Quote:
Originally Posted by ChillyBear
Well Im new to the whole eco tuning, and im weaning off of performance tuning. I just bought a ford focus 2.0l zetech with a 5 speed. I bought this car because the engine has solid lifters so I can really lug it around at low rpms. Now im not hardcore about mileage, I still go full throttle on a regular basis BUT I drive to hours each way for my weekend commute and I will be driving 80 miles per day to school next year.
Here's my question- do cold air intakes really improve my mileage? And what about a less restrictive exhaust or headers? Basically, I want to mod my car in a way that won't effect the looks or hurt performance (if it makes it faster thats fine by me, but give me a 10-15% increase in mileage. My first mod will be a block heater.
Also, what do you guys think of those pulse plugs? (the spark plugs with capacitors) they run $50 a piece, so if they are a scam I would like to know lol.
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So you're weaning off of performance tuning, but still feel the urge to gun it every once in a while, eh? That's me, too. It's interesting to note that the engine can withstand that kind of acceleration. SRI/CAI's are said to reduce pumping losses that are common in mass produced stock airboxes of the restrictive sort. Don't know about the percent of increase that your car will experience, but basically a larger diameter exhaust pipe (Depending on your car and application. On a naturally aspirated, mostly stock engine you don't want to go too big.) than your current one, granted that it's restrictive by design, can yield MPG gains through exhaust scavenging. This also reduces pumping losses (like a CAI or SRI) so that the engine doesn't have to work as hard to remove exhaust gasses (on top of everything else) that might've recirculated due to a high backpressure. I would look into the header, but only if you have enough money and patience to tune it soon after. I'm sure there's a way to have it biased towards fuel-effeciency rather than raw power with a stand-alone engine management system. But anyway, there are guys here who make it their goal to attain the highest MPG's possible. They'll be able to give you more insight on how to reach your goals. My info is from a more performance-oriented outlook.