Best mods to increase MPG
- Thread starter mtnracer
- Start date
hulk311
New member
I set the cruise control on 60mph when I drive on I-75. If I recall correctly the speed limit here is 70mph. I figured driving 60mph in the right lane should be fine.
It makes sense if people actually followed the rules, slower cars in the right lane and fast "70mph" cars in the left lane.
It's not my fault people drive like *******s here and do 80+. The best part is when I drive 60mph in the right lane and some jackass goes over to my lane doing what looks like 75-80+ just to pass the guy in the middle lane than having to slam on his brakes.
In all honesty, it's people like you that cause traffic problems. Speed differentials on the highway are what cause accidents, traffic congestion, etc. When an 18-wheeler comes up behind you doing 65mph and needs to get around you because time is money for him, he's going to move over and tie up another lane at 65mph for a couple of miles because it takes him so long to pass. Meanwhile a clump of cars accumulate behind the truck. Those clumps become dangerous as well, because you have too many vehicles too tightly compressed together. You probably think you're saving the planet by getting that extra 1mpg, but you're causing 20, 30, 40 other vehicles per day to have to adjust their speeds, decelerate, accelerate, maybe even hit their brakes...
People don't realize how their actions impact others. That's why there is road rage -- because people don't consider the impacts of their driving decisions on others. If the 80mph people slowed to 70 and the 60mph people would actually do the 70mph speed limit, there would be a lot less traffic issues. I blow my horn every time I see some moron tooling along on the highway at 45-50mph (which happens probably at least once a week on my way home) as I keep watching vehicles scatter to either side of them to go around them because they're doing the 65mph speed limit. If they want to drive that slow, they are welcome to stay on the access road or take city streets to get to where they're going. But don't endanger others by going 20mph below the speed of the flow of traffic.
Qyota
New member
Well, if it isn't Ricky Crow! Tahitian Green CRX Si? Quattro from wayyyy back in the crx-resource.org days! Still have your 'rex?
Anyway, my '99 LTD is getting fantastic fuel economy with the techniques that Ricky endorses. I rarely use the brakes. Anticipation is key. I also removed the roof rack and bug deflector for a 1-2mpg gain. I get 23 mpg on the highway driving ~70. Tuck in behind a big rig (not too close), and 27 is achievable.
No long "warm-ups" either. Idling is a terrible way to warm up a car. Unless it's below zero, in which case 30 seconds or so should be enough to circulate the oil once or twice and you're good to go.
My tire pressure is about 34.
Anyway, my '99 LTD is getting fantastic fuel economy with the techniques that Ricky endorses. I rarely use the brakes. Anticipation is key. I also removed the roof rack and bug deflector for a 1-2mpg gain. I get 23 mpg on the highway driving ~70. Tuck in behind a big rig (not too close), and 27 is achievable.
No long "warm-ups" either. Idling is a terrible way to warm up a car. Unless it's below zero, in which case 30 seconds or so should be enough to circulate the oil once or twice and you're good to go.
My tire pressure is about 34.
hulk311
New member
I see what you're saying Sir but like I said, the speed is 70mph which means that people should drive 70 on the highway not 80 or 90. So what's wrong with driving 60? If I remember correctly the right lane is the slow lane, if everyone is supposed to do 70 why is there a fast passing lane and a slow lane?
Same with driving on city streets, the speed limit is 45mph. I'll drive 40 just for the hell of it.
Small world! Yep, I still have the swirlymobile. It's still in great condition, except for the dead fuel pump from sitting for way too long. I'm hoping to do a revival on it this fall, as I think I will have some time away from racing after nationals is done in September.
Ricky
Ricky
Qyota
New member
Very cool. My black 88 Si is long gone. Sold for a 94 Prelude VTEC. Nice car, but too heavy and seemed even less practical than the CRX. Been through several other Civics and Acuras since then, but now that I'm a family man we're driving a VW Passat wagon! :bash: Oh, and the T4R, of course.
For giggles I test drove an 89 DX that was for sale a few months ago. Unbelievable how the just climing in that thing brought back all sort of good vibes! It was beat to sh*t and sounded really awful, but I was still smiling when I handed the key back to the grungy kid owner (who, by the way, wanted WAY too much for this "cult car").
Some day I'll have another. But they are so rare to find in even "acceptable" condition these days, I fear it might not happen. And, there's no way I'd roll with purple swirlies on my doors!
:Cheers to you.
Annoyed
New member
One of the biggest factors in around town mileage is the design/engineering of the roads, stoplights, etc.
Some few municipalities use computers to synch the stoplights in such a way that once you are "on synch", you maintain the legal speed limit & catch all the lights green. Since acceleration is where you burn off most fuel, this saves a lot of fuel.
Problems arise, however, when there is no path around the befuddled fool who is running 20 mph below the speed limit.
Some areas also use the stoplight timing to impede the flow of traffic; bringing you to a stop in front of shopping areas, etc. for example. (Yes, I recall a fired town official from some area around here admitting this a few years back)
Some few municipalities use computers to synch the stoplights in such a way that once you are "on synch", you maintain the legal speed limit & catch all the lights green. Since acceleration is where you burn off most fuel, this saves a lot of fuel.
Problems arise, however, when there is no path around the befuddled fool who is running 20 mph below the speed limit.
Some areas also use the stoplight timing to impede the flow of traffic; bringing you to a stop in front of shopping areas, etc. for example. (Yes, I recall a fired town official from some area around here admitting this a few years back)
Annoyed
New member
You speak with the wisdom of the Lords of Kobol*.
The police are always so keen on cracking down on road rage, but they never tackle the more difficult challenge of determining who is actually causing the problem on the road, they just go after the guy who is trying to weave thru the slowpokes.
This is also a big factor on surface streets; many towns will have their traffic lights synched by computers so that if you maintain legal speeds, you get all the lights green once you are in synch. However, you cannot maintain that synch speed if you are caught behind some befuddled idiot who couldn't find the gas pedal if you stuck it up his....
* Lords of Kobol - Battlestar Galactica reference.
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My guess would be smaller tires would increase MPG on the digital readout. Your tires would have to make more rotations per true mile or shorten the distance of a real mile so in that shorter distance your computer thinks you traveled a mile you would have used less fuel. LOL
NinjaOne
New member
It's mostly the weight reduction and the reduced footprint. But yes, smaller tires WOULD increase MPG (assuming they are lighter)
jwkilgore
New member
Really old thread resurrection, but I guess still valid.
Smaller tires do help with in-town mileage. The lighter weight and increased ground-line torque means acceleration is much quicker. Therefore people don't press the accelerator as hard.
They can hurt with moderate speed highway mileage because the engine has to turn faster to achieve the same driving speed. So if you're cruising along at 55 on flat terrain then smaller tires will actually hurt mileage.
But under heavier loads due to much higher speeds (wind resistance), climbing steep hills, or pulling heavy loads the numbers with smaller tires go back to positive thanks to the increased torque. This is the reason lots of tractor-trailer rigs have gone to smaller tires.
You also gain a "fake" increase in mileage with smaller tires if you are judging by the on-board computer. The computer thinks you've driven a longer distance than you actually have.
Back to the OP's very old poll, they missed the biggest and most effective "mod"... use a lighter foot on the accelerator.
[EDIT TO ADD]
After reading more in the thread it turns out "smaller tire" was referring to smaller width, not smaller diameter. Slightly less wind resistance, but could be significantly less rolling and inertial resistance. A bigger help would be to avoid AT or MT tires and stick with a highway tire.
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