Trying to get better mileage in a 2007 2.3L

[Reddie1337]

The car I was driving before my 2007 Mazda 3 GS (2.3L) was a 2001 Chevy Cavalier Z24 5spd. Now, I was averaging 10L/100K when I was driving a mix of city and highway. In my Mazda 3 I am averaging just over 10.5L/100K. I was wondering if there were certain things that would be changed on these to get better mileage (tune-up kind of stuff) I already did spark plugs, my air filter wasn't dirty. Is there a PCV value I should be worried about? My regular parts supplier said that there wasn't a fuel filter listed for these cars. Is there anything you guys have done to get better mileage? I drive to Ottawa quite regularly and just trying to get good mileage. I normally get 6.9 in my Z24 on the highway, should I be looking at a reduction in gas savings with this vehicle?

[Default User]

IIRC - average is about 9L/100km

But to maximize fuel economy:

Change the plugs
Change the filters (intake and cabin)
get rid of excess weight (subwoofer, etc)
Shift before 3000 RPM
Lower your car
Use AC instead of windows during hwy drives
Eliminate unnecessary idling. (in summer, I actually avoid going through drive-thrus if the line up is 7+ cars)

[cwp_sedan]

Less pedal and less stop-and-go traffic. This is honestly 90% of the problem.

[Impressive]

Less pedal and less stop-and-go traffic. This is honestly 90% of the problem.

+1. I was at 10.5/100km for the longest time, but less aggressive driving has brought me down to 9.6/100km (that's on winter gas+tires too)

[stevenma188]

Also, keep in mind it is currently winter, so naturally your fuel economy will suffer. In the summer I was avging like 8L/100KM. Now I barely break 9L/100KM

[Booter22]

also make sure your tire pressure is at the required max, you could always put it up a bit if you wanted to as in my car it should be about 32, but with the lack of snow i usually run about 34. in my supper tires which should be about 34, im usually at about 36. not much difference and im sure long run the tires may wear a bit early but the difference in fuel econ is noticed. also could change the air to nitrogen for a small potential gain. use defrost less as it runs the ac compressor. depending on the vehicle km you could do a fuel service, seafoam. that sort of thing. try 0W20 synth oil vs the 5W20 in the vehicle. if you take the hwy try an average speed between 90-100km/h. if you drive a bit slow you will notice you slow and accel less as you will maintain a better average rolling speed.

but as others have mentioned of course it is winter and your will notice a not soo good fuel econ, my car in the summer averaged 700 km to a tank plus. now im getting about 550- 610 with my winters on and my cold air installed.

[Hoodzy]

Driving style will make the biggest impact.. Are you driving a manual? Avoid coasting.
You can purchase ECO tires which claim to increase fuel mileage
Ensure tires are inflated properly
Decrease weight of vehicle
Switch to synthetic oils engine & tranny
Don't use AC under 80km/h
Also having lightweight rims helps a ton

[Punkrockjohn]

Less pedal and less stop-and-go traffic. This is honestly 90% of the problem.

+1

[Zuluwun]

Wait, AVOID coasting in a manual car? I always coast in gear (if I'm approaching a red light, for example) cuz I thought I'd be taking advantage of the DFCO.

[Reddie1337]

nah, mine is an Auto. Is it better to shift down with tiptronic? or should I just let the car slow itself down? I keep my tires around 35-36. right now they are just summers, but since I will be doing my drive to Ottawa, I will be installing 2 winters just for hills and such. and I definitely hate stop and go traffic, I always find myself running at the speed limit, so if I do, I find it better to be the traffic, than be stuck behind the traffic. If its an open road, I'll probably set cruise around 115. I am just trying to learn my electronic pedal now as well, I keep taking off like a rocket because I am not used to the delay yet. That's probably one of my big killers.

[Reddie1337]

Oh, and I normally avoid drive thru's unless there is absolutely no line :)

[sol_searchin]

It's winter, your fuel economy will suffer regardless, the 2.3L's aren't really that fuel efficient to begin with so 10L/100k is pretty good for winter driving.

[ericssonfan]

I would say keep your tires inflated at proper pressures and avoid really punchy heavy starts from stop signs/stop lights.
On my drives to Ottawa for work, I averaged about 6.5-6.7L/100KM in almost 40C temps (with humidex) and A/C blasting most of the time. On one trip I got to about 710km on just a tad below 45L.
Unfortunately, as soon as you start driving city expect your gas consumption to go up... quite a bit.

Also are you taking your mileage figures directly from the dash or are you manually calculating them? At times, they can be almost dead accurate but I've found that at other times it has been up to 1L/100km incorrect.

[Hoodzy]

Sorry avoid coasting in neutral.
Yah put your tire pressures at what they are supposed to be.
Let the auto do the work on it's own.. Also cruise will hurt your mileage IF you happen to be better at controlling your speed. Cruise is only good if you are on very very flat road with very minimal times you slow down speed up. Otherwise you should be able to maintain a better consistent speed and control of the throttle.
Also how are you calculating your mileage?

[Reddie1337]

I am calculating it by doing (Litres / KM Driven * 100). When I am driving to Ottawa, I used cruise on the 401, possible along HWY 7. I try to use it when its not horribly hilly.

My car doesn't have a computer that tells me the mileage. So I have to do it manually. Is my calculation proper?

[krimsalt]

Don't use AC under 80km/h


Or be like me and just chop the A/C belt - I get about 1L/100Km better now :P

[Punkrockjohn]

Or be like me and just chop the A/C belt - I get about 1L/100Km better now :P

lmaoooo

[Hoodzy]

Or be like me and just chop the A/C belt - I get about 1L/100Km better now :P

Or just take out all of the AC and save yourself 40 pounds

Yah your calculations are proper.

[krimsalt]

Or just take out all of the AC and save yourself 40 pounds

Yah your calculations are proper.

Well yea, that comes next - but I'll wait until it's warmer outside lol

[Reddie1337]

I pulled the fuse. I hate that the AC came on and off with defrost. So I pulled the fuse till its warmer out.

[cwp_sedan]

Removing the AC belt won't do shit for you. Waste of time cutting it when you perhaps want/need to use it one day. The savings isn't worth the loss. Nor is the weight loss of removing the compressor.

That's the whole point of defrost, to have the AC remove the humidity from the air. Good luck driving on an extremely humid day and not having the AC compressor to remove the moisture. You will end up driving with your windows down to clear out the fog lol. You may have though you made a smart decision, but it's really not that smart. Dangerous in fact. :/

Other than not having your car in proper working order, it's mostly tire pressure, winter gas, driving style and amount of stop-and-go traffic. If you run the AC all of the time then yes, you will use more gas so try to drive with it off.

As for the tip-tronic. You will use more gas when you are in manual mode.

[Reddie1337]

We haven't really had a bunch of humid days. And I understand it's good for fogging windows, but I haven't had that problem. And I keep the fuse in the fuse spare holders.

[cwp_sedan]

We haven't really had a bunch of humid days. And I understand it's good for fogging windows, but I haven't had that problem. And I keep the fuse in the fuse spare holders.

Why would you not just keep the dial on the HVAC seat to left of 12 o'clock on the dial, then you wouldn't be running the AC compressor?

[Reddie1337]

I just don't want it to be on if I am using floor and defrost. That annoys me. And that it doesn't let me turn it on and off...

[cwp_sedan]

I just don't want it to be on if I am using floor and defrost. That annoys me. And that it doesn't let me turn it on and off...

Well that's why you would be using it (to remove the moisture lol), otherwise vent and floor is fine for heating. Either way it's working for you so that's good, but ideally this won't be the best option for everyone.

[Reddie1337]

I use floor/defrost just to keep it out of my face, I guess I am a little more picky that Mazda made their car and tonight I got in, and it had a fogged up window, and it was clear within 30 seconds of taking off :P but I guess I should wait and see how it is in the summer / going to Ottawa in the winter. which is still a week away. but I do like the idea of a CAI or SRI to improve mileage.

[cwp_sedan]

I use floor/defrost just to keep it out of my face, I guess I am a little more picky that Mazda made their car and tonight I got in, and it had a fogged up window, and it was clear within 30 seconds of taking off :P but I guess I should wait and see how it is in the summer / going to Ottawa in the winter. which is still a week away. but I do like the idea of a CAI or SRI to improve mileage.


An intake will not increase your gas mileage to a noticeable amount. In fact it will probably hurt it.

