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Old 08-15-2008, 10:09 PM   #13 (permalink)
azraelswrd
Mr. Blue Tape
 
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 345

AzxA - '06 Scion xA
90 day: 42.72 mpg (US)
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Wow, that's a lot of hwy miles. I concur with the general theme that changing your driving style/habits will translate into the most immediate MPG improvements. Scangauge (or some form of instant MPG feedback) can help.

My sig has the 5 basic areas you can look into to improve upon:

DRIVING STYLE
- what everyone has already said. Make sure to read the 100+ tips on the upper right corner of the page.
- know your car and what it is capable of (automatic vs manual transmission, is it flat-towable, understand your shift points, optimal speed and rpm)

AERODYNAMICS
- smooth out the air your car has to move through with grill blocks, removing drag-producing objects and surfaces such as roof racks, covering over "unsmooth" features, belly pan, front/rear wheel skirts, smooth hubcaps, front/side/rear wheel fairings, antenna removal, passenger side mirror removal, kammback/boattail

TIRES
- increasing tire pressure up to but not more than the max sidewall rating on the tire. I have my tires up to 40psi.
- switching from stock tires to low rolling resistance tires

WEIGHT
- reduce excess mass in and on the car.
- replacing heavier stock parts for lighter replacements

ENGINE
- make sure it is properly maintained as per manufacturer recommendations from oil, oil filter, fluids, tire rotation/alignment, batteries, spark plugs.
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My 5 pillars of fuel efficiency:
  • driving style
  • aerodynamics
  • tires
  • weight reduction
  • engine maintenance
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