Anyway to make the MS3 more economical?

[IrishMidak]

y0, why so hot? you started this thread on a public forum; consider the fact that people have provided info, good or bad, and stop being so agitated for no reason...

you've entered quite a few hot responses on here directed toward the members.

Hot is a strong word here and it was just toward Nate who felt the need to wrongly state I refused to change my driving habbits so this is pointless. I know some of you tried to offer some decent info but I could not find any response here that actually addresses the car.
Bottom line is, I want to burn less gas, regardless of the cost. I know how to drive, been doing it for 18 years. I know how to drive conservatively when needed. What I don't know is how, if possible, I can make the car burn less gas, driving style aside. That said, there does not seem to be any real answers here so I'll just let it go.

 

[MS3077]

Here's some basic gas saving tips I found off the internet:

1. Take public transportation. It makes sense to take the train or the bus for your regular daily commute. Depending on where you live, you may be able to take public transportation for some of your errands as well.
2. Carpool whenever possible. Whether to work or just running the kids to their lessons and activities, you can conserve gas by arranging a carpool with coworkers or friends. When everyone takes a turn driving the whole group rather than taking separate vehicles, everyone saves money and it's better for the environment, too.
3. Use people power. For short jaunts, walk or ride a bicycle. You'll save gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and you'll get healthier in the process!
4. Try to combine your errands into fewer trips. Instead of running out several times a week, try to make all of your stops in one well-planned trip.
5. Buy in bulk. Buy nonperishable items in bulk to save trips to the store. If you watch the sales, you will save money both on gas and on your purchases as well. You might want to consider joining a warehouse club if there is one near your home or work.
6. Work at home. Ask your employer about the possibility of telecommuting, at least for part of the week.
7. Fuel mileage matters. When shopping for a new or used vehicle, pay close attention to the all-important fuel mileage numbers. The difference of even a few miles per gallon is quite significant when you consider that you will be putting thousands of miles on your car. You may also want to consider purchasing a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle.
8. Keep up with basic car maintenance. Getting regular tune-ups will not only make your car more reliable, it will make it burn gas more efficiently, too. Be certain that your air filters are clean--diminished air flow will cost you money at the pump.
9. Read your owner's manual and always use the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil--this will improve your gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent. When possible, choose an oil that is labeled "energy conserving." Those oils contain friction-reducing additives.
10. Pump up your tires. Keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer's recommendations. Soft, under-inflated tires make the car work harder, burning more gas.
11. Lighten your load. Try not to carry extra weight in your car. The lighter your load, the better your gas mileage.
12. Get some fresh air. Running the air conditioner lowers your gas mileage, so unroll your windows and enjoy Mother Nature's free air conditioning!
13. Slow down. Cruising down the highway at 55 miles per hour is much more cost efficient than racing to your destination. Even a small difference in speed makes a noticeable improvement; maintaining your speed at 55 is 15% more efficient than driving at 65. You'll conserve gas and possibly save yourself from getting a very expensive traffic ticket!
14. Start and stop gently. Ease onto the gas pedal when starting rather than punching the accelerator. When coming to a stop, ease off the gas pedal in advance and coast a little.
15. Shut off the engine. If you have to wait for more than two minutes, it is cost efficient to shut off the engine. Restarting burns less fuel that idling for that long.
16. Get the best buy at the pump. Fill your gas tank at the coolest times of day--usually early morning or late evening. Gas is denser at these times and gasoline is sold by volume, so you'll actually get more gas for your money!

 

[nate0123]

Where did I say that? I was looking for ways to make the car more economical, not my driving. Never said I did not change my driving style nor did I say I did not know how. The topic was "Anyway to make the MS3 more economical?" Not, "Anyway to make me a more economical driver?"
(fu)

that's because there is no magic bullet that makes the car more efficient

perhaps using engine management to tune the car and lean out the AFR, but there's a large investment there, and the car is probably not running rich at partial throttle anyway

 

[chacon101]

If I may ask, what sort of responses did you expect to get? You were you thinking of maybe a chip that had a high mileage feature?

Besides the driver mod, I can't think of much else you can do but then again, I have never thought about it. Could you try some tires that are designed for less resistance or something?

 

[nate0123]

If I may ask, what sort of responses did you expect to get? You were you thinking of maybe a chip that had a high mileage feature?

Besides the driver mod, I can't think of much else you can do but then again, I have never thought about it. Could you try some tires that are designed for less resistance or something?

good point, get the smallest, lightest wheels that will fit over the calipers, and the narrowest tire that will fit on those wheels

a tire with a hard compound will grip less - bad for performance, good for MPG

 

[chacon101]

Right, like they do on the salt flats for less resistance.

 

[chacon101]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this either but what about nitrogen in the tires?

 

[mordant80]

You were you thinking of maybe a chip that had a high mileage feature?

