I think we all pretty much know the gas mileage of our cars stock (24-25 city, 30-32 hwy), my question is about what mods help or hurt gas mileage, aside from regular tune ups, good tires inflated properly and filter and oil changes? Is there a way to get better gas mileage out of these cars that doesnt involve running the car lean and blowing it straight to hell... I would love to get my '04 cavi to something like 28 city/35 hwy (or better). Are all performance mods going to negatively affect gas mileage?
Also, had a debate last night whether or not CAIs and SRIs affect gas mileage positively or negatively. My gf took the positive side, saying that the increased airflow allows better combustion. I took the negative side, because the increased airflow makes the ECU dump more gas into the engine. I have a SRI on my car, was thinking about switching back to stock for better gas mileage. All opinions are appreciated.
Intakes will give you better gas mileage typically if you can keep from stomping on it to hear the noise it makes. haha
Or you could buy a toyota yaris . j/k
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OhForKavy wrote:Intakes will give you better gas mileage typically if you can keep from stomping on it to hear the noise it makes. haha
hahaha thats my problem. my SRI makes a difference when i need to pass a car or two doing 35 in a 55. I don't really speed too much anymore, learned my lesson when i was younger. Never a good thing when the judge knows you on a first name basis.
Take off your exhaust system if you want gas mileage... no restrictions, no effort... sure, it's unbearably loud... but for that extra 1 mpg you might gain, it's worth it!
lol yeah and then he could visit his old friend the judge haha.. a light foot helps the mpg's
Cavaclysmic wrote:I would love to get my '04 cavi to something like 28 city/35 hwy (or better).
OHV swap
Cavaclysmic wrote:Also, had a debate last night whether or not CAIs and SRIs affect gas mileage positively or negatively. My gf took the positive side, saying that the increased airflow allows better combustion. I took the negative side, because the increased airflow makes the ECU dump more gas into the engine. I have a SRI on my car, was thinking about switching back to stock for better gas mileage. All opinions are appreciated.
A
properly tuned intake (especially short-ram) can help with mileage (less restrictive filter, removed "bong", removed ridges, warmer air).
A properly tuned exhaust can also help (4-2-1 header, hi-flow cat, straight-thru muffler).
Lowering your car can decrease your aerodynamic drag.
Light-weight rims/low-profile tires can help also.
Sticky/wide tires HURT mileage, considerably.
Increased static compression can increase mileage (may have to pay more for higher-grade fuel though).
Turbo-charging can REALLY increase mileage... IF you size the turbo for it, and manage to keep the pedal off the floor
John Lenko wrote:Take off your exhaust system if you want gas mileage... no restrictions, no effort... sure, it's unbearably loud... but for that extra 1 mpg you might gain, it's worth it!
lol. Note to OHV owners, this only works for the DOHC J's...
fortune cookie say: better a delay than a disaster
Like OHV notec said, a properly tuned intake/exhaust system can gain some mpg. In your case with an Ecotec, I would swap to the LE5 intake manifold, LSJ (or comparable) injectors, short ram intake, and a quality header (I favor the pacesetter LSJ header) and I higher flowing exhaust system. If you go with the Innocate wideband, it has a nice "lean burn" mode, and with some tuning you can see some respectable gains in mpg.
I'm not positive exactly what mileage I'm getting on the Eco right now, but I'm defintely curious to see what gains I make once I go turbo.
I've also been pretty happy with my 2200 as a DD...I've been getting around 26.5 mpg (combined) and my last road trip that mostly high way I hit close to 29 mpg...not bad at all for a 12 year old motor!
OHV notec wrote:Cavaclysmic wrote:I would love to get my '04 cavi to something like 28 city/35 hwy (or better).
OHV swap
Cavaclysmic wrote:Also, had a debate last night whether or not CAIs and SRIs affect gas mileage positively or negatively. My gf took the positive side, saying that the increased airflow allows better combustion. I took the negative side, because the increased airflow makes the ECU dump more gas into the engine. I have a SRI on my car, was thinking about switching back to stock for better gas mileage. All opinions are appreciated.
A properly tuned intake (especially short-ram) can help with mileage (less restrictive filter, removed "bong", removed ridges, warmer air).
A properly tuned exhaust can also help (4-2-1 header, hi-flow cat, straight-thru muffler).
Lowering your car can decrease your aerodynamic drag.
Light-weight rims/low-profile tires can help also.
Sticky/wide tires HURT mileage, considerably.
Increased static compression can increase mileage (may have to pay more for higher-grade fuel though).
Turbo-charging can REALLY increase mileage... IF you size the turbo for it, and manage to keep the pedal off the floor
John Lenko wrote:Take off your exhaust system if you want gas mileage... no restrictions, no effort... sure, it's unbearably loud... but for that extra 1 mpg you might gain, it's worth it!
lol. Note to OHV owners, this only works for the DOHC J's...
True story. I had my muffler taken of. Lost a mpg or two. Hacked the axle back of and I lost about an average of 4.
EVILution (Now with 4 doors!) wrote:I've also been pretty happy with my 2200 as a DD...I've been getting around 26.5 mpg (combined) and my last road trip that mostly high way I hit close to 29 mpg...not bad at all for a 12 year old motor!
