Protege Gas Mileage Thread

[busypaws]

Hypermiller

1997 1.5L DX 104K bought it 1.5 years ago with 100K.
Pulled off AC/PS. Removed all the parts for AC/PS.
Removed Pass seat, rear seat, spare, tools.
Got Honda VX 13 rims and put 155/80/r13 at 35PSI (22 lbs rim & tire)
Just changed oil to 0W-20 waiting for next tank to see how that does.
Daily commuter (5.5 miles) in San Jose CA.

Getting 37 MPG city 47 highway.

Need Lightweight crank pully but can't find one for 1.5L
Thinking about smaller gas tank since it is 2 months between fillups. Spend 1 month hauling around 6 gallons (40lbs) of gas for first month.
Maybe remove heater core and use electric defrost in winter.
Maybe smaller radiator (faster warmups with 5.5mile commute)
Thinking about LED replacement for all lights and then put smaller alternator/battery.

Others interested in Hypermilling I reccomend Ecomodder.com

 

[323]

interesting.

 

[Mike Kamm]

1997 1.5L DX 104K bought it 1.5 years ago with 100K.
Pulled off AC/PS. Removed all the parts for AC/PS.
Removed Pass seat, rear seat, spare, tools.
Got Honda VX 13 rims and put 155/80/r13 at 35PSI (22 lbs rim & tire)
Just changed oil to 0W-20 waiting for next tank to see how that does.
Daily commuter (5.5 miles) in San Jose CA.

Getting 37 MPG city 47 highway.

Need Lightweight crank pully but can't find one for 1.5L
Thinking about smaller gas tank since it is 2 months between fillups. Spend 1 month hauling around 6 gallons (40lbs) of gas for first month.
Maybe remove heater core and use electric defrost in winter.
Maybe smaller radiator (faster warmups with 5.5mile commute)
Thinking about LED replacement for all lights and then put smaller alternator/battery.

Others interested in Hypermilling I recommend Ecomodder.com

Great post! I'm an ecomodder too. Busypaws, have you ever tried using the pulse and glide and drafting in combination? I did this for 244 miles and got 54.33 mpg with my '00 Protege DX [automatic no less]. Check my gas log HERE. But otherwise, I'm at 43 or so for commuting. I have a longer commute [24 miles] so I have to buy gas about once every five weeks. It's great isn't it?

 

[KZL_99ES]

how is it driving without power steering?

 

[prof15]

2001 2L ES 143K Miles
Stock
32MPG Highway

I just came back from a trip yesterday and In my way there I only used 6gl in 190miles Highway and I think I got the same results in my way back home. The whole trip I kept my speed at 65mph and tried not to go past 70mph.

 

[jonridinhi]

01 MP3
115K
mods list below and then some...
26-28 if I am good.

 

[maskedSONY]

I have a 2001 ES 2.0, 5-speed.

In strictly stop and go - 25/26
mixed? 27.
highway between 65-75 I get about 31-30
highway at 80 or up its about 29-30.

 

[easyrb]

2001 2.0

Just traded yesterday for a Mazda3 2.5 Was still getting 30 average hiway 32-33 @80mph AC blowing

364,000+ miles original AT only major changes were new AC at 200,000 and water pump @ 350,000

 

[323]

dam! u must drive a lot

 

[norwood1026]

Car- '02 ES 5-speed

Mods- MSP turbo kit, custom fmic, AEM intake, Corksport exhaust and hangers, AWR motor mounts, Tokico blues shocks/springs, slotted & drilled rotors, P5 front end, ADR 18" rims, 215/35/18's, Kenwood Excelon head unit, MTX 600.4 @ 8001D amps, 3 12" Xtant subs, cap, MB Quart 5.25 component (f) and 6x9 component (r) speakers, DaveB rings, Greddy shift knob, Motorsport gauges.

Miles- 189K

Mileage- about 260-270 per tank

Location- Capitol Heights, Md.

