High fuel cost - anyone have MPG suggestions?

[turbocruiser]

You guys are gonna hate me for this, but I consistently run very high 16's in the city and very high 18's on highway. My average highway speed is over 75. My average city speed is 40. I am not aggressively trying to take things slowly by any means, this is an actual average, actual driving, which for me is relatively rapid. I come close to 18.5 in the city with an extra light foot, with an extra heavy foot in the city, 12 - 14.

 

[cruiserman]

Anybody have something they're doing that is increasing your 80s MPG?

Driving my Trooper increases the mileage considerably.

Stock sized, street tires with no roof rack and no lift, and driving 60MPH provide better mileage.

 

[e9999]

my mileage average is well above 20 mpg!

[sub](I use my Accord as DD and save the cruzah for weekend fun!)[/sub]



E

 

[turbocruiser]

[quote author=e9999 link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg153927#msg153927 date=1084224573]
my mileage average is well above 20 mpg!

[sub](I use my Accord as DD and save the cruzah for weekend fun!)[/sub]



E
[/quote]

Hey, no fair! Can I calculate in the miles I put on my legs, or my mountain bike, hey, I'd have 40mpg at least!

 

[Scamper]

The whole thing with using higher octane fuels is really related to the knocking (or to be more accurate--avoidance of knocking). The additive package in regular vs premium is the same from all the reading I've done.

Most modern vehicles have knock sensors which will automatically retard the timing when knocking occurs. That will depend on a lot of variables including fuel, engine condition, altitude, phase of the moon, etc. To efficiently run your engine, you only need to provide it with the highest octane fuel that results in no knocking--running higher octane will not give you better milage. In fact, one of the reported side-effects of running high octane in an engine that doesn't need it is that you can get excessive carbon build-up. I don't know if this is true, but I have read it a number of times/places.

So if you're seeing higher milage on a stock engine when you use higher octane gas compared to regular, it may be you need to check out the other components of your engine to be sure you're running efficiently, 'cause you may be getting some knocking which is causing the ECU to retard the timing. Best bet is to start with a well-tuned engine, then experiment with the gas only to the point of no futher improvement in milage (you have to really track this to account for driving conditions too in order to be fair).

Then throw on the magnets, the vegetable oil converter, the atomizer, and cyclone air thingy.

 

[Rookie2]

Any of you guys familiar with the concept of "Dollar Cost Averaging". Instead of filling up everytime, buy a set dollar amount of gas everytime, say $20.00. That way when the gas is cheaper, you get slightly more gallons/dollar, than when gas is higher.

I've never tried this, but you could probably save a dollar a year .


Rookie2

 

[tenncrusher]

Forget about the MPG and get a new prez. I feel confident that had Bush not gotten us into this war in Iraq, we would not be looking at 2.00 a gallon for regular unleaded. I think it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better despite OPEC announcing an increase in production.

HOW IS THAT FOR HIGH JACKING A POST!!!!!!!

 

[Mr.Bryan]

[quote author=Tenncrusher link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg153963#msg153963 date=1084228470]
Forget about the MPG and get a new prez.
[/quote]

dun-dun-dun!

 

[cruiserdan]

Tenn,

Shame on you.... Politics and religion are best left at the door. What a great way to turn friends into enemies.

 

[mabrodis]

[quote author=Rookie2 link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg153957#msg153957 date=1084227525]
Any of you guys familiar with the concept of "Dollar Cost Averaging". Instead of filling up everytime, buy a set dollar amount of gas everytime, say $20.00. That way when the gas is cheaper, you get slightly more gallons/dollar, than when gas is higher.
[/quote]
I haven't tried this but I think I might, I'll buy say $10 worth of gas, which is just about enough to get me out of the gas station, then if I turn right back into it, I can coast in on fumes.

I'm getting about 13-15 mpg, I have been driving like a frieking grandma recently, and it does really help, boring as hell, but is cheaper. But then yesterday my CEL came on, did the diag today with my computer and a O2 sensor is bad/faulty...so I'm blaming my slow driving! F-that, no more slow driving for me!!!

