Does this make any sense?

[maxek]

(yes) I have been getting pretty good milage driving on a highway with RPM below 3K (1/2 tank ~ 270 miles).I added CAI my milage did not improve at all. I got pissed off and I started to drive more aggressive, RPM-s above 3K on a highway. Usually I do 68 - 75mph. On a occasion I hit 80 or even 90mph. Believe it or not I still get exactly the same milage when I drive like grandma. Does this make any sense? I tried to improve my milage but I have not been able. One thing I learned it does not pay to drive with low RPM-s because it does not help with milage like civic does.

 

[JCell]

anytime u add power, mpg will go down

because the cai lets more air in, the computer will compensate and increase the fuel being injected into the engine so that the a/f ratios stay normal, sry dude, try reseting the ecu, let it relearn and the mpg will improve a little

 

[Lord_Zath]

(yes) I have been getting pretty good milage driving on a highway with RPM below 3K (1/2 tank ~ 270 miles).I added CAI my milage did not improve at all. I got pissed off and I started to drive more aggressive, RPM-s above 3K on a highway. Usually I do 68 - 75mph. On a occasion I hit 80 or even 90mph. Believe it or not I still get exactly the same milage when I drive like grandma. Does this make any sense? I tried to improve my milage but I have not been able. One thing I learned it does not pay to drive with low RPM-s because it does not help with milage like civic does.

Other variables involved? headwind? tailwind? Change in elevation?

Reason I ask is I couldn't figure this out either when I used to drive down to Illinois State all the time. WTF my gas mileage was SO much better heading south out of Chicago than coming back. Then I realized that there is a slight change in elevation as well as a pretty strong tail wind when I went once...

 

[xvdarkyvx]

you get 270 miles on half a tank? geeez... must be something wrong with my driving/car

 

[maxek]

you get 270 miles on half a tank? geeez... must be something wrong with my driving/car

Yes I do when my tank is topped off.

 

[maxek]

Other variables involved? headwind? tailwind? Change in elevation?

Reason I ask is I couldn't figure this out either when I used to drive down to Illinois State all the time. WTF my gas mileage was SO much better heading south out of Chicago than coming back. Then I realized that there is a slight change in elevation as well as a pretty strong tail wind when I went once...

I drive to work every day the same way mostly highway 100 miles (50 miles to work and 50 miles back home). I am usually stuck in traffic for 15-20 minutes and then I just fly. So on an average by the 1/4 of a tank left I put 400 miles before I fill my car up.

 

[romecandleboy]

I've always assumed that adding a CAI (ie: better breathing) improves MPG. The only catch is with the intake you'll find yourself slamming the throttle a little more therefore balancing it out - That could be why you're not noticing the drop. Just my .02

 

[xvdarkyvx]

how come my mpg is so crappy then? i get like 170 at half a tank.

 

[dosle]

thats what i am at as well... i'm planning on doing the spring cleaning of lfuids with the car. might help.

 

[Mike R]

(yes) I have been getting pretty good milage driving on a highway with RPM below 3K (1/2 tank ~ 270 miles).I added CAI my milage did not improve at all. I got pissed off and I started to drive more aggressive, RPM-s above 3K on a highway. Usually I do 68 - 75mph. On a occasion I hit 80 or even 90mph. Believe it or not I still get exactly the same milage when I drive like grandma. Does this make any sense? I tried to improve my milage but I have not been able. One thing I learned it does not pay to drive with low RPM-s because it does not help with milage like civic does.

It does pay to drive below 3K on the protege. CAI really won't help out MPG. More air=more fuel=less MPG. I went from driving 70-80mph to 55-60 and went up 3 mpg.

 

[65racecoupe]

Wow. My Miles per tank is about 425 or so on the highway, but I get stuck in bad Phoenix traffic a lot. I just can't drive 50 - 60. I live 25 miles from my car dealership where I work, so I drive enough as it is.

 

[girth]

Yeah it doesn't really make sense to me either but I guess it doesn't surprise me. I literally get the EXACT same mileage with my MSP as I did with my 2000 ES (non-turbo). The turbo didn't make any difference in mileage and it also doesn't seem to make any difference whether I beat the hell out of the car or drive like a granny. Strange but my experience sounds a lot like yours.

 

[Lord_Zath]

I seem to get better mileage when I beat on it than when I don't. oh well guess it's a great excuse to beat on it

 

[Protege52003]

(1/2 tank ~ 270 miles).

that seems high. when i am getting around 28-30 MPG I usually get around 180-210 on half a tank of gas. i am sure each car might read a little different. mine falls in a linear fashion.

 

[romand]

you get 270 miles on half a tank? geeez... must be something wrong with my driving/car

I think there is something wrong with the fuel gauge. I get a little over 300 miles per tank on all highway with average speed for 70mph. Consistantly.

How do I know? I have driven from Boston to Montreal over 25 times and its 300 miles each way.

I think that going under 3000 rpm does help but not by that (540 a tank) much.

Roman
02 p5

 

[eljefe305]

i see a huge difference between beating it and not, at least in city driving.
highway driving it really doesn't make a difference at all.

 

[maxek]

I have never got to almost empty on my tank but I get 400 miles up to 1/4 left. I guess it is the fuel gauge the way it is set up. I do not think I can get another 100 miles out of 1/4 of a tank of gas left.

 

[Engel]

I get 380 to a full tank if it's not cheap gas and all freeway driving, but in town I get like 340...not a huge difference. I bought my car used and it came with an Injen CAI and a catback exhaust, so I dont' know what it'd get stock

 

[dosle]

wow those are some high miles... i think when i first bought the p5 i would get 320-40 only a few times. now after being beat on for 40k miles its down to 280mi p/tank. thought i just changed the oil, oil filter, and intake filter and reset the ecu so the numbers may work better in my favor.

also i know in wisconsin we have to have a certain gas mix that is different from other states.

 

[vindication]

wow those are some damn good mpg's. you must be pussy footing it all over town. I'll be luck to get over 340 miles on a tank. Also, the CAI theory on the ECU noticing more air and giving more fuel is false. The car should actually get better mileage and run smoother. Thats what I've experienced and what tests show. Our cars run pig rich from factory anyway so any extra air would only help. I always go between 65-75mph on the major roads, so you must be going <60mph.