How to Increase MPG

Ive been looking at this site for a pretty long time now,especially these forums(since gas prices are wacky), and I havent seen a thread like this.
So I decided to start into making one where everyone can add ideas or disprove ideas on ways to increase your mpg(miles per gallon ) on cars/trucks.

I guess Ill get started,this is taking from www.gasbuddy.com (not trying to advertise website)

www.gasbuddy.com

How can I save money on gas?

With gas prices reaching record levels, it's more important than ever to keep tabs on your gas spending. Although one of the easiest ways to save money on gas is to shop around, by using this web site. But there are a number of other things that you can do to keep some of that hard earned money in your pocket, instead of big oils'. [...]

you can add on any ideas that work good for you, or w/e

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[edit on 24-3-2006 by Riwka]

This should prove to be an interesting thread.

I hope it goes somewhere and we end up learning some things.

That said, I would argue the point:

Many vehicles are getting worse fuel economy than vehicles of the past. Auto manufacturers are putting larger engines in bigger vehicles, which results in unsatisfactory fuel economy.

Vehicle size selection along with engine size selection are relevant to the job at hand.
Running a daily driver to work means a small car with small engine is a completely viable proposition.
If you have things to haul, then it's not.

Pickups have improved mileage to a considerable degree.
My 77 Ford 3/4 ton with 400 cid engine got 9-10 mpg running light when it was new.
Light meaning two occupants and luggage.
Various tuning methods and a modest outlay in equipment etc. brought it up to 12 mpg and it still passed smog very clean.

My present day truck, an F-150 - which used to be called the light 3/4 ton and in fact it does have 3/4 ton (or F-250) running gear - gets 17-18 mpg running light during high speed desert highway running, 70-85 mph depending on traffic.

The most interesting part about this pickup is it's ability to knock down 10 mpg towing a very un-aerodynamic enclosed box type race car trailer which was loaded to a gross of 7000#.
Along with a few hundred pounds of stuff in the pickup bed.

The big thing people forget about the Internal Combustion (IC) engine is that Detroit - as does Europe and Japan - has a tremendous amount of money invested in tooling for the manufacture of IC engines.

My opinion here is that reasonably priced conversion devices to allow running hydrogen will be what makes it for us.
Both in fuel costs and clean air.

I know, there are some who will immediately jump on this due to their hatred - deserved or otherwise - of the oil companies, but the answer is simple.
If the oil companies are allowed to distribute and sell hydrogen that would be the answer to the problem.
granted, we'd get gouged like we are now, but in the end hydrogen will be cheap, other hydrogen manufacturing methods will come on line and the oil companies will have to compete.

Thank you for replying. This thread isnt about any haterd towards specific cars/trucks. This thread is mainly about people's tips on increases mpgs on there car/trucks,so other people (and everyone in a whole) can learn to increase there mpgs,thus reducing dependency on oil.

Guess Ill keep on adding ideas I find on the net.

Subject: Frequently Asked Questions
Author: Louis LaPointe
Date: April 20, 2005

Questions asked by the common man:

"There is no question things will change. The real question is will the change be for the better or for the worse?"

Where do I find 100% pure acetone?

[...]

How much acetone do I put into my fuel?

[...]

What kind of mileage increase will acetone give my car?

Mod Edit: Guidelines For Quotes

[edit on 24-3-2006 by Riwka]

www.mpgplus.com

12 proven ways to improve your gas mileage

Keep your engine tuned up. Incorrect fuel ratio, bad spark plugs and incorrect spark timing can have a big effect on gas mileage.

Don't use your air conditioner (A/C) unless you really need it. The A/C compressor puts an extra strain on the engine.

Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Under inflated tires cause more resistance to travel.

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[edit on 24-3-2006 by Riwka]

I don't know whether this is true or not, but somebody told me that if you fill up just before dawn, when the air is still cool, you should be able to get a little bit extra fuel for your money's worth. Apparantly the gasoline contracts when it's still cold outside and starts to expand the minute the sun goes up.

Is there any merit in this theory?

There are a lot of tips and tricks that apply to older vehicles, but they aren't of a whole lot of use today due to computer management of modern engines.
Not to say they wouldn't work on older vehicles still in good shape and as far as pickups go, there are still quite a few older ones running the roads, but there's not much to be done with modern engines.

Some of you may have seen computer chips purporting to increase power and mileage, but the small increases - supposedly proven by dyno runs - are so small as to be just a small abberation as would be seen over the span of several repeated tests.
Not worth the money imo.

One of the few things that help modern pickups are making sure you have a free-flowing exhaust system.
Some factory exhaust installs are fairly free flowing and others can be restrictive.

