Top 5 Mpg Mods?

[Josef86]

About how much of a gain would you see running tires at 40psi rather then running them at the psi the door sticker tells you?

On my 03 it tells me to run them at 30 in the front and 35 in the back. I am considering going 35 in the front as well.


One thing I have noticed is try not make a bunch of small trips, or if you need to make more then one trip try and do it when the engine is still warm. When you crank a cold engine it only uses a few sensors and guesses how much fuel to use. When everything else warms up and all the sensors kick in it will use less fuel. Some one else can probly explain this better.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

A gas log would help. That's what i use, and it's the best scientific method to prove a claim like that, the science that really matters. I think you really feel that it improved your mileage, so what would you estimate your before and after mileages are?

I calc my gas mileage when I fill up at the pump and make a mental note of it. I am a college student in my senior year trying to get all my ducks in a row, keeping a gas log and taking the time to write that kind of stuff down is not worth the effort at this point. So when I fill up, I calc and keep the number in mind the next time I am at the pump. My before mileage was around 15-16 combined hwy/city and around 17-18 hwy (city i do not really know, I do not ever drive that much city to calc). Since the spacer I am getting around 18-19 combined and 21-22 Hwy (although all these numbers also depend on driving habits, if I take it easier I am sure I could milk 25 Hwy out of it and will try on my next interstate trip).

 

[chriswells78]

use the trip odometer...

 

[JDraper]

Well, since it appears that a lot of you have made up your minds that a good marketing campaign is more effective than solid science, I'll refrain from writing a book on why science says it won't work on a fuel injected vehicle. As I said before, it does have some merit on carbureted ( and TBI) vehicles, but you're putting out a chunk of change for smoke and mirrors. If it truly worked, the auto manufacturers would have one installed on every car they make...

 

[chriswells78]

Well, since it appears that a lot of you have made up your minds that a good marketing campaign is more effective than solid science, I'll refrain from writing a book on why science says it won't work on a fuel injected vehicle. As I said before, it does have some merit on carbureted ( and TBI) vehicles, but you're putting out a chunk of change for smoke and mirrors. If it truly worked, the auto manufacturers would have one installed on every car they make...

I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Really?

Well, since it appears that a lot of you have made up your minds that a good marketing campaign is more effective than solid science, I'll refrain from writing a book on why science says it won't work on a fuel injected vehicle. As I said before, it does have some merit on carbureted ( and TBI) vehicles, but you're putting out a chunk of change for smoke and mirrors. If it truly worked, the auto manufacturers would have one installed on every car they make...

Oh yea, thats right I forgot that Car company's truly have our best interests in mind when the produce vehicles. That must be why there are so many aftermarket parts available for every make and model of car, because they do not do anything because what you get stock is much better. Now that is obviously a statement made by someone that has never worked at a dealership and seen the type of BS that really goes into the cars we buy. You know what the difference is between a Mustang GT and a Saleen? The saleen has stickers that say Saleen and that is Literally the only difference, look up the price difference on that. If the Car Companies truly put all the best technology into each car they made, there would be a far less vast aftermarket cataloge of parts for each car. Come on, you truly think that Auto company's put all the best (most effective) parts on their cars? At the end of the day, I will take my smoke and Mirrors increase in MPG, you can doubt it all you want.

 

[1996explorerxlt]

You know what the difference is between a Mustang GT and a Saleen? The saleen has stickers that say Saleen and that is Literally the only difference, look up the price difference on that.

You could not be more wrong about that! Saleens always have more performance, styling, and suspension mods that warrant a higher price. Maybe too high of a price because it says Saleen, but when someone see's one they know that you have a SWEET car.

My 02 GT has 2valve motor and the Saleen for those years are 4valve with or without a supercharger. My car with all the horsepower mods, gears and such still cant beat a Saleen.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

You could not be more wrong about that! Saleens always have more performance, styling, and suspension mods that warrant a higher price. Maybe too high of a price because it says Saleen, but when someone see's one they know that you have a SWEET car.

My 02 GT has 2valve motor and the Saleen for those years are 4valve with or without a supercharger. My car with all the horsepower mods, gears and such still cant beat a Saleen.

Find a newer Saleen, Look on the panel between the seat and the door, peal the sticker off. Look at the steering wheel, see the Saleen, its a sticker. We had this kid that got fired that thought it was funny to peal the stickers off. It is a GT with a few added parts. Working at a Ford dealer has made me lose much of the love I had for Mustangs. They are grossly overpriced and becoming increasly less and less well made. This is due to the fact that they are despretly trying to sell more cars and are sacrificing quanity for quality while still raising prices. I too used to think wow a Saleen, but not any more. The only mustang we carry that I am still impressed by is a Rousch, but that has been in our showroom so long I am sure it does not even run at this point. And the price is still outrageous. Go with a classic mustang, thats the way to go.