Your getting 280 with a turbo???? (uhm)

 

[norwood1026]

Either some of you are full of BS or something BAD is wrong with my car.
I mostly drive to & from work & I'll admit I might keep it in third when driving around town, to keep from shifting so much. 40 MPG with a slushbox is a bit hard to believe. My car is stock for now at least.

I get about 280ish to a tankfull of Gas. Not sure on on how many MPG that really translates into. I'd say around 28-30 in the city. With summer here & being in hell it might be a bit less with the AC on. And of course acclection SUCKS with the AC on but once you get up to speed it's not bad. Even in fifth gear. I know these cars get crap on the highway because fifth gear is so low. A slushbox might be better for highway use. Sorry not trying to be a dick but these arn't the best car for great mileage.


98,000
00 Protege ES 1.8 5 Speed.

 

[dhodory]

2002.5 Protege ES 2.0 5-speed
142k miles
no mods
29 m.p.g. consistently (70/30 split hwy/city -- hwy mileage at around 75 m.p.h.)

I use mid-grade fuel. When I drop to low octane I notice about 1 m.p.g. less and when I bump up to premium, I see about 1 m.p.g. more. Doing the math, mid-grade makes the most sense to me, as the price increases from low to mid to premium are not linear.

 

[mkuehn]

2003.5 Protege LX manual
124k mi
Stock
87 octane

My city/highway mix average since May 08 is 33 MPG, and it almost never varies much. I drive 100 miles/day 3 days a week to work on the freeway, and not a lot otherwise around town. I know it's time to fill up when the odometer goes over 400 miles.

I've been using AccuFuel on the iPhone to keep track of my fill-ups. Very handy.

 

[323]

nice!

 

[Pyro-tege]

2000 Protege 1.6/Auto

I get a rather disappointing 26 mpg, in a mix of city and highway. However I do set the cruise control at 150mph, so that may consume more fuel.

 

[stubbs03]

Either some of you are full of BS or something BAD is wrong with my car.
I mostly drive to & from work & I'll admit I might keep it in third when driving around town, to keep from shifting so much. 40 MPG with a slushbox is a bit hard to believe. My car is stock for now at least.

I get about 280ish to a tankfull of Gas. Not sure on on how many MPG that really translates into. I'd say around 28-30 in the city. With summer here & being in hell it might be a bit less with the AC on. And of course acclection SUCKS with the AC on but once you get up to speed it's not bad. Even in fifth gear. I know these cars get crap on the highway because fifth gear is so low. A slushbox might be better for highway use. Sorry not trying to be a dick but these arn't the best car for great mileage.


98,000
00 Protege ES 1.8 5 Speed.

Our tanks hold about 15 gallons (I believe), which puts you down around 19 MPG, not 28! Or are they 12 gallons? I don't remember. If it's 12, you're still only getting 22-23 MPG.


I'm averaging 24 with my 2003 LX Auto.

 

[Mike Kamm]

The spec for my '00 DX is 13.2 gallons. However, if you fill it to the rim [takes patience] I have added 14.2 gallons. I always fill to the rim for accurate mpg calculations. Otherwise if you reply on the pump clicking off, there will be constant inaccuracies in your calculations. If you live in a state where you can't even pump your own gas, it's even worse. Some attendants will click it off a few more times to get to the next dollar, some won't. Some fill at the highest speed, others may not.

The problem with comparing mpg numbers in a thread like this is the lack of apples to apples comparisons. Those of us who practice the art of hypermiling will get much bigger numbers. We're the guys that are referred to as the B.S.ers. To someone who lives in the city and sits at lights going nowhere and getting 26 mpg, our numbers don't seem possible. We must be full of crap right? The comment someone made about 40 with a "slush pump" is not correct. I average 40-42 mpg all summer with my automatic DX. Granted, I'm not getting anywhere very quickly, but 40 is quite doable on a regular basis for a hypermiler.