[Reddie1337]

I am finding these are backwards from the Chevy I am used to then. added a CAI to my Cavvy, got at least 1-2L/100 K better than I was previously. Great for driving long distances.

[Charb907]

you think keeping the car rpm under 3000 is the best for good gas mileage?

[Reddie1337]

That's how I shifted in my 5-speed before, and I always got good mileage.

[Envi0us]

Just recently did sea foam job and changed the spark plugs (07 hatch). Car runs much smoother and now getting close to 600km per tank. (was averaging about 450 before..)

[Reddie1337]

sea foam? I already did my plugs when I got the car about a month ago.

[Hoodzy]

Removing the AC belt won't do shit for you. Waste of time cutting it when you perhaps want/need to use it one day. The savings isn't worth the loss. Nor is the weight loss of removing the compressor.

That's the whole point of defrost, to have the AC remove the humidity from the air. Good luck driving on an extremely humid day and not having the AC compressor to remove the moisture. You will end up driving with your windows down to clear out the fog lol. You may have though you made a smart decision, but it's really not that smart. Dangerous in fact. :/

Other than not having your car in proper working order, it's mostly tire pressure, winter gas, driving style and amount of stop-and-go traffic. If you run the AC all of the time then yes, you will use more gas so try to drive with it off.

As for the tip-tronic. You will use more gas when you are in manual mode.

You do realize that pretty much every car pre 2005 never turned on AC while on defrost mode... It's not that dangerous. Not to mention lots of vehicles didn't even have ac.

[krimsalt]

Removing the AC belt won't do shit for you. Waste of time cutting it when you perhaps want/need to use it one day. The savings isn't worth the loss. Nor is the weight loss of removing the compressor.

That's the whole point of defrost, to have the AC remove the humidity from the air. Good luck driving on an extremely humid day and not having the AC compressor to remove the moisture. You will end up driving with your windows down to clear out the fog lol. You may have though you made a smart decision, but it's really not that smart. Dangerous in fact. :/

Other than not having your car in proper working order, it's mostly tire pressure, winter gas, driving style and amount of stop-and-go traffic. If you run the AC all of the time then yes, you will use more gas so try to drive with it off.

As for the tip-tronic. You will use more gas when you are in manual mode.

I never owned a vehicle with A/C. The A/C overflow also contributes to rust if it splashes on the frame (My nissan subframe cracked in half from the spill - btw the a/c never worked in that car either). So I've adapted without. Yea on the highway I can open my windows in a certain way to allow optimum air flow and not reduce fuel economy

[cwp_sedan]

You do realize that pretty much every car pre 2005 never turned on AC while on defrost mode... It's not that dangerous. Not to mention lots of vehicles didn't even have ac.

Why do you think they did this?? Do I think it should just be a button you can turn on and off? Yes, but that's not how it is so if you have it, why go to all of the trouble to remove it when you can just leave it turned off and only use it when needed?


I never owned a vehicle with A/C. The A/C overflow also contributes to rust if it splashes on the frame (My nissan subframe cracked in half from the spill - btw the a/c never worked in that car either). So I've adapted without. Yea on the highway I can open my windows in a certain way to allow optimum air flow and not reduce fuel economy

Yeah fair enough. I'm not saying it's ideal but ultimately those with A/C just need to know how to optimize the use of the system to better their fuel economy. Since you don't have A/C and for some of those who don't will have to adapt or run things slightly differently.

[Bosshammy]

I average 8.9 for the winter that includes starting and warming the car up for a little bit every morning

[Reddie1337]

What have you done to yours? If you're saving 1.1L compared to mine?

[Bosshammy]

What have you done to yours? If you're saving 1.1L compared to mine?

Nothing at all, just stock lol I do my best to keep shifts below 3k and drive about 70%highway/back roads and 30% city

[Reddie1337]

Darn, I wish there was some sort of trick :P I drive more city than highway.

[Reddie1337]

Is there any special type of gas you use? certain places? I find Petro gas is probably the best I have used. after running it for 60000 K in my 2001 Cavalier, my fuel filter didn't have any dirt in it whatsoever. I was very impressed. but do you guys use a different company?

[Chester_Lampwick]

I have said this before, but I will say it again. Do not use your brakes unless you are intending to stop. You should not use your brakes to regulate your speed, prudent use of the accelerator will do just fine unless you are following too close. Try to time the traffic lights. Huge fuel savings.

[Bosshammy]

Is there any special type of gas you use? certain places? I find Petro gas is probably the best I have used. after running it for 60000 K in my 2001 Cavalier, my fuel filter didn't have any dirt in it whatsoever. I was very impressed. but do you guys use a different company?

I dont usually specifically choose a place to get gas, I try to go to ultramart when i gas up so i can get a premium car wash for 7 bucks, try What chester said might help you out

[Reddie1337]

I agree with the not using brakes, I try not too, and when I was driving my stick, I hardly ever used brakes. now with an auto, I need to use them more, but I still try to keep it to a bare minimum.

[stefanb]

Poor MPG is inherent in the vehicle...it's just not that great no matter what you do. It gets the same, on average, as my old Mk3 VW Golf with a roof rack. Any improvements listed in this thread will only net small gains....Just live with it, enjoy it.

[Reddie1337]

Driving around Cambridge, I find that I get about 10L/100KM, but on the trip I just did to Ottawa I got 7.4L/100km, and I have to say, that is quite close to what my standard was doing for me, so I'm much happier, and now that I have a CAI I think that will help, when I installed, I noticed my filter was quite dirty, which was odd, because I thought I checked that. So I will have to see how it does now.

[Impressive]

10l/100km give or take a bit is quite average I'd say on a 2.3.

[Reddie1337]

That's kinda what I was thinking, but then I was looking on Fuelly, and other sites, and it seems like everyone is getting around 9 and even lower. That's what I didn't get.

[Booter22]

That's kinda what I was thinking, but then I was looking on Fuelly, and other sites, and it seems like everyone is getting around 9 and even lower. That's what I didn't get.

im sure the added weight from the box in the trunk of your 3 doesnt help either, looks rather heavy...

[Reddie1337]

I guess. its only about 100 pounds. not much different than my girlfriend sitting in the car. I don't know if it would really make too much of a difference. Probably worse to have a couple friends in there compared to the box.

Do you guys normally run at 32 PSI in the tires?

[Dyno]

I have only had my 09 hatch with manual tranny a few weeks but have been getting ~8L/100km. Best so far was 7.6L/100km.
When I took the car to the dealer, they gave me a loaner. Not sure exactly what year but it was a hatch with auto and I was surprised how much worse the mileage was. According to the trip, it was averaging 12L/100Km and I was driving it very easy. The car had 140K km on it and 17" snow tires so those may have factored into it but still. I dont think I could live with getting such bad mileage from such a small car.

[silverstarmazda]

it might be just me but i think injector cleaner worked pretty good

[Impressive]

I might try a couple of different alternatives this summer in an attempt to lower my average & i'll be sure to let you guys know if anything works for me. My car has 182,000km on it so maybe you guys with newer engines could get better numbers.

[Reddie1337]

I should try running injector cleaner, the person who owned this car before me, had it serviced at the dealer till about 80000 K then someone else bought it, then I don't think it was very well maintained till I got it, now it will be maintained perfectly :)

[standsideways]

I should try running injector cleaner, the person who owned this car before me, had it serviced at the dealer till about 80000 K then someone else bought it, then I don't think it was very well maintained till I got it, now it will be maintained perfectly :)

looking at your fuelly numbers, your not going to get much better than that.

weird tho because i can squeeze 600kms out of my turbo sedan if i keep out of boost.

with your cold air intake your taking in more air than you can put out(exhaust) so with the addition of an aftermarket exhaust you would likely see a bit better mileage, as long as the exhaust doesnt cause your foot to be happier.

[Booter22]

I guess. its only about 100 pounds. not much different than my girlfriend sitting in the car. I don't know if it would really make too much of a difference. Probably worse to have a couple friends in there compared to the box.

Do you guys normally run at 32 PSI in the tires?

true, but added weight never helps. i run about 34 psi this winter as there is no snow. summer tires are about 36 psi or so.

[Reddie1337]

Right now, I am running at 35-36 PSI. I think I just need to stop driving faster, and keep it slow, like this morning, I was on the 401 about 3-4 times, and I didn't drive over 115. So I think I'm starting to calm down, I am still only 20. I feel like my intake is doing a bit better now. I bought some Lucas injector cleaner and if that doesn't help, I was talking to the parts manager at Kieswetter today, and he said after doing an injector flush on his CX7 he got way better mileage. He didn't promise the same results, he just said that it helped him.

