Improving Gas Mileage

[KSNeptune]

My Vibe doesn't get many miles on it each week. I just passed 1000, and put in what may have been my 3rd tank of gas (first tank was bought by the dealership).With each fill-up I've been recording the mileage, and had been depressed to not see any better than 21-22mpg from the first few tanks. Of course I don't drive for economy. I drive to hear the Vibe's engine rev. But the last fill-up surprised me with 25.5mpg. I'm thinking that the engine might simply be "breaking in". Or the warmer weather (my Vibe was bought in November) was responsible. But the one other difference in how I drive is probably most responsible:At the beginning of the LAST tank of gas, I started listening to Norah Jones over the CD/amp in my Vibe. I'm positive that this bluesy, jazz, amazing music is actually passifying me as I drive to work, resulting a more "economy" pattern than my previous "sport" style of driving.So, try some music, or some DIFFERENT music while you drive. See if it changes your mileage. Or perhaps it might reduce your likeliness to get a speeding ticket.Just a thought.KSNeptune

[mfreed]

Your car is 6 months old and has only 1K on it???WOW! I wish my commute was that short. I do that in 2 weeks.

[meathead333]

that way of thinking may help me, i usually listen to heavy stuff like mudvayne or static-x when i drive. gets the blood flowin!

[MrRich]

quote:WOW! I wish my commute was that short. I do that in 2 weeks.Yeah WOOOOW!How can you do that?I can't stop driving my Vibe!

[Shadow Realm]

Your gas mileage should improve with the age of you Vibe. The first few tanks weren't as good as I am getting now. I have 9000 miles on mine now and at 80+ MPH I get about 30-32 depending on the condition. Windy conditions can make a difference. I drove with the wind on a 5 hour trip and still had gas left but coming back against the wind I had to fill up before I made it back to my original starting point. 33 over and only 28 on the way back.Hope this helps you!Shadow Realm

[MadBill]

Here's yet another argument for doing a drop:The airflow under most vehicles is so turbulent that for aerodynamic purposes, it's just like the car was solid right down to the ground. Therefore, if you drop it say 2", it effectively reduces the frontal area, and since fuel economy at highway speeds is largely determined by drag, which is a product of the drag Coefficient (Cd) times the frontal area, a noticeable improvement should result! (Unless like me, you've also slapped on giant tires that hang out in the airstream and also screw up your speedo calibration...)

[KSNeptune]

quote:Your car is 6 months old and has only 1K on it???Yep. But I didn't trade in my old Nissan pickup for the Vibe. I still have it, and try to drive it at least 1/3 of the time. The trip to work is only about 3 miles of 30mph stop and go city miles. I'm a college prof, and only have classes to teach 3 days a week. There's usually a meeting or two each week to get me there on days I don't teach. But some weeks I'm only in a car 4 out of 7 days. That's how to keep mileage low.I lived near St. Louis MO. for a year or so, and the commute every darned day was with high speed rush hour traffic (or slow speed if it had rained) for about 20 (or 60 if it rained) minutes (about 25 miles each way). That was the year when I understood why automakers warranty cars for "3 years or 36,000 miles", because I'd put about 15,000 on my car that year.As for lowering, it's not needed if you can smooth out the airflow beneath your car. But most cars are so "rough" underneath it would be nearly impossible.So, what doesn everyone else listen to in their Vibes? Talk Radio? CD music? Wife chatting? Wind noise?KSNeptune

[bellwilliam]

Reading all the gas mileage posts in this forum. I could of swear there are 2 types of Vibes. one group get consistently over 30mpg, the other never get above 26mpg.btw I have a base auto, 25mpg consistently. I think my engine must be missing a part or something, so I am not getting over 30mpg

[cohocarl]

