Better Gas Mileage Tips

TIRES - Use (light – lighter tires have less rotating mass) highway low rolling resistance tires. Be careful using different types of tires (such as A/Ts) and different sizes. When you change the size (overall diameter) you are also changing the final gear ratio. The ideal diameter is matched to your final gear ratio. VERY important to use the highest air pressure that doesn’t negatively affect the ride (within the OEM recommendations). Check and maintain that pressure at all the time. Altitude and temp will affect pressure (1lb for every 10 degrees diff & .5lb for every 1000 ft). Also you will lose 1lb every month from leakage. Always check pressure when tires are cold (after overnight) before you take to the road. Pressure indicators (cheap valve cap indicators) will also help to see if there are any problems during a trip at a glance.

Note; if you are having problems with varying pressure and/or tire failures caused by temp, nitrogen is more stable and will be less affected by temp and natural leakage.


LUBRCANTS – Use as much full synthetics as you can. Use it for the engine, trans, diffs, transfer case and even greases.

Note; Use lower weight oils for less resistance (lower pour rate). Example – If the OEM recommends 5w-30 use 0w-30, 5w-20 use 0w-30, 80w-90 gear oil use 75w-90. You will still have the same protection from thermal breakdown but you will have a lower pour rate. Also up to 80% of engine wear is from cold start ups. This does not just mean cold weather, it means the time it takes the oil to reach the vital areas of your engine when you first start your engine after all the oil has drained down into your sump (overnight). Try to use FULL synthetic (group IV) oil such as Amsoil.

ENGINE TUNE & FUEL - Keep all filters and sensors clean and maintain the engine’s state of tune at peak efficiency. You can also use better components such as platinum or iridium spark plugs. Keeping the fuel system clean is VERY important. Every 20/30K miles you can use a fuel system cleaner such as Techron Concentrate Plus or Amsoil P.i. Performance Improver Concentrate. One of the keys to keeping the engine components clean is using better fuels. I only use “Top Tier” fuel. See attached link.

http://www.toptiergas.com/

Check your brakes. Lift the wheel/tire off the ground and spin the tire to see how freely it spins. Sometimes the pistons in the calipers are not retracting properly and will cause the pads to drag on the rotors.

Avoid letting the vehicle idle (to heat-up). The best way to warm the engine is to start it and go! Just keep the rpm low until you reach operating temp.

Koz

[scrubjaysnest]

Be very cafeful with synthetics, they may void your vehicle warranty, read the fine print. a friend lost a engine using synthetic motor oil, the car maker voided the warranty for doing so. Also many limited slip diff CANNOT use them, requires a vin check with the car maker. Cost me a rear end repair because I didn't know about checking the vin. The owners manual just said use synthetic gear lube. It was after the fact that I found out about checking the vin. My TV calls for 5W-20, I use 10W-30 because of our high ambient temps and humidity.

...ENGINE TUNE & FUEL...I only use “Top Tier” fuel...

Not always true that top tier fuel is better. Sometimes the fuel is made to same spec as a top tier fuel. One of the bigger questions is if you will get an improvement by not using ethanol. If the non-ethanol fuel use something else to oxigenate with you might gain 10% over ethanol enhanced fuels.

Avoid letting the vehicle idle (to heat-up). The best way to warm the engine is to start it and go! Just keep the rpm low until you reach operating temp.

Not always true and when towing a heavy load you are putting quite a strain on a cold engine.

One other tip is to use your cruise control. Some vehicles have cruise controls that know how to handle towing conditions (wish my Taco did). When I am on level turf my cruise control allows me to manage my MPG much better than I can with my foot.

Mountains are a tougher matter. It generally takes some a little foot bias and cruise disengagement/re-engagement to improve fuel economy...

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

Be very cafeful with synthetics, they may void your vehicle warranty, read the fine print. a friend lost a engine using synthetic motor oil, the car maker voided the warranty for doing so. Also many limited slip diff CANNOT use them, requires a vin check with the car maker. Cost me a rear end repair because I didn't know about checking the vin. The owners manual just said use synthetic gear lube. It was after the fact that I found out about checking the vin. My TV calls for 2W-20, I use 10W-30 because of our high ambient temps and humidity.