[silverstarmazda]

i run my tires at 45 lool and im doing fine

[Reddie1337]

And your tires aren't blown out? or have a crazy wear pattern? that's the only reason I don't run them that high :P

[Booter22]

i noticed about almsot a 80 km difference from going 90km/h on the hwy and 100 km/h. it was interesting to see. mind you im on the hwy so early there is not many going in my direction. i dont know so much about an injector flush, but seafoam works very well and i thin kyou can pick it up at canadian tire for $15 bucks or so

[Reddie1337]

Yeah, just worried about hydro lock. But the parts manager at Kieswetter said it was good. Do you guys do them at Budd's Booter?

[silverstarmazda]

nah my tires are good. no weird wear patterns, just the usual even wear. my tires are rated at 52 max. i try to get as close as i am comfortable for winters. summer i usually set them pretty high nearly on par with max

[Reddie1337]

Makes sense, my tires are 44 max, that's why mine would wear even, what tires are you running?

[silverstarmazda]

im gonna have to check. these tires are bought by the previous owner so im not sure wat he put on... but i think theyre cheap winters ill check wen i go out. u get better millage out of stiffer tires, and i think hey cut in the snow better too

[Booter22]

Yeah, just worried about hydro lock. But the parts manager at Kieswetter said it was good. Do you guys do them at Budd's Booter?

yes we do, i did one on my last car at about 180 000km and what a difference it made then. the carbon from the manifold smoked a good while out the exhaust but the increase in fuel econ and power was awesome, yea i was thinking to try and put my winters up a bit more as they max at 44, but if we get any big snow drops ( which i dont think would happen) im sure the traction would drop with such high psi, gonna check my summers but i think i will run them around 38-42 as i think they go to 48 max. but again less rolling resistance = less traction but = high fuel econ, so its a trade off i suppose.

[Reddie1337]

So you do recommend doing an injector flush? or were you talking about a seafoam job?

[Impressive]

So you do recommend doing an injector flush? or were you talking about a seafoam job?

Judging by his post, probably a sea foam job.

[Booter22]

in my last car, i had an injector flush done at ford. didnt do anything, but after the seafoam i noticed a difference almost right away.

[Impressive]

in my last car, i had an injector flush done at ford. didnt do anything, but after the seafoam i noticed a difference almost right away.

How much would you guys charge to seafoam a car? I would do it outside myself but all the smoke and rev'ing would effectively destroy my friendly relations with neighbouring houses in my area :chuckle

[silverstarmazda]

im running nexen euro-win 550. theyre max psi is 51.



Makes sense, my tires are 44 max, that's why mine would wear even, what tires are you running?

[Reddie1337]

How much would you guys charge to seafoam a car? I would do it outside myself but all the smoke and rev'ing would effectively destroy my friendly relations with neighbouring houses in my area :chuckle

+1, definitely wondering.

[Chester_Lampwick]

I know I'm going to sound like a dbag here, but there are three things you can do with seafoam. The one where you pour it into the intake with revving the engine is probably not ever needed. It would do nothing for your injectors, pouring it into the tank does that. I might add some to the crankcase a few miles before an oil change for a better flush.

There's little reason to think the cylinders of a modern engine would be that carboned up. The 160,000km sparkplug change interval is evidence of that. I'd be worried the thick black smoke would plug my catalytic converter.

[Hoodzy]

You guys are all noobs... why the hell would you run tires at max PSI.. There are manufacturer guidelines for a reason..

Also hard tires do not cut into snow better.. they give you MUCH MUCH less traction. Hence why winter tires are made to be more flexible in colder climates.. Also watch Top Gear where they go to Antarctica they deflate the tires to get better traction in 3 feet of snow..

[Impressive]

You guys are all noobs... why the hell would you run tires at max PSI.. There are manufacturer guidelines for a reason..

Also hard tires do not cut into snow better.. they give you MUCH MUCH less traction. Hence why winter tires are made to be more flexible in colder climates.. Also watch Top Gear where they go to Antarctica they deflate the tires to get better traction in 3 feet of snow..

^this.

[Reddie1337]

I totally agree. I run at 36 because it works for me, but I would never run my tires at 44. The idiot who owned my other car before me, screwed up my tires by running it way too high.

[silverstarmazda]

they ran the tires flat cuz they get a better and more contact wwith the snow like that. like u said, theyre in 3 feet snow, theyre not trying to cut through the snow. theyre trying to run on top of it. i run them near the max because i get better mileage. it takes getting use to like new tires. hard tires DO cut through snow better, but is shit when the snow it too deep. thats y thinner tires are better in snow. the size of the contact patch helps but the pressure where your car makes contact with the road play a big factor in our types of winter. not 3 ft deep snow. winter tires are made of a softer compound because they are able to make a better contact patch and withstand 3 seasons of winter. your not effecting the compounds flexibility if your tires are at max or minimum. i see people who inflate tires to spec and they spin out cuz they hydroplane a lot sooner. i use to work for a fleet of trucks and they all use the same tires. but because drivers are different, some set them to spec and some over inflate them by a bit. and the trucks that go with spec usually hydroplane

[silverstarmazda]

the smaller the contact patch, the more pressure you vehicles weight is in that tire patch - like a needle or high heels. the bigger the contact patch, the less pressure you have on the contact patch - like an elephants feet. depending on what kind of snow i run on, i adjust pressure accordingly. if its heavy fresh fluffy snow, i run them high. if its packed and hard snow, i run them low. manufacturers guide lines are correct with the specified wheel dimensions and specific tires. but some people (me) i run different spec tires/rims that did not come factory. and the spec guide lines on the door are usually for summer or whatever came with the car according to the vin number. there was actually a problem a couple years ago where the door specs did not match up with the line of vehicles tires from factory. they started to wear prematurely.

[Hoodzy]

Oh the good ole thinner tires cut into snow bit.. Provide me with some empirical evidence and I shall agree with you..
It's a myth as far as i'm concerned.

[Hoodzy]

Oh the good ole thinner tires gab.. Provide me with some empirical evidence and I shall agree with you..
They start out driving on ice.. The deeper the snow gets the more they deflate.. make sense? Opposite of what you are saying.

[silverstarmazda]

kinda like cutting something with a knifes edge vs its side

[silverstarmazda]

how is it in any way the opposite of what im saying? at least read my post. you can run ur tires flat or high for all i care, but when the heavy snow comes again (hopefully not) we'll c whos driving down the road and whos driving into the ditch.i run my tires the way i say i run them and i trust these with my life. i already have friends dead because they think "deflating" the tires is a good idea in the snow. "they ran the tires flat cuz they get a better and more contact wwith the snow like that." " hard tires DO cut through snow better, but is shit when the snow it too deep". the area of contact isnt everything

[silverstarmazda]

im not arguing against you. your facts r true. but in some snow conditions. a higher psi level helps

[silverstarmazda]

motor trend - Myth: Wide tires provide better traction under all weather conditions. In fact, putting oversize snow tires on a car delivers better snow traction.

Fact: The opposite is actually true. Wide tires tend to "float" on deep snow, and the tread lugs never have a chance to "dig" through to the road surface to gain traction. Narrow tires are a better option in deep snow. The tire acts similarly to a knife cutting through butter; the blade works best when using the narrow edge to push through the butter rather than the wide flat side of the blade.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/womt/112_9903_tire_myths_and_reality/viewall.html#ixzz1oUQpdsgO

[silverstarmazda]

eHow - Snow Safety
The long-held belief that narrow tires are better in snow and ice is generally true. One side effect of high contact pressure is heat, which can, in many cases, squeeze any snow beneath back into its liquid state. When combined with a sipes designed to carry that melted ice and snow away, the end result is a tire that performs far better in winter conditions than wide summer rubber. Wide tires tend to float over the top of ice and snow rather than digging in.



Read more: Wide Vs. Narrow Tires | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6586564_wide-vs_-narrow-tires.html#ixzz1oURaFPy1

[silverstarmazda]

tire rack - Save Money While Enhancing Your Vehicle's Deep Snow Traction

Tire Rack's Preferred Winter Packages* often feature alternate sizes that combine smaller diameter wheels (that fit over the vehicle's Original Equipment brakes and within its wheelwell) with narrower, higher profile tires (that have equivalent load capacities and overall diameters). This not only promotes better deep snow traction, but also results in less expensive Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Packages. An additional advantage higher profile tire sizes offer is they feature taller sidewalls and smaller diameter wheels that more easily resist damage associated with winter road hazards and early spring potholes.

