Better Mileage in a Range

[1993CivicVX]

I think driving habits stand to be your greatest aid in bringing down the amount of fuel you are using, but I imagine that might be a compromise that flies in the face of buying such a car in the first place. I find anticipatory driving to be a great help. Instead of changing how fast you drive, just change how often you are braking. Pay closer attention to what is going on ahead of you. Probably safe to do this as well as allowing you to use less fuel by not having to brake as much. Remember, whenever you brake, you will have to accelerate again, which is where most fuel gets used when driving.

[CoyoteX]

A supercharger is different than a turbo in that it is belt driven directly from the crank so it is always adding drag even if it is one of the newer types and not an old roots style. Changing the pullies to lower the boost will get you better mileage but less power. I don't know how much it can get you but on the only blowers I have worked with (bb chevy roots style) They could take a huge amount of hp to drive even at idle so reducing that will help your mileage.

If it is full time 4wd consider changing it to manually locking hubs and a part time 4wd transfer case so you aren't spinning the front axle unless you need to. Getting out to lock in the front wheels is not that big of a deal and the extra acceleration you gain by not having to spin the front drive can make up for driving the supercharger slower. This stuff might not work on a Rover but I haven't ever tried to offroad one so I have no idea what parts it actually has.

I think it pretty much comes down to what you are willing to do and what you won't do. Unless you are willing to say what stuff you will do and what you won't then there isn't a lot of specific help that can be had on here. Are you willing to drive slower? How about ugly but effective aero mods? Engine/drivetrain mods? There are lots of options but it all depends on what you want and what your goals really are.

[Bunger]

Best way to save gas money? Drive that 100mpg G35 you own. =)

[landspeed]

How to get better mileage on a Range Rover.

(1) Get a Scangauge, and use it to see how your driving habits effect the MPG
(2) Read, on here, the effects of automatic transmission, locking torque convertors, aero drag, and hard acceleration (engine enrichment)
(3) Get a wideband lambda sensor e.g. VEMS, which lets you see whether the engine is enriching the mixture or not
(4) fit an undertray - get someone to custom-build it for you, if you have the money to buy the car in the first place. It will not be noticeable but will give better aero etc!

[perris]

Originally Posted by derangedrover

I don't think you understand. I have the car because I wanted it, and in all honesty it doesn't matter to me what the mileage is, but if I can save even $5 bucks a week on gas...great. I could get three of those jeeps for what I paid for the Rover...so if I was looking for great mileage off the bat I would have gotten a bike.

P.S. Trading in a week old car is out of the question

don't trade your car, enjoy it for what you bought it for

one thing you can do immediatly is understand there is hardly any engine breaking in your car and taking your foot off the gas is almost as good as putting your car in neutral

when I hooked up the scanguage to my rav4 I went from 24 mpg to 34 mpg per trip...that's becauese I thought there was engine breaking and not too much gain coasting in an automatic...when I saw that wasn't true the gain was huge

when possible time your lights so you get there without hitting the break...that's gonna save you at least the 5 bucks you're looking for at the pump

I have the scanguage and love it. it saves tons of gas but instead of the scanguage, it seems to me in your case the differance in price is gonna be worth the money and you should look into the dashawk which gives tons more information then the scanguage and includes the wideband lambda reading everyone says you need...your car almost definately already sends the signal so dashawk is clearly a better choice for you of you can afford the 200 bucks more that it costs

[jwxr7]

Regardless I started off by just asking some basic tips (I was thinking supercharger mods) that would give me some better mileage

the best supercharger mod to get better fuel economy is to remove the belt that spins it. My xr7 SC is driven by it's own belt so this is fairly easy and people have done this to save gas. If it shares the same belt as the rest of the accessories that may be much harder. But my xr7 has a bypass valve so it only uses 1/2 hp under normal cruise conditions, maybe yours is similar, so if you keep your foot out of boost it may be almost as good as removing the belt for mpg. Under full boost mine consumes around 60 hp from the crank in stock form, so it becomes a gas hog under boost .

Also good advice is to get a scangauge unless your ride already has an instant mpg display.

[ZugyNA]

That's a nice vehicle...but you remind of a guy on another mpg forum that signed up with a Dodge Viper.

I think you are over the top as far as the "amount of vehicle" you have vs your road conditions. You could do a lot better.

And I really expect gas (oil) prices to trend up...all those Chinese and Indians who want cars. And Santa Claus isn't going to save us...time to down size?

A 4x4 that got 24 mpg would save you almost $1900 / yr?

I drive a Tercel 4x4 wagon that manages 32 mpg mixed....it's a tin box on wheels though.

[wombosi]

hey range rover guy,
i'm with jacinto on the need to change your driving habits.

i assume your car is an automatic transmission?

you need to do everything you can, conserve at every opportunity.

a few things you can do:

1) don't ever use AC
2) drive like your grandmother - accelerate very slowly and try not to take it past, say, 3,000 rpm.
3) slow down (without braking) way before a stop sign so that you don't waste a lot of energy braking fast and having to re-accelerate.

4) don't pass cars on the road. drive at a reasonable, constant speed.
5) avoid lugging things on the roof rack
6) avoid excess weight inside the car
7) if you drive a manual transmission car, you can "do like jacinto" and shift into neutral while coasting down long hills, or coasting on flats if generated enough speed.
8) whenever possible take your foot off the gas and coast, then resume LIGHT pedal.

the less you hit the pedal, and the less deep your press it down, the more your savings. your trips will take a little longer, but it's a matter of seconds, really. i'm sure you've seen people speed by you at about 95, only to hit the light and be right next to you again? these guys are getting about 3 miles to the gallon and won't get to point B any faster than you if you cruise at 35. (or 45, or whatever.)

i'm sure there are more tips, but if you do these things, i can almost promise you'll hit 14mpg on your next tank.

goose hambo.

(i also agree that, in the end of the day, you're driving a vehicle that is borderline sinful in this day and age, unless you live in the rockies and drive on ice and snow and boulders all day while hauling around 12 kids.)

peace.

[rvanengen]

Well...you bought it...enjoy it! Keep it tuned up, during the 8 months w/o snow, put some good LRR highway tires on it, get a SG, and drive unlike 80% of the people out there...(popping sound of head coming out of their rear-end)

Blows my mind when I see people going almost full speed up to a red light, and then go almost 100% brakes to stop...and then here I come...slowing down, timing it, and BLASTING past them...only to see the look on their faces as they desperately try to catch up to me (or was it their missing dignity??) and do the same at the next light. The best part, though, is when you see other drivers figure out what I am doing and start doing the same! :-)

Obviously, $$ is not an issue since you are eating more depreciation per year than I paid for my old benz... :-) But, it is a more enjoyable drive to not be caught up in the racing maniac mentality around town.

[unstable bob]

Originally Posted by derangedrover

A wanna be Hummer? Haha. What do you think the Hummers are trying to compete with...

Oh and real nice! I have a 90 thousand dollar car so OBVIOUSLY I am compensating for something. Idiot.

WOW! A $90 G vehicle? You are OVER compensating! And here's one for ya; I don't think you will get much more noise than one hand clapping around here because you are [maybe?] driving a 90 g vehicle. I happen to own 2 of the baddest muscle cars ever, but you don't see me puffing my chest up or dropping $$$$ numbers on this MPG board. Maybe you should head over to www.pompousazz.com to get a rise for a vehicle that is prolly 1. Daddy's. or 2
Only exists in yer 'lil mind.
But please forgive me, as I have to run! My chauffeur James just pulled up in the Maybach, and we have to go to the store to pick up some Grey Poupon. Can't eat a caviar sammich without it, you know!
Toodles!