[LaLakers91tc]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

jesus... I guess mine wasn't so bad. It seems like my City/Highway mpg is average after hearing from you guys.
I can swear this car had great gas mileage before 50k........... what the hell happened.



Did you see any difference after 60k when yous started doing those maintenance items?

I wonder if alignment could change things. I heard it does effect gas mileage to a some degree. I haven't done any alignment for 70k miles. I'm pretty sure my 330i's alignment specs are pretty off.

in terms of mileage, nothing significant. But the engine felt quite a bit smoother. I bought the car used, so I don't know what its history of gasoline used was for the first 35k miles, but it was certainly a noticeable difference after the first application. Spark plugs helped a bit too on smooth power delivery, and throttle response (although that might just be placebo effect).

The only way I really find I improve mileage is planning routes with as little urban driving as possible, and driving super lightfooted in as high a gear as possible.

[Denny347]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

Alright guys, I'll finally try the techron fuel injection cleaner.
Which procedure did you guys follow? There are so many debates over it.

Denny, 23MPG city sounds a bit high, no? Maybe we just have different driving style..
Speaking of tranny fluid, damn I need to find $300 laying around somewhere.

I always reset the miles at every fill-up. I get 370-380mi out of a tank of gas in the city. I divided it by 15.9 (tank capacity) to get my average. I don't hot dog it too much anymore. I'll speed but I'm not a rocket off the line (that will eat fuel). The older I get the less important jackrabbit starts become.

[drivejeffsbass]

I get about 25 MPG mixed driving. My car has about 110K. Regular maintenance. More oil changes than the computer suggests. Otherwise spark plugs at 100K, air filters when needed. I used fuel injector cleaner once I think. I always use a top tier fuel and only 91. I think that has helped. I agree though. I feel like my mileage was better when the car was new and then it felt like it suddenly dropped. I couldn't figure it out. It dropped somewhere around 50k or maybe earlier. I am happy with my mileage though compared to the performance this car is capable of.

[the_stick]

People frowned on tailgating, but it works. It can annoy the guy in front of you. On highway, I'd tried to keep the same distance as he is from the guy in front of him. That way he won't view it as tailgating. Tailgating or drafting works. Racers in Nascar or others do it all the time. I found out that mpg went down after sunglasses got stolen. With sunglasses, it cuts down glare and I inadvertently tailgated without knowing. No sunglasses= no tailgating = lower mpg for me.

Tire pressure may work, but we have runflats. The diameter of the tire is pretty constant regardless of pressure.

The mpg shown from the computer is incorrect. It gets its average from the pressure in the manifold. It's actually displaying vacuum pressure in the manifold. With a wide open throttle, the pressure is lowered and therefore shows lower mpg. Don't believe me? Try using the trip computer after a fill-up(make sure to reset first) and compare the calculated miles driven with number of gallons on next fill-up.

[Volasko]

Originally Posted by the_stick

People frowned on tailgating, but it works. It can annoy the guy in front of you. On highway, I'd tried to keep the same distance as he is from the guy in front of him. That way he won't view it as tailgating. Tailgating or drafting works. Racers in Nascar or others do it all the time. I found out that mpg went down after sunglasses got stolen. With sunglasses, it cuts down glare and I inadvertently tailgated without knowing. No sunglasses= no tailgating = lower mpg for me.

Drafting in Nascar only works because they are going +150 mph. At that speed the effect of the air trying to slow the car down is exponentially higher than when you are doing 60+ mph. I call BS on that one!

[axis]

Originally Posted by Volasko

Drafting in Nascar only works because they are going +150 mph. At that speed the effect of the air trying to slow the car down is exponentially higher than when you are doing 60+ mph. I call BS on that one!

Lol it definitely works. Your engine doesn't have to work as hard when you are drafting because the car body isn't having to plow through the air as much. Less resistance = less power needed to keep you at speed = less fuel consumed. If you want to try it out, get behind another car at speed and open your sun roof. Stick your hand up out of the car. Now pull into a clear lane where you are no longer in the draft. You should feel an immediate difference. This is especially noticeable behind a semi truck.

[gunnerxq]

You don't do regular maintenance ? Change the oil and definitely align your tires either now or when you get new tires. There's also 2 different tire pressures try the higher setting. Mine has 80k miles and maintenance is key to keep it running like new. Even BMW's will run like crap if you fall behind on maintenance .

[TommyK]

strangely enough i was noticing the same thing. when i bought the car i was averaging around 21 MPG high way and city now im getting about 17-18. i actually do more highway miles now too.

I also feel like particularly these cars you really need to mash on the throttle to get it up to speed with the rest of the flow of traffic. Compared to other cars it really feel like these cars are not optimized gear wise for city driving. i wish in D 1st gear would engage that might help a little too. its just feel like its got a piano on its back