How to get better gas mileage?

[assman]

Ok so after that whole retard thread above, im sure you know it, I got to thinking of how to get better mileage as he said.

So what exactly would I need to reduce my boost, is it simply a boost controller, if so which one?

Also would it be worth it to get a boost gauge just to keep an eye on it or ...


Some may ask why I want to do this I should have jsut bought a regular 3. Yes your right for 1/2 the year when its winter but when its summer I love the boost.

Thanks

[Young Roids]

OUr cars get horrible mileage. That is the one let down so far v8 mustangs can get about the same gas mileage as us if not better.

[happy and angry]

Shift before 3,000 and don't use more than 1/3rd throttle and you'll get better mileage. Stomp it and accelerate hard at WOT and you'll get stupid low mileage.

Mustang lists at 22 mpg highway, and we list at 26 mpg highway, by the way, so don't listen to Roids, he's kind of... wrong. Drive it gentle and you'll get decent fuel economy. I know it's hard, but that's what it's going to take.

[clos561]

get a boost gauge and keep ur car under vacuum, ull get 25mpg at least. i drive with heavy foot sometimes and still get 23-24 city

[PaulVincent]

A light foot on the throttle will get me 31 on the highway and a 27.2 overall average. I can get far less, but it's my choice.

[Hirudin]

I got gas "enhanced" with ethanol the last 2 times, I'm getting much poorer mileage now. I can't say it's a direct correlation, but those will be my last 2 enhanced tanks for a long time.

[Young Roids]

Shift before 3,000 and don't use more than 1/3rd throttle and you'll get better mileage. Stomp it and accelerate hard at WOT and you'll get stupid low mileage.

Mustang lists at 22 mpg highway, and we list at 26 mpg highway, by the way, so don't listen to Roids, he's kind of... wrong. Drive it gentle and you'll get decent fuel economy. I know it's hard, but that's what it's going to take.

Each car is gonna be different of course just like all cars are gonna tune differntly and dyno differently but my car seems to be getting really bad mileage just maintaning a constant speed records like 21 mpg on my computer while my average is 13mpg. Now some one said that this should go up with time but so far poor mileage.

[Dream]

Gas milage is 100% adjustable, its called your right foot. Also, if your looking for great mpgs, you bought the wrong car.

[assman]

Thanks Captain Obvious, im not sure who to quote one, or all, of you idiots. I not a fucking handicap I know that if I press harder on the gas I get worse gas mileage.

So if noone is going to give me a decent answer the mods might as well close this thread.

[Young Roids]

Thanks Captain Obvious, im not sure who to quote one, or all, of you idiots. I not a fucking handicap I know that if I press harder on the gas I get worse gas mileage.

So if noone is going to give me a decent answer the mods might as well close this thread.

:rolleyes: And I was trying to provide meaningfull info to you. Now you've gone and done it I've got the roid rage. I guess that's what I get for responding to a guy by the name of "assman".

[assman]

OUr cars get horrible mileage. That is the one let down so far v8 mustangs can get about the same gas mileage as us if not better.

This is meaningfull info?

Common retard.

[fastdreams]

Thanks Captain Obvious, im not sure who to quote one, or all, of you idiots. I not a fucking handicap I know that if I press harder on the gas I get worse gas mileage.

So if noone is going to give me a decent answer the mods might as well close this thread.

Wow...

Well I'd say the answers fit the question.

Here's a thought, do your own research and find out for yourself since you are so brilliant. :rolleyes:

Happy holidays.

[Nokkers3]

I usually shift at around 3k rpm and stay light on the gas pedal, like the other posters have mentioned. I usually get around 320 miles per fill-up, but I'm also on the freeway 80% of the time :D

[Young Roids]

This is meaningfull info?

Common retard.

I used to drive a 4.6L 32valve V8 back when that was the engine in the cobra mustang, so I was speaking from experience. The MS3 is so far very dissapointing in regards to fuel mileage. Of course I shouldn't even bother responding to you anymore after your juvenille attacks thus far.