The only time your warranty can be voided is when the OEM can prove that the product you used caused the failure. Synthetic oil exceeds the OEM API oil requirements/specifications. I'd like to know what manufacture states you can not use synthetic motor oil. As long as you use a synthetic gear or motor oil that has the API specifications of the OEM there is no way they can void your warranty. There are some limited slip diff that require an additive. The only exception that I know of that require a special oil (GSL) are some transfer cases and newer (04 and newer) Toyota/Lexus auto trans use "WS" low viscosity synthetic fluid. This is a sealed trans that requires NO maintenance. Amsoil is the only company that makes an approved "WS" replacement.

Your TV probably calls for a 5w-20, I don't know of a 2w-20 motor oil. The better choice for you would be 0w-30 or 0w-20. A 0w-20 full synthetic would provide better protection then ANY 10w-30 dino oil, no matter what the climate.

I base this info on proven data from used oil analysis (UOA).

Koz

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by Pitbull

The only time your warranty can be voided is when the OEM can prove that the product you used caused the failure.

Koz

They don't have to prove anything if the owners manual says DO NOT USE synthetic oil.

Originally Posted by ng2951

Not always true that top tier fuel is better. Sometimes the fuel is made to same spec as a top tier fuel. One of the bigger questions is if you will get an improvement by not using ethanol. If the non-ethanol fuel use something else to oxigenate with you might gain 10% over ethanol enhanced fuels. Not always true and when towing a heavy load you are putting quite a strain on a cold engine.

One other tip is to use your cruise control. Some vehicles have cruise controls that know how to handle towing conditions (wish my Taco did). When I am on level turf my cruise control allows me to manage my MPG much better than I can with my foot.

Mountains are a tougher matter. It generally takes some a little foot bias and cruise disengagement/re-engagement to improve fuel economy...

I don't know of any fuel that is made to the same spec as top tier fuel. If you have a choice, do everything you can to avoid using fuel with ethanol. The least ethanol the better. What most people don't know is octane is NOT a rating of how much power/energy is in the fuel and that the best octane to use is the lowest octane that doesn't cause knock. Anything higher is just a waste of money. The manufacture knows what octane is best for their engine. Using higher octane then required does NOT make more power or produce better mileage. The most important way to get the best mileage out of any engine is to keep carbon build-up out of your engine (and keep it tuned).

I do agree that putting an extra load on a cold engine and trans MAY not be best to warm an engine, but only UOAs could answer that. Again, up to 80% of engine wear is caused by cold starts. Once the oil is circulating through the vital areas of the engine I don't see an extra load being a problem as long as you keep the rpms down. Heat and depleted fluids are the killer of engines and trans.

The only thing about using cruise control is if your engine doesn't have enough torque to maintain the speed it is set at, it will trigger a downshift when there's just a couple mph difference. Also many cruise controls will trigger a downshift to slow the vehicle when on a decent. You need to keep the trans from downshifting often. You need to find a gear that will not cause excessive downshifting which may in-turn cause excessive rpm. Sometimes it's best not to use cruise.

Koz

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

They don't have to prove anything if the owners manual says DO NOT USE synthetic oil.

Again, if a synthetic meets the API spec for that engine or diff and they can not PROVE the product caused the failure, it is against the law to void the warranty, no matter what is in the owner's manual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuso...s_Warranty_Act

Koz

What do you mean by top tier fuel -- major brand fuel?

Originally Posted by Beach Boy

What do you mean by top tier fuel -- major brand fuel?

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

Koz

I have spoke to several gas hauler drivers. They all tell me that there is no difference between major brand gas and discount gas.

They say that there will be an EXXON truck in line for the 87 octane tank at the tank farm followed by a discount truck followed by a Chevron truck. Unless they go to a secret location to add chemicals (yeah right), the majors and the discounters are using the same gasoline.

In addition, it is an industry standard that major brand haulers have contracts with discounters to sell to them the last gasoline in their tanks at the end of their routes.

Gas is gas.