Improvement since Upgrades

[Nash04]

Just wondering if any of you have seen great improvements since you have either upgraded your CAI, exhaust, turbo or even adjusted your electronic management system. Since our car is well known for lousy gas mileage, I was hoping that these upgrades have help in that area and if so then I would consider doing some upgrades just to have better mpg especially with the ongoing gas $$$ it's just going to get worse.

Thanks,
JoeB

 

[Alpha Wolf]

I have noticed improved drivability, and power.

Mileage has improved slightly about .5mpg if I can keep my foot from making the cool noise the CAI makes when the turbo kicks in. This noise also allows you to know when you are not driving economically as it allows you to drive below the boost levels in town.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Just wondering if any of you have seen great improvements since you have either upgraded your CAI, exhaust, turbo or even adjusted your electronic management system. Since our car is well known for lousy gas mileage, I was hoping that these upgrades have help in that area and if so then I would consider doing some upgrades just to have better mpg especially with the ongoing gas $$$ it's just going to get worse.

Thanks,
JoeB

I have installed the cp-e intake, the forge BPV and have the cp-e exhaust system. All of these things should make the engine more efficient which will increase HP and gas mileage. I don't think I am getting better mileage than most on here but I drive very aggressive and I average 20mpg with mixed city/highway driving.

 

[AWmustang]

I have to drive like there's an egg on the gas pedal to get 20mpg so I'd say your upgrades are working quite nicely for you.

 

[lestat13]

I drive "spiritedly" and saw no improvement after cobb sri... previous mod was txs hybrid. Average 21.5-22.5 mpg.

After the intake, I actually have seen a decrease in drivability. On low throttle it's fine, and fantastic on full throttle... but on medium throttle, especially accelerating slowly from a stop, it is hard to keep smooth. Of course, this is me trying to stay out of boost. If you boost there is no issue, but I'm trying to conserve gas when I'm not driving like a fool.

On a side note maybe someone can help me (not trying to thread-jack). When I got wot and I reach full spool, it almost feels like the car stops accelerating and reaches a plateau (not completely, but a bunch). Anyone??

 

[Mazda3]

I have installed the cp-e intake, the forge BPV and have the cp-e exhaust system. All of these things should make the engine more efficient which will increase HP and gas mileage. I don't think I am getting better mileage than most on here but I drive very aggressive and I average 20mpg with mixed city/highway driving.

What kind of performance gains have you noticed?

 

[lestat13]

With the Cobb SRI I honestly noticed little performance increase. It kicks harder upon WOT and full spool, and definitly pulls harder through 6,000 rpms.

 

[Gray Ghost]

What kind of performance gains have you noticed?

I have never put a stop watch on it but I know it pulls harder. My favorite performance mods are the lowering springs and UHP tires because of where I live. My neighborhood has a divided blvd with one lane traffic each way through twisting, rolling hills. The blvd. makes a five mile circle around the entire neighborhood with two hair-pin turns that are sick. I have often thought of straping a dvr to the roof and recording some laps because trying to explain it doesn't do it justice.

 

[Alpha Wolf]

Both CP-E dyno and ETS dyno prints show 20rwhp increase for each. But dyno says about 20 total for both.

Car drives smoother and better at all rpm ranges and throttle settings.


SRI may be an issue of it not being for this engine and car.

 

[Gray Ghost]

My last tank of gas I got 23 MPG with mixed city/highway with some spirited driving. The midpipe has been on long enough for the ECU to adjust and the mileage has been creeping up since I had it installed. The noise may be too much for some but it sure does have much more power and better fuel mileage.

 

[shadow1]

I had the CPE CAI, midpipe and ETS TMIC installed. Got 15 mpg in mostly city driving. I uninstalled each part one at a time. I still get 15 mpg. Don't install mods to improve fuel economy. It doesn't work. At best fuel economy will remain the same. Worst case, mileage will go down. Remember, the engine is an air pump. More power requires more air. More air needs more fuel.

 

[altaski]

Upgrade Benefits

my two cents-
1. I think the best one can do is to lower the intake charge temperature. This does increase mileage as you get more power from the amount of air going in. And it keeps timing from changing to the worse for mileage.
2. Increase the flow out, ie exhaust, to get the heat away more efficiently.

