CAI - Gas Mileage Adjustment? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

jeremy3721 · 07-22-2012, 12:17 AM

Just installed a CAI last night and I'm just wondering what to expect as far as gas mileage. Is it going to take time for the car's avg mpg to adjust itself or would the current indicators be correct? I didn't really expect an increase but I certainly didn't expect it to hurt after reading claims from vendors that you usually see a 1-3mpg gain.

I drive this same 15 mile stretch of highway road often (55-65mph speeds) and I like to watch my gas mileage on the stretch as a way to benchmark how driving habits affect gas mileage. I normally average about 27mpg (+/- 1mpg) but with the new Cold Air Induction CAI installed I was down to 24mpg coming and going tonight according to the car so I'm a little concerned right now. I certainly don't want to lose 40+ miles per tank of gas.

I don't need to do a fuse pull or anything like that do it?

partymn · 07-22-2012, 12:26 AM

The car should adjust itself for the CAI. However, I did the fuse pull after I did mine just to be safe. As far as your MPG goes, mine went up 1 MPG and I think thats normal for this car. You should reset your MPG and your trips and see what happens. By the way if you are getting 27MPG in an SS, you drive like a scared child.......

alanhurst · 07-22-2012, 12:27 AM

i just installed mine tonight and i saw a drop as well, but a few things i figure are messing with it atm:

1. car hasn't learned the new setup yet and this is throwing it for a loop
2. 90% of my driving was in the city today which only added to the problem
3. my inability to keep my foot out of it (loving the growl)

when i came home tonight i did the fuse pull (been wanting to do this anyway) and i figure,from what i've read here it'll be all good tomorrow.

i would pull it just to be sure if i were you.

jeremy3721 · 07-22-2012, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by partymn

By the way if you are getting 27MPG in an SS, you drive like a scared child.......

Only on this one section of road and usually back and forth to church

It's just a good stretch where I can reset the indicator and see what I can squeeze out of her from time to time.

Eskilachi · 07-22-2012, 03:17 AM

My baby is a gas-alcoholic, 12.8 mpg atm and I´m not an agressive driver at all.

CWI · 07-22-2012, 04:01 AM

I get 22 mpg on the freeway doing 75-80. That's with cam, cai, headers and dynotune.

I drive 19 miles each way to work and average 14 mpg. 12 miles of that is freeway, it's the other 3-4 miles at either end of the commute where I have fun and it kills the mileage. Thes cars are just too much fun. Especially with extra HP added.

mel0629 · 07-22-2012, 04:04 AM

Im not very educated on this....Whats a fuse pull? and how will it help? Oh and how do i do it?Thanks

CWI · 07-22-2012, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel0629

Im not very educated on this....Whats a fuse pull? and how will it help? Oh and how do i do it?Thanks

For people with SS Automatic transmissions. There are plenty of threads on here about it. Just search fuse pull. Essentially pull two particular fuses for a period of time will reset the computer. Paticularly if they had low octane gas. The computer would make the adjusment for the lower octane but not when they put high octane back in the tank so the fuse pull would take care of it.

I don't even know if that is an issue on the later models still but unless you have an under achieving V8 with automatic tranny it doesn't apply.

Higgs Boson · 07-22-2012, 07:24 AM

your mileage will go down. your car has a maf and o2 sensors which add fuel to maintain the right mixture for the increased air flow. I know people said they get a 1mpg increase but those are not empirical tests.

these are not carburators where adding intakes and exhaust leans the car out and nothing to add fuel unless you rejet the carb.....

with all the pressure from EPA on the manuf, they would have a larger intake if it helped mileage.

what's good for mileage? HOT intake air and small intake opening.
power? cold air and more of it.

jeremy3721 · 07-22-2012, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgs Boson

your mileage will go down. your car has a maf and o2 sensors which add fuel to maintain the right mixture for the increased air flow. I know people said they get a 1mpg increase but those are not empirical tests.

these are not carburators where adding intakes and exhaust leans the car out and nothing to add fuel unless you rejet the carb.....

with all the pressure from EPA on the manuf, they would have a larger intake if it helped mileage.

what's good for mileage? HOT intake air and small intake opening.
power? cold air and more of it.

And you would be the first person I've ever seen state this fact. The vendors and manufacturers all say increased fuel economy. I think it's reasonable then to expect mph to not drop based on those claims. I'll give it another few days to see what the average number is but the CAI is coming out if I confirm there's a 3mpg drop. Yeah I'd get a Prius if I wanted to get 40mpg but I could also get a ZL1 if I wanted 10mpg. I ultimately just don't want people to get away with false claims or false advertising.

ChriSS · 07-22-2012, 10:05 AM

I got a 1 MPG drop when I added my CAI I went from 16 to about 15.3

Higgs Boson · 07-22-2012, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremy3721

And you would be the first person I've ever seen state this fact.

that's because I am not trying to sell you something.

I can't believe how easily everyone believes claims. I guess that's what happens when the general population doesn't want to learn how things work on their own and educate themselves.

