DFWmax

hello all, i got a new job 50 miles away and would like some advice on maximizing the mpg of my 99 se (5-speed). i average 24 mpg, but would like know if anyone has ideas on making it better...

thanks

Gotrice4

no quick accelerations, moderate increases in speed and alot of time spent in 5th gear?

DFWmax

hopefully i can cruise 80mph from fort worth to dallas at 6am in the morning...

tomz17

ehh.. cruising at 65mph or 55mph would get you better mileage... but that wouldn't be as much fun... would it??

-Tom

The maxima likes to DRINK when you mash the accelerator.... concerned?? buy a moped :-)

DFWmax

hee hee; unfortunately, even though i like driving, with 60hr work weeks, i would like to minimize the driving time, do you think that slowing down to 65mph would be that beneficial? let's say that i can cruise at 75, constant speed without having to worry about traffic getting in my way.... 65mph feels *so* slow..... i figured that if i got 25 mpg, and the trip was 100 mi roundtrip, and premium gas is $1.60/gal, it would cost me $6.40 each day to get to work.... not to mention the $0.90 i pay for the tollway. ouch!

-tommy

nismomaxse97

iTrader: (4)

shift early, coast into lights and stop signs and roll stop signs if you can. As far as freeway goes keep a constant speed.

Another idea is to buy a cheap four cylinder and put the miles on that instead. I have a friend that bought an old sentra and it runs like new really cheap. Saves his nicer car for other things.

DFWmax

a silly question, but what kind of rpms for "shifting early"? i guess i try to not exceed 4000rpm, but i suppose with no traffic (very little, hopefully), i could take my time and shift at 2500?

off topic - what is a "shaved trunk"?

nismomaxse97

iTrader: (4)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DFWmax
[I]a silly question, but what kind of rpms for "shifting early"? i guess i try to not exceed 4000rpm, but i suppose with no traffic (very little, hopefully), i could take my time and shift at 2500?

off topic - what is a "shaved trunk"?




I have an auto and and I rarely exceed 3000 with normal driving. Yeah shift around 2500. Shaved is the removal of the nissan and maxima emblem from the trunk.

If you figured out how much you save over the course of a year by getting say 26 mph on average the number would be kind of small. You bought the maxima because it is sporty, unleash the beast. Save money in other areas.

2mpg x 15 gallons = 30 miles which = 1.25 gallons a week if you filled up once a week.

So about 8 dollars a month more.
16 if you fill up twice a week.

Eric L.

I have a friend who swears that he gets better mileage going 65 as opposed to 75 MPH. It's probably true, but I'm one of those people who can't stand going that slow. I tried going 65 through an entire tank once and got pretty good mileage. But it was so slow and boring, I've decided it's worth the slight decrease in mileage to go 75 instead. BTW, I got 24.5 MPG going 65, and 23 going 75. Both tanks were on the same route with no AC usage, so I think it's pretty accurate.

tomz17

Definitely... Friction and aerodynamics are sorta REALLY complicated (trust me), but to summarize, the faster you go, the more our atmosphere pushes back... (at higher speeds you can find some really complicated mathematical relationships). Even though our maxima is a fairly aerodynamic car, it DOES take a mileage hit for going that 10mph faster...

-> Simple experiment to prove this to yourself... Find an open stretch of road... accelerate to 35, and let go of the accelerator, take a look at how slowly your velocity changes (look at your speedometer)..

Now mash the pedal, and get up 100+ mph, and let go... look at how quickly your velocity changes...

Remember from high school physics, f=ma ?? well, the mass of your car didn't change during this experiment, so that should lead you to conclude that the TOTAL force slowing down your car increased (since your (de)acceleration increased).. I can guarantee you that MOST of this increased force comes from air rubbing against your car...!!!

Common wisdom has it that you get the BEST trade off (for most cars), at around 55mph... I would think that our Maxima (looking more aerodynamic than most cars), would be able to do 65 without any significant losses... 75, however, might be pushing it!!! If you WANT to save money, stick to around 60-65mph... (I'm always willing to pay the extra money... if I wasn't, why would have I bought a maxima?? I coulda gotten away with a kia!!!!)


Also.. my friends and I have theorized as to why 65mph seems so slow in a maxima (it does... my other car is an 85 buick, and the maxima @ 65mph looks like the buick @ 35mph!!!).. well, we have concluded that it's mostly a psychological thing.. [my favorite game when driving with someone that has an older car, is to say "without looking at the speedometer, how fast am I going right now?"]

#1-> you can't see the tip of your hood, like you can in a buick. therefore, the road tucks neatly under you nose, like the horizon... as opposed to a more defined point of change in the buick..