[silverstarmazda]

a video? http://twoguysrally.com/2008/09/29/why-wrc-cars-use-thin-snow-tires/

[Hoodzy]

So the question is.. how often are you driving on a road that requires you to CUT through so much snow you aren't actually touching the hard compact ice/snow underneath?? That one or 2 times it blizzards.... your tires should be set up for the most common conditions.. Plus tire rack itself will sell you packages of tires which still fit on stock rims. That's what maybe a few mm thinner.. plus I never saw any empirical evidence.. Just if you cut into snow it's better.
Show me traction tests comparing 3 different tire sizes in 3 different road conditions and then i'll be happy :)

[silverstarmazda]

http://www.performancesimulations.com/fact-or-fiction-tires-1.htm

[silverstarmazda]

its not 3 different tires but it still proves my theory.

" how often are you driving on a road that requires you to CUT through so much snow"
when your not riding in snow thats 3 ft deep. if u got a single foot of snow, u dont try to float on it. u try to get the tires to touch the ground, or compact the snow enough to ride on top of the compacted snow. which is wat WE have. the thinner the tires, the better u compact the snow underneath you tires, and get more of a "grip". the flatter the tire, the less compact the snow will be, which leads to the snow underneath breaking traction a lot sooner. place you hand flat on a film of oil on a table and c if you slip. then place the tip of your fingure on the same fim of oil with the same pressure and youll c if you slip

[silverstarmazda]

let me ask you how often are you driving that need your tires to be flat? or under inflated? a tires max psi rating is there so you dont OVER inflate them. but it doesnt tell you NOT to inflate them to that number. tires are usually able to inflate over the psi rating on the tire by either 10-20 psi

[silverstarmazda]

wiki - High performance and dynamic drivers often increase the tire pressure to near the maximum pressure as printed on the sidewall. This is done to sacrifice comfort for performance and safety. It is definitely very dangerous to allow tire pressure to drop below the recommended placard vehicle pressure.Should a low pressure tire be forced to perform an evasive maneuver, the tire wall will be more pliable than had it been of a higher pressure, and thus it will "roll" under the wheel.

[Reddie1337]

This thread got a whole lot more serious than I was planning. I never have problems with traction when there is any traction to be had. 36 seems fine, and it doesn't give me weird wear patterns, and so far this year, all I have had to deal with is snow in Ottawa, the stuff around my area was more of a joke than anything.

[silverstarmazda]

a lot of customer come in and ask to deflate theyre tires a bit. but i suggest them to bump them up a bit higher or at 5-8 psi lower than the tire rating. you would be surprised how much car we have to sent to the body shop because theyre tire pressures are a low and say they thought it was suppose to be low for winter.

[Hoodzy]

You misinterpret my comments... I am not advocating under inflation.. I am advocating running the tires at what Mazda says too aka whats on your door

[silverstarmazda]

yea, but the sticker on the door is usually for what came with the car or recommended replacements. but since most of us run an after market set up. they require different specs. even if it was a direct replacement for oem. they may need different specs too due to the way they might of been manufactured. the sticker on the door is also used to keep the tire pressure guages from going off by telling you what to inflate them too

[Zuluwun]

So is there a definitive resource for determining what pressure to inflate the tires to? It doesn't make sense (to me) to run differently sized tires at the same pressure, so how does the number on the door apply to going up or down a rim size?

[Reddie1337]

It doesn't matter what size are the tires, the PSI doesn't account for volume, just run with what you are comfortable with.


So is there a definitive resource for determining what pressure to inflate the tires to? It doesn't make sense (to me) to run differently sized tires at the same pressure, so how does the number on the door apply to going up or down a rim size?

[Flagrum_3]

This thread got a whole lot more serious than I was planning. I never have problems with traction when there is any traction to be had. 36 seems fine, and it doesn't give me weird wear patterns, and so far this year, all I have had to deal with is snow in Ottawa, the stuff around my area was more of a joke than anything.

Let's get back on topic and too basics. Better gas mileage! Tire pressure; follow what is on your door, but check pressures often.(Doesn't matter what size of tire). Keep your air filter clean or replace it when dirty. Keep your injectors clean using a cleaner periodically and change your oil to a thinner grade 0w-20 for instance....there is not much else to watch mechanically assuming all suspension components are in good condition and plugs are relatively new. The most important thing to mileage is driving style; Smooth steady driving as opposed to jack rabbit starts, abrupt stops and tearing the asphalt on ramps curves etc; is the way to go. Slow down and anticipate situations. If you have a standard, just shift at a lower rpm and keep it in the highest gear possible for whatever speed your cruising. Idling gets 0 miles to the gallon...These are just some hints to better mileage. I'm sure others can think of others. I average about 8.7/100km mixed driving, which I think is pretty decent for the size of engine and weight of the vehicle.

_3

[sarujo]

+1

Also make sure your alignment is good as this will not only wear tires but use more fuel (if out of spec). And no coasting in neutral to stops/red lights - leave it in gear - injectors turn off when coasting in gear - at least with a MT.


Let's get back on topic and too basics. Better gas mileage! Tire pressure; follow what is on your door, but check pressures often.(Doesn't matter what size of tire). Keep your air filter clean or replace it when dirty. Keep your injectors clean using a cleaner periodically and change your oil to a thinner grade 0w-20 for instance....there is not much else to watch mechanically assuming all suspension components are in good condition and plugs are relatively new. The most important thing to mileage is driving style; Smooth steady driving as opposed to jack rabbit starts, abrupt stops and tearing the asphalt on ramps curves etc; is the way to go. Slow down and anticipate situations. If you have a standard, just shift at a lower rpm and keep it in the highest gear possible for whatever speed your cruising. Idling gets 0 miles to the gallon...These are just some hints to better mileage. I'm sure others can think of others. I average about 8.7/100km mixed driving, which I think is pretty decent for the size of engine and weight of the vehicle.

_3

[Reddie1337]

Thank you for the advice. I keep my car regularly maintained. All suspension parts are in good working order, if not brand new after the accident my car had. Had to do an alignment after changing a bunch of parts so that is good. I'm at 36 PSI in tires, trying to milk a little bit extra there. I have automatic :( but I understand about anticipating situations. I could try a thinner oil, will that hurt my 2.3L though? and would I have to use a different filter? I just changed my cartridge style oil filter for the spin on type because I got fed up with the cartridge.

I do work in an auto shop, I was just wondering if there was anything people recommended for cleaning an engine out, or any differences people found when using different parts.

This car was maintained well until about 80000km, because the Mazda dealer has records of it, but I am not sure about the last 17000km before I got the car. I have run Lucas Injector cleaner through it with a couple gas tanks. I am seeing an average around 10-11 in the city. so its not all that bad. but on the highway it's still worse than my other car, my 2001 Chevy Cavalier 2.4L 5-spd.

[silverstarmazda]

seafoam i guess? do it before an oil change, then change the oil lol. i got better milage out of that for sure. i would use to get crap millage like 375 per tank and i was like, wtf...thats not right. changed out the spark plugs, cleaned air filter, seafoam, new part synthetic oil, and from time to time i put the lucas oil treatment in the tank. i think i get roughly 435 or more out of a tank now but that was mostly city driving. wen im on the highway i seem to have shit luck and get stuck in stop and go traffic. still trying to find alternate routes. im sure i can squeeze a bit more cuz my tire pressure is a bit low from the first time i put my new wheels on. so ill inflate them back up, lose the spare tire cuz its punctured anyways, add tire repair kit and slime just in case. start filling up at shell or esso kinda helps too i guess... does anyone also think that wen the car is more than half way full, it seems to be more fuel efficient?? weird..probably just me. im also lowering the car and then getting an alignment. might also clean out the MAF sensor, cuz they can contribute to bad milage.. other than all that, you really have to be doing some hardware/mechanical mods to start getting mad changes. like a hot air induction... or tear dropping your car..ew

[stefanb]

seafoam i guess? do it before an oil change, then change the oil lol. i got better milage out of that for sure. i would use to get crap millage like 375 per tank and i was like, wtf...thats not right. changed out the spark plugs, cleaned air filter, seafoam, new part synthetic oil, and from time to time i put the lucas oil treatment in the tank. i think i get roughly 435 or more out of a tank now but that was mostly city driving. wen im on the highway i seem to have shit luck and get stuck in stop and go traffic. still trying to find alternate routes. im sure i can squeeze a bit more cuz my tire pressure is a bit low from the first time i put my new wheels on. so ill inflate them back up, lose the spare tire cuz its punctured anyways, add tire repair kit and slime just in case. start filling up at shell or esso kinda helps too i guess... does anyone also think that wen the car is more than half way full, it seems to be more fuel efficient?? weird..probably just me. im also lowering the car and then getting an alignment. might also clean out the MAF sensor, cuz they can contribute to bad milage.. other than all that, you really have to be doing some hardware/mechanical mods to start getting mad changes. like a hot air induction... or tear dropping your car..ew

http://i.imgur.com/XUtAF.jpg

[FLIPDADY]

http://i.imgur.com/XUtAF.jpg
ROTFLMAO!

