How are you guys getting 20+ MPG V6 4x4s

I average around 21mph.

Cruise is set between 60-70 (virginia is stupid - most speed limits are 55 or 60 mph). Almost all highway currently. When I had more stop-and-go, I was getting around 18mpg.

3" lift, thin tires (245/65/16, I think), easy accel's and decel's. Not a lot of crap in the car - maybe 100 lbs of cargo (blanket, truck box, first aid kit, some emergency supplies) and me. Several times I've hit the magical 400, but I'm sucking fumes towards the end.

As for the thread revival ... screw it, at least he knows how to use the search button.

 

Stupid survey?

Hack ass study?

OK, believe what you want.

An engine wouldn't run and it would likely destroy the intake if you entirely closed it off with a "peace" of paper. Or it would tear the paper and then have zero effect at restricting the intake.

That would be a stupid hack ass test.

 

oh so they can block it in the study but now your afraid to try what you preach and if the paper tore it would still go in filter thus not allowing as much air flow

 

You really get 35 mpg, even more without ethanol? That's certainly impressive, even though you're talking about a 4-cylinder (2wd right?) in a thread discussing V6 4x4's.

 

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about gas milage. I'm rather amazed to get 17+ mpg out of a truck. Certainly none of my older trucks came close to that. Heck, my Tacoma with a load often gets better gas milage than those older trucks without a load. I'd like to magically get a 100 mpg or more, without losing any capability (speed, performance, hauling, etc), but don't see that happening anytime soon. However, do keep me advised if it happens.

 

I usually get in the high 18s with my truck. I can break 20 on highway trips. I am all stock except I have a soft tonneau cover.

 

You need to study the principle of manifold vacuum more. Air moves by pressure differential and it cares not what creates it, whether it be a partially-closed throttle body or an air filter clogged to oblivion.

At cruise throttle the airflow may as well be stagnant in the manifold for what little momentum it carries, meaning the ONLY variables governing airflow through the engine are exhaust scavenging efficiency and manifold pressure at the intake valves... that's it.

If the air filter is a massive restriction, but still allows enough air for the engine to run at the needed load (kind of a requirement to go down the road!), you'll have the same manifold vacuum and a much lesser vacuum between the TB and the filter. Airflow will remain the same, engine computer will match fuel flow to the airflow, and voila - same fuel flow rate.

For fuel flow to increase, airflow must increase, meaning the manifold pressure would have to increase, and airflow would somehow have to be GREATER than what just the normally nearly-closed throttle body alone would allow.

Make any more sense?

BTW, is it really necessary to be so disrespectful towards w.w.? We're all grown ups here... well, are supposed to be. Have you noticed he hasn't even thrown a single insult your way?

 

Now I'm afraid to practice what I preach?

I wouldn't use paper since that is a full on block. I could use a shop towel as they did in the test.

But why do you dwell on me doing this? I am already using my oem air filter for 60K intervals since I do practice what I preach. And I keep the secondary filter intact and get excellent mpg.

Do you even try to understand that the 3 dyno based fuel use tests that are used in this study are actually more precise than any comparison between 2 tanks that I could do? Apparently not.

 

then put a towel in there and try it since you have a wimpy 4 banger it wont do as much as us with v6 but it will still harm the mileage you get

 

keep it under 2k rpm

 

I have a DC LB and I average 20 mpg and get as high as 24 mpg on my drive to work (236 kms returned and I burn 23.3L)

The trick is in the throttle, apply it softly! My drive also consist of 60 kms of 100 posted limit, 60 kms of gravel road at 60 km/h and 116 kms of 80km/h. I also don't usually meet a vehicle on the road as its quite remote.

 

These kinds of threads are kind of silly. I join a forum for any vehicle I buy, if one exists. I have so far spent time on a Ford Explorer forum, Jeep forum and Nissan Titan forum in addition to here. None of those vehicles were designed to get good gas mileage but every forum has multiple threads about gas mileage.

Maybe all of us who are vehicle enthusiasts need to own a Corolla or a Civic in addition to our fun vehicles? We all want to have our cake and eat it too.

