Best mod for improving MPG?

[Camaro Ice]

Hey guys,

I have a budget of around $300(could keep saving if there's something worth it) and was wondering if there is anything I could purchase that I would see a NOTICEABLE difference in mpg(maybe performance too?)

Some information that might help:

2012 Auto LFX V6 Camaro
I usually drive like a grandma(no racing etc.)
Averaging 14-16 mpg
About 90% of my driving is city(can't be avoided for the most part)

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

there are no magic devices to increase MPG, if there were they would already be on the car so GM can meet EPA regulations.

the only mod you can do is to accel slow, coast a lot (i.e. don't jack rabbit between lights) keep the RPMs low when cruising.

I drive 90% city myself, I get 12-13 mph in my SS, if you choose to drive a car like the Camaro instead of something like a Corolla or Prius then you have to get into the mindset that MPG doesn't matter.

That's the bottom line IMO.. I did not buy my car for MPG, I know regardless of what I do the car is going to cost me $60 a week in gas and that is that.. If it was an issue for me, I would not have purchased this type of vehicle.

[GretchenGotGrowl]

Originally Posted by Camaro Ice

Hey guys,

I have a budget of around $300(could keep saving if there's something worth it) and was wondering if there is anything I could purchase that I would see a NOTICEABLE difference in mpg(maybe performance too?)

Some information that might help:

2012 Auto LFX V6 Camaro
I usually drive like a grandma(no racing etc.)
Averaging 14-16 mpg
About 90% of my driving is city(can't be avoided for the most part)

Any ideas? Thanks.

Check your tire air pressure regularly (free)
Read the hypermiling guidelines (google search, free)
Take anything out of the car you don't need (free)
Leave for work a bit earlier and leave for home a bit earlier (free)

I get about 21 MPG driving around town. I just don't hotrod around a lot.

[lscamaro]

I'm going to have to agree with mr. incredible. The best mod you can do to raise your mpgs is control your right foot. If you take off slowly from lights and coast as much as you can, that will probably help your mpgs. The taking off from lights too fast is really what kills mpg readings. But if you did that all the time, the car wouldn't be fun to drive now would it? Also, if you get stuck in traffic, mpgs are going to go down drastically. I drive my car pretty hard and get about 17 in the city. When on the highway, I put it into 6th gear and at 75, I get 28 mpg

What are you using to determine your mpg?

[JDP Sales]

A CAI can help a little bit, but it still comes down to control of your right foot. Some folks with CAI's get better mileage, some get worse. It all depends on throttle moderation and driving habits. Feel free to call, PM or email me anytime with questions.

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

[Camaro Ice]

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

there are no magic devices to increase MPG, if there were they would already be on the car so GM can meet EPA regulations.

the only mod you can do is to accel slow, coast a lot (i.e. don't jack rabbit between lights) keep the RPMs low when cruising.

I drive 90% city myself, I get 12-13 mph in my SS, if you choose to drive a car like the Camaro instead of something like a Corolla or Prius then you have to get into the mindset that MPG doesn't matter.

That's the bottom line IMO.. I did not buy my car for MPG, I know regardless of what I do the car is going to cost me $60 a week in gas and that is that.. If it was an issue for me, I would not have purchased this type of vehicle.

I'll agree with that, haha. Thanks for the tips guys, I figured this was the case but I just wanted to make sure...

At least I know it's not just me

I'm going to have to agree with mr. incredible. The best mod you can do to raise your mpgs is control your right foot. If you take off slowly from lights and coast as much as you can, that will probably help your mpgs. The taking off from lights too fast is really what kills mpg readings. But if you did that all the time, the car wouldn't be fun to drive now would it? Also, if you get stuck in traffic, mpgs are going to go down drastically. I drive my car pretty hard and get about 17 in the city. When on the highway, I put it into 6th gear and at 75, I get 28 mpg

That's basically how it is for me around here, just a bunch of traffic lights with stop and go traffic. Guess this is normal for those conditions then.

What are you using to determine your mpg?

And I use the car's meter that states the mpg, of course this is after a good amount of driving so the number averages out.

A CAI can help a little bit, but it still comes down to control of your right foot. Some folks with CAI's get better mileage, some get worse. It all depends on throttle moderation and driving habits. Feel free to call, PM or email me anytime with questions.

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

I had a CAI in mind eventually, still doing research on that, thanks for the advice.

[lscamaro]

Yes, the CAI can help a little but for some it just makes it worse because you want to hear it in action. When I first got my vararam, my mpg decreased because I was always stomping on it. After that was over, I tested it to see if it gave me any gain in mpg from before I had it and I saw I gained 1-2 mpg.

[PAUL SS]

A throttle stop might help.

[Asian Zero]

Yeah I think routine maintenance is key along with throttle control. Make sure your tires always at the right level, air filters are clean, etc. the easier it is for your engine to work the more efficiently it will run. Coasting is also key. like when im stuck in traffic i try to coast at a steady speed instead of accelerating to catch the person in front of me then stopping and then going again. Problem there is you get cut off a lot. Ive been tracking my fuel for a couple of months now and theres just a whole host of things that affect the MPG. I drive 60 miles a day to and from work. all of it is through local. So far my MPG usually sits between high 19 to mid-upper 20s. Recently Ive been trying to only fill my talk half way to save on weight. I dont have any results on that yet though. problem with the strategy is youre playing the gas pump like the stock market every time you fill up. Usually if it goes down to a level i feel like is going to be as low as its gonna be for awhile i fill the tank.

[KaBoom1701]

I drive the shit out of my v6 +50 miles a day and get 22mpg!

Got a cai , exhaust and catch can installing in two weeks!

[skibik]

All good advice. There isn't much you can do except the right foot thing. I added a CAI the 2nd month I had the car and even though I was still breaking it in, I broke it in hard, and when I added an Injen CAI short ram and it seemed to improve MPG. I am only getting 19 MPG now but it is cold, sub-zero temps last week, I am also starting it and warming it up at work before leaving. But, last summer before install I was running at about 25 to 26 average and after I installed the CAI I was up to 27 to 28 MPG average and one tank at just over 29 and I was not light footed in any of those tanks. I have an auto but even with that GM claims it will get as good of mileage with it as with a standard trans. Actually the auto supposedly 1 MPG more on the highway. You have to take into the fact that my mileage comes from over 70% highway and less then 30% city driving so that will make a difference also.

Dean.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Why do you warm your car up before you drive it? Just curious.

John B.

[Evil-Bee-NH]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

Why do you warm your car up before you drive it? Just curious.

John B.

Because this time of year it's a good idea to let it warm up where he lives. it's cold out and not letting that engine warm up and the oil get where it needs to go can have adverse effects down the road. We all wish we had the AZ. weather up here in the northeast this time of year.

[Camaro Ice]

Originally Posted by KDimond

Because this time of year it's a good idea to let it warm up where he lives. it's cold out and not letting that engine warm up and the oil get where it needs to go can have adverse effects down the road. We all wish we had the AZ. weather up here in the northeast this time of year.

Thats very true, this is where remote start could come in handy

I do this a few times but not too often, I dislike leaving the engine on and having the car sitting at idle. Just sitting idle at these long 2 minute lights or to warm the car I literally see my average MPG shoot down. Cant be helped.