That reminds me, I was looking at some of the maps for the cobb AP for other cars and they have maps specifically for gas economy that makes the car run leaner. That would be great if they have that for our car when released.

good point, get the smallest, lightest wheels that will fit over the calipers, and the narrowest tire that will fit on those wheels, a tire with a hard compound will grip less - bad for performance, good for MPG

Just wanted to point out that you do not want any less of a diameter. That would lower your overall gear ratio which I think would hurt, not help. But everything else would help, lighter wheels, narrow tire with a harder compound.

 

[Sacrilicious]

Just wanted to point out that you do not want any less of a diameter. That would lower your overall gear ratio which I think would hurt, not help. But everything else would help, lighter wheels, narrow tire with a harder compound.

i think you're referring to tire diameter and not wheel diameter. the tire diameter is what would mess with you tach and whatnot...the wheel diameter would merely affect the weight distribution within the tire+wheel assembly.

 

[chacon101]

I know this may sound silly but couldn't a healthy coat of wax also make it cruise better on the highway? If somebody did a lot of highway crusing (for work or whatever), could a slicker surface actually increase the ease of airflow around the car?

I know this would have a small impact if any but I was thinking over the course of a few months or a whole year.

 

[Sacrilicious]

I know this may sound silly but couldn't a healthy coat of wax also make it cruise better on the highway? If somebody did a lot of highway crusing (for work or whatever), could a slicker surface actually increase the ease of airflow around the car?

I know this would have a small impact if any but I was thinking over the course of a few months or a whole year.

haha...not silly at all, actually. i would love for someone to put our car into a wind tunnel and see how it affects things. i would really like to see how much of a difference this makes on coefficient of drag when you compare a slick waxed-up car with one that's covered in bugs/pollen...=d

EDIT: which leads, of course, to the reason why this might be impractical for long roadtrips: you would be killing bugs like mad the whole way...

 

[mordant80]

i think you're referring to tire diameter and not wheel diameter. the tire diameter is what would mess with you tach and whatnot...the wheel diameter would merely affect the weight distribution within the tire+wheel assembly.

right right, just gotta make sure you get a taller tire to make up the difference.

 

[Sacrilicious]

right right, just gotta make sure you get a taller tire to make up the difference.

definitely...a good example is going from 215/45/18->215/50/17...it's really really close to our stock tire diameter...=d

 

[MS3Buckeye]

I don't think nitrogen in the tires does anything, nor would a wax. These simply play too small a role for a change to make a measurable difference, much less a noticable one. Remember, air is 78% nitrogen anyway!

 

[MS3077]

I don't think nitrogen in the tires does anything, nor would a wax. These simply play too small a role for a change to make a measurable difference, much less a noticable one. Remember, air is 78% nitrogen anyway!

+1

Some people are you entirely way way too anal about this!!!!!!!

 

[IrishMidak]

Well, without the turbo kicking in every 10 minutes, the car has the potential to conserve gas. Two tanks ago, just going to and from work (32 miles per day) and using cruise at 65, I got just short of 23mpg. This weekend, on a 450 mile ride, with only 3 short stops, cruise set 70-75, I made just over 30mpg. Now, maybe its just me but staying out of turbo while getting on the highway is not possible unless I take a minute or two to get to 65. That said, I am not giving serious consideration to getting one of the available computer solutions that offers an economy mode. My only concern there is that I have the MS CAI and the new mapping would further lien out the AFR. May be something I could try after warranty is up next year.

 

[builthatch]

This weekend, on a 450 mile ride, with only 3 short stops, cruise set 70-75, I made just over 30mpg.

this happened to me recently too; i was doing a majority of highway driving, but not uber long trips, maybe 90 miles was the longest, but with cruise set at 72, over the course of about 3/4 tank and several days, i was hovering right around 30mpg. this was with some bursts and stops and goes near my house and in the area, but the majority was deep vacuum cruising. the tank is about empty now and i'm at 27 and change.

that is about 3-4mpg over my norm, but like i've said before, i primarily do relatively short trips <10-15 miles, I go into boost pretty often, and my car is heavy with me-fuel-wife-sub-etc in it.

 

[lestat13]

this happened to me recently too; i was doing a majority of highway driving, but not uber long trips, maybe 90 miles was the longest, but with cruise set at 72, over the course of about 3/4 tank and several days, i was hovering right around 30mpg. this was with some bursts and stops and goes near my house and in the area, but the majority was deep vacuum cruising. the tank is about empty now and i'm at 27 and change.

that is about 3-4mpg over my norm, but like i've said before, i primarily do relatively short trips <10-15 miles, I go into boost pretty often, and my car is heavy with me-fuel-wife-sub-etc in it.

How deep is "deep vacuum" cruising? To keep my speed consistent on the highway, my dashhawk tells me I am at about 12 vac using my foot, and between 8-10 with cruise control on. So, how deep is your "deep vac" ????