 

Yup^^^, I wish I'd kept my 92 Geo Metro. Miserable pos to drive, but 40mpgs is nice.

 

So out of what you said how do you not agree that a filter that lets the engine pull in more air easily than a stock one that doesn't let as much air pass through easy to help boost how much air is sucked through into the motor

 

I'd love to, but insurance costs in a no-fault, must-purchase-to-register state are asinine. Tacoma + Civic, for 28yo male with no accidents, no tickets, very very good credit is over $3k annually IF I shop extensively and buy local. Then there's the payments, the upkeep, and so on. Gas is cheaper than all that.

I was quoted $7400 annually for coverage for a $16k Honda from a major agency when I bought my last car. No joke. Another example, I had a family member move to socal a couple years ago and her insurance dropped to 1/7 what it was here.

Imagine if I got a speeding ticket.

Truth be told, these threads would be more silly if gas wasn't such a potentially expensive commodity. I see no harm in trying to help people figure out what might or might not save them a couple bucks here and there.

**

Back on the cooler off topic...

Anyone who thinks gases of any type including atmospheric can be 'pulled' or 'sucked' hasn't taken enough chemistry classes. The engine can't work to 'pull' air because that would violate the laws of physics. Air can only be pushed from a greater pressure area to a lower pressure area.

When a piston goes down with intake valves open it expands the volume of the intake manifold that in this situation is almost a closed space due to the throttle body. This causes two gaseous forces: the atmophere pushes past the air filter and throttle body to try to equalize the pressure difference; and then the one that DOES cause drag against the engine, the atmospheric pressure in the crankcase pushes upwards against the piston as it's going down due to the low pressure above it. Thankfully that second one gets somewhat canceled out during the compression stroke, the bit that isn't being what we know as 'pumping losses.' (side note, partial cancellation is because at the top of the intake stroke pressure above the piston is already low, and at the top of the compression stroke is high, but at the bottom of both pressure is low).

Notice the force needed to overcome the air filter isn't produced by the engine at all. All the engine creates is the pressure drop from atmospheric and physics care not what blocks the airflow to contain it.

What this means is that if you take it to the hypothetical limit where the clogged air filter allows so little air that the throttle body must remain wide open (foot to the floor) to maintain the same speed, guess what - the air filter functions AS the throttle body, airflow (thus fuel flow) through the engine is the same, and the vehicle will get identical mileage to one with no filter at all.

Also notice none of this applies to when manifold pressure is nearly atmospheric and airflow may be sufficient to cause a small pressure decrease after the filter. That situation and MPG are mutually exclusive.

Headache yet?

 

wow..i vaguely remember that lecture in thermodynamics..

my professor was a motorhead..and would use an engine as an example most of the time..

 

i have a 2011 with a trd super charger dt lt headers and afe cai, doing 80 on I-10 i still get 18.5-19 mpg. if i slow it down to 70 ill get 22ish. on back hwys doing 55 or so ill get 23-24. it all depends on speed, dont rush going to places and drive easy.

 

At any most throttle positions the air filter isn't what is making it harder to get more air into the engine.

The throttle plate is since it is after the air filter and directly controls the air in. The air filter has zero effect.

You clearly didn't read or read but didn't comprehend the hack ass survey or you would understand this.

 

I have never gotten 20+ mpg. I calculate fuel economy at the pump and my mostly-highway gas mileage is typically 17 to 18.5. I have gotten 19.2 mpg freeway on regular gas, tonneau cover, cruise control, limited AC usage, and no special driving tactics. Conversely I have gotten 15 city towing 2-3 tons.

My speedometer (and I assume odometer) are about 2% off on the low side, which translates to a 0.35 mpg margin of error. (I've confirmed the error using the democratic method -- I used 3 brands of GPS receivers at once and the GPS units all agreed with each other.)

I have the 4.0L V6 and 4wd.

 

how does it not the more tighter the fibers and thicker the less air can get through when the throttle body yes it still gets air just not as easy which means more labored to breathe which means more labor on motor hence less miles per gallon. thats for the hack ass study