 

[aldive]

You know what the difference is between a Mustang GT and a Saleen? The saleen has stickers that say Saleen and that is Literally the only difference, look up the price difference on that.

I do beleive you are mistaken.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

I do beleive you are mistaken.

I hope we still have the Saleen with the missing stickers, I am sure we do because the performance cars are throughly abused. Never have any gas in them and dead batteries, wonder why the dont sell. I will check if it is still around and take some pictures of its performance stickers that end up costing a couple hundred dollars.

 

[aldive]

By the way, what do YOU do at the Ford dealership?

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

By the way, what do YOU do at the Ford dealership?

I am a detailer. so, I see every car when it comes in and if it gets sold. I also get to drive each car and can tell you for the money, go GT.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

I am not going to argue with anyone about throttle body spacers or Saleens, that is not what this thread was about. The spacer works for me, science or not, it works. I am not going to question the money I am saving. As for the Saleen, I will see if I can get some pictures before they replace the stickers.

 

[BrooklynBay]

If the sticker is the only difference, then why doesn't the dealer get stickers, and put them on regular Mustangs to sell them for more? They could do the same thing on used ones too.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Valid point.

If the sticker is the only difference, then why doesn't the dealer get stickers, and put them on regular Mustangs to sell them for more? They could do the same thing on used ones too.

Who is to say that Dealers dont do things like that? I cannot personally say that I have ever seen that exact situation but have seen some shaky stuff go down. Saleens also have special body kits and the like, but is that worth the price? I have driven both cars, and personally would not put out the cash for either, but the GT is more bang for the buck. Check a window sticker on a new or used car and look at the price of pin stripes. Ever heard of pin stripe tape, I dont think it costs $250. Hmmm isnt that strange? I guess the dealer custom paints every set of stripes right?

 

[chriswells78]

Most of the tuners biggest upgrades are in the suspension. You would never know the difference between a stock GT and a Saleen just moving cars around the parking lot. If you take each down a nice twisty road with some athourity you will definately notice the difference.

FYI, Saleens, Roushes and Steeda's come in stages. Stage one is mostly suspension upgrades and apperance. Stage 2 is engine upgrades to stage one and stage three is balls to the wall big$.

 

[aldive]

I am not going to argue with anyone about throttle body spacers or Saleens, that is not what this thread was about. The spacer works for me, science or not, it works. I am not going to question the money I am saving. As for the Saleen, I will see if I can get some pictures before they replace the stickers.

I just happen to have a TB spacer laying around my junk pile and I am going to make a 1200 mile trip in a week. I shall install the spacer for one leg of the trip and remove it for the other to show a mileage comparison.

I ran a TB spacer years ago and subsequently removed it when it showed no difference in RWHP on a dyno as well as insignificance gas mileage difference.

I am with Jeff on the science but am open minded enough to test again.

Results soon ....

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

I ran a TB spacer years ago and subsequently removed it when it showed no difference in RWHP on a dyno as well as insignificance gas mileage difference.
Results soon ....

From my understanding, Throttle body spacers are not meant to improve horsepower. That is a common misconception about them. I also think that they have gotten a bad wrap because of company's putting out chunks of aluminum that dont do a thing because all they do is space it. The ones that I have heard of have benefits were ones designed to create spiral the air after it passes thru the throttle body (AirRaid, I think Jet makes one). I can completly understand how the ones that are just a block of metal do nothing, but I have had benefits from the AirRaid, whether these results will transfer to other trucks I do not know. I know it works for me, for whatever reason, and I am not going to complain. Interested to see your results.

 

[aldive]

I shall be evaluating the AirRaid TB spacer.

 

[mounty71]

I think this thread, like so many others on here, is getting a little out of hand. If the guys with the TBS have seen improvements in mileage and power, then that is great! For whatever reason, this modification has worked for them. Though they haven't listed exact numbers for gas mileage before and after installing the spacer, i don't feel that any member on here has the right to tell someone that the results they are seeing are not, in fact, true. And to the ones that have not installed the spacer but still are not believers, well i don't think your minds will be changing anytime soon. If aldive reports back that there is a change in mileage for him, will that make you believers? Just because he has been around the site for so long makes his observations and experiences more valid than a newer member? I just want to point out that some of the people on this site can be very stubborn, even with no personal experience to back their opinions. Maybe factual science doesn't support this modification, but for some other reason that might not have been considered (and i am no expert on this either), the spacer worked for a select few people, and we should be happy that they made a worth-while investment. And as a disclaimer, i am not taking sides because i do not have experience to support one side or the other. I simply do not want to see this thread, which started out as a topic which i am interested in, go down the drain because people couldn't agree to disagree.