[chriscecc914]

id think the best way to get better gas mileage is to get tuned and lean out those ultra rich stock air fuel ratio's. It will make more power and use less fuel and still be safe. Turning down the boost is just going to make the ecu confused and the car will prob still dump alot of fuel.

[Dream]

His screen name fits him well.

[TRMS3]

Thanks Captain Obvious, im not sure who to quote one, or all, of you idiots. I not a fucking handicap I know that if I press harder on the gas I get worse gas mileage.

So if noone is going to give me a decent answer the mods might as well close this thread.

Ummm... maybe you need to try this ... haha (cryhard)

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[happy and angry]

Thanks Captain Obvious, im not sure who to quote one, or all, of you idiots. I not a fucking handicap I know that if I press harder on the gas I get worse gas mileage.

So if noone is going to give me a decent answer the mods might as well close this thread.Don't be a moron and come in here asking stupid questions then. The entire premise behind your question is dumb. You want to detune the car for better economy? How? You honestly think you can improve on the factory map when vehicle companies face such high pressures to maximize fuel economy?

Maybe you want to lower boost? Just stay out of boost. When you're hitting boost you're high in the RPM range and hard on the throttle, so instead of lowering boost (and performance) when you're being heavy footed, just stay the hell out of boost. What's the point of chopping boost pressure to save on fuel when you're only hitting boost when you're obviously stomping on it? You wanna do 1/4 mile runs and save on gas? You wanna make the passing move on the highway and maintain 26 mpg?

Here's how you detune a car to get better mileage: throttle control. Learn it. Oh, or try this: reset your ECU and then 1000 miles on gentle throttle, "teach" the car how to run lean.

[3.slow]

I know how you can save on gas. You can run it so lean that no cylinders are getting fuel. You don't even have to worry about boost control either that way. Then you can take your bicycle out of the back of the hatch and ride it to work or wherever. Problem solved.

When I try to get good gas mileage I shift at 2k, but I end up going WOT because of the boredom of no boost. I get about 19 mpg.

[Hirudin]

Wow, you people are so righteous! "Well if you wanted economy why did you buy a sporty car?" ... "I don't care about gas mileage, you shouldn't either." "Here's an idea: save on gas by never driving!"...

[robsSpeed3]

To the O.P.,

I have an 08 MS3 and I love it despite 19MPG I have gotten in my first 2,100 miles.

I almost bought an 07 accord 4cylinder, which was a far better deal, and would get me at least 10 MPG better milage. The dealer was a jerk, in short, didn't follow up , and comming from 17 years of Honda experience, I felt a little bit disloyal...but my MAZDASpeed3 is by far more exciting to drive.. and to own.

Live a little, pretty soon there will not be cars like this, and if you are driving a lot - budget for gas...Don't lug this gem, because it was not ment to be driven that way. Expect 20 MPG at best, and feel lucky you have once owned a truly unique car that does everything well.

I've had an RX8 which was a on par for speed if you drove it right, better handling, but much more pleasing to the eye, there was far better comfort for the driver (ME) and my ego, yet it was eating up more of my spare money that I cared to give to the car...so I traded it in! If none of that appeals to you, sell it, and get a ..something, that will get you your desired MPG. There are plenty of deals out there, and you have a pretty good trade in, just make sure you do your homework, and get what you really want next time. We have all made mistakes in our lives, and there are more to be made if don't learn from our experiences. This car will not get you a significantly better milage even if you mod it , and even more, why get a high performance car and pay a premium for it if you just want a regular car?

Best of wishes,

Merry Christmas ,or Happy Holidays

[TRMS3]

Wow, you people are so righteous!...(uhm)

The entire premise behind (the) question is dumb...
(iagree)

Thanks Captain Obvious...
(stupid)

Merry Christmas ,or Happy Holidays
(2thumbs)(stopwar)(group)

[SwampAss]

This thread is mildly amusing.


