Increasing gas mileage

[denalianyone]

What are some good options for improving my gas mileage. Mainly city miles, as you can see it sucks currently. [emoji57]




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[Kpwweb]

The usual stuff-

Tire pressure-35 to 37 cold

Date of last tuneup? Last air filter change?

Gas or ethanol?

Do you do a lot idling? You can't get mpg with no m.

How many miles?

Then its driving style or a smaller vehicle!

 

[denalianyone]

It's 2008 with only 79k, tire pressure 36, gas, not much idling. Not too aggressive on the pedal. Just a lot of stop n go on these NYC streets.


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[TheAutumnWind]

If you are current on your tune up stuff... a custom tune should help a litte.

Not much you can really do though. stop and go traffic is worst case scenario for mileage.

 

[Meccanoble]

I hear switching fluids to synthetic (trans, trans cases) helps. There is a view that shows what your live mpg is based off the pressure on gas. I would check that to make sure the driver isnt the culprit. Stop and go is just terrible for gas mileage though. I'm in Georgia where things are more spaced out, less stop and go and I remember getting as low as mid 14's mpg when I got into a somewhat city stop and go area. These trucks are just not good in NY traffic.

 

[denalianyone]

Yea haven't changed the fluids as of yet but would look into that. Thx. And what view are you referring too?


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[Meccanoble]

I think it's one of the toggles on the first top button that displays info in odometer area.

 

[Jason_S]

Do the calculations by hand/spreadsheet/app. The computer doesn't take a few things into account and only goes by the last so many miles. I've heard the last 100 miles, but have not confirmed it.

I used to see single digits every morning while sitting in traffic. When I began calculating using an app, I found that I was only actually taking a couple of MPG hit in traffic depending whether I ran errands. If it is 100% stop and go traffic, your mileage will suck even if you sell your soul and drive a Prius.

 

[benski]

If you use full synthetic lube bumper to bumper, you'll typically gain about 4%. Not great, but I'll take a 4% savings in fuel costs, plus the other benefits of synthetic lube, all the time.

 

[Jason_S]

If you use full synthetic lube bumper to bumper, you'll typically gain about 4%. Not great, but I'll take a 4% savings in fuel costs, plus the other benefits of synthetic lube, all the time.

Let me help put that 4% into perspective with actual numbers.

For ~24,200 miles over an 18 month period, I tracked my Tahoe's fuel (mileage, useage and costs) online. Bone stock 4wd '07 LTZ, because after performance mods on an '09 135I 6mt, nothing could make the Tahoe compare.

During that 18 month period I spent ~$4,710 on fuel for an average MPG of 14.6. I actually ran synthetic fluids, changed my engine oil about every 5K, and serviced my transmission, both diffs, and transfer case once each during that time. With that in mind and assuming that the 4% is a real number and supported by science, I would have had a total fuel cost of ~4,906 for that 18 month period. In other words I had a total fuel cost savings of ~$196.

I just guessing, but I would bet that I spent more on the synth oils than they allowed me to save in fuel costs. Arguably, I received other benefits from the synthetic oils that offset the extra cost.