Register Log In

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Wonder why MPG is going up

Print Thread

Page 2 of 2

1

2

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110394 11/29/04 06:49 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937 T TronX Veteran CEG\'er
TronX Veteran CEG\'er T Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937	Running the AC or heater should make your MPG worse. The car would pump more gas to keep the car at a higher idle for extra power. At least that's how I was told it works? My average was 16 ~ 20mpg for the last few months. I live in Florida and without AC you would melt 15min into your drive to work. I went to superlude and had the gear box fluid done for 29$. What they did was suck out the trans fluid and put in new stuff. My car is shifting from gears better now with less noises and jerkynes. Also unknown to me the front tires where over-inflated to max 40psi, funny how that noise I was hearing is going away when I turn hard left?LOL And I know they used the wrong grade of oil last time and so I got them to use the right one this time. I also used half a bottle of B-12 even after using 2 bottles of redline before it with no results. Right now my gas guage is at halfway and it's reading 202-miles! I can't wait to see where she caps out at. I hope I can get my car back to at least 285-miles. For a while there I was getting around 220 ~ 250 per fillup. I pay 2.05$ per Gallon here and spend about 24$ at the pump. This car will be payed off in April...

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110395 11/30/04 10:28 AM
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 21,653 Albany, Georgia K Kremithefrog I have no life
Kremithefrog I have no life K Joined: May 2002 Posts: 21,653 Albany, Georgia	Read my location, I live in south georgia, florida isn't that much hotter. I'm used to it, just roll down the window and I'm fine. 98.5 SVT 91 Escort GT (almost sold) 96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve) FS: SVT rear sway bar WTB: Very cheap beater CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110396 11/30/04 10:37 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937 T TronX Veteran CEG\'er
TronX Veteran CEG\'er T Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937	Originally posted by Kremithefrog: Read my location, I live in south georgia, florida isn't that much hotter. I'm used to it, just roll down the window and I'm fine. Just like in the Dukes of Hazzard?

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110397 12/01/04 01:54 AM
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 21,653 Albany, Georgia K Kremithefrog I have no life
Kremithefrog I have no life K Joined: May 2002 Posts: 21,653 Albany, Georgia	Originally posted by TronX: Originally posted by Kremithefrog: Read my location, I live in south georgia, florida isn't that much hotter. I'm used to it, just roll down the window and I'm fine. Just like in the Dukes of Hazzard? I can't slide on my hood, CF would break. ((They do that right? Been long time since I seen em. I do have door handles though, so no need going in through window, unless for fun)) 98.5 SVT 91 Escort GT (almost sold) 96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve) FS: SVT rear sway bar WTB: Very cheap beater CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110398 12/01/04 08:22 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 34 F FlamingTaco New CEG\'er
FlamingTaco New CEG\'er F Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 34	Originally posted by TronX: Running the AC or heater should make your MPG worse. The car would pump more gas to keep the car at a higher idle for extra power. At least that's how I was told it works? If you idle the car and do not drive, it would indeed take more gas to run the a/c, but if you actually drive, the a/c consumes less power than the friction generated by having the windows open. Most especially if you drive 35mph or faster most of the time.

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110399 12/01/04 02:48 PM
Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 6,910 Enfield, CT B BrApple_dup1 Hard-core CEG'er
BrApple_dup1 Hard-core CEG'er B Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 6,910 Enfield, CT	the mythbuster did a segment on two identical explorers with using the ac versus having the windows open, each vehichle had 5 gallons of gas it was episode 22 but i can't remember the outcome and it isn't on the webpage - 95 Mystique LS - Zetec/5spd - 99 Contour SeVT Sport - Duratec/5spd Official NE-CEG Contour/Mustang Family

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110400 12/02/04 06:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 25 Pearl River, LA H HickoryC OP New CEG\'er
OP HickoryC New CEG\'er H Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 25 Pearl River, LA	The A/C compressor is probably not a factor. Yesterday's fillup was at 409 miles and she drank 11.25 gallons...still getting better than 36. Weather was mostly rain with wind. Compressor was on nearly 100% of the time and windows were rolled up tight. Thought those 20-25 mph head winds would have had some effect but...guess not. My '04 Silverado is going to have to wait a long time before I switch to it for the daily commute. Besides, it rides worse than the '96 Tour...wish I'd a bought a Mazda 6 instead, it might feel like home. *Dean*

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110401 12/03/04 01:51 AM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937 T TronX Veteran CEG\'er
TronX Veteran CEG\'er T Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 937	Originally posted by brapple: the mythbuster did a segment on two identical explorers with using the ac versus having the windows open, each vehichle had 5 gallons of gas it was episode 22 but i can't remember the outcome and it isn't on the webpage You didn't miss much. To me they didn't prove anything because the tests they used had too many weak points. This is one test I'd like for them to do over again. The MPG in the first test was estimated by a computer that measured the air intake. The second test used two different vehicles with two different drivers at a slower speed and assumed that the gas tanks had exactly the same amount of gas. There are just too many wholes here. Because of factors like air tire pressure for one kind of kills the test. I can tell you that a car with the AC on at slow City traffic speeds does eat more gas. Once you are past 55 MPH though it seems to not matter as much. However at 55 MPH with the windows down does cause drag and forces the driver to pump more gas into the car to make the car hit full speed. So you see this is one of those things that can go one way or the other. Because cars provide power for so many things with generated energy itâ�?��?�s a simple fact that as you increase the demands on the vehicle that the car will compensate fuel to balance. I canâ�?��?�t honestly fathom why anyone would get better gas miles consuming more energy because it comes from somewhere at that place is in your gas tank.

Re: Wonder why MPG is going up #1110402 12/08/04 06:30 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 25 Pearl River, LA H HickoryC OP New CEG\'er
OP HickoryC New CEG\'er H Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 25 Pearl River, LA	My Tour-Bubble Has Burst! Guess this is the final footnote... Having averaged 36 mpg for 4 consecutive fillups, she came in at 31.7 last night. From beginning to end, there has been no change in performance. In fact, acceleration may have slipped slightly in the past couple of days. *Dean*

Page 2 of 2

1

2

Moderated by Lance Kinley_dup1, Loco4G63

Link Copied to Clipboard

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5