Does a tune-up affect gas mileage?
Regular tune-ups, maintenance and having clean air filters will help you burn less gas, pollute less and prevent car trouble down the line. A proper tune-up can boost gas mileage by 4 percent. Changing a dirty filter can improve efficiency by 10 percent and using the oil specified for your car saves up to 2 percent.
How much mileage can I increase by tuning my car?
Tuning a stock vehicle usually won’t deliver much of an increase in mileage. Up to 20% gains have been reported, but typically fall into the 10% or less range. Once you add something to improve combustion efficiency, much larger gains are common.
What does the light on the engine management light mean?
This measures the amount of unburnt oxygen passing through the exhaust of the car, which can indicate whether the engine is burning too much or too little fuel. If too little oxygen leaves the exhaust, the engine will be running ‘rich’ – taking too much fuel and not enough air into its cylinders.
How can I lower my engine temp to get more mileage?
If your cooling fan runs continuously with your setting, add more resistance to lower the temp reading. Any mileage gains from the hotter engine signal will be more than offset by the additional load on the alternator. If you have a rear-wheel-drive with a belt driven fan, you can still add too much temperature offset.
Why does the ECU want to deliver less fuel?
If the engine is under less of a load, the ECU will want to deliver less fuel. If the incoming air is hotter, the ECU will accept lean commands more readily. If MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor equipped, less air entering the engine will require less fuel. Now let’s look at the particulars.
When do you need a tune-up for your car?
Regular tune-ups can extend the life of a vehicle and help ensure it is operating at its full performance potential. Typically, when to do a tune-up is included in the regular maintenance section of owner’s manuals. Many vehicles require an annual tune-up. Tuning-up your car can mean a lot of things.
How to tune your car for better mileage?
1 Lower Lean-Out Limits. The ECU has parameters that it will not go beyond. 2 Adjust AFR. Once you have set the stage by lowering your lean-out limits, you can now adjust the AFR for better mileage. 3 Old Style O2 Sensor. 4 Wide Band Sensors. 5 AFR Sensors. 6 Titania Sensors. 7 Adjust Ignition Timing. 8 Readjust AFR.
If your cooling fan runs continuously with your setting, add more resistance to lower the temp reading. Any mileage gains from the hotter engine signal will be more than offset by the additional load on the alternator. If you have a rear-wheel-drive with a belt driven fan, you can still add too much temperature offset.
Where can I find tuning for mileage articles?
It was originally posted as 3 articles, Tuning For Mileage Parts 1-3. I have combined them into one page and posted it here as a convenience and reference for my site’s visitors. It is reprinted with the author’s permission.