully) be depressed by a passenger without the driver's knowledge.

JAFO
04/11/2006, 04:26 PM
A Thousand Pardons if this is a stupid question, but wouldn't driving with the Power button activated affect mileage? The location of the button is such that it could accidentally (or purposefully) be depressed by a passenger without the driver's knowledge.

I always drive with the power button on. I get 18 mpg.

Joe_Black
04/11/2006, 04:26 PM
A Thousand Pardons if this is a stupid question, but wouldn't driving with the Power button activated affect mileage? The location of the button is such that it could accidentally (or purposefully) be depressed by a passenger without the driver's knowledge.
Most Isuzu owners report that the POWER setting usually gives the best overall economy, and this is across the Trooper/Rodeo/Amigo/VehiCROSS line. Additionally, there is an illuminated indicator on the instrument cluster to let you know when the buttons are set to anything other than NORMAL. In a nutshell, the different modes adjust the shift points and torque-converter lock-up profile to suit your driving style or conditions.

DK
04/12/2006, 12:38 PM
I just put 600 plus miles on the VX this past weekend with a trip to Twenty-Nine Palms and through Joshua Tree National Park and around the Salton Sea.

My mileage went from 13.5 to an average of 20 mpg -- much of it with the air conditioner on.

What did I do differently? I increased the tire pressure from 32 to 34 psi. Original wheels and tires. Amazing.

VCAMILO
04/12/2006, 03:16 PM
Do what I do... I live 3 miles from work. Drive the GF's 350Z and when Im Im boared I hop on the TL1000R. Pretty much use the VX to drive to work, get groceries, quick trip to HomeDepo, restaurant, and go Quading on Sundays. LOL! Soccer mom car! 52k miles and counting

V

DOCSXV
08/25/2008, 07:56 PM
First, Use the right plug: NGK laser platinum ONLY it runs like crap without them and eats too much fuel with any others ( Yes I know there $10 each, just buy them).

Second, clean the mass air flow sensor, nobody ever thinks of it and it ALWAYS adds MPG. Just make sure you buy the right stuff its called um.. mass air flow sensor cleaner; while your at it put in a new filter.

third, rid yourself of the factory fan and opt for an electric one.

fourth, turn TOD off and install some manual hubs.
I average 18-19 MPG with 20-21 (maybe 22 if theres a stiff wind to my back) MPG freeway, with these mods.

Doc.

Amnesia
08/26/2008, 12:44 PM
Ok - Since this thread is alive again, I'll add an update. Back when I originally posted in '06, I had just shy of 100K miles... Well it's more like 160k miles now. My mileage is up around 17.5 to just shy of 19 usually these days. (I'm not fanatical about my tire pressure and when I add air, I run them around 34-35psi. I think I may boot them to 39 & see what happens.)

The valve cover fix I mentioned. It was covered by warrantybynet.com, but didn't solve my oil consumption problem. (It sometimes uses a lot... other times not so much. Still not solved.)

The intake gasket. I fixed that myself last summer after I was fed up w/ getting 12-13mpg. READ: 250ish miles per tank w/ 20 gallon fill-ups. **Note: Mileage calc lessons were humorous. Thanks! (No offense) After I replaced the gasket, my milage went up to the 16-19mpg range.

To check for an intake leak, just take a can of carb cleaner and spray it along the intake-to-cylinder head mating surfaces while at idle. If the idle goes up or changes, then you have found your leak.

The brake drag... Yes, you will feel the heat and smell them if they are dragging very much.

I would also suspect the fuel gauge is wrong, goalie. Mine is definitely messed up now. The needle is all over the place once the level drops from a totally full tank. Sort of like if the tank didn't have any baffles and the fuel could slosh all around, letting the float rise and fall too much.

Ok - That's all! Best to everyone!

Amnesia
08/26/2008, 12:54 PM
Fogot to ask... Any additional info on the 3.0L diesel swap and the manual hubs??