+1

[Chester_Lampwick]

I do work in an auto shop, I was just wondering if there was anything people recommended for cleaning an engine out, or any differences people found when using different parts.

I am seeing an average around 10-11 in the city. so its not all that bad. but on the highway it's still worse than my other car, my 2001 Chevy Cavalier 2.4L 5-spd.

Nah, I think that's an old wives tale. There's so much less oil contamination nowadays with combustion being so much more efficient. For the same reason you can get 160,000 kms on a set of plugs, oil doesn't sludge, and 10,000 or 15,000 km change intervals are not unreasonable. New oils are engineered to be much better too. No need to switch grades either. Also, it's important not to switch to a cooler thermostat. All this is accounted for and the computer works within these parameters.

Sounds like your car has a ton of miles though. I would probably change the injectors rather than cleaning them. Since you work at a shop and likely only have to pay for parts, I'd replace all the belts, pulleys, tensioners, hoses, fluid, and sensors.

[Flagrum_3]

Nah, I think that's an old wives tale. There's so much less oil contamination nowadays with combustion being so much more efficient. For the same reason you can get 160,000 kms on a set of plugs, oil doesn't sludge, and 10,000 or 15,000 km change intervals are not unreasonable. New oils are engineered to be much better too. No need to switch grades either. Also, it's important not to switch to a cooler thermostat. All this is accounted for and the computer works within these parameters.

Sounds like your car has a ton of miles though. I would probably change the injectors rather than cleaning them. Since you work at a shop and likely only have to pay for parts, I'd replace all the belts, pulleys, tensioners, hoses, fluid, and sensors.

I hope you meant plugs!! Injectors should never need replacing or not until atleast triple his mileage. If you have iridium plugs they are very difficult to clean without damaging them, replacement is always better but then they should last 120+ kms. He's getting up there so he should consider changing them out with the OEM iridiums, which are the best (In this case). As for the oil you can easily and safely go to a 0w-20 oil as long as it is a premium quality oil. It should give slightly better mileage plus longer change intervals so the extra cost of synthetic pays for itself with longer intervals AND you won't need a different filter, standard oem should be fine.

_3

[Chester_Lampwick]

I read it as him having at least 250,000 kms. Isn't that a lot?

[Flagrum_3]

I read it as him having at least 250,000 kms. Isn't that a lot?

If your talking about Reddie, I got that he's at around 100,000 kms. 80k +17k. Maybe I missed a post lol.


_3

[bluemazda3]

http://i.imgur.com/XUtAF.jpg

lol

[Reddie1337]

I am at 1058xxkm. When I got the car, I got the plugs from the dealer for my car. The NGK Iridium's. I put on a cold air intake as well. I think my mileage is very reasonable for a 5 year old car.

[sarujo]

Forgot another thing...clean the throttle body!

[Reddie1337]

I will try that today, but I have to disconnect my CAI then.

[Bosshammy]

just an update onl my cars L/100k, was getting about 9.1 with mostly highway and short drives on private roads.. put on my injen intake drove normaly kept under or around 3k and i got 8.1/100 sawweet.. btu thats babying it and i like the sound ;)

[trulankan]

just an update onl my cars L/100k, was getting about 9.1 with mostly highway and short drives on private roads.. put on my injen intake drove normaly kept under or around 3k and i got 8.1/100 sawweet.. btu thats babying it and i like the sound ;)

wow thats a big drop...is a CAI that effective?

[silverstarmazda]

your just freeing up the air going into the engine. if you look around, the stock system is mad restrictive... the ducts get smaller and smaller... then again, i kno of a couple of cars who use this technique (restricting air) to get better milages.. the temperature difference in the air might also contribute to some results, but i highly doubt itll be a huge difference though.. what really sucks (literally) is that the fuel pump and filter are one unit i think, so u cant change the filter. over time stuff gets through the filter or is clogged causing the fuel to pass though the cloges of crap and actually start to transfer the crap to the engine. the fuel gets pretty foggy on old fuel filters after its been passed through

[standsideways]

what really sucks (literally) is that the fuel pump and filter are one unit i think, so u cant change the filter. over time stuff gets through the filter or is clogged causing the fuel to pass though the cloges of crap and actually start to transfer the crap to the engine. the fuel gets pretty foggy on old fuel filters after its been passed through

they are one unit, but from the pics i have seen, the filters arent in rough shape at all.

You could always get a shop that know what they are doing to add an inline fuel filter that can be changed ever year or so. Not worth the $ IMO.

[cwp_sedan]

I still think you have a heavy foot. This is in my 2007 GT sedan stock except a MS accessory CAI.

Approx 85% highway so far. 395.6km so far and I'm at half a tank. Info trip says 7.5L/100km even though it's probably not right. I do consider the bottom half to be smaller since I'm not running the tank dry.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/cwp_sedan/5154ecdc.jpg

[Reddie1337]

See, I can get that mileage on the highway. I get 7.3 when I do highway. But it's more the city that I don't understand. Like I shouldn't be over 9.5, ever if everything was perfect. all I have is a CAI bought from MoT apparently, according to the receipt.

[trulankan]

See, I can get that mileage on the highway. I get 7.3 when I do highway. But it's more the city that I don't understand. Like I shouldn't be over 9.5, ever if everything was perfect. all I have is a CAI bought from MoT apparently, according to the receipt.

I've been doing more highway driving as of late (with the BubbaQ the longest i've driven in my car so far since I got it lol) and i've noticed my mileage improve. Before when I was doing more city driving I would be at half-tank with 250km. Now I am at half tank with about 325km. I would love to get the mileage cwp_sedan is getting lol

[cwp_sedan]

I've been doing more highway driving as of late (with the BubbaQ the longest i've driven in my car so far since I got it lol) and i've noticed my mileage improve. Before when I was doing more city driving I would be at half-tank with 250km. Now I am at half tank with about 325km. I would love to get the mileage cwp_sedan is getting lol

You will only get that mileage if you drive like 100-110 on the highway without traffic for most of your trip. I never drive like that normally but I've been trying to take it easy lately to see what I can get out of it. City driving just kills all hope for good mileage lol.

[trulankan]

You will only get that mileage if you drive like 100-110 on the highway without traffic for most of your trip. I never drive like that normally but I've been trying to take it easy lately to see what I can get out of it. City driving just kills all hope for good mileage lol.

yeah city driving and short trips kill it :(

[TheAnswer_03]

I only get about 450 to 475 km on a full tank in my 07 Mazda 3 GT sedan.

[Reddie1337]

I only get about 450 to 475 km on a full tank in my 07 Mazda 3 GT sedan.

Is that till the gas light comes on? If so, you are averaging about 10L/100KM. I noticed when they light comes on, there is about 46L used. which would equate to about 10L/100KM.

[TheAnswer_03]

Is that till the gas light comes on? If so, you are averaging about 10L/100KM. I noticed when they light comes on, there is about 46L used. which would equate to about 10L/100KM.

That's with 1 or 2 ticks after E on the gas gauge. I got 10.1/100km on my last fill-up :(

[Reddie1337]

Wait, you are going below E? wow. I am never that ballsy :P The most I've ever put in was 47 litres :P

I find averaging 10 isn't all that bad, I mean the car is older. I just hate that my Cavalier, that is 11 years old, with a bigger motor, is doing better. (On Fuelly it looks the same, but the Mazda had a couple of small fill-ups that shouldn't really count.)

I mean its gotten better, its under 10 normally now, and I have run injector cleaner a couple more times. I really need to find my intake leak too.

This is Z24
http://mefi.us/images/fuelly/sig-metric/126253.png (http://www.fuelly.com/driver/Reddie1337/cavalier)
This is 3 Hatch
http://mefi.us/images/fuelly/sig-metric/110615.png (http://www.fuelly.com/driver/Reddie1337/3)

(The 4.8 & 4.3 numbers on Fuelly for the Mazda should probably not count, because although it was the same pump, it may have just shut off a little too early.)