It did help gas mileage on my 2002 F-150 Super Crew w/5.4 liter engine to turn the single exhaust system - which is fairly free flowing - into a true dual system with dual free flowing mufflers.
This is not a single header pipe flowing into a one in and two out muffler, but a true dual system all the way.

Some of the muffler shop gang where I used to hang out before moving to another state made comments about 4-5 mpg increase.
A touch optimistic was my thought.

Mileage did improve though, to the tune of 1 mpg in city or highway or mixed driving.
Verified by averaging out well kept records.

Keep in mind if you're a California resident you're probably still running MTBE which is known to kill gas mileage to the tune of about 10%.
A figure verified in both my 88 Mustang GT w/5 liter engine and my 89 Ranger w/ 2.9 liter engine.

Arizona where I now live doesn't use MTBE to my knowledge, but there's some alcohol in most gasolines.

Additional help in the mileage dept is to maintain properly inflated tires.
An inexpensive compressor will pay for itself over time.
As an example here, it looks like the original tires on my SuperCrew will exceed 50 to 52,000 miles before needing replacement.
(I don't run tires to bald, that's illegal as well as not being smart, but replace them as required.)
Weather sometimes enters into the decision, if the tires look like they have another 2000-3000 miles left and wet weather is approaching they get replaced.

I'm of the opinion - after reading more than a few things on the subject as well as noting horsepower and torque dynomometer readings after swapping from dino oil to synthetic.
There is a horsepower increase when synthetic oils are used and that equals an improved mileage figure at part throttle operation.

I'm a bit leery of the very low viscosity oils as recommended by the factories.
The Ford recommendation is 5-30w, but I run 10-30w synthetic.

There is a 0w oil out there that may be suitable for folks in very cold climates.

Fwiw - I talked to a respected magazine tech writer, a genuine auto engineer as compared to some mag tech writers who are journalists and get their info from reasonably good sources and this gentlemen said in so many words that running the 10-30w oil wouldn't hurt anything and reading between the lines it seemed he wasn't too impressed by the extreme lightweight oils.

Ford says the 5w recommendation is due to the tight tolerances of the engine.
Perhaps, my guess is that tolerances aren't really that tight and what they may be referring to is a narrower tolerance range and not necessarily tighter tolerances.

Buick ended up replacing a bunch of V6 engines after the 5w oil debacle a few years back.
Their reason for using the 5w was to improve CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) and the couple of tenths - if that - gained was offset by the engine warranty work.

And like we all know, mileage can be considerably improved by better driving habits.
It's amazing how many people tromp the accellerator to the floor at every launch from a stoplight or stopsign.
Perhaps a bad habit gained from driving underpowered cars, but an easier takeoff would improve things considerably.

Along with that is the zooming up to the stop bit and slamming on the brakes.
Mileage is affected negatively due to accelerating too long between stoplights and brake life is affected as well.
Some of these people are replacing brakes every year and wondering why.

This thread isnt about any haterd towards specific cars/trucks.

I don't think anyone's going to take it that way.
We need what we need to do the job whether hauling lots of stuff for hundreds if not thousands of miles or making the five mile run to work.
There's a suitable vehicle for each job.

don't know whether this is true or not, but somebody told me that if you fill up just before dawn, when the air is still cool, you should be able to get a little bit extra fuel for your money's worth. Apparantly the gasoline contracts when it's still cold outside and starts to expand the minute the sun goes up.

I think this is one of those old wives tales based on real science.
Real science being the expansion/contraction bit due to ambient temps.

Below ground gasoline station storage tanks are pretty well insulated and gasoline temperatures are probably within a few degrees one way or the other over the course of a day so while the science is good, as a practical matter it makes no difference.

Keeping your highway speed at 55 mph can improve you gas mileage by as much as 25%, compared to 75 mph. (Yeah, I know--this one's tough for us too)

True, and like you say, tough to stick to.
Especially if you're trying to make time on a 200 miles between towns across the desert trips.
Granted, you'll find some little out of the way places selling gasoline out in the middle of nowhere so be sure and check the price before filling up.

I'd pulled my 10 mpg truck/trailer rig into one of these places and it didn't have the outside credit card reader.
You had to go inside and after I watched a guy pay $16. for close to four gallons of gas I realized I should've looked at the pump price before I walked in.
That was summer before last when gas was right under $2.00 per gallon most places.

I realize that the UK and other European countries pay lot's more for gasoline than we do, but that's a separate discussion.
All I'm pointing out here is to watch it when gassing up at little out of the way places.
And I have to admit that almost twice the price per gallon can be just fine sometimes....

Avoid trying to increase speed while climbing a hill, your engine is already working hard trying to overcome gravity.

True, I'll just add that it saves fuel to make a run at a hill when you can.
Keeping your speed up can help the mileage somtimes, but the important thing is the vehicle is under max engine load for a shorter period of time.

