I'm driving a '98 Maxima SE Auto with only ~75k on the clock. I thought about modding it a bit when I got it in '03, but I figured I was happy with stock performance and would just put that money into whatever car I buy to replace the Maxima. But since I'm hanging onto the Maxima for the long haul, hopefully at least until 2020, I thought perhaps there may be some mods that could actually pay for themselves in fuel economy gains over this time period.

Any thoughts? I assume, say, a less restrictive exhaust setup would increase economy besides just boosting power? If so, by how much? Any other potentials?

Thanks
DanMaxima

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A32 '98 Maxima SE Auto, bone stock, sans sun roof wind deflector

 

lmao 2020.. Light weight rims and any other weight reduction like stripping the trunk. Synthetic oils. Tune up. Also acetone but this really isint a mod. I have been adding 3 oz to 10 gals and i see gains and i have been doing this for like forever so i can say it doesent screw up your car.

 

This is all you need:
http://forum.ecomodder.com/showthread.php?t=290

 

Also my cousin was babaling about how a ram air system he made got him better gas milage.. but i don't know if it really works.

 

lmfao

 

LW wheels are the only item I have ever noticed that actually help MPG.

 

K&N air filter,300zxTT fuel filter, good sparks plugs, run on the cruise everytime, weight reductions...

 

lol, yeah, I saw that a while back. I think it was on hackaday. Made me wish I had an old cheap little car around to try something like that out lol. I would change the top gear ratio for something like that though (iirc he didn't).

Hey, why not? I think 200k is extremely reasonable with this gen, and I'm averaging well less than the standard 12k a year, so I probably won't even hit 200k by then.

I started putting acetone at ~2oz/gal. a while back, but I was a bit nervous in doing so, and after I accidentally broke my graduated cylinder after only a few tanks I stopped. I'll have to make a ScanGauge2 my first investment and then try acetone again.

I'm already doing the usual takecareofyourcarstuff e.g. oil changes, tire maintenance et al.

DanMaxima

 

I just made my own grounding kit and my gas mileage has gone up by at least 10%. Ive got over 160k as compared to your 75k though. So far thats been the most bang-for-the-buck mod I've ever done.

 

The best fuel economy mod you can get is weight reduction of the right foot.

 

Thats brilliant! Sig worthy haha

 

tis is funny as hell, but yet true.

 

I'm not aware of any such mod. Staying off the right pedal will far and away make the difference.

Most people who put flow mods onto their car end up driving the car harder and burning more gas rather than taking it easy to get that .01mpg increase.

Dave

 

LOL, were those guys on the forum serious???

 

that civic has more plastic on it than any average ricer does

and im afraid those loosers are serious

to the OP: sell your car that requires premium and buy a civic and add some weight to it by gluing plastic panels in open spaces.. that and loose some fat

there is no way to drastically improve mpg on a 8-12 y/o V6 that uses 91

^

Are you for real ? where did you come up with that knowledge from ?

 

I don't think there are any mods that would pay for themselves. A y-pipe might help, but not enough to justify the cost of it in the first place. Lighter rims would be good, but again, you're likely going to spend more on them than you would gain without a long period of time elapsing. Unless you're willing to trade someone for their 15" sawblades or steelies, that would save you gas (and possibly make tires cheaper) and they'd probably be giving you money in the trade as well. Other than that, maybe a grounding kit (if you make your own)?

 

So the K&N filter makes no difference at all? I was considering that as a quick and easy mod. (I'm speaking of the filter, not the filtercharger replacement cold air kit)

 

If one member states a grounding kit improves MPG 10%, and LW wheels promote MPG from 12 -15%, is it safe to say that the 2 combined help up to 25%?

Of course, the grounding kit probably relies on how old/dirty your connections are. Also, the 12 -15% increase was on my 5.5 gen, where 15" wheels are not an option, and heavy 17" wheels came stock.

Oh yeah, my JWT ECU increased my mileage about 8-10%, but again, cost efficiency =

 

no
stay away from the K&N. put in a fresh OEM 4th gen maxima filter. and yea new plugs do a bit.

DO NOT however DRIVE ON CRUISE CONTROL. that is WORSE for gas mileage than a steady foot.