 

[lestat13]

I had the CPE CAI, midpipe and ETS TMIC installed. Got 15 mpg in mostly city driving. I uninstalled each part one at a time. I still get 15 mpg. Don't install mods to improve fuel economy. It doesn't work. At best fuel economy will remain the same. Worst case, mileage will go down. Remember, the engine is an air pump. More power requires more air. More air needs more fuel.

If you can make power more efficiently you can get better fuel economy when you aren't pushing the car. One way of thinking is that you can go faster without putting the pedal down as far. I have seen this in my MS3 and last two vehicles. The difference has only been 1 mpg in the speed3, but it has been a consistent 1 mpg after going catless. Saw no change after intake, but I was boosting more to hear my noises.

That's why companies like K&N can accurately claim more power and mileage.... you get them both, but only one at a time. In my case, they tend to even out.

 

[buttons]

You guys need a tuner like cobb access port or something. I test drove the CX-7 and was quite impressed (depsite the fact I hate SUV's) If cobb makes the access port for it, im sure it would help both your power,shifting, and fuel economy ... probably help your fuel economy since it can alter timing,fuel maps, etc. It also has an economy map that makes it run more lean at the expensive of safe power.

 

[wwest]

The best, only way to improve FE is to somehow make the engine more efficient "off-boost". Remember that one of the major methods for spooling up a turbo QUICKLY is make the base, non-boosted, engine less efficient.

Basically the more HEAT/energy you put into the exhaust manifold the QUICKER the turbo will spool up. But that "compromise" results in a de-rated "off-boost" engine performance. As does also the inordinately LOW native compression ratio. A DFI engine could easily operate with a 12:1 native compression ratio of the current CX-7 engine. Were it not for the need to allow for the effectively higher compression ratio once boost comes on line the CX-7 could have a 12:1 ratio.

But modern technological improvements engine aspects, well understood, now make BOTH modes possible.

I call it the Atkinson/Miller/West engine cycle.

At idle and cruise run the engine in the Atkinson Cycle mode. HIGHLY efficient mode insofar as FE is concerned but relatively low torque. Mill the engine head to get a native compression ratio of 14 or 15 to 1. Now use delayed intake valve closing to reduce the effective ratio to 13:1.

The result....

STELLAR off-boost FE.

Need BOOST...??

Use additional delay, Miller Cycle, of the intake valves to quickly lower the effective cylinder compression ratio to 10:1, should the gas pedal be depressed RAPIDLY or to WOT. That would result in the turbo boost coming up QUICKLY. And instead of using the wastegate to limit turbo boost on the high end just use more intake valve closing delay.

Anyone ever thought of/about pre-CHILLING the fuel using excess A/C cooling capacity..??

 

[jonny_sin]

well i haven't done any mods to mine yet ..well atleast any power mods, and i think i get good mpg considering my lead foot status.lol

i have seen.. mix city/hwy 22 to 24 mpg
all hwy up to 30 mpg

A bunch of people have asked me what i have done to my cx-7 that i get mileage like this. but i haven't done squat to it but the normal stuff..

i did see a diffrence when i changed from conventional oil to royal purple.
aswell as using royal purples atf..... i don't know if it's normal in texas. but everyone else that posts up always puts crappy mpgs for the cx-7

 

[cougar10agREDUX]

I cannot get over 18-19MPG constant highway driving for two tanks. all i have is a K&N drop in.

2007 sport AWD, almost 30,000 miles. mobile 1 5w30, about to switch to quaker state. I don't think ANY of the TSB's have been done. i don't see any stickers.

 

[wannabe]

hooray! two year bump from a mod!

you don't get a sticker for a TSB, only a recall. The TSB is just a memo to the dealerships on how to fix a known potential problem that CAN occur, not a "every car needs this fixed" type of fix.


we tend to get about 17-19 mpg in the AWD, with probably 80% city. I'm ok with it, since the roadtrips we've done have been closer to 23-24. The only mod its got is a gutted airbox.

 

[cougar10agREDUX]

holy s***, i didn't even realize. it was late and i was reading most of the threads in the FI forum.

anyway, the dealer needs to affix a "Legal Modification" sticker to the vehicle if there is any modification or replacement of parts that will affect emissions, like a PCM flash. the TSB even states to affix the sticker.

 

[wannabe]

the emissions stuff was a recall though...so I think it still only applies to those.