I score mileage in the high 20s on average. I'll score low to mid 30s with extended highway driving.

Keep your tires inflated and your air filter clean. Lighter wheels helped boost me about an MPG. $1300 might take a long time to recoup that money though.

At the risk of being the second captain obvious in this thread, the biggest mod you can make to improve mileage is your right foot. Lots of miracle cure alls out there claiming to increase mileage but none of them seem to make any difference in testing.

I get about 45-47 MPG now. I ride my motorcycle. (second)

[3.slow]

The block mod is my favorite. Put a chunk of wood under the accelerator that only allows it to go half throttle. Then you don't have to worry about your right foot because you won't be able to go WOT or even speed for that matter.

[Kurt07]

I didn't know I was supposed to be worried about the gas milage of my MS3. If I want good gas milage, I will drive my wife's Focus.

[assman]

WOW this thread has really grown since I last came on.

Well im going to go try everything you guys suggested.

I put a piece of wood under the gas pedal, Im not going to shift after 2k and at every light im going to turn the car off.

Other then that thanks for all the great advice.

and Swampass, I have a bike too unfortunately I cant drive it in the winter, what do you ride? I have an 07 SV650S

[aciurczak]

I score mileage in the high 20s on average. I'll score low to mid 30s with extended highway driving.

This boggles my mind. If I enable the cruise control in 6th gear at 65 mph on flat level ground, the Scangauge never goes over 28 mpg, ever. (sure the onboard mazda one may touch 29 or 30, but it always reads 3 mpg high). If someone held a gun to my head I still wouldn't be able to get 30+ mpg out of this car. Tires inflated properly, clean air filter, zero extra weight in car, wheels properly aligned, you name it. I don't mind getting poor mileage when I'm using the car in fun (18 mpg on "fun" tanks, also if it sits in excessive bumper-to-bumper traffic). But it does slightly irk me that this small 4 cylinder in a light car doesn't get better mileage if the driver does make an effort to conserve.

[SwampAss]

I have a ZZR 1200.

(it's the updated version of the ZX11)

I usually get about 330-360 before the light. I've never put more than 12 gallons in it.

That's me commuting. 60mph (speed limit is 55) all country roads with only 2 traffic lights. If I take the back way, it's 45mph the whole way.

I've set my cruise at a tick under 70 on the interstate and score low 30s on average. I don't know what to say other than that's what I get.
When I beat on it, my mileage suffers dramatically. I've averaged as low as 22mpg a tank.

My actual math (not counting the mileage meter in the car) is about 2mpg less than reported.

[aciurczak]

It sounds like you truly have the optimum commute for great mileage! FWIW, both of my bikes get better mileage than the MS3 (ZX-10R & BMW RT). But if you count the tire cost, the cost per mile is much higher on the bikes than any car.

[turbobst]

Better Gas Mileage

Drive with your windows rolled up, don't use your A/C and keep the car washed and smooth. The extra dirt casuses drag!

[assman]

Swampass, i just got my bike this september so i only have 1000km on it. How long are tires supposed to last, 15000km ?

[aciurczak]

Not sure if this was addressed to me, but tire life varies depending on type of tire, riding style, type of bike, etc. If you're a relatively new rider, with the stock tires on the SV, I'd expect 6k - 8k miles out of them. The front may go 8k - 10k miles, while the rear 6k - 8k is more likely. On my 10R a rear tire is good for 2.5k - 3k miles, and a front is 4k - 5k. On the RT I get 3k - 4k out of a rear, and 5k - 6k out of the front.

[assman]

well 10 miles is 16 km so my guess is pretty close. Plus there are no real twisties around here so destined for chicken strips.

[3.slow]

It doesn't matter that our cars are 4 cylinders. It is horsepower, not necessarly the size of the motor that determines mpg. 260 hp is comparable to the early 2000 mustang gt's that get around 20mpg. Guess what, no matter what I do I cannot get above 20 MPG. V8 vs. I4. 260HP vs. 260HP.

