New 03 Max speed owner. MAN this car eats a lot of gas, is this normal?
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by cwc412
I drive a mix of highway and city. I've had the car for about eight months and I don't really notice a difference between mostly highway trips and mixed trips. Your original post states that your trip computer is indicating 13L per 100 km, I would strongly suggest that you set the trip odometer when the car is empty and then, on your next fill up, record the mileage and how much fuel you used. This will give you a more acurate reading.
I'm not sure if your Max is an auto or not. My co-worker has an auto V6 Altima and he burns much more fuel than I do. Also, my investment advisor has an 02 Max 6spd, he tells me that he can get below 7L per 100 km on the highway on extended trips. I'm a little skepticalof that claim.
I'm interested to hear how much city driving you do and whether or not you have a six speed.
By the way, for winter tires I bought Khumo KW17 and they are great. Much better in the rain and snow than the Craptenzas.
I'm not sure if your Max is an auto or not. My co-worker has an auto V6 Altima and he burns much more fuel than I do. Also, my investment advisor has an 02 Max 6spd, he tells me that he can get below 7L per 100 km on the highway on extended trips. I'm a little skepticalof that claim.
I'm interested to hear how much city driving you do and whether or not you have a six speed.
By the way, for winter tires I bought Khumo KW17 and they are great. Much better in the rain and snow than the Craptenzas.
Originally Posted by Quicksilver
As far as the contact patch goes (your pictures), they look like similar tread pattern (so I can assume it might be the same set of tires). But beyond that, it's too hard to say. Contact patch is measured at rest (that's the normal way to do it), and it would be all but impossible for me to measure it at driving speeds. I don't have the equipment for that type of measurement. The top set looks to have left more rubber behind, but it could be because it was at half the speed as the bottom one. In short, it's impossible for me to tell just by looking at those two pictures when I didn't get to see the launch/braking, speed, all the other variables involved.
Originally Posted by Quicksilver
Once you start taking out reinforcement, you have lose stability/protection when cornering (and for performance tires, this is a very bad thing). But...they still have the DOT/NHTSA (NHTSA Report Number DOT HS 807 805) approved ratings for load, so the fact that they have less doesn't mean that this affects how the contact patch touches the road, or how the tire operates (based on it's ratings). If anything, it may actually lighten the overall tire up (which could be good for some performance)...
It just sounds like they trade off the factors of rigidity and longevity for the factors of cost and weight, which would lead me to believe they have less useful life overall. Is this not the case with these types of tires? Michelin Pilot Sports have a long tread life (if maintained properly), and will outlive a similar set of say Sumitomo Tires (HTR+) over the same driving circumstances. Yet they maintain similar load ratings and performance capabilities. They (the Sumitomos) cost at least half as much as well, and weigh less. It sounds reasonable (and I can use my brothers SLK for info since he used Sumitomo tires on it, and had Michelins on it before that).
It just sounds like they trade off the factors of rigidity and longevity for the factors of cost and weight, which would lead me to believe they have less useful life overall. Is this not the case with these types of tires? Michelin Pilot Sports have a long tread life (if maintained properly), and will outlive a similar set of say Sumitomo Tires (HTR+) over the same driving circumstances. Yet they maintain similar load ratings and performance capabilities. They (the Sumitomos) cost at least half as much as well, and weigh less. It sounds reasonable (and I can use my brothers SLK for info since he used Sumitomo tires on it, and had Michelins on it before that).
BTW, if having DOT/NHTSA approval meant that all tires perfomed similarly, just because they have load ratings and have performance capabilities, we wouln't have to worry about tires, would we?
Well that holds true with what I posted. Properly inflated tires have the best rolling contact patch.
EDIT - So you're saying that if I spun tires over a 20 foot section once (as my benchmark), then did it again right next to it, same distance, but half the speed, that the marks would be the same overall coloration? Or did you misunderstand what I was trying to say?
EDIT - So you're saying that if I spun tires over a 20 foot section once (as my benchmark), then did it again right next to it, same distance, but half the speed, that the marks would be the same overall coloration? Or did you misunderstand what I was trying to say?
If by half speed you mean riding the brakes, obviously not. If by half speed you mean lighter on the gas, the tire marks will start with about the same amount of rubber layed but the tires will start gripping much sooner, so the answer is to a lesser degree.
Originally Posted by CCS2k1Max
If by half speed you mean riding the brakes, obviously not. If by half speed you mean lighter on the gas, the tire marks will start with about the same amount of rubber layed but the tires will start gripping much sooner, so the answer is to a lesser degree.
Yeah, I was talking about powerbraking
Something I specialize in...
Originally Posted by Quicksilver
Well that holds true with what I posted. Properly inflated tires have the best rolling contact patch.
Originally Posted by Quicksilver
Yeah, I was talking about powerbraking Something I specialize in...
Something I specialize in...
Originally Posted by CCS2k1Max
In this case, 35-38 psi (3-6 psi above Nissan's recommendation), will not make much difference, especially talking about Hankooks.
My rear pads seem to wear faster than my fronts (and I stopped using the hand brake around cops).
My rear pads seem to wear faster than my fronts (and I stopped using the hand brake around cops).
That's really weird that you mentioned the rear pads wearing faster than the front. The same thing has happened 3 times now on my pads
Usually, small PSi differences won't make all that much of a difference. But then again, I've seen small differences develop into a huge problem (this is much more likely racing, though)...
Originally Posted by CCS2k1Max
What brand pads are you running? I'm still on crappy OEM ones (second set. brake job done under warranty per the shimmy TSB).
OEM once (the originals), Friction Masters the second time, and I just put new ones on, and I can't recall this time what brand I used...
Maybe Hawk Street (I did my truck and cars at the same time, so I have them confused in my mind)...
Originally Posted by Quicksilver
OEM once (the originals), Friction Masters the second time, and I just put new ones on, and I can't recall this time what brand I used...
Maybe Hawk Street (I did my truck and cars at the same time, so I have them confused in my mind)...
Maybe Hawk Street (I did my truck and cars at the same time, so I have them confused in my mind)...
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