MPG increased to 23 from 19.6

[Robin-535im]

1990 535 im w/ 3.91 LS diff.

My long term MPG is 19.6 per the OBC. With gas prices so high I've been driving like my grandma, or "pussy" as Anthony likes to call it (the driving style that is, not my grandma). So if this is "driving like a pussy," I guess my normal style of driving is best termed "driving like a dick." :)

After a few days my average is 23 MPG, for an increase of 17% over the long term average from the past few months. If it costs 18 x $2.5 = $45 to fill up a tank, I save $7.80 a fill up. If I fill up every two weeks, that's about $0.55 a day, or a little over a quarter on each way to/from work.

So the question is, do I pay an extra quarter for the fun experience of really enjoying my 535, or do I save the money and drive like I was in a Volvo 240 DL.

For that money... I think I prefer being a dick! Driving a hotrod E34 like a hotrod E34 is worth it. I'll just skip Starbucks and come out even.

- Robin

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

Driving like a dick: "I paid for 320HP and I'm using all of them, dammit!"

Driving like a pussy: "I'd drive a Toyota Ecccch-o but it'd be too big a hit to my masculinity."

Cheers,
AD

[Kalevera]

As with buying a BMW over any other car, it all comes down to preferences ;)

And then we're taxed based on how the government and/or society feels about those preferences.

best, whit

[Jeff N.]

Hey Robin...is that mostly highway or ??

[Robin-535im]

Hey Robin...is that mostly highway or ??

The commute is mostly on the freeway, but I usually have to run a few errands during the day which knocks it down a bit.

It's funny, but one or two hard pulls from a stoplight really ding the average.

Also, I've got a 3.5 bar FPR, so the OBC reading (assuming it uses pulse duration to calculate fuel delivery) will be optimistic. The 17% still holds, but the absolute miles per gallon are fewer than 23. (Apologies for the liters per km readers here - too lazy to do the conversions!)

I think I was about one MPG lower on average (18.5 vs. 19.6) before the FPR swap, so maybe my actual MPG when driving like the "penile impared" is closer to 21.8 or something.

[Brett619310]

Or use alternative transportation such as rideshare, subway, etc. to work a few days a week and have fun driving more "spirited" on the other days. I've made it a point to be more efficient on doing more errands at once, choosing to stay closer to home, etc. Its not so much about the money saved, but a matter of principle. If everyone did so, the demand for gas would decrease and that would sting the oil companies just a little bit.

[jplacson]

What's the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?

-On the porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.


:P We gotta live up to that joke!!! Hahahahahahaha!

[Marshy]

Try over $100 to fill the tank... no other way to get to work... which makes it about $200 a month just to get to the office and back.

[Jeff N.]

I've always wondered why the M30 gets such sucky mileage. Compaired to modern engines, it's just not very efficient.

It will be interesting to see if the 3.7 does any better (er..and why would it do that haha).

Jeff

[Robin-535im]

It will be interesting to see if the 3.7 does any better
Jeff

Only one way to find out! Any closer to getting that beast built up yet?

[Jeff N.]

Working on it - getting ready to get the block into the shop to be tested for the rebuild. Need to get the crank nut spun off so I can pull the crank out.

If the block and crank checks out, then I'll order up the pistons and get the machine shop started.

[Bill R.]

cruise on 75 with automatic, 2 people normal loads... I didn't think that was so bad actually for a 3.5 liter motor, my maxima never did any better and it was quite a bit lighter.. .but then again my corvette got just about the same on the highway with 5.7 liters. But i don't drive agressively either so that may have a big effect on mileage





I've always wondered why the M30 gets such sucky mileage. Compaired to modern engines, it's just not very efficient.

It will be interesting to see if the 3.7 does any better (er..and why would it do that haha).

Jeff

[Jeff N.]

I don't think that I ever have gotten that sort of mileage from my setup, even way back when it was fully stock.

I've never seen anything about the effect of a cam on effeciency of an engine. It would seem that you have a lower VE off cam and therefore would be less efficient. Of course, if you're stoich on the mixture, should it matter?

I'd love to have a wideband o2 meter to see my effective mixture is. I suspect it's running a bit rich would of course hurt mileage. Very difficult to really tell were you are with the MAF.

[Robin-535im]

Not to get too political here... but I don't see any other realistic way that low emission technologies will be worth pursuing, especially given the current administration's ties to the oil industry.

I have faith that the world body of mechanical engineers are smart enough to build cost effective, 300hp, 50 MPG engines if only there was enough pressure from the market.

If we have to pay higher prices for a few years, maybe that's what it will take. I would love to buy a car capable of 300hp and capable of 50MPG - even if not at the same time. I.e., you floor it and you got the horsepower, take it easy and you'll reach 50MPG. That way you could choose to let the fuel go a long way most of the time, with spirited driving where necessary.

It would be wonderful if it happened without that toll on our pocketbooks of course, but it hasn't happened so far.

[JonE]

These days it is easy to complain about gas mileage isn't it? I think on the highway I can get about 24-25mpg and I have the 3.91 rear end. Hard to imagine getting any better than that. In town now is about 17-18 with the EAT chip. I can't complain cuz it is almost exactly what my wife's mini van gets and the BMW has 60-70 more horses!

[Paul in NZ]

I have faith that the world body of mechanical engineers are smart enough to build cost effective, 300hp, 50 MPG engines if only there was enough pressure from the market

mitsubishis gdi (http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/inter/technology/GDI/page5.html) ??The mitsubishi system is very efficient on small throttle openings,(i have heard ratios of 40 to 1)but it reverts to 15 to 1 (or whatever)at full throttle

[StuartB]

I know what you mean about fuel, it's the reason why I'm having to migrate to a diesel, seeing as fuel prices have hit 90p a litre* here again... good job I found that TDS or I'd have been forced to get something French ;)

*Somewhere approaching $6 per US gallon

[Paul in NZ]

let us know what the td is like....we might all be looking for one soon!

[casurfer911]

I have faith that the world body of mechanical engineers are smart enough to build cost effective, 300hp, 50 MPG engines if only there was enough pressure from the market.

If we have to pay higher prices for a few years, maybe that's what it will take. I would love to buy a car capable of 300hp and capable of 50MPG - even if not at the same time. I.e., you floor it and you got the horsepower, take it easy and you'll reach 50MPG. That way you could choose to let the fuel go a long way most of the time, with spirited driving where necessary.

It would be wonderful if it happened without that toll on our pocketbooks of course, but it hasn't happened so far.


I'm finishing my second year as a mech engineering student at Cal Poly right now. And im really thinking of going into the alternative energy field.

PS Lately i've been riding my bicycle everywhere its just as fast as a car in the city and im in great shape. Its pretty fun too

[Derek A.]

Whats the matter with Volvo 240 DL's ? I am getting ready to buy a wagon to do my dirty work around the house.

[Robin-535im]

Whats the matter with Volvo 240 DL's ? I am getting ready to buy a wagon to do my dirty work around the house.
But oh my goodness what a slow car!!! My mom had one when I was in High School. Auto. 5-speed would be faster I'm sure. :)