I need better MPG ASAP........

[Sonar]

Nice jklmnopqrst (what a hard name to spell), but remember one thing, you CANNOT rely on the odometer!

I am a SVX commuter (500miles roundtrip, EVERY week ), and the first thing I did was to calibrate the odometer and the speedo, with my GPS.
The speedo was off some 3-4%, and the odometer was off 5% ... (remember to recalibrate when changing tires!)

I get an average of 29-30mpg (US gallon) if I count with the calibrated figures.
The "best" figures I get in 80-90km/h (50-55mph), around 31-32 mpg.

And, that thing to drive without an alternator belt, sure you can, but you have to cut EVERY single thing that draws current.

Assuming the ignition takes 5 Amps and the ECU+TCU takes 5 Amps, that's 10Amps, now if your battery holds 70AH, that's 70 Amps for an hour, dividing that with 10 and you got 7 hours.

If we then assume that you cannot completely discharge your battery due to the too low voltage and so on, maybe you got only 5 hours worth of driving.

If you drive 1 hour every day in 5 days, you have to count the starts also , so in that case maybe you only get 4 days!

Now, if you drive with lights and stereos and so on, you add around of 30Amps of currentdraw, that's in total 40Amps, maybe 1 - 1½ hour until battery is drained!

A seatheater and maybe a rear defogger and so on would probably totally drain your battery in less that an hour ....


/Sonny

[dcarrb]

Originally posted by UberRoo

Or you could just get over it. Gas is still insanely cheap. (Visit just about any other country.)

Hmm... given this reasoning, I'd say there's a future for you as an oil company executive.


dcb

[svx_commuter]

Originally posted by Sonar
..........................................I am a SVX commuter (500miles roundtrip, EVERY week ),.......................I get an average of 29-30mpg (US gallon) if I count with the calibrated figures.
The "best" figures I get in 80-90km/h (50-55mph), around 31-32 mpg.
/Sonny

You drive as much as I do. But your mileage is soooooo much better.

How often do you use that block heater?

Do you have hills to go over? I have 3 large hills to climb.

Ah maybe I need to slow down. I do about 70 to 80 on the highway for some time keeping up with the traffic flow.

Take the wing off? I could try that.

The car is maintained. I got similar mileage with the old engine.

i have check the Speedo with a stop watch and mileage markers but I I'll have to do again. Also I'll check the odo with mile markers.

My idle speed is a little high at 700 rpm.

The car HAS very little drag when coasting. I am impressed by this.

Maybe it's the ECU?

[Chiketkd]

Originally posted by dcarrb
Hmm... given this reasoning, I'd say there's a future for you as an oil company executive.

[Sonar]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
How often do you use that block heater?

-I only use it when tempratures are under 0 cels.

Do you have hills to go over? I have 3 large hills to climb.

I don't think that this really matters, what you loose upwards, you gain downwards ...
Look at this profile I made for you, there are 60 sample points, and between each, it's a straight line, so the distance lies a little (it's 395km in the real world )
http://193.12.43.114/SVX_raw/home2.jpg

Ah maybe I need to slow down. I do about 70 to 80 on the highway for some time keeping up with the traffic flow.

-If I go that fast, my mpg will be 26-27'ish ...!

Take the wing off? I could try that.

-I don't know, because I don't have a wing

The car HAS very little drag when coasting. I am impressed by this.

-I'm VERY impressed 2 by that, very nice

Maybe it's the ECU?

-Well, could be, but I think you drive 2 fast 2 have a good mpg


/Sonny

Originally posted by UberRoo
You can easily drive for days without the alternator.

If that is true then how come you can kill your battery by leaving a tiny little map light on over night?


The reality is that without a steady source of incoming power (AKA the alternator) your battery would drain quickly.


Dave

[UberRoo]

Originally posted by red95svx
If that is true then how come you can kill your battery by leaving a tiny little map light on over night?

The reality is that without a steady source of incoming power (AKA the alternator) your battery would drain quickly.

Overnight is what, twelve hours? How long is your commute? An hour commute, five days a week is still only ten hours. Moreover, your battery is pathetic if a dome light can kill it overnight. Get a new, full-size, quality battery and try again.

Oh, I'd love to be an oil company executive. Where do I sign up? Seriously, most other counties pay much more than we do - except for a choice few, which I wouldn't exactly compare to the United States.

Will it make a difference if I use my trip meter instead of my odometer (I'm guessing it won't)? The only other reason (that I can think of) for such phenomenal gas mileage is because my SVX if front wheel drive, therefore a weight reduction of 200-300 pounds. 34 mpg does seem insanely high, but I calculated the numbers three times when I was at the pump in order to verify accuracy.
Am I losing my marbles?

[Alycone]

I'm awd '92 LS and I get 34 on occasion (if almost pure freeway).

[Gargoyle]

I get 15 MPG city & around 20 MPG on the freeway & Jimmy cracked corn.
If I had to worry about MPG I would buy a Honda or some such POS But I love my SVX & she loves to be driven .
If She wants to drink high octane like water she can have it so long as she keeps runnen like she runs

[svx_commuter]

Originally posted by Sonar

-Well, could be, but I think you drive 2 fast 2 have a good mpg


/Sonny

Well this may be true. You have inspired me to slow down for awhile and accelerate much slower.

Is your car FWD and do you have an add on AFT cooler? Are you using synthetic lubes?

You drive up and down hills constantly and I think they are steep. My drive is flat compared to yours.

I hope you have a great drive.

[Sonar]

Well nice, give it a try , and please post your mpg afterwards ...

I use Mobile1 "Rally Formula" (0w40 I think?) , and the car is bone stock, no overhauls no nothing, only execption is new front driveshafts and maybe some small parts I cannot recall. And in the darker period of the year, I add a light "ramp" in the front (more or less "snap-on")

It's a -92 4WD "Touring Package" with 150k KM

...and YES, I LOVE to drive my SVX, enjoying EVERY single mile on the way ... and I suspect that you do also


/Sonny

Originally posted by UberRoo


Overnight is what, twelve hours? How long is your commute? An hour commute, five days a week is still only ten hours. Moreover, your battery is pathetic if a dome light can kill it overnight. Get a new, full-size, quality battery and try again.

But you're comparing running a single bulb for twelve hours with running a whole car for ten hours! It just doesn't work! Do you have any idea how much power it takes to fire 6 coils thousands of times per minute?! Don't forget all of your sensors that need power, plus the ECU and TCU, plus your instruments!


And a brand new battery CAN be killed by leaving a dome light on overnight. All you need to do is run your battery down below 12 volts and your car won't start. That's not a tough thing to do.

Case in point: I used to work at an aftermarket parts store. To advertise a sale we were having, we took a brand new battery out of stock and connected it to a flashing light (the kind they use on a plow truck). The light lasted approx. 6 hours. Now you're going to tell me that the same battery could have powered my whole car for 10 hours!


Dave

[dcarrb]

I can attest to a dome light draining a healthy battery overnight. (Closed the door on a seatbelt in my old GL.)

As to how far a car will run on the battery alone: In my experience, if the alternator has failed completely, you will not get far.


dcb

[Sonar]

Originally posted by UberRoo
... Seriously, most other counties pay much more than we do ...

The site referred to is NOT correct, stating that I would have to pay $4.01 / Gallon of fuel, that's WRONG, I'll have to pay $5.20 !

/Sonny