[center]The best fuel economy possible is the direct result of proper maintenance and good driving habits. Listed below are GM's recommendations to achieve the best mileage possible. The first group are things to consider for your vehicle, while the second are tips relating to your driving habits.

Vehicle Considerations:

Tire Pressure - One of the major contributors to poor fuel economy are under inflated tires. Tires low on pressure create drag that the vehicle's powertrain must overcome, wasting dollars in fuel. Always keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure as shown on the vehicle placard. This not only serves to increase gas mileage but cuts down on tire wear, further decreasing your costs per mile.

Air Filter - A vehicle that has a dirty air filter can't efficiently draw air into the engine. This restriction forces the engine to expend energy to "breathe" wasting fuel in the process. Change recommendations are found in your vehicle Owner's Manual.

Proper Viscosity "Starburst" Rated Oil - Always use the proper viscosity oil in your engine. Oil that has a higher than required viscosity will create more drag on the internal components of the engine, causing more work for it, especially when cold. Each Owner's Manual contains information on the proper type of oil for your vehicle. Look for the "starburst" symbol on the front of the bottle, and the SM rating on the API circle on the back label. If you are in doubt, stop by your dealer for an oil change, and any other services required. Most current GM vehicles are equipped with oil life monitors to further assist on the "when" to change your oil. (Aveo/Wave/Optra/Epica currently do not have oil life monitors).

Note: GM Vehicles DO NOT require additional engine oil additives. Some additives may cause harmful effects to the internal seals and additionally void the terms of your vehicles New Car Warranty.

Top Tier Fuels - Some fuel manufacturers provide gasoline advertised as TOP TIER DETERGENT GASOLINE (Chevron, Conoco, Phillips 66, Shell, Entec Stations, MFA, 76, Somerset Oil, QuikTrip, and Kwik Trip in the U.S. and Chevron in Canada. These fuels are preferable when and where available. They help to keep your fuel injectors and intake valves free of deposits. Clean engines provide optimal fuel economy, performance and reduced emissions. When Top Tier fuels are not available, consider a bottle of GM Fuel System treatment PLUS, P/N# 88861011 (in Canada, # 88861012), at oil change time which will remove intake system and injector deposits. GM does not recommend any other fuel system cleaner.

Important: DO NOT confuse Top Tier Fuels with Higher Octane (Plus/Premium Grade Fuel) commonly sold at most all gas stations. Plus and Premium fuels are required in some high performance GM vehicles. However, they do not necessarily represent higher detergency present in TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.

Note: E85 FUELS: Only vehicles designated for use with E85 should use E85 blended fuel. E85 compatibility is designated for vehicles that are certified to run on up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. All other gasoline engines are designed to run on fuel that contains no more than 10% ethanol. Use of fuel containing greater than 10% ethanol in non-E85 designated vehicles can cause driveability issues, service engine soon indicators as well as increased fuel system corrosion.

Use the Recommended Grade (Octane) Fuel-
[b][color=#cc0000]Purchasing higher than required octane fuel is a waste of money[/col

 

Where does Valero stand in fuel quality? My son only buys from Shell for his Honda, but I usually go to Valero.

 

LOL!!!

Mine is right on the money. I even did an extended test with using the tripometer and 3 fillups. 1096 miles / 39.7 gallons = 27.6 MPG.

 

Space - Where did you get that article? I'd have words for them because Kwik Trip gas Sucks!!! I swear when you see that Shell gas commercial with the clean valves, that was a before and after affect after 4 tanks for a buddy of mine.

We pulled the heads off his Saturn and they were disgusting. Ran 4 tanks of Shell and it cleaned them right up.

 

Ohh and the sparkplug item. I know some of us here aren't hot rodders, but I would still recommend changing plugs every 50,000 miles. It's only $10 and an hour of work at home.

 

well ill have to check mine out on my own when the weather gets nice and i can drive the car... but living in PA cant help mileage out either i have never seen flat ground and have no idea what it looks like...haha

 

hills absolutely kill you...especially if u use cruise control

 

I only get 19mpg ... and i don't even have a supercharger[&o]

 

Becky, I've had a K&N filter in my last three cars and I recommend it. Of course a full K&N cold air intake is better, but just putting in the drop-in filter helped me out too. It pays for itself in the long run. It's less restrictive than regular paper filters, so it improves the air flow slightly.

It's not going to be a miracle worker, but it's better than regular filters.

 

Becky...
Just noticed that MCF member bfurches has a K&N drop-in filter for sale in the For Sale section. If you're interested.

Just a thought.