[aciurczak]

That's not quite the whole story. A 500 hp vette gets 27 mpg on the highway. A Toyota Avalon with 270 hp that weighs 1000 pounds more than our car gets 30+ mpg on the highway. Fuel consumption is more directly correlated to horsepower used, rather than peak horsepower.

It only takes 25 - 30 hp for a modern car to move along at 65 mph. But our cars are surprisingly inefficient making that 25-30hp compared to the state of the art. A large V8 idling at 2k rpm can be pretty darned efficient.

When we use the max hp often on these cars, for example on a racetrack, the fuel usage is astronomical (I averaged 6 mpg the last few sessions a few weeks back).

[3.slow]

That's not quite the whole story. A 500 hp vette gets 27 mpg on the highway. A Toyota Avalon with 270 hp that weighs 1000 pounds more than our car gets 30+ mpg on the highway. Fuel consumption is more directly correlated to horsepower used, rather than peak horsepower.

It only takes 25 - 30 hp for a modern car to move along at 65 mph. But our cars are surprisingly inefficient making that 25-30hp compared to the state of the art. A large V8 idling at 2k rpm can be pretty darned efficient.

When we use the max hp often on these cars, for example on a racetrack, the fuel usage is astronomical (I averaged 6 mpg the last few sessions a few weeks back).


The corvette does not have a close ratio 6 speed like our cars that hovers around 3k at cruising speed. It has a 6th gear that can go up to 198 MPH. That tall 6th gear keeps that monster v8 at engine idling speed when cruising boosting overall MPG. The Toyota Avalon does not push 15.6 pounds of boost either does it?? When you get in boost this car eats big time. It loves to suck down that 91 octane faster than you can fill it up. Having a lot of fun, I got 4.5 MPG today. The turbo is the equalizer in the equation because we are getting equal gas mileage to motors twice our size and twice as many cylinders.

[aciurczak]

That's just it, when we get into boost all bets are off; nobody cares much about gas mileage. Pack as much air and fuel into those 4 cylinders as is reasonably possible. I just wish when we stayed completely out of boost while moseying along the highway in top gear, the engine was a bit more efficient.

[2ManyCars]

The corvette does not have a close ratio 6 speed like our cars that hovers around 3k at cruising speed. It has a 6th gear that can go up to 198 MPH. That tall 6th gear keeps that monster v8 at engine idling speed when cruising boosting overall MPG. The Toyota Avalon does not push 15.6 pounds of boost either does it?? When you get in boost this car eats big time. It loves to suck down that 91 octane faster than you can fill it up. Having a lot of fun, I got 4.5 MPG today. The turbo is the equalizer in the equation because we are getting equal gas mileage to motors twice our size and twice as many cylinders.

(iagree) My C6 routinely gets 30+ MPG at 80 mph because that 6th gear has it sitting at about 1600 rpm. My MS3 sits at over 3000 rpm for the same speed and gets about 25 MPG. Both suffer equally when the level of fun/zoom increases... :)

[happy and angry]

That's just it, when we get into boost all bets are off; nobody cares much about gas mileage. Pack as much air and fuel into those 4 cylinders as is reasonably possible. I just wish when we stayed completely out of boost while moseying along the highway in top gear, the engine was a bit more efficient.This is the problem with the question that started this thread. He actually wanted to know if there was a way to lower boost to up fuel economy. Boost is, by its very nature, a means of burning more fuel than a naturally aspirated engine can normally. It is designed to burn MORE fuel per cycle, not less. Lowering boost just means you can burn a little bit less EXTRA fuel. It's not going to provide him any "better" fuel economy to lower boost except when compared to a car running more boost at WOT. The guy basically asked "So when I'm at half throttle or better at 4,000 RPM and at full boost, could I improve my fuel economy by lowering boost?" It's a dumb question. The proverbial having your cake and eating it too, wanting better fuel economy while in boost. If you want to remap boost for better mileage, just learn throttle control instead of trying to do something moronic. It's easier to stay under 3,000 rpm than it is to remap, and you'll get better results. That, and other typical means of maximizing fuel economy (tire inflation, balancing, windows up, clean car, no A/C, no internal fan, proper shifting, etc.) are going to improve your fuel economy.

