1996 850 Wagon Non-Turbo How to Maximize Gas Mileage?

[PeteB]

I want the tester to know that the engine is operating properly and to read codes.

I think that his driving is pretty good.

No, I am not paying for his gas, but he is my son so I want to help him.

I'd also like to build some confidence that the engine is running properly.

[abscate]

Look under the car for the magnets on the fuel line that polarize the gas molecules so the flow easier.

If they have fallen off, I think I have a set on eBay for sale.

Driving habits, driving habits driving habits.

30 mpg on a NA highway is excellent, 27 mpg decent, 25 mpg, below 25 is worthy of stage zero.

Oil changes and stuff like that are tiny incremental improvements

[PeteB]

I am aware that most products are snake oil.
I believe that aerodynamic improvements are the way to go to gain high speed MPG
but have no experience with the 850. Assuming of course that everything else is
operating correctly.

Thanks!

[RussB]

But yet, you still haven't mention what MGP the car is getting


Stage zero and driving habits, driving habits, driving habits...yeah, I like that one!

[PeteB]

Thanks Russ, I have said several times that I just fixed the odometer and will
have some data soon. I've also asked how to determine if the engine/ECU are
operating properly. I'll probably buy the TOAD system since I can use it on any
of our cars.

[oragex]

Look under the car for the magnets on the fuel line that polarize the gas molecules so the flow easier.

If they have fallen off, I think I have a set on eBay for sale.

I had them, my gas mileage went up by 40%. A friend of mine had them too, his mpg increased by %50.



I swear it's true

[PeteB]

Interesting article on aerodynamic drag, even mentions a few Volvos:
http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/imp ... onomy.html

From the article:
Comparing Vehicles' Drag Numbers It's easy to get a feel for drag numbers by comparing Volvo sedans. According to Frasher, during Volvo's boxy-but-safe era, a Cd of 0.36 for the 960 model was typical for a sedan. Today's Volvos have come a long way, with the much sleeker S80 coming in at just 0.28.

"Not too long ago, anything below 0.3 was considered a sports carlike silhouette," says Bill Kwong, Toyota's product communications administrator. Now, Toyota has several vehicles in the sub-0.3 range, including the Avalon and Camry at 0.28 and the Solara at 0.29.

Vehicles for which fuel economy is a primary goal receive even more focus on aerodynamics. For instance, Toyota's Prius is rated at 55 mpg (combined), and it has an outstanding drag coefficient of just 0.26.



Cars typically have a much lower Cd than pickups and SUVs, which sit higher, are bigger and have greater cooling needs. Cooling is a big deal, aerodynamically speaking, since it requires airflow into the vehicle through the radiator, which increases drag.

Steve Wegryn, manager of Ford Motor Co.'s aerodynamics department, says, "For trucks, we're anywhere in the range of 0.40 to 0.43, 0.44…. For cars, on the order of 0.30 to 0.34. And SUVs are somewhere in between 0.36…to…0.41."

How Automakers Improve Aerodynamics While some shapes are inherently more aerodynamic than others, aerodynamicists and designers subtly shape every vehicle to reduce drag. "We look at all areas of the car that come in contact with the air. Upper surface shape, under floor, wheels and even cooling and engine bay," says Ian Anderton, aerodynamicist at the Jaguar Design Studio in Gaydon, England. Automakers fine-tune the way the air attaches to the vehicle's surface, and the way it leaves the rear end.



Slippery Styling Several automakers recently unveiled concept cars that are dramatically more aerodynamic than today's production vehicles — concepts like Volvo's 3CC (with a Cd 30-percent better than the S40) and Mercedes' bionic car (at 0.19 Cd). Could these companies be trying to gauge buyers' reactions to strikingly different designs — or even prepare us for more radical-looking vehicles to come?

[PeteB]

Volvo's 3CC (with a Cd 30-percent better than the S40) from 2004 - interesting:
http://www.swedish-concept-cars.com/201 ... c-concept/

Volvo YCC concept: http://www.swedish-concept-cars.com/201 ... c-concept/

[scot850]

Please enlighten me on the 'magnets on the fuel line'. Is this a leg pull or real?

Neil.

[PeteB]

A joke of course.