Hello from a hypercommuter
 

Well, kinda. I have a 50 mile one way commute to work. I drive a 2001 SAAB 9-5 2.3l 4 cyl turbo. Have to use premium....:( Stock hwy mpg is 27. I tend to get up in the 30's, though, as many 9-5 drivers do. Just looking around for fuel saving tips.

Hello and welcome to the site bkrell. The first area to focus on is driving technique. You'll see your best and cheapest gains here. Check out our list of driving tips here:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hyperm...ecodriving.php

Pick out a few and watch them increase your FE, then try a few more.


Other than the driving tips I'd look into aero mods as your traveling at high speeds. Check out the aerodynamics forum and its sticky.

Yep I've read the tips and I had really thought about aero mods. I'll certainly need to take a look at that forum. I've got to research a few of the issues reagrding my aerodynamics....

Is premium strictly required? Will the ECU not back off timing etc., based on knock sensor feedback if you run lower octane gas?

Welcome to the site.

No, it's not strictly required but recommended. But I've always observed a drop off in mpg due to the timing being backed off. Now, I've never tried running the car on 87 being overly fuel conscious. Perhaps that's worth an experimental tank or two.

Wow, that banner makes me look like I'm actually driving great already......

bkrell -

Welcome to EM! From what I have read, the key to Turbo's and MPG is driving below the "turbo activation line". You've got the small displacment, so you should be able to get wring some nice MPG out of your Saab.

Are you a B235E or a B235R? I am thinking B235E because of your garage baseline comparison MPG. I don't know what the B235E engine(?) designation means, I just read it on the EPA mpg website.

CarloSW2

Get a new Gen ScanGauge II.
It has read out in cost per mile / trip/ tank/ day etc. I tried it on the Vibe and found out that Premium cost about 1/3 cent per mile LESS than 87 (at current price levels). May/ May nt be worth while loss in MPG switching to lower octane .. .

Welcome to the site. I think you might be the first Saab here.

Welcome to ecomodder! Definitely check out the ecodriving tips that Daox linked earlier, :)

B is the SAAB engine family.
23 is 2.3 liters
5 I believe means it's the fifth iteneration of the engine
the R engine must be the higher output Aero model (and all 9-5s now) that make 250-260 hp depending on year.

The figures I inputted in the "garage" are the revised EPA numbers. But oddly they state that the higher output engine is the only one requiring premium. I know in my manual it's recommended, not required, but I've never used 87 were it didn't sound like I had a tdi under my hood.....And I'm pretty religious about fuel system and combustion chamber cleaning. I regularly take a peak down into my spark plug holes to check for carbon.

Here's the quote from the owner's manual:

Around here my only options are 87, 89, and 92 or 93. Any time I've run 89 it's been just like using 87. But, as I said, I'll try it running off boost as much as possible and seem if my mpg changes. In prior experiments, I'd get as much as a 4-5 mpg drop.

As for Scangauge, I have a trip mpg function right now along with a "distance to empty function." It was pretty accurate when I'd checked it in the past but perhaps it's time to check it again...