[trulankan]

That's with 1 or 2 ticks after E on the gas gauge. I got 10.1/100km on my last fill-up :(

i guess it depends on ur driving habits. I try to take it easy on acceleration after a red light. This helps alot when doing alot of city driving. You should also try coasting to a stop when possible (let go of the gas a little earlier). We can't really do much with gas mileage on our cars as they are not designed with fuel efficiency in mind unfortunately :(

Also, I was getting good mileage when I posted earlier after the BBQ. Since then I've been doing pure city driving and I have just hit 400km with the needle on the last long line (with 3 ticks til empty) I dont think i'm gonna hit 500km this time around :(

[trulankan]

I envy skyactiv owners lol

[Reddie1337]

I envy skyactiv owners lol

Ditto.

[Bosshammy]

mannaged to get 8.5l/100km when i first got my intake , then never seen it again... the curse of a Cold air intake...

[TheAnswer_03]

I still think you have a heavy foot. This is in my 2007 GT sedan stock except a MS accessory CAI.

Approx 85% highway so far. 395.6km so far and I'm at half a tank. Info trip says 7.5L/100km even though it's probably not right. I do consider the bottom half to be smaller since I'm not running the tank dry.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/cwp_sedan/5154ecdc.jpg

Here's my 07' GT Sedan taken a few nights ago at just under half a tank:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/TheAnswer_03_2006/vita/2012-06-08-022436.jpg

Fail :(

[cwp_sedan]

Here's my 07' GT Sedan taken a few nights ago at just under half a tank:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/TheAnswer_03_2006/vita/2012-06-08-022436.jpg

Fail :(


Um that is just terrible! That has to be 100% city! Have you done a tune-up at all? Air filter, check air pressure in tires, etc, etc?

In the summer I'm usually around at least 300km at the half tank mark. If you are on the gas all of the time or in manual mode a lot it will obviously hurt your fuel savings.

[TheAnswer_03]

Um that is just terrible! That has to be 100% city! Have you done a tune-up at all? Air filter, check air pressure in tires, etc, etc?

In the summer I'm usually around at least 300km at the half tank mark. If you are on the gas all of the time or in manual mode a lot it will obviously hurt your fuel savings.

Yeah it's almost 100% city driving, I am on the highway for a few minutes to work. I make a lot of short trips also (less than 10km per trip usually).

Using a K&N air filter, synthetic motor oil, synthetic ATF, new spark plugs (NGK iridium), new tires 32 PSI.

[cwp_sedan]

Yeah it's almost 100% city driving, I am on the highway for a few minutes to work. I make a lot of short trips also (less than 10km per trip usually).

Using a K&N air filter, synthetic motor oil, synthetic ATF, new spark plugs (NGK iridium), new tires 32 PSI.


Yeah well that will do it. I don't think any car is really good for all city driving that has a lot of stop-and-go except electric cars/hybrids. I can't really suggest anything except drive less in the city lol.

[stefanb]

Yeah it's almost 100% city driving, I am on the highway for a few minutes to work. I make a lot of short trips also (less than 10km per trip usually).

Using a K&N air filter, synthetic motor oil, synthetic ATF, new spark plugs (NGK iridium), new tires 32 PSI.

Are you tracking your usage on fuelly or anything? 268 at half a tank is probably in the 25 mpg range, which is normal for these cars in the city ratings. You don't have a problem...you just picked the wrong car (2.3 auto) for fuel efficiency.

Get used to it.

[113GT]

im currently at 590 km with a quarter tank remaing with the 2.5 liter engine and about 65% highway. The whole trick is to anticipate tracffic and be light on the gas and brakes.

[cwp_sedan]

im currently at 590 km with a quarter tank remaing with the 2.5 liter engine and about 65% highway. The whole trick is to anticipate tracffic and be light on the gas and brakes.

You also have a 6-speed transmission so highway will give you even better gas mileage over the 1st gen.

+1 on the light gas and brakes.

[trulankan]

Yeah it's almost 100% city driving, I am on the highway for a few minutes to work. I make a lot of short trips also (less than 10km per trip usually).

Using a K&N air filter, synthetic motor oil, synthetic ATF, new spark plugs (NGK iridium), new tires 32 PSI.

I feel your pain dude, I just watch my tank emptying while im on the road :(

[trulankan]

I was actually having an issue with one of my tires. I noticed that after pumping the front driver side tire, 2 weeks later it woould be at half the PSI. I dropped by a place called Superior Tire and they told me that I indeed had a leak and they repaired it (cost $30). My tires are relatively new as the dealer replaced them when I bought the car. An interesting thing that I was told was my tires were in fact "all weather" tires (the mechanic thought they were winter tires and then the manager had a look and told me) as they have two tread patterns on them. So i think all these things are causing my mileage issues. Plus i'm running on 17-inch wheels so that might have an effect also.

[113GT]

You also have a 6-speed transmission so highway will give you even better gas mileage over the 1st gen.

+1 on the light gas and brakes.

its a 5 speed automatic, at about 100 km/h the engine is spinning around 2,100 or 2,200 RPM

[cwp_sedan]

its a 5 speed automatic, at about 100 km/h the engine is spinning around 2,100 or 2,200 RPM

Oh really? I guess just the speeds have the 6-speed then.

Yeah but who really drives at 100km/h on the highway? lol

[113GT]

Oh really? I guess just the speeds have the 6-speed then.

Yeah but who really drives at 100km/h on the highway? lol

well considering most of our highways in quebec at 70 km/h....me! lol

even the highways that are 100 km limit i dont go faster, I find the best mileage is around 90-100 km/h.

the 6 speed is available on the 2.5, i chose to get the auto 5 speed.

[Flagrum_3]

Oh really? I guess just the speeds have the 6-speed then.

Yeah but who really drives at 100km/h on the highway? lol

It's hard keeping even too 120kph lol....Keeping at a steady speed, and smooth driving is one way to get the fuel usage down though. I do alright averaging 8.7 to 9.1 over the years. If I'm doing straight hiway I can get her down to 7.9l/100km windows closed, air-cond going.

_3

[cwp_sedan]

It's hard keeping even too 120kph lol....Keeping at a steady speed, and smooth driving is one way to get the fuel usage down though. I do alright averaging 8.7 to 9.1 over the years. If I'm doing straight hiway I can get her down to 7.9l/100km windows closed, air-cond going.

_3

Yah for sure. I do a lot of trips between TO and Niagara and I try to keep it around 110 which gives me pretty good L/100km.

[Reddie1337]

It's hard keeping even too 120kph lol....Keeping at a steady speed, and smooth driving is one way to get the fuel usage down though. I do alright averaging 8.7 to 9.1 over the years. If I'm doing straight hiway I can get her down to 7.9l/100km windows closed, air-cond going.

_3

I just did a trip to Grand Bend and back, I just averaged 7.4L/100km. I was very surprised, that is what I normally get on my trips to Ottawa. Which is all highway. I wasn't to easy on the car either. And a lot of A/C, and stops in little towns. I am happily surprised.

http://img.tapatalk.com/4ac609d6-3e9f-6bce.jpg

[Flagrum_3]

I just did a trip to Grand Bend and back, I just averaged 7.4L/100km. I was very surprised, that is what I normally get on my trips to Ottawa. Which is all highway. I wasn't to easy on the car either. And a lot of A/C, and stops in little towns. I am happily surprised.


Not bad! I'd probably get better mileage if I switched to a thinner oil. The GC even though rated a 0w30 actually runs 'closer' to a 40 weight till it shears down a little, usually around the 8k mark, then it'll run more like a 30 weight, at this point my mileage actually go up a little better.

_3

[Reddie1337]

Not bad! I'd probably get better mileage if I switched to a thinner oil. The GC even though rated a 0w30 actually runs 'closer' to a 40 weight till it shears down a little, usually around the 8k mark, then it'll run more like a 30 weight, at this point my mileage actually go up a little better.

_3

Quite honestly, I am running a bulk 5w20 oil, and I have always ran bulk in my car, and it doesn't seem to hurt it too much. It doesn't feel held back or anything. I will say though, this past tank, I am just near my oil change, so my 5w20 has gone 5000km already, maybe running a little thinner.

