what mods will increase fuel economy

[+ friction]

Shift to a lower gear as you slow down (this revs the engine and turns of the injectors...if you put it in neutral the injectors will use gas to keep the car at idle)

Seriously?? I always equate the lower RPMs when in neutral to better MPG...damn, maybe I'm ASSuming too much.

I've also read that keeping a clean car actually helps (albeit minimally) b/c of wind resistance - cars are designed and tested w/a clean, slick surface...a build up of gunk, dust, pollen, etc. reduces the aerodynamics of the car. BS?

 

[protegeV]

The day I get 26MPG is the day I jump in the air and be like "boo yah!"

(werd) my best is 27mpg on 100% highway driving at 75-80mph.

 

[+ friction]

35MPG once w/only a K&N drop-in, synthetic blend and 87 octane...nice, flat surfaces in the Midwest + open road driving = super MPG.

 

[mp3moose]

An intake will help.

 

[ZoomFive]

More air in your tires and narrower tires will help.

Gradual throttle inputs will also help.

 

[nate0123]

biggest difference I've seen is dropping cruising speed from around 80 to about 72, my mileage went up 3+ mpg

I bet my rear pads drag too, I should have that checked

 

[Stealth5]

Some things you may want to consider:
Using AC really increases fuel consumption

im calling bulls*** on this one, i posted a thread about increase in fuel consumption with a/c on...driving normally with a/c on causes a negligable change in fuel economy on the protege

 

[2K3 MSP]

im calling bulls*** on this one, i posted a thread about increase in fuel consumption with a/c on...driving normally with a/c on causes a negligable change in fuel economy on the protege

Not in my car...I'd say I get a little over 20 mpg when I drive with the A/C on. Granted, I take my car to redline in every gear almost all the time i'm driving. I normally average 26 mpg city/freeway. Best I ever got was doing 60mph through the whole tank on flat land and averaged 31pmg.

 

[Stealth5]

Granted, I take my car to redline in every gear almost all the time i'm driving.

your car must hate you

 

[snooky]

An intake will help.

really i thought CAI's would make the car use up more gas, thankz.

 

[redwagon02]

only drive down hill.

 

[2K3 MSP]

50,000 miles in a year and a half...Shiiit my car loves me Only problem I had engine-wise was a bad thermostat a month or two back...Other than that, she runs like a champ.

 

[chuyler1]

I drop at least 3mpg using the A/C on a hot day. I record my mpg at every fill-up so I'm not making this up.

 

[2K3 MSP]

I drop at least 3mpg using the A/C on a hot day. I record my mpg at every fill-up so I'm not making this up.

Same here

 

[NJP5Guy]

really i thought CAI's would make the car use up more gas, thankz.

they will if you keep the engine In the higher rpms cuz thats where they add more power. usually most intakes might slightly reduce power in the low end therby reducing the fuel consumption. also you get a better mixture of air/fule which increases efficiency.

 

[FLSilverP5]

Fock that, I have NGK Iradium plugs in my P5 I put in a month ago and it didn't do jack shiet.

I SECOND THAT! same here (notcool)

 

[NJP5Guy]

(werd) my best is 27mpg on 100% highway driving at 75-80mph.

DAMN MAN. I'M UPSET WHEN I DONT HIT 25 IN TOWN AND 30 ON THE HIGHWAY.

 

[FLSilverP5]

Does it really save gas if u downshift rather then put it in neurtral? that sounds highly unlikely. When i drive my dad's M5 and i just filled up a tank, i reset the computer so it tells me how many MPG, and wen i throw it in neutral is jumps up, wen i slow down and downshift it is alot higher.

I cannot comprehend how you can drive without A/C or windows.s I cant even begin to imagine how or why you would do that and stay alive (unless ur smoking something (smoke), but thats for like a minute. I would literaly croak.

 

[NJP5Guy]

Does it really save gas if u downshift rather then put it in neurtral? that sounds highly unlikely. When i drive my dad's M5 and i just filled up a tank, i reset the computer so it tells me how many MPG, and wen i throw it in neutral is jumps up, wen i slow down and downshift it is alot higher.

.

ok that was confusing. when its in neutral is the computer telling you that you are getting a higher mpg number than if you were to downshift.

 

[Poseur]

I'm gonna bet that the computer doesn't take enginebreaking into account, and tha tit simply weighs rpms, perhasp throttle position vs velocity...

One of my good friends is a ford master mechanic, and also a fuel economy miser, and he swears that downshifting and engine breaking will either cutoff or atleast greatly cutdown injectors, and it WILL have a positive effect on your gas mileage. Granted this is only going to be the difference vs whatever idling for the length of time your braking down to speed would take, but multiply that by however many stop and go cycles you have, and it adds up. Hell I'm suprised noone's mentioned turning off your engine at long stoplights, essentially that's the same thing. Again, this is with your car idling, so it's not a HUGE amount of gas, but it will add up. I know for a fact form excessive laziness and remote start use that a car idling for 5-10min every morning will dip heavily into your mileage.