I've been only able to get around 25mpg out of my 2200. I, like you, was happy with that at the time. That is until I started driving a 98 Dodge Grand Caravan and am getting 25mpg out of that...
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^Man... really? I romp the hell out of my LD9 and still get 25-26 combined...
My old OHV got 28-29 combined with me revving the piss out of it too. Maybe it's time for a tuneup Boltz?
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
I avg 31mpg as long as I am not at the track.
[quote=BoltZ DesignZ™]
EVILution (Now with 4 doors!) wrote:I've also been pretty happy with my 2200 as a DD...I've been getting around 26.5 mpg (combined) and my last road trip that mostly high way I hit close to 29 mpg...not bad at all for a 12 year old motor!
I've been only able to get around 25mpg out of my 2200. I, like you, was happy with that at the time. That is until I started driving a 98 Dodge Grand Caravan and am getting 25mpg out of that...Wow, you guys may want to check some things out...
Or, maybe it's just being here in the desert that helps? I get about 23 city (80% rush hour traffic) in my 3000-lb 3-speed DD. Got 35mpg highway with my sister's 4-speed, with the car fully loaded down and averaging like 80mph (lots o' drag).
*note: if you're doing the "I got XXX miles before the light came on, and the owner's manual says my tank is XX gallons, so...", then you're doing it wrong...
fortune cookie say: better a delay than a disaster
I have a 2004 Cav LS Sport automatic 4 door, full options, 17" wheels 215/45 tires.
With the following airflow mods:
Intake (short)
ported L61 intake manifold
ported L61 exhaust manifold
60mm TB
2 1/4" cat back exhaust
Last week I got 24 mpg all in town running the AC 75% of the time, outside air temps over 85 degrees. In a 60/40 hwy/city mix running the AC the same I usually get 29 mpg. The best Ive measured was 33 mpg, all hwy averaging 80+ mph w 2 passengers and luggage.
Im sure in an all hwy run keeping my speed at the local limit (70mph) w no AC or passengers/luggage I could hit 35 pretty easy.
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My 01 Z24 N/A tuned by me with all bolt ons and cams, would get 35 mpg highway. When I went Charger it dropped to 29/30 mpg. I'm very happy with that considering the power it makes.
My 97 Surfire 2200 3 speed auto bone stock gets 29 mpg highway. It has 184k on it.
FU Tuning
Okay so some asshat in autozone today tried to tell me that I could get better gas mileage if I switched to using 91 octane or higher fuel. I claim bull@!#$. Its not like I'm getting really bad gas mileage... 24 in town, 28-29 hwy with the AC on but all I would do with 91 octane is spend more money on gas.
Cavaclysmic wrote:Okay so some asshat in autozone today tried to tell me that I could get better gas mileage if I switched to using 91 octane or higher fuel. I claim bull@!#$. Its not like I'm getting really bad gas mileage... 24 in town, 28-29 hwy with the AC on but all I would do with 91 octane is spend more money on gas.
true story. you might actually lose mileage because it takes longer for the higher octane gas to burn
With all my mods last summer I got 32mpg (US) or 38mpg here in canada (imperial gallon). That was on the highway with the cruise set with a few downshifts to 3rd and reving out to 6600. I also drive a little over the speed limit (usually 123km/hr) but I think if I slowed down to 110 I would have got 40mpg or 33.3 US mpg. Still not too bad for 190whp.
If the car was tune for the 91 I would not see a loss in MPG's
FU Tuning
I WISH I got 25/30. I average 21mpg combined, 23-24 mpg highway. Granted that is mostly 70-75mph, but my best tank ever was last one. 320 miles, all on country roads between 45-55mph, cruise on most of it, no A/C. I average 27mpg on that tank, so it's not going to get any better.
DAMN 3 SPEED AUTOMATIC.
I was able to get about 40 MPG in mine. 99% highway and driving like an old lady. 50 miles a day to / from work on the highway (65mph) and 1 mile off the highway. 475 or so miles on 12 gallons of gas.
Nick wrote:I WISH I got 25/30. I average 21mpg combined, 23-24 mpg highway. Granted that is mostly 70-75mph, but my best tank ever was last one. 320 miles, all on country roads between 45-55mph, cruise on most of it, no A/C. I average 27mpg on that tank, so it's not going to get any better.
DAMN 3 SPEED AUTOMATIC.
You may need to do some maintenance, and check your TCC switch connection for a broken wire if you're not feeling lock-up at high speed cruise (this can really hurt mileage on the 3-spd, and those wires are in a bad spot).
fortune cookie say: better a delay than a disaster
i always thought if your worried about MPG don't mod your car lol
My sunfire got decent gas mileage i guess when i had it. My new SS is faster than it and gets 23mpg city cruising normally and it has a intake and stage upgrade.
I never got over 30 highway mpg N/A. After I SC'd my car I get about 34 highway lol
I find itkinda weird, but more hp = better gas milage, well at least it appears true with the s/c setup. I'll have to wait and see what happens with a turbo and 935cc injectors.