[blkMs3th]

I get 25-32 mpg on mixture of back roads and highway, usually 300 miles before I put in about 12 gallons (I can get worse if I try, but I do enjoy the car). FWIW my car is stock and I started getting better mileage around the 10K mark. I don't know how much of that is how I drove it new versus engine break in, but I've read other reporting an increase in mpg as the mileage increased. I kept track of the first 11K worth of mpg - using my own math, and there were quite a few < 20 mpg average tanks in there. That was when I was working for The Man and driving in stop and go rush hour traffic, but some of those had heavy highway driving as well.

[assman]

Finally a decent answer, although you didnt have to say it was a dumb question. All I wanted to know from the start was if I reduce the boost from what it is to 1/2 of what it is could I get better gas mileage.

Well it looks like I cant.

[SwampAss]

^ see! I'm not crazy!

[happy and angry]

Finally a decent answer, although you didnt have to say it was a dumb question. All I wanted to know from the start was if I reduce the boost from what it is to 1/2 of what it is could I get better gas mileage.

Well it looks like I cant.A vehicle running 7.5 PSI will get better fuel economy than a vehicle running 15 PSI AT FULL BOOST. So, yes, you can get better economy, but only when you're in boost. When you're in boost, you're obviously not really concerned with economy.

The point of a turbo is to force more air into each cylinder, so that more fuel can be burned. When you up the amount of air in the cylinder, you can up the amount of fuel and still maintain the ideal air/fuel ratio (something like 11.7 or whatever). The very point of a turbo is to burn MORE fuel and thus get MORE power out of every cycle. Lowering boost is only going to improve economy in boost, but why do you want to be more fuel efficient in boost? That's why I called it a stupid question, although I could have phrased it better. Sorry about that.

[assman]

ok ok, i get it now. If im going WOT alot and I reduce my boost then I will save otherwise if I drive fiarly regularly then it wont matter.

In my last car a CAI actually got me better gas mileage, do you know how the mazdaspeed intakes do for the ms3?

[Hirudin]

...
In my last car a CAI actually got me better gas mileage, do you know how the mazdaspeed intakes do for the ms3?
Most people say they get 2-3 more mpg. (I ain't got no CAI so I can't speak for meself.)

[Moonpie.Express]

Not trying to flame at all here but some of the numbers people are posting has me flabbergasted (just needed to use that word today).

I do use the trip computer on the car and I do agree that it is probably is 2-3 mpg off. That being said, I routinely get 30-31.5 mpg on the hiway. Cruise control set, when I can, anywhere from 75-80 (regular trip on I-95 from Stafford to Petersburg, Va). Average speed buy trip comp. anywhere from 65-71 mph. I do reset the trip computer average speed and mpg once I get on the Interstate and sometimes when I fill up.

Want to see how much gas goes away? Use that current mpg avg setting and stomp on it. My son and I where trying to see how low we could get the mpg reading. How does zero sound. I do understand that the accuracy of the TC is questionable. Also, I see the biggest boost in 6th, stomp on it and watch that needle go to 17 psi. Although cruising on the hiway is normally more than 10 in of vacuum.

City driving I have seen 22-26 mpg. And yes, I do like to get in the gas (its unfair to the car not to) more often than not.

I do use Shell almost exclusively and have seen MPG gains from it (I think SwampAss was the one that did the research on that).

Just wondering the methods in determining MPG's.

Not flaming, just curious.

[Demi]

ok ok, i get it now. If im going WOT alot and I reduce my boost then I will save otherwise if I drive fiarly regularly then it wont matter.

In my last car a CAI actually got me better gas mileage, do you know how the mazdaspeed intakes do for the ms3?

