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Old 10-14-2009, 06:01 PM   #87 (permalink)
jcp123
Just cruisin’ along
 
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 1,183

Beater Echo - '00 Toyota Echo
90 day: 42.67 mpg (US)

Hondizzle - '97 Honda Civic DX
Team Honda
90 day: 46.55 mpg (US)

Shaggin Waggin - '14 Chrysler Town + Country
90 day: 22.56 mpg (US)
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Yeah, good point, the magazine does have more resources than the rest of us for testing accurately...heck, I don't even have an SG I can hook up to my car (OBDII was another 29 years away ), though, so observing the consistency of results is all I have, much like the way they conducted their test...though over a longer period of time than a mere 52 mile test course. 7 tanks in a row, immediately, over 17mpg (a 20% improvement in my normal 14mpg FE) was enough to tell me that leaning out my carb and backing my cruise speed down to 40mph was statistically a valid increase. If it'd been just one tank, or some 52 mile test loop, though, I wouldn't have been convinced at all and would be equally dubious had I been on their staff.

If they insist on testing that out without the dyno time, then I'd even tell them to average out a few weeks' worth of driving before and after and see if there's any kind of improvement that's statistically valid. Like you, I don't see how a K+N is going to account for a 10% FE increase.
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'97 Honda Civic DX Coupe 5MT - dead 2/23
'00 Echo - dead 2/17
'14 Chrysler Town + Country - My DD, for now
'67 Mustang Convertible - gone 1/17

Last edited by jcp123; 10-14-2009 at 06:07 PM..
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