When I first got my car in the fall, I was getting about 16 mpg around town. It was warm outside so every morning I would just start the car up and go. I also found my right foot meeting the floor quite often. Lol. Well, once it started getting cold outside, I put winter wheels and tires on, heavier steel wheels and heavier winter tires. I also began to start my car about 5-10 minutes before I left every morning. I begain getting about 14-15 mpg average. I didnt like this so I began to baby the pedal a little bit more. I accelerated a little slower than usual, stopped more gradually than usual, kept closer to the speed limit more often and kept my foot off the floor. I still have my winter tires on, and I still start the car early every morning, but when I filled my tank up today, I got a 16.8 mpg average. This is better than I was getting when I first got the car. I would imagine I will be getting close to 17-18mpg once it gets warm again outside, as long as I stick to my current driving habbits. This just shows how changing your driving habbits can get you better gas mileage. What sucks though is I will still pay the same amount with the better mileage because of the gas prices going up. UGH!

 

I like RickCoMatic's startegy... place a wooden board under you accelerator.

I live 3.5 miles from school... I basicaly have to stop and go the whole way (not traffic, just as soon as I get going I got to stop and turn again....) and I have never gotten under 20. I went out to Murfreesboro to visit a college.. checkehd teh mileage by filling up before nad after... I got 33.

 

I dont understand why the 3.4s get worse gas mileage than the 3800. It sucks cause its such a cool little engine, but it has so many downsides. Mileage being just one.

 

The Stock 3400SFI Engine is, (according to a local mechanic) "Set-up with a Rich Pulse Width to the Injectors to give the car a smooth luxury feel to its acceleration"

I'm buying into that a little bit. The Plugs I pulled and trashed did look like the Mixture was dialed-in on the Rich side. I imagine the whole thing runs "Cooler" because of the Rich Mix happening.

I wonder if you have to get the PCM re-flashed for a Leaner Burn (and increased economy) to raise the MPG a little bit.
Question is: Who's going to do it ... what's it gonna cost me ... and will it mean the engine is going to start throwing Codes at me if I have it done?

 

What kind of mileage does your 3400 get? It should be better than the 3.4 AND the 3800. Im thinking the 3.4 gets bad gas mileage because you have to have it in the upper RPMs more often than the 3800 or because since it flows so much because of the heads, that it just uses more fuel. Or just a combination of both.

 

My 3400 gets 20mpg in the city. Highway is 31. Check fuel filter.

 

Oh look, Sir Monte has 100 posts in less than 1 month.

 

I'm sitting around 25mpg with my 3.1 .

 

See im not talking about the 3100 or 3400. Im talking about the 3.4L DOHC LQ1 that came in my z34. It is only rated at 17mpg city from the factory. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, it is just how the engine is.

 

Warming a fuel injected engine 10 - 15 minutes really isn't nessessary. They say it does more damage to one versus driving it cold.

Drive with a little bit of sense. When the engine is cold drive slower till it warms. Driving it WILL warm it faster compared to letting it idle to warm up.

I live out in the country (what we have left around here)
I drive my car(s) slow till the engine warms then I increase my speed in increments. I start out at 40 mph let the engine wamr some, increase to 45 while keeping an eye on the temp gauge, then 50 and finally 55 mph.

Also if you can park the car inside overnight. This keeps the wind out of the engine so it stays warmer. I've parked my daily driver inside all winter and it's obvious th car warms faster then if it had set out all night.

Driving a cold engine fast you can risk scoring the crank or doing other damage.This means you get to fork out some cash to get the engine repaired or replaced. And no one wants that.