Improving gas mileage, mods/tips

[Myrithel]

anyone have any? I feel like I'm straying far from the EPA estimated 25mpg city; granted that there were some snowy slippery days in the last couple weeks and a few minutes of idling every morning...

Would a MP3 ECU w/ premium fuel increase MPG? A CAI/SRI?
What's the optimal cruising RPM for the P5?
Any weight saving to be found that is worth it?

 

[Tamn]

You can drop something like 600 pounds from the car if you really wanted too. Pulling the back seats and dropping some hidden bracketry can save you several hundred pounds without any visual notice besides the rear seats if you really wanted.

I doubt the ecu would help, and if you had too buy it, their goes the savings anyways.

Optimal cruising for me was 55 mph in 5th, I was getting 71 mpg highway. high 50's city with lots of coasting and timing lights well.

 

[gino]

I average around 28-29 town, 30-32 plus road (70s). Mileage 187k, no problems.

Engine mods: OBTB, CAI, indium plugs, light pulleys, 4-2-1 header, single small cat, Magnaflow CB and resonator (no front cat), ECU flashed to spec by Mazda West comp rep (then-dealer shop manager's bud), run 84 octane (at 5300' don't need 91). Use Valvoline synthetic oil only. Dynoed WHP 117 (95 stock), torque 127 lb/ft (108). Would be greater at sea level.

Suspension mods: MSP springs, Tokico Blues, 17/7 ADR Battles, Conti DRW 215/45s, OEM alignment specs.

Hope this helps.

 

[02protege5wagon]

Yeah I get anywhere from 28-30 in town more towards the 30 mark though and on thet highway I've hit 35-38 consistently. In town I just let the car coast toward the lights while its in gear. I can't remember off the top of my head right now why its better to do this rather then shifting to neutral but it keeps your car from using up fuel. If you are idling a lot that will eat gas up a lot. I'm turbo and I still avg. 28 in the city because I don't get into boost unless I need too or if I just want to have a little fun.

 

[mp5la]

If you're decelerating in gear, the injectors aren't cycling and no fuel is being used. When it's in neutral, the injectors are being used to keep the engine running (as opposed to the motion of the car).

 

[02protege5wagon]

If you're decelerating in gear, the injectors aren't cycling and no fuel is being used. When it's in neutral, the injectors are being used to keep the engine running (as opposed to the motion of the car).

thank you lol, I don't know why I couldn't remember that....smh.

 

[lowlevel]

Cut down on idling... if you have an automatic kick into N at stop lights... shed some weight... car or gut...

 

[kms1990]

i average 30-32 with about 50% city and 50% highway epa says 26-28 avg overall for this car i do waht was said above i shift to neutral if im going down hill, and stay coasting in gear as long as i can up to redlights

 

[MaxPower]

Inflate the tires to 40psi...

http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...s-properly-but-beware-of-overinflation-page-5

 

[Ice88]

Change your expansion ratio. Increase compression.

 

[RyanJayG]

Change your 5th gear to a lower ratio, ie .71

 

[whatusername]

Walk

 

[kms1990]

i also use 1 gas station every fill up, the QT by my house from experimentation gives me best, and most consistent mpg. idle as little as possible, coast when you can. use seafoam through the brake booster vacuum line every 6 months or so, and maybe a bottle of lucas through the the tank, to clean up the carbon. try to ease off on the freeway and go under 70mph i get best mpg between 60-65mph on freeway.

 

[rit14623]

anyone have any? I feel like I'm straying far from the EPA estimated 25mpg city; granted that there were some snowy slippery days in the last couple weeks and a few minutes of idling every morning...

Would a MP3 ECU w/ premium fuel increase MPG? A CAI/SRI?
What's the optimal cruising RPM for the P5?
Any weight saving to be found that is worth it?

You're using more gas than usual from idling. You MPG will probably improve when it gets warm again.

 

[P5freek]

Where do you get a lower 5th gear ratio?

 

[sneakypete]

Where do you get a lower 5th gear ratio?

It won't let me post the URL, but crossover auto sells a 5th gear set to lower crusing RPM. Again, this will eat into your money savings, but it is not a bad idea. Just go to the "transmission" section on the 01-03 Protege page.

This is cheaper than you could get it from the dealer or from onlinemazdaparts.com. I'm 90% sure this is the 5th gear set from a 626.

 

[pcb]

Apparently the fifth gear out of a 626 will fit right in to our tranny,... and you don't have to pull the tranny,.. just remove the side of the tranny for access with it still on the car.

You could get a tranny or part of one from a wrecker for cheap.

 

[sneakypete]

Just make sure you get both the input and output gears.

 

[kms1990]

i like the 5th ratio in the protege 5 still has some get up n go even in "cruising" gear. but to each their own

 

[pcb]

I remember reading that the FS engine in our car is designed to operate at higher RPM's and that is where it's most efficient,... I dunno ???