MPG Mods

When you see a red light ahead take your foot off the gas. This applies to both traffic lights and stop/tail lights. I see tons of drivers using both pedals in excess. Anticipate stale green lights and traffic movement. Watch for lane changes ahead that will cause someone to hit their brakes. Dodge with the wheel before mashing pedals so you can maintain momentum. Don’t tailgate, it restricts your possibilities and inhibits lateral traffic flow These are all things I learned in drivers Ed 45 years ago. It’s not breaking news.

 

I did

I did all this plus installed the larger diameter rubber TRD intake that runs from the wheel well to the air box. I also cut out all the baffle restrictions inside the box itself so it has a clean straight flow.

 

In a modern computer controlled fuel injected engine, reducing intake restriction will do nothing to improve mileage. The computer won't let it run lean, and it takes the same amount of power (and therefor air) to move you down the road at a speed. That restriction moves from the filter and baffles and whatnot to the throttle plate that will be a little more closed because your foot will be a little lighter on the pedal for a given speed. Same amount of air and fuel as before.

 

Please consider that while we have computer controlled fuel injected engines, they must have free air flow! Opening up the air box and removing the charcoal filter on my 2010 4 cylinder, allows the engine to rev up quicker. ( think Nascar restrictor plate! ) much more fun to drive. Not worried about the air temperature going into the engine, it runs a lot better with free air flow!

 

Rev up quicker ≠ better milage.

 

If we look at it on a scale from vacuum to pressurized(turbo/super charger), we can see the difference that air flow restriction makes. More, easier airflow = better performance. Put a mask on your face and try breathing quickly and deeply compared to unrestricted. It's the same principle. Resting, you don't need a large volume, but when you are exerting, you need to get large amounts of air more quickly. Restrictions make that more difficult.

 

The only restriction that matters short of wide open throttle is the throttle itself. If you floor it then you’re in the wrong thread.

 

You are so close here...

Cruising down the highway your engine is only making about 50hp. Practically resting.

The way that power is regulated from unrestricted airflow through the engine is the throttle plate. If you free up the intake make it breath easier, to keep you at 65mph making 50hp, the throttle plate ends up being slightly more closed (not much mind you as it was always the main restriction at anything less than nearly open throttle).

Even at high power freeing up the intake does not improve economy, it might let it make more power but more air=more fuel.

 

Oh.....come now.

You mean more power doesn't come from more air and less fuel????? Infinite power should be available just burning air.

If this were true, then why is fuel burned or even needed?

 

Not mine.
Saw this running work errands this morning in greeley. Killer deal I'd say. Body looked minimally beat. Paint was OK. And looked stock/unmolested.

 

Tires tires tires this will make break mpg get road tires not mud grips with the four-cylinder you have two options get the smaller option it won’t look as bad as you think keep them aired up it’s easily the best thing you can do for mpg hands-down

 

I always K & N Filters... Air, Oil & Cabin. They are simply the best.

 

Remove the antenna.

 

This almost makes sense to me, but the comma placement ruins it a bit. The bolded means get to speed at a normal pace with traffic, not racing. I've been playing the under 2k rpms for bit. Seems to help of course, but it's unsustainable in all of my driving situations. Sometimes some acceleration is required even at the safety level. If there is moderate traffic and I'm shifting at or below 2k, I'm squarely on the slow end of the a$$hole spectrum by not participating in traffic in a courteous manner. Shifting at 2k to get moving from a light is creeping. Allowing myself 2300-2600 would be a lot nicer getting moving from some stoplights.

 

Pissing into the wind. Drive it and enjoy it.

 

Take it up to 3k or a little more and I doubt you'll see much if any loss in efficiency. How you accelerate really doesn't matter too much so long as you aren't at either end of the rev range or heavy into the pedal. The real gains are from not pushing the brick through the air too fast and not turning kinetic energy into brake dust and heat.

 

Be patient and let the road come me to you. Even traffic situations allow for this. If you’re always leaning into the wheel then chances are you’re pissing it away. It’s not the occasional need for acceleration but the constant need for it that does you in.

 

Anyone know if my K&N air filter has the charcoal filter? If so, is it really worth the legal issue? I'm in California.

 

The K&N filters themselves don't have the charcoal filters in them. If you have the stock airbox still, the charcoal filter will be inside the upper lid.
If you don't have the stock airbox (In the case of a full CAI), then you don't have the filter.

 

If you’re not using the radio pull the antenna.