Improved gas mileage...

[erockp5]

Only from personal experience but my last 2 clutches were replaced after 230k miles and 140k miles. The 140k was actually a blown oil seal, spraying oil on the clutch. As for brakes they lasted 140k miles and 150k miles. This was on 2 different cars.

If you balance the braking and downshift you don't rev the engine very high, maybe the low-mid 3ks. Like I said I get pretty good gas mileage without a lot of wear and tear on the components so it would seem to bear out what I said. Feel free to disagree since this is all opinion on my part.

The big thing is the downshift sets you up in the next gear you'll be using and gives you a good driving feel when slowing.

 

[grishulia]

...my last 2 clutches were replaced after 230k miles and 140k miles.

Wow... in my previous manual Protege, which I bought used and it had 50K miles on it, I've added another 75M miles over 3 years and didn't have to change the clutch nor the brakes using same techniques you've described...

And an update... this past weekend I drove 250 miles 75/25 city/hwy with 5 people in the car 90% of that time and a/c on 75% of that time... and my mileage was 25MPG... from previous such experience I was expecting 21-22MPG...

 

[slenser]

Perhaps, that is the difference between driving these small engine cars, compared to the Mustangs/Camaros/66 Caprrice w/468 w/850 Holley DP carb LOL

This is the first small car I have owned and driven on a daily basis. Those were always the wifes' and were autos (Yuck). Anytime you engine brake with one of the above cars, it would drastically change the mileage. That's where I just learned to throw it in nuetral and coast/brake to a stop.

I certainly can't argue with you based on the results you have gotten. 38 MPG is a very impressive number. Perhaps my car is capable of that, but I don't tend to run it under 65 on the interstate.

 

[Red Baron]

Like I posted earlier, the warmer the weather the better the gas mileage.

It gets pretty cold up here, and the P5 guzzles gas compared to my wife's Civic in the winter...

I still can't see how you get 38mpg US when Mazda says it is lower than that???

 

[brucelee]

i got about 37mpg on the first complementary tank..i dont know what they did with it that got me so much...maybe it's just one of those first tank things...

 

[attack02]

The reason why some people heard that synthetic oil may cause leakage, is just because once you change over to synthetic oil, the components of the synthetic oil cause all the seals on your engine to expand and if for any reason you return back to regular motor oil, most of the seals are going to shrink back and in some cases there will get even smaller causing leaks around the oil pan, cam seals, valve covers, etc..

This happens mostly in old vehicles, where seals are old or tosted.

Remember, once you made the change, stick with it.

Synthetic oil is a good choice, both for gas mileage and engine life.

 

[erockp5]

Don't worry the 38mpg isn't my normal range, but I do check every tank. When I filled that tank I couldn't believe it either. The freeway construction zones and the CHP kept me honest on this stretch of road, fines double and the road condition was awful. 30mpg is the average between city and highway(70-80mph) normally. Mazda says 26city/31highway on the MT so I'm not beating that number by more than 10%. Remember they simulate the driving on a tread mill.

My highschool car was one of the big US V8 automatics, 67' Firebird. I shifted into neutral also. I was buying the gas and even at $0.40 a gallon I didn't want to buy anymore than necessary. Gas is $2.10-2.30 a gallon here at the moment, it makes me think of those old days.

 

[skyhawk174]

I prefer to use regular oil and change it more often. Synthetic costs an arm and a leg! But it makes sense it would improve gas milage. Maybe it would pay for itself in fuel savings.

Regarding gas milage...what counts is if you have fun driving the car! Its true we only get 25-30 mpg wheras corollas and civics get more but they are only half as fun to drive.

An added benifit to synthetic oil is the easier starting on those cold winter mornings. Here in Alberta it can drop to -35C at nights and stay like that for a week. Even with block heaters I still think synthetic is the way to go. At those temperatures you can still pour the silly stuff. Try that with regular oil .

I like it too since at work I don't have the luxury of being able to plug in the car so it sits in the cold for over 8 bhours. At the end of the day when I leave it starts with no problems.

Just easier on the engine I think.

 

[Red Baron]

Last winter

We had a cold spell of -40C/F last winter that lasted about a week. I plug my car about an hour before I have to leave in the morning and all day at work (yes I'm lucky), but when it's that cold, synt oil is a must.

 

[Iconoclast]

i was weening to royal purple til i was told how it burns up faster then others, it did give me beter gas mileage but i did alot of refilling of that pricey s***, so i switched to castrol-and i always burn premium even if i get soaked on the gas prices nowadays

 

[Red Baron]

My highschool car was one of the big US V8 automatics, 67' Firebird. I shifted into neutral also. I was buying the gas and even at $0.40 a gallon I didn't want to buy anymore than necessary. Gas is $2.10-2.30 a gallon here at the moment, it makes me think of those old days. [/B]

I filled the gas tank this morning : 84.9 cents per liter, that's $3.21 per US gallon ($3.86 per Imperial gallon)...over 42% of this goes to taxes :mad: :mad: :mad: , and that's for regular.

 

[PeaB0dy]

I just filled @ 76.3 (should have yesterday @ 72.3).

I so far have managerd to get 9.872 L/100Km - 28.496 MPG since I have had the car.
about 1 mpg worse than my neon (auto too..) but it's getting better..

Mine is also mostly highway, doing 130 kph with cruise on, but it's a new car, so needs some time...

 

[zoomP5ATL]

I just drove from Atlanta to Chattanooga, interstate all the way, I had 3 people in the car and probably averaged around 70 mph. It's hot too so I had the air on a lot, but I managed to get 32 mpg, which I thought was pretty good considering...

 

[Reitrof]

Took a long trip with a fully loaded car and pulling a small trailer. Doing 70 mph got 31.2 MPG. I was very happy with that mileage.

 

[1Canuck2]

How many miles on the clock before you switched to Synthetic. A car expert friend of mine reckons you should wait until 10000km (7000 miles) before doing so. Anyone else heard this?

Robin Smith

 

[erockp5]

It depends on who you listen to.

Mobile One say that it is good from day one and lists many manufacturers that deliver the cars with it.

Amsoil say not until after the manufacturer's break in period.

CraneCams say the same as Amsoil.

So it would seem the best compromise would be to wait until the first scheduled oil change at 5K miles. I looked it up a month ago because this is my first "new new" car and I've always used synthetic in all my others. They had from 15K-100K miles when I bought them.

 

[Reitrof]

I switched after 1000 miles. It should not make any difference when you switch, just make sure you switch.

 

[erockp5]

It only matters on who you can blame if something goes wrong. Use mobil one and if something bad happens read their press release back to them.

Like I said though, all agree that after the manufacturer's break in period (600mi) synthetic is fine.

 

[1Canuck2]

And which synthetic do you guys recommend. Mobil One or are there other good choices? I am ready to make the switch.

Robin

 

[slenser]

Mobil 1, Redline, Royal Purple, Amzoil and Valvoline. I personally, won't touch anything else, especially that Castrol stuff. Also, stay away from the blends. Tests have concluded that blends act more like regular oil than synthetic and costs almost the same as full synthetics. It's all advertisement baloney.