Neumatic · 07-22-2012, 10:28 AM

Mine stayed right around the same, Iv been averaging 18mpg to and from work. I think it dropped like maybe .5-1mpg and im pretty sure thats just due to my lead foot. Same thing happened when I put my exhaust on for a couple weeks

.

Higgs Boson · 07-22-2012, 10:50 AM

the computer wants to maintain a stoichiometric air fuel ratio in closed loop, which is everything but full throttle, which is open loop. the sensors measure airflow and unburned oxygen and adjusts the amount of fuel accordingly to keep it stoich.

if you have more air for a given throttle position, you will get more fuel. that's life baby.

07-22-2012, 12:17 AM	#1
jeremy3721 Drives: 2011 Inferno Orange 2SS/RS Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 357	CAI - Gas Mileage Adjustment? Just installed a CAI last night and I'm just wondering what to expect as far as gas mileage. Is it going to take time for the car's avg mpg to adjust itself or would the current indicators be correct? I didn't really expect an increase but I certainly didn't expect it to hurt after reading claims from vendors that you usually see a 1-3mpg gain. I drive this same 15 mile stretch of highway road often (55-65mph speeds) and I like to watch my gas mileage on the stretch as a way to benchmark how driving habits affect gas mileage. I normally average about 27mpg (+/- 1mpg) but with the new Cold Air Induction CAI installed I was down to 24mpg coming and going tonight according to the car so I'm a little concerned right now. I certainly don't want to lose 40+ miles per tank of gas. I don't need to do a fuse pull or anything like that do it?

07-22-2012, 12:26 AM	#2
partymn Drives: 2014 1ss 1LE Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Goose Creek, SC Posts: 878 View My Garage	The car should adjust itself for the CAI. However, I did the fuse pull after I did mine just to be safe. As far as your MPG goes, mine went up 1 MPG and I think thats normal for this car. You should reset your MPG and your trips and see what happens. By the way if you are getting 27MPG in an SS, you drive like a scared child....... __________________ 2014 1SS 1LE, bone stock for now.

07-22-2012, 12:27 AM	#3
alanhurst Master Chief Drives: 2011 Camaro SS RS L99 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Shippensburg, PA Posts: 414 View My Garage	i just installed mine tonight and i saw a drop as well, but a few things i figure are messing with it atm: 1. car hasn't learned the new setup yet and this is throwing it for a loop 2. 90% of my driving was in the city today which only added to the problem 3. my inability to keep my foot out of it (loving the growl) when i came home tonight i did the fuse pull (been wanting to do this anyway) and i figure,from what i've read here it'll be all good tomorrow. i would pull it just to be sure if i were you. __________________

07-22-2012, 04:01 AM	#6
CWI Helping Build America Drives: 2010 2SS/RS,LS3 2013 Duramax 3500HD Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Freeport LPG Export Posts: 3,839 View My Garage	I get 22 mpg on the freeway doing 75-80. That's with cam, cai, headers and dynotune. I drive 19 miles each way to work and average 14 mpg. 12 miles of that is freeway, it's the other 3-4 miles at either end of the commute where I have fun and it kills the mileage. Thes cars are just too much fun. Especially with extra HP added. __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit, what a ride!"

07-22-2012, 10:28 AM	#13
Neumatic Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS M6 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,448 View My Garage	Mine stayed right around the same, Iv been averaging 18mpg to and from work. I think it dropped like maybe .5-1mpg and im pretty sure thats just due to my lead foot. Same thing happened when I put my exhaust on for a couple weeks.

07-22-2012, 03:17 AM	#5
Eskilachi Drives: 2011 Camaro 2ss Convertible Join Date: May 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 175	My baby is a gas-alcoholic, 12.8 mpg atm and I´m not an agressive driver at all.

07-22-2012, 04:04 AM	#7
mel0629 Black Madness Drives: Black 2012 1LT/RS Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Downingtown,Pa Posts: 116 View My Garage	Im not very educated on this....Whats a fuse pull? and how will it help? Oh and how do i do it?Thanks

07-22-2012, 07:24 AM	#9
Higgs Boson Perpetual Order Drives: indeed Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 1,277	your mileage will go down. your car has a maf and o2 sensors which add fuel to maintain the right mixture for the increased air flow. I know people said they get a 1mpg increase but those are not empirical tests. these are not carburators where adding intakes and exhaust leans the car out and nothing to add fuel unless you rejet the carb..... with all the pressure from EPA on the manuf, they would have a larger intake if it helped mileage. what's good for mileage? HOT intake air and small intake opening. power? cold air and more of it.

07-22-2012, 10:05 AM	#11
ChriSS Drives: Camaro 2SS/RS M6 Black and IOM Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Deep South Texas Posts: 109	I got a 1 MPG drop when I added my CAI I went from 16 to about 15.3

07-22-2012, 10:50 AM	#14
Higgs Boson Perpetual Order Drives: indeed Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 1,277	the computer wants to maintain a stoichiometric air fuel ratio in closed loop, which is everything but full throttle, which is open loop. the sensors measure airflow and unburned oxygen and adjusts the amount of fuel accordingly to keep it stoich. if you have more air for a given throttle position, you will get more fuel. that's life baby.