I've kept track of miles, dates, and gallons used for every fill up since I bought mine new in late August of 02. Here in Michigan it is can be rather hot towards the end of August and then starts to cool down. My first tank came in at close to 37mpg, but we had some major road construction on 75, and I was taking backroads (55mph) to and from work, so i don't really "count" that tank.Now that it is spring and warming up, I'd like to make up a spreadsheet in Excel of the fuel mileage and make a chart of it. I'm going to bet it would look exactly like a chart of the temperature. I've never had a vehicle that the fuel mileage is so effected by the temperature. When we had a very cold spell, the mileage was very poor, and when it was warm last fall, it was much higher. When it was very cold here I was getting about 24-25 mpg, and now that it's warming up, it's up around 29-30. (mostly 75-80mph on I-75, 5-speed)

[MadBill]

Interestingly, I recently perused a website which detailed a fairly simple procedure for building a full length belly pan for your race (or ultra-economy) car. Will see if I can find it again, JIC someone's really serious about saving fuel... (Unfortunately, it won't help the top speed until someone can crack the codes for reprogramming our ECMs)

[bellwilliam]

in the case of Vibe, I know that the air conditioner turns on whenever defrost is on. so that explain the mileage fluctuation with temperature.Is this common with other cars, air conditioner = defrost that is. anyone knows which manufacturer also do this.

[MadBill]

If not universal, it is very common. The theory seems to be that if you are in defog mode, the drier air produced by chilling then heating the air helps dissapate condensation. When actually defrosting (i.e. below freezing) the compressor does not run, as freeze up of the evaporator would result. (In some cases the cooling fan runs anyway, just as it does in A/C mode, leading one to assume that the A/C is operating.) Typically, A/C does not function in any mode below about 40 degrees F. ambient. The lower mileage in below freezing weather is due a combination of more friction from cold lubricants throughout the drivetrain and increased pumping losses in the engine, due to the colder, denser air causing less throttle opening to be needed to produce the required part-throttle power, resulting in higher engine vacuum and more negative work for the pistons to overcome. (I blatted on in more detail about this in a post a couple of months ago, which I am too lazy to look up.)(On the other hand, re hot weather mileage, a number of years ago Ford published the results of a test comparing a pick up truck's highway fuel economy with the A/C on vs. A/C off and the windows open. It was better on A/C!)

[slinkston]

My lowest miles a gallon I have gotten is about 20 in my XR during the long snow storm we had. I am usually getting about 27 miles a gallon now, but ever since I got the CAI and Exhaust, I don't think it is getting any better -Slink

[joatmon]

The MPG rating was a big factor in me choosing a Vibe. I see a lot of tank to tank variation in MPG, but over the 9K miles I've put on in the 4 months I've had my base 5-speed Vibe, I'm averaging 35.7 mpg in mostly highway miles. With a tank of 13.2 gallons, the variations in how full you fill up the tank make individual tank mileage harder to trust, I had one tank where I got 40.2 mpg, but that was preceded and followed by tankfulls at about 34, so I figure I just didn't put as much in for that 40.2 tank. I do see that driving style has a big effect on mileage, in that if I really push it, the mileage suffers. After my first 3K miles, the average MPG has gotten a little better, but I don't know if that is a result of break in, some automatic compensation in the computer, or maybe I don't drive it quite as agressively as I did when it was new. It's hard to say for sure the exact cause. Reminds me of a study where researchers claimed that children who slept with nightlights tended to grow up to be more nearsighted than kids without the light, that the nightlight made them nearsighted. Turned out that the real finding should have been that nearsighted parents were more likely to use nightlights in their kids rooms, and the effect on kids was only genetics.There's always a significant law enforcement presence on my commute, so most of it is at a reasonably steady speed. Can't go for max acceleration (exhilaration) when the car in front of you doesn't. There's not a lot of situations where mega power would really help, but you gotta do it sometimes just for the sake of it. I listen to recorded books a lot. get them from the library for free, and it really passes the time. if you get a good one, it makes getting stuck in a traffic jam ok, and just tooling down the same road at a reasonable rate for hours tolerable. My library has a ton more on tape than on CD, but that doesn''t help in the Vibe much. I usually buy gas from the same place, because they consistently have the lowest price in my area. Was $1.339/gallon for 87 octane in January, rose to $1.599 at the end of February, and has been slowly falling since. $1.399 today. Glad I don't have a diesel, it topped out at $1.95 in Feb.