 

[Sammy Jenkins]

Install a supercarger or a turbo so then in about 150 years the gas you save from it would have bought the supercharger.

 

[p80cruiser]

I was getting around 13-14 mpg city/highway combined in my '93 FZJ80 until I switched to Redline synthetic oil in all diffs and tcase. I'm now getting 15-16mpg. I'm running conventional ATF in the tranny and dino engine oil for now.

My daily driver is a Club Car 48volt golf cart/commuter that I drive around our planned city. Can't beat the *gas* mileage. I'm also looking for an '80s turbo diesel Mercedes wagon and will be adding an alternate fuel cell to burn used vegetable oil as well as regular diesel. I hope to have it done by fall.

Powell

P.S. - And no I haven't hugged a tree in years... $2 a gallon gas prices turns us all into environmentalists!

 

[turbocruiser]

[quote author=Tenncrusher link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg153963#msg153963 date=1084228470]
Forget about the MPG and get a new prez. I feel confident that had Bush not gotten us into this war in Iraq, we would not be looking at 2.00 a gallon for regular unleaded. I think it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better despite OPEC announcing an increase in production.

HOW IS THAT FOR HIGH JACKING A POST!!!!!!!
[/quote]

I'll echo Dan that this takes things where we wont want to go but that is such an asinine and uneducated thing to say that I feel compelled to say so. OPEC jacks our rates, slows production, increases production, etc, for many reasons. In fact it was Saudi that recently recommended radical increases in production. Please refrain from such crappy comments here, or, educate yourself before you make them. Thanks. Still your friend though, I hope, that's the thing with these things. Now, back to your regular scheduled programming.

 

[semlin]

Best way to increase your mpg is to use canadian gallons in your calculations. Nothing like 20% more fuel per gallon to give you a nice mileage spike. Of course we have to buy gas up here at CDN$ prices!

 

[e9999]

TC,
when you are walking, you gotta use a different mpg. It's mpgof .
Messes up the averaging.
And then even more when you are, errr...., ungassing... that would be a negative mpg then?

E

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I do not believe anyone who says they get 18 mpg in a gasoline Cruiser! That's because the best I have ever done is 17 and that was years ago, before lifts, tires, bumpers etc. I already drive like grandma and consistantly get 12-13 mpg. So this week, I'm not driving my Cruisers. It's my own silent protest over high fuel prices. The only way for prices to fall long term is for all of us to use less fuel. OPEC is not under our control, only our driving habits are. When I drive, I like driving Land Cruisers, so I'll pay the piper when I have to. This week though, I am a bicycle commuter. I usually commute by bike about half the days, but this week and for the rest of the summer, it will be every day. I'll save my share of the fuel for trips to Moab, Rubicon, Dusy and Surf-n-Turf. Oh yeah-the best tip for improving fuel mileage-you have to lie...

 

[cruiserdan]

Geeze Drew, :'(


You don't believe me? :'( I should have shown you my fuel log in Moab

 

[firetruck41]

[quote author=Cruiserdrew link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg154030#msg154030 date=1084234827]
So this week, I'm not driving my Cruisers. It's my own silent protest over high fuel prices. The only way for prices to fall long term is for all of us to use less fuel. OPEC is not under our control, only our driving habits are.[/quote]
I thought volume is what drives prices down , isn't that how Costco can sell a gallon o' mayonaisse for so cheap ???

 

[cruiserdan]

IIRC,

The chemical make-up of mayonaise clogs injectors. :whoops:

 

[NorCalDoug]

[quote author=cruiserdan link=board=2;threadid=16099;start=msg153892#msg153892 date=1084221652]
...A couple years ago my wife and I drove two vehicles from Albuquerque to Salt Lake City. I was driving my Dodge truck and was flat-towing a Dodge crew-cab truck behind it and my wife followed me in the Cruiser. [/quote]
If she was driving behind you the entire time, it prolly helped the mileage because she was drafting. Less wind resistance, better fuel economy.

Not to say that slowing down didn't help