[zonker]

bumpski

[Jackal13]

Okay guys. I just fulled up today and with driving to work/home 26 miles round trip 65% highway at 55mph - 60mph, got 35.334 mpg (93miles) . Only thing i did was lowered it 2". Did it have to do with lowering it or my driving style???


My tranformation is almost done.
Got 2" lowering springs in, moon/race disc hubcaps (getting them painted black), new kumho eco solus hm kr22 (low rolling resistance tire) kept with my 195/70-14 and front ranger valance. Oh and vacuum gauge.

What do you think my mileage might come to now, highway?
Pictures soon as i'm done.

[zonker]

sounds like my car... congrats on the fuel numbers. My car sees a 5 mpg difference between 55 and 65 mph, so I'd guess a lot has to do with your speed.

Brake Specific Fuel Consumption is lowest when piston speeds are 1000-1200 ft/mn. On a 2.3 Lima, that translates to 1950-2300 rpm. Keep it in that rpm and you're getting the best possible mpg given all else the same.

[Jackal13]

Now i don't understand this? Drove to work/home again and 85 miles later filled up 3.311 equals to 25.67. What happen to 35.33? Math wasn't right first time or does having the windows down at 55 & 60 mph and going the bk drive through twice make that difference? Does a vacuum gauge really the better then using tach?

[Jackal13]

Might have found my answer.

Driving with the windows down increases the drag on your vehicle, resulting in decreased fuel economy by up to 10 percent. Drive at speeds over 55 mph with windows down and you'll decrease fuel economy by up to 20 percent or greater."

Read more: Will rolling down windows save fuel or not? Will rolling down windows save fuel or not?

[zonker]

the other thing might be the actual fill... on my vehicle, after the gas pump stops and i fill it up, it's still not really full. i can usually trickle up to 2 gallons of gas after the pump shuts off on the slow setting. the only time i know it's truly full is if i can see the gas sit in the neck without gurgling back down.

[Jackal13]

Okay! I put paint black race disc hubcaps, front air dam from 88 ford ranger, kumho eco l.r.r tires and lowered 2". Result is a 60 mile drive to lancaster and back to west reading round trip. 60 miles filled up again same the pump and 1.54 gallons for a total of 38.73 mpg. At 55-60 mph and some times get away to 65mph. vacuum gauge between 10" to 20", tach what look to be 2300-ish. Also sit with the following other mods 3" intake tube wrapped with header wrap, k&n filter, stock box wrapped with heat reflective wrap, 2.25" exhaust with dynomax ultraflow muffler, 3.0 tuarus m.a.f. (same as ranger), disconnect a/c belt and run 91 octane if matter? So my goal of 39 mpg was close. New goal 40 mpg, guess it's possible?

[fs308]

zonker i thought of another way to help you make your trip on 1 tank of gas. its not the cheapest solution but regardless an option
1987 to 1993 Mustang aluminum fuel tank 18 gallon version

[ranger50toy]

A T5 conversion with the .68 overdrive gears would help you a bit. Lose weight and drag on the drivetrain.

[nxcoupe]

I have a project up that alley right now. I had a friend of mine take two V8 T5 input shafts, one new and one used I had sitting here and he ground the pilot bearing part of the shaft down to the size of a 4 cyl. Now I can put together a 3.35 T5 and put it behind my 4 cyl. I think it will take some getting used to as far as taking off with the not as steep first gear, but the overdrive will be great for mileage. Going to put this together sometime this summer.

[zonker]

more great ideas... keep 'em coming!

next step for me is the lightweight wheels and alternator cutout.
so far i'm at finding 3 enkei spoked 15x4 wheels... just need one more than it's time to buy the nankang beetle tires.

as for the alternator cutout, i've placed the wire taps on the EEC for the TPS, PWR, and GND wires and can now hook up a black box for some new switching action.

also picked up a dual gauge pod and a vacuum gauge, and will be buying a wide band a/f gauge to go with it. anybody use those innovate gauges they advertize here on the site? i'm thinking of buyng one of those.

[Jackal13]

What is the best way to climb hills with the best mpg in mind? I drove up hills and let my vacuum drop to 10inches/ low as 55mph. Driving from West reading, pa to kearny, nj and back got 39.35mpg with coasting down hills. Those hills are a killer. Average 60mph. Does anyone have underdrive pullies looking to sale locately in eastern, pa.

[ocejo]

zonker, do you have any pictures of your intake setup. looking to better the fuel consumption on my 92 coupe a4ld.

I have not done any maintenance to it aside from an oil change and fuel filter. I've been driving it since February and think it now deserves a good tune up. what do you all suggest? So far I'm planning on doing plugs(goind with cheap champions for this time) stock gap at .54(?) and a fram air filter.

[Cobraman1024]

I just made a drive from Lakeland Florida to Tiverton Rhode Island, almost 1400 miles. Most of the time my mileage in my '93 2.3L LX was 27-28mpg driving 70-80mph as I played catchup to the moving truck and my girlfriend (they left 9 hours before me). I finally caught up to them in North Carolina just as they were pulling out of the hotel where everyone spent the night. Once I was following everyone, I had to follow the moving truck (which was towing my '96 Mystic Cobra on a trailer) at about 55-60mph and I had my windows open the whole time.
Now for the good part. During one partial tank, I got 37.34mpg. I couldn't believe it. This partial tank was about 227 miles and the partial fill up covered just over 6 gallons.

This is how my car is setup: '93 2.3L with an A4LD conversion to T5 and also put in th T5 specific computer (had a false CEL with the A4LD computer). Full 5-lug conversion with a 3.27 geared 8.8 rearend from a '94 GT. SN95 v6 15" aluminum rims with slightly taller tires in the back than the front. Air conditioning system completely removed, ranger header w/ EGR delete, straight pipe in place of the cat, factory muffler, 180 thermostat, rearseat completely removed (no delete installed), Maximum Motorsports XL full length subframe connectors, Wild Rides torque box reinforcements (upper and lower), rear sway bar, Tokico lowering springs in the back, factory front springs with 9.5" of coil removed, all new shocks/struts, Maximum Motorsports caster/camber plates. The ignition has used factory plug wires, new Motorcraft OEM plugs on the intake side, new Autolite plugs on the exhaust side, Screamin' Demon coil packs (junkyard special, $20 for the pair). For the induction side, the hot air flap is removed, a Fram filter installed and the tube still has the air restrictor/silencer in it. Air enters directly into the airbox, that wierd tube at the front of the box is removed along with th flexible hose that would connect to the factory manifold. Oh yeah, one other thing, the engine has 250,000 miles on it.

With the T5 and 3.27 geared 8.8 rearend, the speedometer/odometer is off by 13% as verified by the odometer indicating 87 miles over 100 miles of milemarker distance. On my 37.34mpg run, the odometer showed 201 miles which after correction is 227.xx and my tank was still exactly half full. I don't "top off" either, just fill the tank until the automatic shutoff.

[ocejo]

wow great info. You think I'll be ok with the Champion plugs?

I'd like to see more of what you are all doing to the air filter setup and the exhaust hose....