[jake75]

Just got back from a 1,350 mile round trip - mostly highway miles. Avg was 31.9 mpg but I was driving 75-80 a lot of the time with a lot of cruise control downshifting in the hills to maintain speed. Next time I may try not using the cruise in the hills and see what difference that might make. Vibe had about 1,500 miles on it when I started.

[KSNeptune]

My latest tank got me 26.07mpg. Most of the tank was for city driving, but the last 90 or so miles were a short highway trip. So since my driving style hasn't changed much, I'm guessing the Vibe is breaking in finally and the warmer weather is more appealing to it's MPG-getting nature.We are planning a long vacation drive this summer, so that will be a chance to see what the Vibe (if we take it) can do with a tank used for all highway miles. We've also got a 2002 Nissan Altima, and it's got more HP/weight than the Vibe, so it may win out. The trip will take us over the rockies, so taking the car that won't need to downshift as much may prove more enjoyable. Time will tell.KSNeptune

[ragingfish]

quote:My Vibe doesn't get many miles on it each week. I just passed 1000, and put in what may have been my 3rd tank of gas (first tank was bought by the dealership).First, as an aside, I think I got my vibe about the same time as you, and I have almost 14 times your mileage! ROFL!Anyway, my MPG rating was actually pretty lousy upon first purchase. Even with mostly highway travel (including a leisure trip to Boston), I never seemed to break 21 - 22 mpg. I was pretty mad.However, in my most recent fill, I calculated my rating at an amazing 34! This, despite the fact my commute is all country roads, lots of hills, lots of stop signs, and me always pushing 75-80 mph...I'm planning a trip to indiana in the upcoming months. I'm eager to see how high my rating will be on that trip, now that my engine seems to have "settled in."quote:So, what doesn everyone else listen to in their Vibes? Talk Radio? CD music? Wife chatting? Wind noise?Varies with my mood. Often, I like just keeping the radio off and being at one with my thoughts. Since my commute is only 15-20 minutes, I don't like to get caught up in a great CD or anything. But once in a while, I'll listen to news radio, or top 40 radio...but more often than not, my cd is wearing out my Alana Davis cd's! I can't get enough of her! quote:a number of years ago Ford published the results of a test comparing a pick up truck's highway fuel economy with the A/C on vs. A/C off and the windows open. It was better on A/C!Can't say I'm surprised. I've always been skeptical of people who swear against A/C vs. open windows. I'm pretty sure engines have come far enough that A/C compressors don't significantly hurt MPG ratings...

[Pablo1669]

quote:I can't stop driving my Vibe!When I get bored and/or mad, I'll grab the keys, get her warm, and go for a spin. Man lift is such a beautiful thing. It's good there aren't a whole lot of cops in my town.

[RoundUp]

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone has tracked their mpg vs. passenger and cargo weight. Is it possible that some of the people who can't get past a certain mpg value might be carrying more weight than those who can? I mean if your car is normally packed with 5 adult passengers plus cargo, that can be 800 lb or more weight added on to the nearly 3000 lb curb weight of the vehicle. It could make a big difference considering even the 300 lb difference between the base and AWD models are reflected in mpg values.Just a thought.

[ragingfish]

quote:Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone has tracked their mpg vs. passenger and cargo weight. Is it possible that some of the people who can't get past a certain mpg value might be carrying more weight than those who can? I mean if your car is normally packed with 5 adult passengers plus cargo, that can be 800 lb or more weight added on to the nearly 3000 lb curb weight of the vehicle. It could make a big difference considering even the 300 lb difference between the base and AWD models are reflected in mpg values.Just a thought.That's very interesting...perhaps we've all over looked a very obvious answer! ROFL!

[VibeGT_2003]

I am happy just to get about 18 mpg ,I love the rev limmiter!

