I can't break 26mpg

[Matt Timion]

I'm actually curious to know what your driving habits are like. Do you drive mainly for commuting? Running errands? All City? Freeway?

Another possibility is to look into a Warm Air Intake. I am planning on comparing a warm air intake to a cold air intake sometime in the next few months. The theory is that warm air (usually drawn from your exhaust manifold or cat) helps somehow so that your gas/air mixture is more lean.

[Compaq888]

I have already tried a warm air intake. All it did was groan, and killed my low end.

After 2500 it set apart from the stock intake. From 2500 to 4000rpm it made the car a little faster.

I actually had a a/f gauge when I had the intake and I ran 1 bar richer. It made the car run richer.

The msd ignition didn't help either. It killed my top end. I have very little of it anyway but at 2750 is when the MSD really made the motor pick up.

The only thing I believe which helps me in the long run is my 1.2 bar radiator cap. The original radiador cap was 0.9 bar. The higher the bar the more times it takes for the motor to heat up. The more bar it is the hotter a motor can run safely. Meaning If I drive for a long period of time I will achieve better and better fuel mileage as I go. The only negative effect of this is it takes a longer time for the motor to heat up, killing my gas mileage. It takes 1 minute of warming car and driving 4-5 miles to go to close loop. As soon as the car goes in close loop the overdrive gear engages.

My driving habits are accelarate light( making the auto shift at about 1700 in every gear). If I see a red light ahead of me I coast to it. I do a lot of coasting. On the freeway I drive 55mph on cruise control to get good gas mileage. On the streets I drive the speed limit because my overdrive activates at 37mph so I usually drive 40mph on the street. I rarely have cruise control on the street because it's go and stop traffic.

I drive about 60% hwy and 40% city. I drive to school, work and to meet my cousin. At my cousin's we either take his car or my car, we switch back and forth like carpooling. We go to clubs, friends, and etc. Even with him I try to drive 55mph with cruise control.

[SVOboy]

Nevermind!

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Nevermind!

What you mean?? Were you going to say something?

[SVOboy]

Haha, yes, I was thinking since rh77 went from 26 to 31 with his warm air intake...and I posted something about it, then I looked up, and thought, oh yeah, I remember now, but of course I can't delete my post.

[Compaq888]

oh ok. Well different motors work different when mods are applied to them. I know for my engine If i were to get a header my mpg would go up to 28mpg without driving like a grandma. A header is $400 so that idea is out.

[SVOboy]

You might want to try and air damn, especially seeing as it is winter time now, I'm about to post on it.

[n0rt0npr0]

I tried Royal Purple 5w30 in my 89 Chevy Celebrity 2.8L V6
MPG's went DOWN ONE MPG on average - 3000 mile run

Tried Royal Purple 10w30 in my 93 Geo Prizm 1.6L 4cyl
MPG's went down TWO MPG's on average. - about 2500 mile run

Went BACK to Mobil One. Mileage went back up too

AND tried NGK V-Power in my 2.8L V6 - worst plug I ever used!(NO POWER, 8MPG DROP, and just didn't run right! used these for ONE tank of gas, then ousted them)
So I'd suggest a platinum NGK. I used G-POWER NGK's to REPLACE the copper bosch's in my 94 3.4L DOHC V6 and I Raised the average MPG by 4mpg!!! (and its higher than EPA's rating of 26mpg all highway (at 26.67mpg with 70% highway driving now)

...however your engine is a lot newer AND its OBDII so who knows
~Will

[n0rt0npr0]

...and you say that it goes dead rich at 3000rpm...what if you hold it there, it should fluctuate if the o2 is healthy.

Your o2's are expensive for that motor, in the sixty dollar range for each...
call some shops, and see if a tech will examine the o2's operation...
maybe a modest price of $30 for the exam?
some o2's will get SLUGGISH and thats what will hurt your city mpg's...thats what the exam will determine. And make sure you ask using the words "sluggish"...
~Will


The motor is 2.4 Liter it goes dead rich at 3000rpm.

[SVOboy]

Hell, just pull the o2 and look at it and see if it looks like crap. 60 bucks ain't really terrible for an o2, of course my car will take a 17 dollar o2, but it's a piece of crap, I'd gladly pay 60 to get the one I wish I was running, :-), might be worth trying swapping them, mehbe your cat is bad or junked up? You can always pull an 02 from the junkyard and swap it and see if there's a difference.