#2-> a good majority of the interior cabin noise, and shakes at higher speeds are eliminated (no jokes guys... we all know about the squeaks and rattles!!) We naturally equivocate quiet with slow... (maybe that's why someone here wanted to make their engine louder??)


-Tom

wdave

Use your cruise control on the highway. I get 29 - 30 mpg at 80mph cruise with ac on even with hills.

DFWmax

thanks everyone for their thoughts on this issue. you are probably right about saving more gas by going 65mph, but i will probably still go 75, just so it doesnt feel so slow. i will have to absorb the extra cost i'll have to try out that cruise control thing and see how it works; have to check and see how much traffic i have to contend with..


thanks all,

tommy

AntGVR4

my work is 20 miles away .. my skool 17 miles each way...

highway i get like 24 mpg.. driving 65 as opposed to 75 will not give you any Noticable effect...maybe 1/4 gallon a day .. not worth it just to save 50 cents a day .

it sux driving far but oh well... hope your job pays good so it makes up for it ..

Ant

Tonyh

I do a similiar drive in IL, I have an hour of pure FUN!!!!

Tire pressure, Tire pressure, Tire pressure, did I mention tire pressure -- we get 20 deg temp changes, so pressure is all over the place....


I do between 70-80, no difference in MPG.

DFWmax

good idea! i need to check the tire pressure and make sure that they are up to the right pressure. i usually run them at 35psi. what do you run your tires at?

smokin96se

For real, I got 30mpg in my maxima once. I was going to New Jersey from Albany NY and I filled the tank when I was halfway there. I filled the tank again when I got back to Albany and did the math to get the mileage. Around town I normally get 21mpg, but on that trip I got a tad over 30mpg.

My secret? Drive really f'ing fast.

I was doing 85-90mph the whole way (cruise control on), and the only reason I have for the good milage was that I was keeping the engine closer to it's torque peak. It's a known fact that an engine is most efficient at it's torque peak.

smokin96se

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I get 12 mpg, yeah you heard me right. I changed my fuel filter, spark plugs, air filter and O2 sensor. No change. I go to school about 25 miles away, plus 3.20 on tolls everyday. Gas is 1.75$ per gallon.
4 gallons for the way there and back + tolls = 10.20$ ouch ouch.

Its cold up in NY but I know the cold temperature can't affect gas milage that bad. I don't even have an idea on what to look for...

Tonyh

Do smell any gas in the Oil? Do you have a gargage? Do you smell any hint of gas?

Thats pretty bad milage, even with 2lbs of air in each of my tires I would get better than that!

Drive a Blazer, at least you could plow thru the snow (my other car, same milage!)

DFWmax

great news everyone!

after doing the 100 mile commute to my new job for three days, i finally got the chance to fill up on gas. the tank was below the lowest mark (1/4 tank). i did 414.8 miles and the fill up was 14.782 gallons -- that equates to 28mpg!

the best thing though, in the first day of driving, i decided to give up the "economy" driving mode (low acceleration, 55mph speed, etc.) because there were too many slow drivers in SUVs. i was always able to find a few drivers that would be doing the same thing i was doing - trying to get past the slow cars. for most of the drive, we were able to cruise at 75-80mph, slowing down only for heavy traffic congestion and other packs of slow cars.

boy, i love that drive. cruising at 75-80-85 is so smoooooth in the max.

p.s. i did inflate all my tires to 35psi (cold). they were at 33psi when i checked. the cold weather must have decreased the tire pressure.

thanks to all that gave me suggestions....

Maximum Velocity

iTrader: (3)

On a quarter tank of gas (4.5 gal) I can go 90 miles...seriously. This is without using the A/C or heater and driving with the windows up.

DFWmax

umm, that's 20 mpg..... ive noticed that the fuel guage is not quite linear. i know if i drive for a long time, the gauge doesnt move. but then i stop, leave, and come back - when i start the car, the fuel indicator goes down fast, then hits the true level and stays there for a long time again... until the next time i start my car...

nizmolee

iTrader: (1)

i noticed at least 10 + miles to a tank with a CAI. And i think i got more miles with my y pipe!!! its gonna cost you though. i took out my spare wheel to save on gas. pretty sure that i wont pop a wheel if i do, ill just call triple A.

Johnny

but a brand-new air filter can literally add 2-3 mpg if yours is dirty. And it's not exactly expensive at around $12. I use K&N but don't recommend it, it's a waste of money.

Funny regular was only $1.219 in SC last week. I woulda thought TX was cheap too. Your super is more than what I paid in PA (1.599 yesterday Sunoco)