[1 Cool Vibe]

I've got three little words for ya about improving MPG, Fitch Fuel Catalyst. Check it out for yourself on their website at: http://www.fitchfuelcatalyst.com/techinfo/ffcfaq.html

[DavidPIL]

quote:Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone has tracked their mpg vs. passenger and cargo weight.Is it possible that some of the people who can't get past a certain mpg value might be carrying more weight than those who can? I mean if your car is normally packed with 5 adult passengers plus cargo, that can be 800 lb or more weight added on to the nearly 3000 lb curb weight of the vehicle. It could make a big difference considering even the 300 lb difference between the base and AWD models are reflected in mpg values.Yeah, had considered that when checking my highly fluctuating MPG rating. I've had up to 4 people in with luggage & AC on half the time and got around 31 then when driving by myself with a laptop (AC & laptop not on), got a 27. Just got back from a trip to Ohio with the AC on for about 50% of the time, got a 33.5 (YAY!). Ya know, I've found that I get better mileage with the AC than without it. This was all mainly highway driving. Dave

[joatmon]

quote:I've got three little words for ya about improving MPG, Fitch Fuel Catalyst. Do you have any numbers on how this product affects mileage in a Vibe? Have you tried it? Does the increase in efficiency justify the additive cost?

[1 Cool Vibe]

quote: Do you have any numbers on how this product affects mileage in a Vibe? Have you tried it? Does the increase in efficiency justify the additive cost? I don't have any first hand info on how it works in the Vibe because I haven't gotten around to installing it on my Vibe yet but I'm going to get around to it. I've been using it for about 2 years now in my motorcycle and I can tell you firsthand it does what they say it does. Since I've been using it I get better MPG and I don't even have to add any gas stabilizer over the winter months to keep the gas fresh. My bike starts right up after months of storage without any problems, no "fouled carb" or "build-up" in the gas tank or fuel lines to worry about. It more than pays for itself by saving you money on fuel costs for as long as you own the vehicle. It's good for the life of the vehicle, about 250,000 miles. Great product , I tell everyone who asks me about it to try it.

[joatmon]

quote: Great product , I tell everyone who asks me about it to try it.Sounds like it might be worth it, One thing that concerns me is that they talk about warranty on the actual unit, but I couldn't find anything saying that they guaranteed it to not hurt the engine. I don't think it would, but it would be nice to see them claim that (and even back it up). They don't offer one for the Vibe/matrix or post 1997 corolla though. quote:Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone has tracked their mpg vs. passenger and cargo weight. Just did a long trip, 1440 miles in 52 hours, about 800 pounds of people and cargo, AC always on, mix of flat and mountain, averaged 36.5 mpg (base 5 speed)Here's graph showing my data so far . 2 lines, one showing mpg on a per tank basis, the other showing the average since I started keeping track.

Attached files

[pwarren4]

I've put a link in my signature to my gas performance so far.The best I've gotten is 31.5 which approximately ties your worst.Hope mine "breaks-in" allot!I know a stick does better than my auto, put 7 miles per gallon on average better sounds like a bit of a stretch to me, there has to be some other factor.My daily commute is 45 miles one way, 98% interstate, 75 - 85 mph to keep up with traffic (Really! - I rarely run faster than the general flow). Temperatures over the last 6 weeks range from 70-75 in the mornings, 85-95 in the afternoons. Humidity around 80%.How does this compare to conditions in your area of the world?

[joatmon]

My daily commute is about 60 miles one way. None of it's interstate, most is four lane divided 55 mph speed limit, maybe 10 miles at speed limit 40mph. I probably hit 8 to 10 red lights each way. It's flat, no hills to speak of. The traffic load, the lights, and the seemingly unnatural abundance of law enforcement keeps me from going faster than 65. (I play the margin of tolerance a lot) Usually can't accelerate hard, can (should) only go as fast as the car in front. I'm in Maryland/DC area, the weather here is probably about the same as what you get.Maybe it's that non-linearity in wind resistance that made them drop all the speed limits to 55 a while back. Still, if I could drive 75 to 85, I would and accept any loss in fuel efficiency. I lose 3 hours a day to commuting, good thing I like my Vibe. You could try driving 65 for a tank, if you wouldn't get run off the road for going that slow, it would add about 5 minutes to your drive, but it's something you could try. I always feel compelled to at least keep up with traffic, I don't want people to see a slow vibe and think that the car is crappy, but it might be an interesting experiment. My worst tank was 30.6 mpg, at about 3350 on the odometer

[1 Cool Vibe]

quote: One thing that concerns me is that they talk about warranty on the actual unit, but I couldn't find anything saying that they guaranteed it to not hurt the engine. I don't think it would, but it would be nice to see them claim that (and even back it up).I have been using the Fitch product for 2 years now in my bike and it doesn't seem to have harmed the v-twin engine in my HD in any way. I doubt it would cause any harm the Vibe engine.