Further, if you want to consider the extreme hypermiling situations, like a long highway trip with high temps, no traffic holdups or traffic lights, and drafting trucks, I've gotten 54 mpg with my slush pump equipped DX. But that was a lot of work and concentration for 4.5 straight hours and 247 miles. It can be done, but most don't care make that kind of effort. Car prep is another important ingredient to get the big numbers. I run lighter 5W-20 oil one quart low on purpose, 45 psi in the tires to reduce rolling resistance, fold both side mirrors in, add smooth wheel covers, a chin spoiler, and block the upper grill to reduce wind drag. Oh, and my rear tires are 155/80R13's for even lower rolling resistance.

Mike

 

[323]

dam. so what exactly are your hypermiling practices

 

[stubbs03]

Yeah, I'm not very interested in blocking grilles or skinny tires (since I'm poor and enjoy spirited driving anyway), but do you have any other tips for better mileage, Mike?

Shoot, if I could even average over 30 in the city with my 2.0 auto I'd be thrilled!

 

[Mike Kamm]

Yeah, I'm not very interested in blocking grilles or skinny tires (since I'm poor and enjoy spirited driving anyway), but do you have any other tips for better mileage, Mike?

Sure, but you're not likely to find many of the tips below to your liking if you enjoy spirited driving, which unfortunately works completely against getting good mileage. Driving like an old man is the best bet.

Here are the basic essentials. He [Wayne Gerdes of Clean MPG.com] refers to the EPA in this list frequently because the point of this thread is to give tips on how to match or beat the EPA ratings for your car.

1. Do not accelerate quickly or brake heavily: This reduces fuel economy by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. EPA tests do not account for this kind of vigorous driving.

2. Do not idle if not necessary: Decreases average fuel economy [FE] . The EPA city test includes idling and in many cases, it is not necessary. Consider shutting down your vehicle if stopped for more than 7-seconds as that is all the fuel it takes to restart a modern day, fuel-inject engine.

3. Avoid driving at higher speeds: This increases aerodynamic drag (wind resistance) and mechanical friction which reduces fuel economy. The EPA test accounts for aerodynamic drag up to highway speeds of 60 mph, but most exceed that speed far more often then necessary.

4. Cold weather and frequent short trips reduce fuel economy, since your engine doesn't operate efficiently until it is warmed up. In colder weather, it takes longer for your engine to warm, and on short trips, your vehicle operates a smaller percentage of time at the desired temperature. Note: Letting your car idle to warm-up does not help your fuel economy, it actually uses more fuel and creates more pollution. Drive to your furthest destination first and then as you are heading home, stop at the closer destinations in order from furthest to closest as the car is warmed up for longer portions of your drive.

5. Remove Cargo or cargo racks: Cargo and/or racks on top of your vehicle (e.g., cargo boxes, canoes, etc.) increase aerodynamic drag and lower FE . Vehicles are not tested with additional cargo on the exterior.

6. Do not tow unless absolutely necessary: Towing a trailer or carrying excessive weight decreases fuel economy. Vehicles are assumed to carry three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo in the EPA test cycles.

7. Minimize running mechanical and electrical accessories: Running mechanical and electrical accessories (e.g., air conditioner) decreases fuel economy. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce MPG by roughly 5-30% compared to not using it.

8. Avoid driving on hilly or mountainous terrain if possible: Driving hilly or mountainous terrain or on unpaved roads reduces fuel economy most of the time. The EPA test assumes vehicles operate over flat ground.

9. Do not use 4-wheel drive if it is not needed. 4-Wheel drive reduces fuel economy. Four-wheel drive vehicles are factory mpg tested in 2-wheel drive. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder and increases crankcase losses.

10. Maintain your Automobile: A poorly tuned engine burns more fuel, so fuel economy will suffer if it is not in tune. Improperly aligned or under inflated tires can lower fuel economy, as can a dirty air filter or brake drag.

Of course there another list of 108 more of these tips HERE.

I actually drive my Protege slowly all the time. I use it as a commuter car, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy spirited driving. I have a Sentra SE-R for that.