The Official Economy Thread

[Cynic]

Our premium is just below $1.50 Liter, or about $5.50 Gallon. We have extra gas taxes in Canada, as well as a new carbon tax here in BC. The SVX is my daily driver now, as my son has taken a few things off the Sprint and not replaced them yet! I work split shifts and need the car...4 buses a day...don't think so.

But to put it in perspective, gas is still cheaper, I believe, than a liter of bottled water. So I'll drink tap water, filtered at home, and drive the SVX.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by It's Just Eric

Hmmm....Completly gut the car, and never run with more than a quarter tank. The reduced weight should help reduce the fuel used to movethe car.

Also, dont slow down for corners, youll use more fuel trying to re-accelerate after a turn

Actually studies have shown that you get better gas mileage from full to 1/2 then you do from that point on despite the weight savings as water infiltrates into the tank.

[SubaruSVXCrazy]

Originally Posted by ensteele

The biggest change I can think of is to burn regular instead of Premium fuel. That would save $.20 or more /gal.

Yea but aren't there disadvantages to that?, cuz they were designed to run on premium. I know the computer can compensate for it.

[Sir. Nate]

Horse drawn SVX anyone?

[SubaruSVXCrazy]

Originally Posted by TomsSVX

Nuffin a 12guage wouldn't fix

Tom

That's a good one.

[SubaruSVXCrazy]

1) Tire pressure
2) Clean air filter
3) Clean gas filter
4) Travel at 55 MPH on the highway
5) Don't speed up to a stop
6) Don't turn on the power light
7) Coast if possible
8) Keep the RPM's low during cruising speeds
9) Don't ride the brake
10) Don't rapidly accelerate (Drive smoothly)
11) Good spark plugs
12) Clean MAF sensor
13) Good oxygen sensors
14) Good flowing cat
15) Remove excess weight
16) Wax
17) Use the correct grade oil
18) On the highway, use a steady speed
19) Avoid excessive idling
18) Maintain momentum when climbing hills
19) Maintain a steady speed
20) Aviod congested aread
21) Keep a good following distance from the next car
22) Avoid using the AC (Use the vent)
23) Don't slow up for turns
24) Gut the car
25) Siphon

[blackbolt94red]

the other day on the tube there was a gas station security video (at night) of a guy pulling up with a large utility trailer, and he stops over the underground tank inlets. Time passes and he pulls away. Turns out he was pumping up from the underground tanks into some sort of drum or holding tank in his trailer. Got away with many gallons. Waaaaaay back in '73, during the first OPEC crisis, when gas shot up to oh, maybe .50 cents a gallon, my stoner pals and I thought that little gig up. At the time, most of us were driving "hippie vans", mostly chevys and we thought it would be so simple to put a trap-door in the floor of a van, get a hand pump and a 55 gallon drum and you know, liberate some gas................now think Cheech and Chong because sure as shooting, someone was going to light a doobie on the way home and............................

We never did do this, and we thought of many variations but, well I'm older and wiser now and you know, as far as I know, most folks still don't lock those inlets to this day. At least here in the sticks they still don't.

Bruce

[crazyhorse]

Originally Posted by TomsSVX

Nuffin a 12guage wouldn't fix

Tom

Nuffin a half dozen mothballs in the gas can didn't fix.

Originally Posted by It's Just Eric

Hmmm....Completly gut the car, and never run with more than a quarter tank. The reduced weight should help reduce the fuel used to movethe car.

Also, dont slow down for corners, youll use more fuel trying to re-accelerate after a turn

Heck, I've been doing that all along....well except the gut the car part. Actually, there wasa week or so that the Pinto was gutted so I could redo the interior.....

[SVXyGirl]

[JLHollowX13]

Originally Posted by ensteele

The biggest change I can think of is to burn regular instead of Premium fuel. That would save $.20 or more /gal.

i dont know about anyone else, but everytime i put regular in my car i get TERRIBLE gas mileage. last time i did it (gas was at about $3 then) i put i think $25 in from E. 2 days later i was on E again, so i used premium, $25 again (so i actually got a little less gas than i did with regular), and it lasted almost double that, same distance driven on a daily basis also, just to school, work, then home on same roads, conditions, etc.

2 days worth of my normal driving on $25 of regular
almost 4 days worth of my normal driving on $25 of premium

i dont know if that was just a fluke or what but i thought it was wierd.

[lechnoid]

If you hit a lot of stoplights during your commute, shut the car off at the lights. Can't use gas if it's not running.

[Hocrest]

Both times that I've started using 87 in an SVX the first tank gave awful mileage. After that though, it went back up to what I was getting before with premium.

[TomsSVX]

Originally Posted by lechnoid

If you hit a lot of stoplights during your commute, shut the car off at the lights. Can't use gas if it's not running.

It takes more energy to restart the car than it does to leave it running. Don't forget all the power you drain restarting it is simply going to be re-energized by the alternator causing you to burn more gas. Not to mention the car is using more gas to start than it does to idle for 2 minutes

Tom

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by JLHollowX13

i dont know about anyone else, but everytime i put regular in my car i get TERRIBLE gas mileage.

I think the key with running lower-grade fuels is to keep the tank topped-off. Don't run it down to fumes then fill-'er-up with Econo-Sludge. Fill-up with premium, top-off with regular before you get below one-half tank, and alternate from there.

You'll save a buck or two per fuel stop. Running higher octane than needed is a total waste.

dcb

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally Posted by TomsSVX

It takes more energy to restart the car than it does to leave it running. Don't forget all the power you drain restarting it is simply going to be re-energized by the alternator causing you to burn more gas. Not to mention the car is using more gas to start than it does to idle for 2 minutes

Tom

Heh, it depends on what you drive, I guess. I was waiting outside a store, in my RX-8, for my wife. I watched the needle as it fell.

Concerning gas prices, I just sold my MR2, which got decent mileage, for an RX-8, which doesn't. Luckily, I have a 1mi commute. Gas prices aren't irrelevant, but I sure don't have to worry much.

I did take the RX-8 on a road trip to WI a couple weeks ago. Painful. I got right around 30mpg on the freeway in the SVX, so you guys have no excuse for complaining. That RX-8 gets 22-25mpg.