Improving fuel economy...

[vvblazers777 10+ year member]

Yea, the water wetter keeps temps down thus which improves gas mileage? Am I actually seeing a increase? If I get .5 mpg better, I'm happy.

 

[IgnoreMe 5,000+ posts]

I think he meant he cools the air that goes into the engine thus increasing hp and mpg.

but as for the engine itself isnt the warmth good for mpg only up to a certain extent?

yes. basically i wouldn't make the engine run any cooler than what its manufacturers specs says. they have a specified operating temp for a reason.

the best gas mileage and least amount of engine wear occur at operating temp.

 

[Tiger Bass 5,000+ posts]

A decent tune up will improve your gas mileage a lot.

-change oil and replace oil filter

-replace fuel filter

-Redline Fuel System Cleaner (this stuff is safe and pretty damn effective. It helps clean out your fuel line, fuel injectors, etc)

-check spark plugs

-Check oxygen sensor

-Clean Mass Airflow Sensor, IACV, and Throttle Body

-Check tire pressure

-Remove unnecessary weight

-Don't drive like a lunatic

And that's pretty much everything, short of dead cylinder or faulting ignition system.

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

A decent tune up will improve your gas mileage a lot.

-Check oxygen sensor

-Clean Mass Airflow Sensor, IACV, and Throttle Body

Is there somewhere online that describes how to do that?

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

On my car I replaced the spark plugs, wires, fuel filter, and air filter. I'm going to try an inflated tire pressure and see what that does.

 

[Tiger Bass 5,000+ posts]

For the oxygen sensor, you just take it out and look at it. If the end is heavily covered is a black soot, then it needs to be changed.

The throttle body and Idle Air Control Valve will require a can of Carb cleaner. For the throttle body, you just unhook the air intake then spray some of the carb cleaner into it. Then wipe everything down to bare metal with a shop rag. Try to get around the edge of the throttle plate too. BUT, be careful not to get any cleaner into the intake manifold. It could mess stuff up if you do.

The IACV can be kind of hard to locate if you don't know your car too well. Once you find it, take it off completely and make sure you don't have any electrical components attached to it like mine does. After you take the electrical crap off or seal it off with a plastic bag, just spray down the inside of the iacv with the carb cleaner. You may want a carton of qtips to really get inside of it.

As for the MAF, you will need electrical cleaner. You have to be very gentle and cautious when cleaning this because there is a likely hood that you may break it. A lot of people prefer just to replace it.

If you want more detailed info, you'll probably be best off searching for information on your car specifically.

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

Thank you Tiger Bass, much appreciated!

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

I don't know if anyone has stated it, but you could use some Seafoam on the system. Cleans fuel injectors, carbon build up, and other crap. Just be aware that there will be A LOT of smoke coming out of you exhaust, which is normal.

 

[Tiger Bass 5,000+ posts]

Thank you Tiger Bass, much appreciated!

No problem at all.

And just to throw it out there, I forgot to list that keeping a clean air filter can help add to your gas mileage also. I saw a small increase (about 1-1.5 mpg) when I added my CAI.

 

[bk12321 10+ year member]

i do exactly the opposite... when im sitting in traffic is when i get hot as hell so i roll up the windows and turn on the a/c but then when im on the highway i like teh wind blowing in my hair so i roll down the windows... comfort > gas mileage

probably the #1 thing is keeping you engine maintained and in tune... sounds like you're doin good with that....

next week before i go back to school ive gotta few things to do to the stang...

oil change, maf/throttle body/iac cleaning, fuel filter, air filter, coolant flush/fill, and ive got a new o/r X pipe and catback to put on if it ever gets here in time...

Well when you are sitting still baking in the sun I would turn on the AC, but im more referring to rolling the windows down in 25-45 mph driving , which is almost everywhere in a normal city except highways.

On the highway, you supposively get like 2-4% less gas mileage if you have your windows down. Either way, on a nice day I will do it anyways because it feels SOOOO good //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

As for the mythbusters thing... I dunno ahah. I just read it online somewhere.

Also, other people have said it, but tune-ups will help as well.

Every week I check all the fluids, check tires for proper inflation, and wash/wax my car. I also add seafoam to my fuel every few weeks, which is supposed to be some of the best stuff you can buy in terms of fuel additive. 7$ a can it BETTER be good lol. Either way, after doing the above and keeping everything else such as MAF sensor and tune-ups in check, I get amazing gas mileage compared to when I first got the car.