[113GT]

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/6642/photo6dx.jpg

70% highway / 30% city. It's just below the 3/4 mark, 2 bars to go until it hits half a tank. 2.5 liter engine to. not bad lol

[rajin929]

the 2.0L and 4spd tranny is complete dog....i changed the plugs, cleaned the MAF and Throttle body, and am avg'ing about 550-560 per tank at about 15% highway and 85% city

i attribute it to super conservative driving style....trying to be very easy on the throttle and like others have mentioned, anticipating traffic and road conditions and trying to keep driving speed as constant as possible.

the stop and go, punching the throttle at the light or keep having the tranny downshift to get any power to get up an incline kills the mileage

[113GT]

the 2.0L and 4spd tranny is complete dog....i changed the plugs, cleaned the MAF and Throttle body, and am avg'ing about 550-560 per tank at about 15% highway and 85% city

the stop and go, punching the throttle at the light or keep having the tranny downshift to get any power to get up an incline kills the mileage

thats not bad considering its almost all city.....

[rajin929]

yea it's pretty good - i'm only 12km from work so trying to hypermile involves taking less travelled side streets to work with less stop and go traffic, and smoothly accelerating and maintaining speed

if I drove on busy main streets, i'd get honked at for not doing the 0-60 in 5 secs when the light turns green and going 20 over the speed limit haha

[Reddie1337]

Yeah. This tank seems like its going to be worse than my last one, but I'm also going to attribute that to my very cracked rubber grommet on my CAI, which I will be ordering a new one tomorrow... Yay :P I am getting a high pitched whistle at lower RPM right now, so I know it's just drinking the air in through that hole. I am interested to see how my new 2011 2.0L will do after I fixed it up. It's only got 11000km on it, if it's significantly better, I may have to keep the 2.0L :O

[cwp_sedan]

2.0L cars get better mileage anyway so it's hard to compare it to a 2.3L.

That is pretty good consumption though.

[113GT]

I am actually pretty surprised with the gas mileage the 2.5 can get. Right now I am averaging (in the last 3 tanks) about 31.5 MPG with 65% highway and 35% city.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8792/photo3qc.jpg

I would assume the 2.0 can get much better but it seems like it is mostly driver style that is affecting gas mileage the most, comparing to the ones that do a similar amount of highway driving.

[rajin929]

smaller engine size doesn't always equate to better mileage, it has to work harder to pull the same weight.

you'd be suprised i'm getting much better mileage in my accord V6 6-spd coupe. The 3.0L engine with 6 gears is very good on gas with same driving style.

[Reddie1337]

Yeah, I notice my smaller coupe has better mileage just because of the 5spd stick in it. It's weird.

[kimchisoup]

2008.5 2.3L AUTO with 50K+, No mods
Regularly do 650km/50-51L.
Just did 696km/51.5L.
(Once the remaining shows 0 - its down to about 10L remaining, can easily drive about 100km more on highway).

Biggest effects on mpg:
temperature. Warmup in winter kills mpg for first 5-10min of driving.
slow. mpg below 50-60kph sucks. Avoid below 4th gear.
AC/heating. eats gas, more than you think.
Cruise control. Makes big difference as long as long as no big hills. I use 98% time, even doing 50kph in city.
Coasting. Dont rush to red lights... let of gas way ahead = almost 0 L/km

Small effects.
Weight. Dont drive bricks and tools around. Or passengers
Tire pressure. was getting maybe ~3% lower mpg with 30psi. over 34 doesnt make sense.
speed. 105 vs 110kph only maybe 2-3% diff. But over 125kph is over 3000rpm - poor mpg!
Alignment/tire balance. Worth checking out if you feel vibrations or pulling to side.
Slow accel. Surprisingly doesnt really help that much to granny speed up. Less time below 50kph better!

I'll get back if I think of more...
but basically, the reason some people are getting such huge mpg vs others is city/winter vs summer/highway. Makes huge diff.

[Ozil]

all you people with high mpg are making me jealous...

I only get around 350kms full tank with 100% city driving... i dont know if thats normal, or if theres something ****ed up with my car :bang

[kimchisoup]

all you people with high mpg are making me jealous...

I only get around 350kms full tank with 100% city driving... i dont know if thats normal, or if theres something ****ed up with my car :bang

Have you considered the things on my list.

If you're spending any significant (ie >20%) of time under 30kph, then I wouldn't be surprised by your poor fuel economy.
Besides, what's full tank?
Do you refill as soon as you get 0 remaining.. or "E" light which is approx 25-30km later.
If, so you've probably only used around 42-43L and still have 10+ L in the tank... at least that's my situation.

Best case, on a lot fo 60 kph and 70 kph roads, I get around 9 to 9.5 L/100km
On very hilly 40 -50 kph zones in traffic, I get 12 to 14 L/ 100km... and thats WITHOUT any racer burnouts.
So, with 11L/100kph you should be getting 410km on 45L. Or if you are using 45L, that means you're getting 12.8L /100KM...
(I'm no math ma gician so Ican't tell for sure unless you tell me the L and the km).

[Ozil]

Have you considered the things on my list.

If you're spending any significant (ie >20%) of time under 30kph, then I wouldn't be surprised by your poor fuel economy.
Besides, what's full tank?
Do you refill as soon as you get 0 remaining.. or "E" light which is approx 25-30km later.
If, so you've probably only used around 42-43L and still have 10+ L in the tank... at least that's my situation.

Best case, on a lot fo 60 kph and 70 kph roads, I get around 9 to 9.5 L/100km
On very hilly 40 -50 kph zones in traffic, I get 12 to 14 L/ 100km... and thats WITHOUT any racer burnouts.
So, with 11L/100kph you should be getting 410km on 45L. Or if you are using 45L, that means you're getting 12.8L /100KM...
(I'm no math ma gician so Ican't tell for sure unless you tell me the L and the km).

yes, I refill the tank when E light comes on..so that means I still have 10L in the tank left?

I'm going to start using Fuelly from now on to find out what my actual MPG is.

thank you for the info, :D

[Reddie1337]

yes, I refill the tank when E light comes on..so that means I still have 10L in the tank left?

I'm going to start using Fuelly from now on to find out what my actual MPG is.

thank you for the info, :D


Fuelly is a really good way to track it, I do both my cars on it. I just wish it was actually an app on my iPhone, not just a mobile site.

[stefanb]

Just a reminder: You cannot make any claims of fuel usage if you are not tracking, or calculating it. "kms to a tank" is not a method of calculating fuel economy

[trulankan]

Fuelly is the best way to track and manage...a native app would be amazing, something I would actually pay for its its not pricey

[113GT]

there are apps that are free that are good.

[-RJ3-]

My car is an 04, but this applies to any car.

Out of different ways of saving fuel mileage whether it be sea foam, engine lubricant cleaners for the engine fuel system etc. The most obvious way to check if car is running bad and experience poor fuel mileage, is your spark plugs.

Had my spark plugs removed and they look really bad. Before car had issues, my Dashawk2 read 9.7km / km. Once I had bad fuel economy it read as 9.8km.


Once I had APH change the sparkplugs and gave the Mazda a fresh new oil change, my car's fuel mileage went back to 9.7KM!

and my needle isnt moving even after 30km.

Hope this helps out!

[Reddie1337]

Had my spark plugs removed and they look really bad. Before car had issues, my Dashawk2 read 9.7km / km. Once I had bad fuel economy it read as 9.8km.


Once I had APH change the sparkplugs and gave the Mazda a fresh new oil change, my car's fuel mileage went back to 9.7KM!

and my needle isnt moving even after 30km.

Hope this helps out!

.1 L/100 isn't really what I'm worried about, I was up over 11, and now that I have had the car for 6 months, its down to 9.1L/100, with getting low 7.xx's a lot for long distance drives.

[trulankan]

i've noticed a big difference after I starting commuting to Mississauga daily on the highway. I do about 100km/day highway whereas before I would just use the car for errands and leisure on the weekends and take public transit downtown. Sure, I'm pumping my gas once a week now but my fuel economy has gone up drastically and I am getting over 100km extra per tank (going from 9.7km/100km down to 8.3km/100km) If you drive more in the city, your fuel economy will suck. There isnt too much you can do about it cause our cars were not designed with fuel economy in mind, they were designed for 'spirited' driving lol I willl change my spark plugs once I reach 100k km and see what the difference is. I also notice that my fuel economy spikes up after an oil change.

[Reddie1337]

Yeah, I notice highway trips are like that, they help mileage like crazy! I do my oil changes every 5000km, So my mileage doesn't really drop like that.