If you're loaded to the hilt, many times you can maintain 55-60 mph up a long grade, but slow down to 35-45 mph and it can be difficult to get it back.

Here are a couple tips:

www.edmunds.com


Follow the Recommended Maintenance

[...].


Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

[...]

Take a Load Off

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[edit on 24-3-2006 by Riwka]

All:

ATS is a discussion board.

Share your different opinions on articles

I have yet to try this out myself, but a friend of mine gave me this tip--he delivers pizzas, so something that gives better gas mileage is a big plus on his end.

He told me that you get better gas mileage with the highest octane gas than the regular unleaded, and there's such a difference that it generally comes out being cheaper than if you bought regular. I forget the exact figure--I think it was about 3 cents per gallon or something. I know that's not that big of a difference, but at 3 cents cheaper than regular, that's normally about a 20 cent knock off the full price of the highest grade gasoline.

Like I said, I haven't checked this out myself yet, but it seems to make sense.

Great tips in this thread... I'll reenforce and add a few:

Driving habits are #1. If you ever have to brake heavily, you have wasted fuel. Drive like the brakes are about to fail. The moment you see you have to stop ahead, start releasing the throttle. There is no sense in continuing to burn gas to maintain speed when you know you have to begin slowing soon. Also, engines produce lower horsepower and torque marks at lower RPMs. This is why highway driving gets better mileage.. the motor is constantly at a higher RPM near the power band rather than repeatedly dipping down into a band where it could be putting out only 10HP. 10HP when the pedal mashed means lots of wasted fuel.

And SLOW DOWN. This doesn't apply to all cars as many will experience optimal mileage at high speed where air pressures give them the least drag. However, trucks and SUV's are, for the most part, bricks on wheels. Over 55mph and that high pressure zone at the nose starts to cause problems. The low pressure at the tail doesn't help much, either.

Tire pressure. Keep it in spec. Personally I run a little hard for highway driving and a little soft for bumpy city roads.

The motor. In tune and with no major problems. A leaky exhaust manifold will murder your mileage. The oxygen sensor in the exhaust line will be getting fresh air from the leak, confusing it into thinking there is more oxygen in the exhaust than there should be, meaning it tells the computer to add more fuel. Wasted fuel. It's amazing how many cars drive around with exhaust leaks. After the catalytic is no big deal other than the noise. But O2 sensors are usually right before the cat or at the manifolds. If there's a leak near them, they'll get mad.

Originally posted by Beachcoma
I don't know whether this is true or not, but somebody told me that if you fill up just before dawn, when the air is still cool, you should be able to get a little bit extra fuel for your money's worth. Apparantly the gasoline contracts when it's still cold outside and starts to expand the minute the sun goes up.

Is there any merit in this theory?

A gallon of gas is just a gallon 128 oz. Gas is dispensed "by measure" which remains constant.

Based on your theory if we buy gas in the morning we would get more and that is impossible. A container may expand but that will not change the measure of gas.

[edit on 3/25/2006 by shots]

Originally posted by MCory1
I have yet to try this out myself, but a friend of mine gave me this tip--he delivers pizzas, so something that gives better gas mileage is a big plus on his end.

He told me that you get better gas mileage with the highest octane gas than the regular unleaded, and there's such a difference that it generally comes out being cheaper than if you bought regular. I forget the exact figure--I think it was about 3 cents per gallon or something. I know that's not that big of a difference, but at 3 cents cheaper than regular, that's normally about a 20 cent knock off the full price of the highest grade gasoline.

Like I said, I haven't checked this out myself yet, but it seems to make sense.

High octane fuel is simply an anti-knock device.
If your car doesn't require it, don't buy it.

With the anti-knock sensors in modern cars along with the computers that teach themselves your driving habits, you can run - most times - a lower octane fuel in a car that calls for high octane fuel.

There is no more energy available in high octane fuels than in low octane fuels.

There are highly oxygenated fuels out there, but they're used in fuel dragsters for the most part. (Nitromethane, nitroethane.)
They don't do much for mileage, but can increase horsepower if other factors - such as a long spark lead, or advance - is used, but for use in venues other than race tracks they're a waste of money.

Simply put, read your owners manual, follow it's recommendations.

And, to put it bluntly, a lot of mileage estimates are subjective and people haven't kept reasonable - and simple - records and are reporting what they think happened.

posted by StJames: “I’m looking at this site for a long time, especially since gas prices are wacky, and I haven’t seen a thread like this . . So I decided to start one where everyone can add or disprove ideas on ways to increase your miles per gallon on cars/trucks . . it's more important than ever to keep tabs on gas spending . . one of the easiest ways to save money on gas is to shop around . . there are a other things you can do to keep some hard earned money in your pocket . . you can add any ideas that work good for you . “ [Edited by Don W]

I change my air filter every 15,000 miles. I run 35 psi in the front tires, 33 psi in the rear. I rotate and balance the tires at 15K and usually buy new ones at 30K. 4 at a time. I like a good tread. I buy 2nd line Michelins. A bit pricey. I’m sure there are other good tires and some for less. I have a friend at the tire store who sells me “blemished” tires when available.