Well ive seen HUGE fuel economy improvement with the CAI. I mean a real noticeable difference. I would recommend it to anyone that owns this car. If i drive conservatively a tank of gas can last me almost two weeks, as where before (of course this is driving hard alot) i was filling up 3-4 times every two weeks.

[aciurczak]

I see zero difference with the CAI. Didn't hurt economy, but didn't help it one bit for me.

[Demi]

I see zero difference with the CAI. Didn't hurt economy, but didn't help it one bit for me.

What kind did you get? Did you reset your CPU?

[aciurczak]

Mazdaspeed. The battery should be disconnected during the install, and I did so, which should reset the ECU.

[CamelFilters]

People shouldnt worry about mileage in the first place when buying this car, let alone it uses premium gas only.

The best solution is get a second car that's designed for good mileage.
A good example would be a prius :)
I drive mine on those days where i just want to get around and not have to worry about gas costs. Avg range 750 km on 39L(regular) of gas or 46.6MPG.
my mazdaspeed3 avg range 380km on 40L or 22MPG.
And yes, i do have heavy foot regardless of which car i drive.

[happy and angry]

My son and I where trying to see how low we could get the mpg reading. How does zero sound. I do understand that the accuracy of the TC is questionable.Sounds entirely reasonable to me. Off throttle and in gear, the injectors shut off completely, meaning you are burning zero fuel.
Just wondering the methods in determining MPG's.The trip computer is exact mileage and the fuel consumption monitor show averages. Fill your tank. Run for the entire tank as far as you dare. Fill up again. Subtract what you put in from what the capacity of the tank is. The number you get is what you had left after the first run. This lets you figure out how much fuel you burned. Calculate your average fuel consumption from that. Compare it to the fuel consumption average for that tank of gas. Your numbers are going to be very, very, very similar.

[happy and angry]

People shouldnt worry about mileage in the first place when buying this car, let alone it uses premium gas only.Why not? I bet over the life of my car I spend less on the MS3, insurance and fuel consumed than you do on the MS3, Prius, insurance and fuel consumed.

Besides that, not everyone can afford two cars. Some people bought the car because it's a pretty powerful little package that can still be a sedate daily driver for grocery runs and long highway cruises. It's not a damn sports car, it's a practical performance car. That it still puts up pretty good mpg numbers is a selling point. Of course people care about it.

[TRSpeed3]

i get 22-23 city/highway driving on stock boost...on 18psi i get 15-16 city/highway

[CamelFilters]

Why not? I bet over the life of my car I spend less on the MS3, insurance and fuel consumed than you do on the MS3, Prius, insurance and fuel consumed.

Besides that, not everyone can afford two cars. Some people bought the car because it's a pretty powerful little package that can still be a sedate daily driver for grocery runs and long highway cruises. It's not a damn sports car, it's a practical performance car. That it still puts up pretty good mpg numbers is a selling point. Of course people care about it.

Thanks, i aggree. i should have mentioned what i said to only for those who can afford more than one car. As for mileage though, i'm reading other people here are even willing to modify their cars to boost mileage. With all the news now about analysts predicting maybe even $1.30/L - $1.50/L for regular gas in the spring and summer. That's a scary thought for some of us who cant afford that.

[wolverine_man]

Shift before 3,000 and don't use more than 1/3rd throttle and you'll get better mileage. Stomp it and accelerate hard at WOT and you'll get stupid low mileage.



Would you suggest the same for a regular 2.3 S? I am currently shifting at about 3 grand each time based on your post. Occasionally, I wind it out more than that, but she's still pretty new.

[happy and angry]

You'll always get better mileage with slower acceleration. As for shift points and ideal cruising RPMs, check the manual. It gives you shift points, and it picks them based on economy over anything else. Also, don't speed.

[wolverine_man]

Thanks. I read the manual cover to cover but somehow don't remember the shift point stuff. I'll check it out. As for speeding, I try hard not to, but it's so hard. You guys (and gals) with Speeds must ... well, there's a reason why they call it the Speed3. :D