I try to drive it nicely, some trips I don't think about it, and its great. Other trips were I try, it gets worse, so I just don't get it.]

[Chester_Lampwick]

My car is an 04, but this applies to any car.

Out of different ways of saving fuel mileage whether it be sea foam, engine lubricant cleaners for the engine fuel system etc. The most obvious way to check if car is running bad and experience poor fuel mileage, is your spark plugs.

Had my spark plugs removed and they look really bad. Before car had issues, my Dashawk2 read 9.7km / km. Once I had bad fuel economy it read as 9.8km.


Once I had APH change the sparkplugs and gave the Mazda a fresh new oil change, my car's fuel mileage went back to 9.7KM!

and my needle isnt moving even after 30km.

Hope this helps out!

I beg to differ. Firstly its litres/100kms. Not km/km or KM. Besides the difference between 9.7 and 9.8, regardless of the units is only 1%! Are you saying you find that significant? Probably not even a change but just a rounding error. Besides, if your engine misfired you'd surely get a "Check Engine" light. If not, your plugs are almost certainly working well. The modern engine has sensors out the wazoo, and constantly monitors parameters. They burn so inefficiently, that's a huge part of why oil lasts 10,000 kms or more and spark plugs last 160,000 kms.

I'm not spending $100 (or more) on spark plugs prematurely just to save 50 cents per week* It would 4 years of driving to recoup that.

* based on 1 tank of 40 litres per week at $1.25 with 1% savings

[Reddie1337]

I beg to differ. Firstly its litres/100kms. Not km/km or KM. Besides the difference between 9.7 and 9.8, regardless of the units is only 1%! Are you saying you find that significant? Probably not even a change but just a rounding error. Besides, if your engine misfired you'd surely get a "Check Engine" light. If not, your plugs are almost certainly working well. The modern engine has sensors out the wazoo, and constantly monitors parameters. They burn so inefficiently, that's a huge part of why oil lasts 10,000 kms or more and spark plugs last 160,000 kms.


I do not agree with your sensor line.

I've seen many cars, with no engine light, run like crap, and have no indication why, until you read deeper in, and find out while all other plugs have had maybe 30 misfires in their life, and one cylinder has 6000 in their lifetime, the sensor's are not exactly that good. I will stipulate that the sensors do help, but they aren't always the best thing to rely on. If your plugs look burnt(worn out), then they are, and you should change them. I did mine when I got my car, because I figured a good tune up, is something every car should have every once in a while.

[silverstarmazda]

I do not agree with your sensor line.

I've seen many cars, with no engine light, run like crap, and have no indication why, until you read deeper in, and find out while all other plugs have had maybe 30 misfires in their life, and one cylinder has 6000 in their lifetime, the sensor's are not exactly that good. I will stipulate that the sensors do help, but they aren't always the best thing to rely on. If your plugs look burnt(worn out), then they are, and you should change them. I did mine when I got my car, because I figured a good tune up, is something every car should have every once in a while.

+1 theres a lot of sensors, but probably less than you think. and these sensors are specially made to detect specific problems. you can have 50 other problems and they can slip right past all the sensors. these problems will eventually cause other problems that the sensors will eventually pick up. this is why you have trained people or peopl that have been working on cars for years point out if there is something wrong with the system. the more advance cars get, the more of an electronic automobiles gets...

[ssolidd]

I got my 2008 mazda 3 gsi and I spent an average of $30 per week, I always drive on the city and my work is like 14km away.

[trulankan]

I got my 2008 mazda 3 gsi and I spent an average of $30 per week, I always drive on the city and my work is like 14km away.

but how much KMs were you getting per week and do you let the tank get to empty before you fill it? There's no way $30 is enough to fill the entire tank, its more like almost double that lol

[cwp_sedan]

but how much KMs were you getting per week and do you let the tank get to empty before you fill it? There's no way $30 is enough to fill the entire tank, its more like almost double that lol

He's not saying $30 fills the tank. He's saying that he uses about an average of $30/week. That's approx 1/2 tank. He also drives a lot less.

You can't go by $ or tank or week or whatever. You need to figure out what you L/100km is.

[silverstarmazda]

i got the app accufuel and dont know how to read it.... it says 12 or 11 but it also says km/l... so would that be 12km per liter? doest that sound right??

[Reddie1337]

i got the app accufuel and dont know how to read it.... it says 12 or 11 but it also says km/l... so would that be 12km per liter? doest that sound right??

No, that's right. That would just be about 8L/100km if I'm not mistaken. You can always see if you can change it to L/100km.

[silverstarmazda]

No, that's right. That would just be about 8L/100km if I'm not mistaken. You can always see if you can change it to L/100km.

thx man...thats how i saw it and it didnt look right ahaha. thx for clearing that up

[MAZDA3GXOWNER]

I have a Mazda3gx 2008 33k 400k on a tank city driving is that average?

[trulankan]

I have a Mazda3gx 2008 33k 400k on a tank city driving is that average?

yeah thats pretty accurate, our cars dont like city driving too much lol pray for green lights

[Ozil]

07 2.3L, 400-450kms per tank (refill when light comes on),

I drive a bit aggressively sometimes plus I'm always using tiptronic, so that's probably ruining my fuel economy..

[thenightvision88]

does Changing from air to nitrogen in the tires help at all? when i bought my 08 GT it came with them. Also can i just put air in them once in a while or does it HAVE to be nitrogen?

[silverstarmazda]

does Changing from air to nitrogen in the tires help at all? when i bought my 08 GT it came with them. Also can i just put air in them once in a while or does it HAVE to be nitrogen?

not really much of a difference, but they super impose that statement pretty dramatically during marketing. the nitrogen will resist shrinking and expanding through temperature changes. this will reduce the amount of pressure fluctuations that could lead to uneven tread wear. for example: its been cold lately and ive noticed when i park outside for a bit, my tires look a bit more "flat" than before. ask people who track theyre cars about theyre tire pressure set up.

another reason is for storage. you think you tire is a perfect seal for the air? guess again. air (oxygen) molecules are small enough to seep past the rubber molecules of the tire. and over a long amount of time, the wheel will become flat . nitrogen molecules are bigger than the traditional ait (oxygen) molecules and dont seep out the rubber as fast thus retaining its pressure longer during storage. example: the previous owner i bought my car off of had no idea that there was a spare tire in the car. the car rolled out of the factory in 2004, i got my car in 2011. thats 7 years and the spare tire was flat as a bag of rocks.

conclusion - we have been using normal (oxygen) since before cars and have had no problems and had no huge defining reason to switch to nitrogen. there are some applications it will show benefits such as a dedicated race car and air planes. but for a normal street car, its kind of like a premium type or air to fill your tires with. how much did they charge you for the nitrogen fill? ALWAYS check your tire pressures monthly and fill to spec. doing this simple maintenance will keep your tires healthy (unless a wild nail appears).

note:normal air is the air we are currently breathing. and if i remember, nitrogen is a big part of the mixture of gasses in our atmosphere. so "normal air" used in the above statements are actually mostly nitrogen already! so i would say its safe to mix with nitrogen tires with normal air.

[thenightvision88]

Don't think they charged me anything for the nitrogen. i was just wondering cuz i have one tire a little low and ive never had nitrogen before. they appear to be brand new tires too with the green caps.

[silverstarmazda]

Don't think they charged me anything for the nitrogen. i was just wondering cuz i have one tire a little low and ive never had nitrogen before. they appear to be brand new tires too with the green caps.

the green caps mean the tire is filled with nitrogen. if its a bit under pressure, you should go see the dealer and have them refill it up again with nitrogen. should be free of charge...but then again, nitrogen tires to me are just a way to get customers to pay a bit more

[proDJtege]

what's the general opinion on those bottled enhancers? I've seen these and always wondered what the general consensus is.

eg: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/AutoFluidsChemicals/FuelTreatments.jsp

[Booter22]

what's the general opinion on those bottled enhancers? I've seen these and always wondered what the general consensus is.

eg: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/AutoFluidsChemicals/FuelTreatments.jsp

tried most of them. not much difference / increase. better to pay the extra and get like 91. the seafoam works well. but i still havent seen a super huge increase from them.

[silverstarmazda]

plus most effects wear off pretty fast. and all the good stuff is hard to get and is expensive

[mazda3ptbo]

I use the tsp octane booster sometimes with regular gas, I think there's an improvement, but n=might just be in my head lol

[TheAnswer_03]

I've been getting between 11 to 12L/100km on my last few fill ups. About the same as many V6 cars on the road.