[joatmon]

quote: I have been using the Fitch product for 2 years now in my bike and it doesn't seem to have harmed the v-twin engine in my HD in any way. I doubt it would cause any harm the Vibe engine. I've looked at it more, and there are some independent reviews that back up the manufacturers claims for all the good things it does, such as increase power, reduce fuel usage and emissions, boost the effective octane of the fuel, and keep the engine cleaner. Looks like a good thing, thanks for the link. They seem to offer two types, one that goes in line with the fuel line, and another that drops into the gas tank. For the Vibe, it looks like it would be a kit of six catalyst units that drop into the the tank, for about $150. I figure I've been spending about $100 a month in gas, and if this thing would really increase gas mileage 10%, it would pay for itself in 15 months. If I try it, I'll be able to compare mpgs before and after. Wish I knew where to get a dyno run around here, to see if it increases power.

[1 Cool Vibe]

quote: I've looked at it more, and there are some independent reviews that back up the manufacturers claims for all the good things it does, such as increase power, reduce fuel usage and emissions, boost the effective octane of the fuel, and keep the engine cleaner. Looks like a good thing, thanks for the link. If I try it, I'll be able to compare mpgs before and after.Your welcome, I'm just passing on some info about a product I thought my fellow Vibe owners might want to know about. If you decide to give it a try, let me know what you think.

[joatmon]

I asked Fitch what to use on a Vibe, and they sent this responsequote:The correct Fitch unit for your vehicle is our F6T ($149.95). You would not be able to install them by dropping them in the filler neck as there is a siphon block built in to the hose and this will not allow our F6T to pass by. You will need to remove the fuel gauge sending unit cover (often located under the rear seat or cargo area) and drop them in directly there.kind of what I was thinking, and knew how to get to it from the thread about changing the fuel filter. A bit more work than I hoped for. I'll let you know if I go for it.

[1 Cool Vibe]

quote:I asked Fitch what to use on a Vibe, and they sent this responseThe correct Fitch unit for your vehicle is our F6T ($149.95). You would not be able to install them by dropping them in the filler neck as there is a siphon block built in to the hose and this will not allow our F6T to pass by. You will need to remove the fuel gauge sending unit cover (often located under the rear seat or cargo area) and drop them in directly there.kind of what I was thinking, and knew how to get to it from the thread about changing the fuel filter. A bit more work than I hoped for. I'll let you know if I go for it.Okay cool, keep me posted.

[cdFxer]

Getting pretty steady 29MPG here. If the GF drives it or me, same. If we are together in the vehicle, same. Defroster on or off, same. Now here is the odd part: I drive pretty conservatively. This last tank I really put my foot in it, so to speak. Gas mileage went up to around 31! We have @1500 miles on the car so far. The trips consist of @50mi each way with 40mi of interstate (65). Will see what it gets when the GF starts driving it more often to work (shes laid off and goes back Sunday (muhahahahaha)).

[Faultline]

I once got this tip to clean my MAS...I did, but I forgot to disengage the battery, so I fried it by mistake...sheer intelligence .so I drove around in safety mode for about a week before I got a repplacement.....you can only rev to 3k rpms like this when your MAS is not working....I dont know what the #'s are, but i know I got my bestmileage driving around like this...always shifting at 3k in my 5spd... it really hurt my feelings to have to drive this way , but was kinder to my wallet

[JohnC]

I have a base w/auto, I have tracked my mileage very closely. My commute is 100 miles/per day on back county roads (go as fast or slow as you want). When I drive 55 it gets 36-38 mpg consistantly, when I drive 75 and up mileage goes down to low 30s. No difference if I use A/C or not. Found same outcome with my last commuter car.