CHANGE YOUR DRIVING HABITS. Accelerate SLOWLY, and decelerate SLOWLY. I use my cruise control even if I’m going only 2 blocks to the bank. I drive the side roads when I can and I usually run at 55-60 only. I lose very little time and I feel sure I’ve added 2-3 mpg to my car. I keep unnecessary items out of the trunk. It costs extra to haul extra weight. I change my engine oil and filter every 7,500 miles and use Mobil 1. I have no proof Mobil 1 helps, but I feel better. Manufacturers do as much as they can to assure maximum gas mileage but it is up to the driver to take full advantage of the car’s capability.

That’s about all you can do unless you are a mechanic. You cannot afford to hire anyone to modify your car and ever get back enough in increased mpg to pay for the mods. Having your computer re-programmed usually costs $200. If you boost mpg from 20 to 22 figure how long it takes to get that back. One poster mentioned seeing his truck mileage fall from 18 to 12 but he said he was towing 7000 lbs. Frankly, that sounds great to me.

[edit on 3/25/2006 by donwhite]

Hey at $2.30 a gal a 2mpg increase would pay for a $200 mod in a year for lots of people... 20000miles.

However, to improve mileage, a computer reprogramming is probably not first on the list of modifications to undertake.

The goal of improved mileage is equivalent to improved performance. If the motor is using less energy to generate the same or more power, then less fuel is needed for the same acceleration. So any performance improvement, short of forced induction (turbo or supercharger, which require more fuel be added to the mixture), will usually also improve mileage.

2 over 20 equal 10% increase in economy. At $2.30 per gallon that is a savings of 23 cents per gallon. Divide 23 cents into $200 equals 870 gallons. About one years worth of gasoline for the average car.

[edit on 3/25/2006 by donwhite]

Greetings,

Has anyone tried any of the new fuel catalysts that have recently hit the market? If so, any feed back from members with results? With gas prices over $3.00 in most areas this holiday weekend, it is about time fuel saving technologies are introduced to fight back over the rip off fuel prices.

Regards, Mike

Some of the older Civics got great gas mileage, and so does a Geo Metro. This will save you on your commutes to work and back if you can find one of these cars. I wonder if anyone is getting rid of these, nowadays? I bet folks are holding onto these tightly.

I know we are discussing Petrol vehicles here, but don't forget the future. I would start thinking towards different fuels at the same time you are improving on your gas mileage. Have a plan on how you will arrive at an electric vehicle, biofuel vehicle, or renewable fuel vehicle, etc. Don't be stuck somewhere down the road paying insane gas prices, which would put a strain on your wallet even if your car got 60+ miles per gallon. Don't expect the car companys to save the day, it may be you in your garage converting a vehicle to electric or something else, if you can't shell out the money for a new alternative energy vehicle.

Troy

posted by cybertroy

“ . . older Civics got great gas mileage . . Geo Metro . . wonder if anyone is getting rid of those nowadays? I bet folks are holding on to those tightly. I know we are discussing petrol vehicles here, but don't forget the future. I would start thinking towards different fuels at the same time you are improving on your gas mileage.

Have a plan on an electric vehicle . . biofuel or renewable fuel etc. Don't be stuck paying insane gas prices, which would put a strain on your wallet even if your car got 60+ mpg. Don't expect car companies to save the day, it may be you in your garage converting a vehicle to electric or something else.” Troy [Edited by Don W]

C/T, was the Geo Metro a 3 cylinder, 4 cycle engine? An abomination only GM could devise. As in Corvair and Vegas. And that half of a V8 in the first LeMans. Or the small block 350 diesels offered in 1970s Oldsmobiles? At least the Saab 93 was 2 cycles. 6 firing impulses every 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation. A bit peaky on torque, however.

C/T, because of crash-worthiness and emissions controls, the day of the backyard mechanic is over. For old timers, “Gasoline Alley” is closed, paved over, dead. Computer mods are about the only thing available to the 21st century hot rodder.

As for alternate fuel vehicles, the cost versus the effectiveness is too great, at least until we get $5 or $10 a gallon gasoline and then, it will take 2-3 years to get anything on the road. Better to start saving your money, say, put aside a quarter for every dollar you spend today, in US Series I bonds, and wait it out.



[edit on 7/7/2006 by donwhite]