Riff Raff
08/27/2008, 03:49 AM
Holy cow! Did you realize there is 2 years and 4 months between post #58 and #59 ??? Tall, narrow and lightweight tires can help in overall MPG. The most "economical" tire for the best MPG is the TOYO - Open Country A/T in 255/70R18 (only 10.3" wide, 32.1" O.D., weighs only 41 lbs, and set to max PSI of 35 per sidewall panel). Only drawback is the VX will look like it's on skinny wagon wheels.

twistedsymphony
09/02/2008, 11:27 AM
Gas Mileage tips that have served me well no matter which car I drive

General Maintenance:
1. Tires at maximum suggested pressure
2. replace (or recharge) your filter ever other oil change... a clean filter is better than anything else.
3. and clean your MAF with maf cleaner whenever you change your filter
4. make sure your bearings are in good shape, and properly tightened, also make sure your vehicle is properly aligned... these should be checked annually.
5. run higher octane gas, it might be more expensive but moving from regular to premium can add 3-4mpg and only cost 30cents more per gallon and in general that works out in your favor in the end. play with different grades and pay attention
6. Run full synthetic oil at the weight specified by the manufacturer, pick a name brand filter over a cheapie and use a magnetic oil plug (collects metalic debris in your system)... if you're switching from conventional to synthetic make your first synthetic change for about 200-400 miles and then change the oil and filter again, this will help clean out the sludge that the synthetic clean out that the conventional does not.
7. have the driveshaft/axle shafts lubed (should be done every other oil change)
8. replace your transmission fluid (don't forget the diffs)
9. get your coolant flushed
10. have your water pump and timing belts checked (if your over 80k miles you should consider getting them replaced)
11. Replace your O2 Sensors
12. Replace your sparkplugs
13. replace your EGR valve


Modifications
1. narrow tires, slightly taller than stock (make sure you calibrate your speedo so youre mileage is tracked properly!!!) Also a tread pattern for good on-road characteristics is good for mileage, big knobby mud tires are horrid.
2. smallest wheels possible, wheels weight more than tires, smaller wheels = less weight, pay attention to the wheel weight too, it can vary greatly depending on how it was made and of what material... chrome = the worst
3. a conical, in-bay intake ("shorty" or "ram" style) will be the best for mileage, cold air intakes are the worst, paper filters are generally better for mileage than something like a K&N...
4. an OEM exhaust will likely work much better for mileage than an aftermarket one, consider switching back to stock.
5. REMOVE your PCV system. (note: illegal)
6. Replace or remove your catalytic converters (note: illegal)
7. remove any roof racks, rain guards, bash bars, or other objects that can cause drag (if you want to get serious swap out the mirrors for something smaller/more streamlined too)
8. drop as much weight as possible: remove anything from that car that doesn't need to be there, remove the spare tire, back seat, go with carbon fiber hood or other parts, explore other options for weight reduction, go on a diet :p

Driving characteristics
1. drive at whatever speed gives you maximum MPH per RPM (typically 40-45MPH) maybe instead of the highway there is a smaller road with a 45MPH speed limit.
2. keep the windows up and the AC off, if you NEED to be cool use the AC with the windows up over 40MPH, and below 40MPH drive with the windows down and the AC off.
3. avoid stopping, if you see a red light up ahead, start slowing down early in hopes that it will turn green before you get there so you don't have to stop. (consider this: everytime you use your brakes you're throwing away energy, the harder you use them the faster you're wasting energy)
4. accelerate slowly, the key is keeping the RPMs low


I'm sure I could think of more if I tried... there's a lot of stuff you can do and a lot of things that people never really consider.

don moore
09/04/2008, 10:43 PM
I met a guy along time ago ..in the late 70s ..he said he could save 30% in fuel cost in any car..for less then $10 worth of part ..
he told me to go get a tennis ball and some duct tape ..put the ball under the gas pedal and tape it to it....i never tried it ..but ???
and then he said "you have to giveup some thing to get some thing else"
you want a hotrod ...give up mileage...you want mileage... give up the hotrod..:smilegray
i like my:bwgr: 4x4 hotrod..

twistedsymphony
09/17/2008, 09:26 AM
he told me to go get a tennis ball and some duct tape ..put the ball under the gas pedal and tape it to it....

:laughy: cute...

patrick cooper
09/17/2008, 11:11 AM
ime getting mine lpg converted on the 13/oct/08 lpg is 100 octain and he can give me a extra 40bhp the gas tank comes out and a 80ltr lpg cylinder and a smaler petrol tank goes in place petrol in the uk is £113 per litre and lpg is 54pence are petrol prices would be about $2.26 per litre your fuel is well cheep dont know wot you crying about