 

[bk12321 10+ year member]

No problem at all.
And just to throw it out there, I forgot to list that keeping a clean air filter can help add to your gas mileage also. I saw a small increase (about 1-1.5 mpg) when I added my CAI.

I have been trying to find time to go pick up a can of compressed air for this very reason. Clean your air filter once a month or every other month, or just keep buying a new one when you need it, and you will definitely notice an increase in fuel efficiency as well.

 

[XxSuperAdamxX 10+ year member]

I heard that if you tailgate someone 10 feet infront of you on the freeway for the whole time, you can increase the MPG by a whole lot. Over 50% i think, due to drafting. Dunno if it's true or not but I wouldn't try because if they step on the brake...it's game over.

 

[Lunchbocks 10+ year member]

Alrighty I filled my Audi A4 up and got over 475 miles to the tank. Feels good to my old big truck yes I know.
Any other ideas to keep the car in tip top shape and improve gas mileage. Boy would 525 miles a tank be nice. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif That's my goal for one of these days anyway. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/*******.gif.a649d21efc0d1fd4890a6428166586c1.gif

Here's something that I keep noticing with people when talking about fuel economy... The amount of miles you can achieve per tank of gas is virtually useless for economy comparison purposes. I say this because vehicles have various sized gas tanks (obviously). So getting the same amount of miles per tank in one vehicle might actually be horrible gas mileage while another vehicle with a smaller tank goes 400 miles and the economy is phenominal. Do yourself a favor for better accuracy and divide your fillup in gallons into your trip miles. That'll give you actual mpg's and be a lot more accurate for comparing. I personally check everytime I fill up with the calculator on my phone. It takes all of 10 seconds and I can know I honestly got 24.4mpg out of the last tank.

 

[Ferendon 10+ year member]

For the oxygen sensor, you just take it out and look at it. If the end is heavily covered is a black soot, then it needs to be changed.
The throttle body and Idle Air Control Valve will require a can of Carb cleaner. For the throttle body, you just unhook the air intake then spray some of the carb cleaner into it. Then wipe everything down to bare metal with a shop rag. Try to get around the edge of the throttle plate too. BUT, be careful not to get any cleaner into the intake manifold. It could mess stuff up if you do.

The IACV can be kind of hard to locate if you don't know your car too well. Once you find it, take it off completely and make sure you don't have any electrical components attached to it like mine does. After you take the electrical crap off or seal it off with a plastic bag, just spray down the inside of the iacv with the carb cleaner. You may want a carton of qtips to really get inside of it.

As for the MAF, you will need electrical cleaner. You have to be very gentle and cautious when cleaning this because there is a likely hood that you may break it. A lot of people prefer just to replace it.

If you want more detailed info, you'll probably be best off searching for information on your car specifically.

1. An o2 sensor is often bad long before the soot begins to build. The soot is a result of a long period of incorrect AFRs. Testing them is not something that's very easy to do, but they're fairly inexpensive, and should be done every 10-15k miles.

2. In the long run, carb cleaner can actually make a throttle body worsen. Same with an IAC valve. Carb cleaner does not dry completely. It saturates the metal, especially aluminum, and leaves behind trace elements, that form a sticky residue after a few heats cycles. Carb cleaner is made for use in *drumroll* CARBS!. In a carb, there is fuel present, with helps sweep that residue away before it has a chance to cause any problems. That's why they make Throttle Body cleaner. It's a tad more expensive, but it's the correct way to clean the IAC and TB.

3. Cleaning a MAF is not difficult, but it is risky. I don't know anyone who would rather replace the MAF than clean it. That's lunacy, and they're not cheap to replace. With Electronic Contact Cleaner, spray with the little red hose thing on it, from about 8-10 inches away. Very short burst, every few minutes. Set it down on something absorbent between spray. It MIGHT need 3, maybe 4 sprays to clean it good. Do not use it until it's completely dry. Some cars will end up idling and revving funny for several days if you put it back in too early.

Keep operating temps where they're supposed to be. Water Wetter is supposed to be used with water-only cooling systems, in race cars, and some high-water concentration systems. With some coolants, especially Dexcool, the mixture of the 2 will actually cause silicates to build-up in the channels of the radiator, reducing flow.

Most liquid enhancements for vehicles, are loaded with stipulations. Like oil additives, are usually for use with non-detergent oils. I don't know anyone who runs non-detergent in anything remotely modern.

 

[Fear Of Theive 10+ year member]

Also about the drafting behind a car on the highway,if you can find 3 semi truck in a row on the highway you get within 20-30feet and you'll feel your vechicle gain speed because of the less resistance behind the trucks. i do this when ever i can //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif