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How do you improve gas mileage?

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Old Mar 21, 2003 | 11:08 PM
  #1  
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From: Rockland County...NY
Car Info: want a WRX
How do you improve gas mileage?

I don't know much about cars and i was wondering what you could replace in the WRX to impove the gas mileage. Thanx
Old Mar 22, 2003 | 04:04 AM
  #3  
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Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
Originally posted by awns729
I don't know much about cars and i was wondering what you could replace in the WRX to impove the gas mileage. Thanx
(no disrespect to bensonwrx) I've not bought a K&N because one tuner performed dyno tests and found a 2 to 3 horsepower loss after installing a drop-in K&N on a WRX stock airbox. This indicates to me that it may not be as free-flowing for this application as previously thought. Could be that the stock panel filter's greater number of pleats has an effectively larger filtering area.

The tuner also encountered one customer who may have over-oiled the K&N filter. After experiencing rough-running in his WRX, the owner tracked it down to his MAF sensor in the intake - it was coated with a layer of K&N filtering oil. After a thorough cleaning, the car ran fine again. I don't think this is typical, though. I've used K&N filters in the past and have never seen an oil residue in the intake passageway.

Whatever you do, do not purchase a Tornado Fuel Saver device. This gadget has been discussed on this message board before, as well as other places on the internet. Money is better spent on other things.

The biggest improvement in fuel economy can be had by altering driving style. I've seen one magazine that stated their average fuel economy was something like 12 miles per gallon! They admit that they drove the car hard most of the time. On a WRX, this really makes a difference. Another thing I've noticed is that minimizing the number of upshifts and downshifts (within rational limits) and just generally driving the car as smoothly as possible, with minimal variation in throttle application can reap 1 to 3 mpg. In my daily 15-mile commute, which includes mostly traffic congested freeways, I average 22.5 to 23 miles per gallon. On the open road where I can cruise at a steady 65 mph, I've gotten 29.5 mpg but I got on it hard on a few occasions during those runs.

I didn't purchase a WRX for its gas mileage, though. Last weekend, I met up with fellow i-Clubbers for a spirited drive (twisty mountain road). I drove the car as hard as I was willing to do with a passenger along for the ride.

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Old Mar 24, 2003 | 06:17 PM
  #11  
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I'm not that new and I do know the basic stuff like keeping your RPS's low and not accelerating too fast...and most of the stuff in the manual.thanx for all the replies! (i just like the monkey-no damn reason for it)
Old Mar 25, 2003 | 02:50 PM
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This is a total guess but doesn't the turbo help gas mileage because the engine has to compress the air less? Or does it cause more restriction because of the exhaust gases that have to pass through the turbo? What would a hyper ground system do? This ad says it helps throttle response, mileage, etc...
Thanx for all the replies!



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