Gas Mileage

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by redlightningsvx

I usually fill mine with 89 and 93 occasionally

They probably live in "cities" with very long stretches of road and few stop lights.

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by Nevin

With AWD I get about 24 city, and have gotten 30 mpg hwy going about 85. That, however was on 93 octane. Normally I fill up with 92. Lord how I'd love to live in a land of 94!!

I doubt 94 octane would improve your gas mileage. Higher octane fuel is formulated to prevent knock, nothing more. Premium fuel is specified because of the relatively high compression ratio of the engine. Running regular gas might hurt mileage a bit if the ECU detects knock and fiddles with the timing, but higher than spec gains you nothing.

It's reasonable to assume a true FWD SVX might get slightly better mileage because it's not lugging the weight of the rear drive train, but placing the FWD fuse, for example, in an AWD vehicle won't make any difference.

I believe the EPA mileage numbers for the SVX were something like 17 city/24 highway; whatever you're doing to get 24 in town, keep it up, because that's extraordinary. Both of mine get 17+ in commuting with a cold tranny and hi 20s on the road (I recorded 30 mpg once), which is probably the best anyone should expect.

dcb

[SuberNatural]

Originally Posted by Hondasucks

Yeah cuz on my last tank I averaged 15.7 and that's Chevron premium at 3.19 a gallon! I'm tempted to fill with Arco regular at 2.73 and see if it gets any worse...

Waaaaa...... Its $3.35 a gallon for reg here.. ...quiturbichen lol

[Manarius]

Like I said before in another thread, I ran a tank of regular and a tank of 89 and there was no measurable fuel efficiency difference. I also believe that Lee runs his cars on regular with no problems as well.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by NikFu S.

Factory spec city mileage is 14 to 17.
The gas light indicator comes on with approximately 3 gallons reserved.
Winter fuel is concocted for easier starting, and generally nets lower mileage.

Keep your tires aired.
Keep your O2s and other exposed sensors clean.
Drop some weight.
Use light throttle pressure.
Don't idle for more than a minute or two.
Plan your routes.

Not much else you can do but buy a fuel efficient car for menial traveling.

Most of what Nik say here is 100%, except the last bit. There is plenty more you can do, and I have a few suggestions.
1)
It's winter. If you run your car idle to warm it up, your gas mileage can't be good. While the car is ticking over it is giving zero miles per gallon. If your commute is 20 mins and you warm up for 10 mins your city mileage will be 0 + 18 / 3 = 6 mpg!

I know this is an exaggeration, but you see the logic.
2)
Only use the aircon to defrost. Once the car is demisted, switch off the aircon pump. It's probably using 2 mpg or more.
3)
Service all your brake caliper seals and pistons. Our cars are old, and generally poorly serviced. Once the rubber seals degrade and wear on the brake pistons, when you apply the brakes, the pistons tend to stay rubbing after the pressure is released, because they can't easily get back in the sockets. Also, the pistons tend to "oval" the sockets which does not help in releasing either.

Driving a long run, this sticky brake piston business will not have a major effect in reducing your mileage, because you are not using the brakes often per mile, and they work free and drag the disk less.

On city runs, you are using the brakes every hundred yards, half your journey your sticky pistons are dragging the disks. Result? Yep, poor mileage.

If you want to check out this theory, try pushing the car in neutral from cold, see how freely it moves!

Fixing problem 3) will give you the biggest benefit in mpg.

Joe

[NikFu S.]

That is something I have never thought of.

Then again, my brakes never seemed sticky.

In sub 10 weather it seems sticky, but I figured the brake fluid was just goo.

[Hocrest]

A bad wheel bearing can also have a negative impact on mileage.

[Wikedjuggalo]

I am going to clean my Throttle body tomorrow, but as far as O2 sensors I have no idea what to do about checking them. I keep my tires inflated. Any other suggestions?

[Maxamus]

Ok so im new to this whole posting thing but I have a 92 LS-L and My Grandmother has a 93 LS-L. He has a Tornado Fuel Saver on it. My Grandpa put it in and has lived by it ever since. Im telling you He has 1 on every 1 of his vehicles now. He tood his Ford Excursion snowmobiling in MI (he lives in Iowa). Saved him about $100.00 round trip. Hope this helps. Its kinda steap in price but it will pay for itself. Hope this is of help to yah

[svxistentialist]

Maxamus, you are very welcome to the Network, and thank you for the informative first post!!

It certainly looks like the theory may work, and I trust your grandpa's feedback, but it looks like one of those things that you would have to believe in before you purchased.

I'm sceptical about things like magnets in fuel lines and ionisers and so on, but this looks reasonable.

Hey, if anybody buys one and tries it out, could you give us a review of the product using objective comparisons for before/after tests. It could be useful if it's real.

Joe

[Maxamus]

Yeah I cant realy get 1 right now for mine to test. because im in the middle of workin on my svx. I would ask my Granpaps about it on the SVX he has but it gets drivin about 20 miles a month. But I dont know what it would do for ans SVX. My cousin has my old 1500 shevy pickup. has a 350 smallblock tipicle bowtie but he got a cold air intake and a tornado for it and he gets 15 miles to the gallon in the city. Stock it got 10. Yeah she driniks alot. I know it works on v8s real well but Not sure about an H6. So hope sombody buys 1 so we can all see how well it works. Wish I could do it but I have to replace a head gasket.

[NikFu S.]

If tornado fuel savers work, it's because it restricts air intake. Less air is measured, so less fuel is delivered, but only slightly. I'm sure the more thirsty the engine the "better" it works.

The theory is that device somehow causes the air charge to "swirl" which results in better mixture, but do you honestly think the air continues to swirl in little tornados after it splits 4 to 8 different direction in the manifold, not to mention whatever bumps and sudden bends it needs to negotiate before then, as is the case with our SVX?
Also, think of the butterfly valve on the throttle body. Any swirl you have going will be interupted right there.

[Crazy_pilot]

The only "real" results I have ever seen from one of those finned intake thingies was an obliterated engine. The thing was postioned after the MAF, so there's absolutely nothing screening the intake from debris. The thing self-destructed, the engine ate little bits of aluminum, and then there was a rather severe case of indigestion.

Saving $100 on fuel on a 1000+mile round trip could be attributed to any number of factors. Maybe that particular day he had tailwinds for the whole trip there and back. Maybe the oil had just been changed. Lots and lots of factors.

The number one thing that makes gas go away quickly is my right foot. If I use it a lot, gas is gone fast. If I use it less, I can go farther. Driving habits have the biggest effect of all.

[YourConfused]

Originally Posted by Maxamus

Yeah I cant realy get 1 right now for mine to test. because im in the middle of workin on my svx. I would ask my Granpaps about it on the SVX he has but it gets drivin about 20 miles a month. But I dont know what it would do for ans SVX. My cousin has my old 1500 shevy pickup. has a 350 smallblock tipicle bowtie but he got a cold air intake and a tornado for it and he gets 15 miles to the gallon in the city. Stock it got 10. Yeah she driniks alot. I know it works on v8s real well but Not sure about an H6. So hope sombody buys 1 so we can all see how well it works. Wish I could do it but I have to replace a head gasket.

I have an old 1500 GMC (shevy) w/ a 350 and about 180k on it. I average about 17mpg. I have tried various things (over the last decade) to change this average mpg, but the truck doesn't care what is done to it as it has a mind of its own. 10 mpg is really really low.

My SVX on the otherhand seems to always need to have the power light on and as a result averages 15mpg.

[Wikedjuggalo]

I cleaned the Throttle body we will see if it helps ^^