 

Explain to me how CC is bad for MPG.

Also, I use a K&N in both my Maximas, a combined mileage of 210k, no problems as a result.

 

What if you don't have a steady foot?

 

cruise control keeps a constant speed, no matter the RPMs or gear you are in.

its been my experience with my auto that my RPMs tend to sit at a higher constant rate with cc on - especially as it pertains to hills and irregular driving

with it off, i can control the amount of throttle based on current speed and gear. Yea there will be more gassing to achieve speed X, but you can find that comfertable low point on a gear on which to keep your foot to maintain a uniform speed.


just seems like the engine works harder to achieve that SET speed, whereas when you control it, you can adjust to the varying external factors that would affect it and accept the fluctuating speed.

 

are you serious now!!!!? i tend to always use cruise, thinking that it will help me relax and save gas.cause i tend to have a heavy **** foot at times.

 

I dont agree with you Rockart

If you wanna go at a certain speed it will take a certain RPM to achieve and keep that speed, what makes your foot different from CC ? nothing, CC has to keep the SAME rpm to keep that chosen speed

NOW: to the specifics into which you have dug into... yes to keep the same speed while going over a hill the rpm will have to increase... YOU must be feeling the sensation of KEEPING THE SAME FOOT PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL. The rpm will go down obviously... and NO CC does not have to work harder to keep a certain speed. Why would it ? its not like thee is a mechanical foot that takes power from the engine to press down on the pedal

What would cause the CC mechanism to rob the engine of some power in order to force it to raise the rpm to keep the same speed as you would with your foot ?

PS: i believe cruise control will save you gas because it keeps the same speed by varying the rpm, your foot will never be as precise as the electronic control on CC thus your rpm will rise and fall a lot more than it will with CC on.

 

You must be one of those drivers that, on the highway, passes, then slows down, then passes, etc

It's a Maxima, not an econobox.

 

look nmex, ive been around a lot longer than you and have considerably more posts/knowledge.

you should leave this discussion to the pros

 

Steady foot yields better mileage than cruise control. FACT. They have proved this using actual science.

I, personally cant possibly keep it steady... yes, I am one of those people that accelerates to 90 to pass and then slows back down to 80. Yes, I have a lead foot.
No, I dont use cc, but I probably should haha

 

Some of you fellas need some sort of inverse CC option, where it keeps RPM constant vs speed.

 

No wikipedia as source please.


Early join date + high post count = Dr. Right, Ph.D.

 

using CC results in worse gas mileage?

I got about to 400 miles on a tank in a stock car using CC going to the MOUNTAINS(hill after hill after very steep hill and omg who built this) and i floored it i think twice too, and this is an MT where the revs dont drop to like 2K at 80, 3300rpm most of the trip. It tool 15 gallons to fill it again

Use CC it will help, check Ur tire pressure a tire that is a bit flat will seriously lower Ur mileage especially on the front, if U really want to save gas put it up to around 40psi u might gain and mpg or 2 but this is at the expense of the life of Ur tires depending on Ur driving habits

 

true, for myself my tires and at 40psi I always put CC on the highway (no hills in my city) and the gaz milleage is better

 

2000 at 80? Who are you kidding? 4th gear + TC locked = ~2600 to 2700 at 80 MINIMUM. This is on a perfectly flat highway. I'm at ~2350 to 2400 for 70.
40 PSI? Are you serious? Your tires are screaming 40 is too much for your tires. ~32 to MAYBE 35 is good.

 

Where in the hell did you hear that from? I love your emphasis on the word fact.

 

agree with Seal89
change the o2 sensors
clean the TB and the IACV

 

haha you are talking about me

 

lightly press the pedal on your right side when acceleration is needed!

 

I smell noob.

 

Idk, I dont remember
I saw it on tv a while back I think. They did a bunch of tests and determined that steady foot > cc (just barely, but still better). Come to think of it, I think JC mentions it when he drives an A8 800 miles on one tank, and we all know that man is always right

 

ok

 

yea i saw a tv program in like 2002 or 2001 where this experiemnt was done. i want to say it was like a 60minutes type show, but i cant remember.

regardless, the final point was that the car works harder to maintain a speed, rather than fluctuate based on environment.