What now guys?

[collegekid01]

I just moved to the "big city" and have to drive to some places due to night time safety (I don't wanna get jumped and It's already happened once). So besides taking my bike, walking, and buying a mo-ped, what can I do to help my poor car get better mileage? It has a front air dam extension, partial grill block (only top is blocked now and other one will be in winter), and I am sorta using an hho gen. I have considered using a pcv catch can (which for my is very involved ), and maybe a water bubbler? Then there's the obvious idea of WAI. But I've herd that that only makes you use less gas by forcing you to use less of the accelerator. If that's the case I'm probably just gonna end up pressing harder . Not that my driving style is bad. It's good enough that if I accelerated any slower people would be beeping! So what the heck? I need help!

[theholycow]

There's a couple theories about how the WAI works, but as far as forcing you to press the accelerator harder...it does do that, which helps your FE. Warmer air is less dense, so more volume has to go through, which may require you to open the throttle more, which reduces pumping losses (consider how much energy you'd have to spend to blow a gallon of air through a coffee stirrer vs. a jumbo straw). The "gas pedal" is really actually the air pedal, and then your fuel injection system adds the appropriate amount of fuel to match the mass (not volume) of air that just went in.

Maybe someone else can chime in here, but, with the decreased density of air, do you really have to open the throttle more, or does the less dense air pass more volume more easily and therefore the same amount of mass goes through?

Anyway, it's tough to argue with results, and some people get great results with it. I intend to try it soon.

[Snax]

I think another factor with the WAI is that it improves fuel atomization. Plus, modern EFI systems automatically adjust the motor to run more lean with higher intake temps - until the motor reaches normal operating temperature that is. So the real benefit may actually come from shortened engine warmup time.

I'm kinda skeptical of it's benefit however. As it is something that the car makers used to put on cars, but for some reason it seems that none of the newer cars have it.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

I think part of the reason (possibly a small part) is that we are a power hungry country. we want our cars to be the fasteset and our trucks to be the strongest. that is the reason for the CAI and the ram air intakes.

if automakers were to refocus on economy vs. power maybe the factory WAI may come back.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Snax

So the real benefit may actually come from shortened engine warmup time.

That's also a benefit of grille blocking, one that I always forget when thinking/talking about it.

As it is something that the car makers used to put on cars, but for some reason it seems that none of the newer cars have it.

There's no carburetors to ice up in the winter. Factory WAI was to prevent freezing. My 2002 GMC has a coolant line running into the throttle body, though...

Originally Posted by BEEF

if automakers were to refocus on economy vs. power maybe the factory WAI may come back.

They are straddling the line pretty well now...they can't expect to sell without a decent amount of power, but they are really pushing FE -- GM came out with the XFE model(s) (and has hybrid options on various vehicles, though not cost-effective); and a Honda dealer I drove by the other day had a huge sign that looks like an EPA sticker for the Civic Hybrid...

[Danronian]

It seems like you've done a lot to help your MPG already.

I would make sure your tires are filled to the max and go with the warm-air intake. Being in Ohio I'm sure your car won't mind warming up faster in the colder seasons. With the warm-air intake and grill block in the winter my cars warm-up time was split in half and I was getting decent MPG even in the snow with a winter-gas blend in stop and go traffic. Having the car warm-up as quick as possible really helps with MPG since the factory ECU usually has a richer fuel map for the car until that warmed-up point.

Good luck with the beast.

[Jay2TheRescue]

My vote is for the WAI as well. It is on the list of mods for me to do. Right now I have a somewhat WAI. I took the lid off of the air cleaner box and duct taped the factory air intake shut. It now sucks air from the engine compartment. Before my grille block I was seeing intake temps of 15 - 20 degrees (over ambient air) @ highway speeds and 20-35 degrees in stop & go city traffic. I now hope that those numbers will go even higher now that my grille block is installed. Maybe with the grille block I'll be happy enough with it that I won't mess with the air intake any further (Nah, I'll still probably do something...) I like to see what I can do with the least amount of cash and effort.

[collegekid01]

Oh ok, I see what you're saying with the WAI. It sounds like a decent investment now. I also forgot to mention the tire psi, it is maxed out at the moment too, so that's taken care of. I will work on that WAI when I have the time. I was going to do a belly pan before I came out here, but I think it's getting pushed back on the list now... I also might be adding side skirts (partially just to match the lowered front fascia because it looks a little silly the way it is)