Framewerk

Ok, So I am new here, and i don't know if this has been discussed about before, but are there any suggestions around about how to get better fuel economy in a jeep? I'm usually getting about 300-375km per tank (depends on how much high way driving i do).

I have a 02 Sahara
5 speed manual
120000km (I have synthetic oil)
everything else is stock on it.

I've been told that putting on a cold air intake and headers will increase the economy but I have never found out how much. I know one way of getting more is not driving hard and fast which I don't do anyways.

I love my jeep, but wish it could be a little better on gas some days!

CrazyWJ242

well theres a few things that might help you out, alot of people will tell you to switch to a better air intake system, but for the most part with more flow comes more horsepower, so if you keep your foot heavy forget about it, mileage will go out the window...
aswell as switching to a 180F/82C degree thermostat, colder denser air will be able to burn more throughly give you a bit more HP and mileage (mr gasket makes a high flow t-stat which puts less stress on the waterpump aswell, for $15-25 + new coolant i think its worth it) 160F/71C doesnt give you any extra mileage, but give you a whole lot more horsepower if your radiator/coolant is in good shape.)

Weight Reduction:
If it doesn't need to be in there, GET IT OUT...
Subwoofer enclosures, tools (if not required where your going), trash... some friend have to clear off their seats before you can get in, never mind the floor just step on it...

but with the age of CAA, Fix A Flat, and the Cell Phone, and a loved one at home, id feel comfortable taking out the spare... of course NEVER do that on a long distance trip, if you have maybe a hour commute (cause of traffic most of the time right) id take it out...

Your driving habits are where you can get the most mileage, i've heard people getting alot more mileage (that live in the city) shutting down at long lights if they dont make it thru the green, granted you've got to be ahead of the curve on starting it back up, but usually if your in the middle of the pack, theres that delay to you anyway, so this is a great time to cut it off and save that fuel.

And for the true hardcore mpg jeep, as far as an AWD or 4x4 is concerned...
(granting this is like having your ***** removed, which its sorta doing)

removing the front drive shaft, anything you can do as far as weight/stress reduction on the driveshaft will yeild higher mpg... so think about your big knobby tires, they've got to go, skinny light hard as crap tires would be your best bet...

when i was in NC, i was running 235's with 44psi (tires rated maximum) with regular LT tires and was getting an average of 18.9mpg at 83mph (70mph zone, troopers all knew me from the police station/hospital lets me get away with everything)

Jazzer

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this or not, but my last fill up I used premium fuel, and I usually don't "hammer" it when I drive, and I gained almost an extra 90KM on my tank of fuel.

CrazyWJ242

Yea theres always that one too... to get even more out of premium... get a tune for it...

only thing with using premium gas is how cost effective is it vs regular...

RiponredTJ

There's all kinds of placebos out there claiming to improve gas mileage. I don't think any of them work except maybe lightening the load and going easy on the skinny pedal. Keep the revs down, don't drive like a fool and do regular maintenance on your Jeep. Keep everything tuned the way it should be and that's the best you'll do IMO. Whatever you do, forget the cold air intake, it's snake oil as far as I and many others are concerned.

My 1998 2.5L, 5 speed gets between 425 to 450 kms per 19 gallon tank in typical metropolitan driving. I do the regular scheduled maintenance and usually drive in a sedate mode.

It's a toy, and great toys cost a little more to enjoy :)

CrazyWJ242

for the most part your engines vacuum is going to suck the necessary air in for proper operation, Unlike a supercharger/turbo where your pressurizing the system, installing a cold air intake does simply that, allows cooler air to flow in, some of the black boxes give you such a tiny neck to get air from, although its smallter, it just means the vacuum is stronger, as far as a cold air intake is going to do is allow free flowing, colder denser air to get in, which might give you a better burn on your fuel, so why not give it a shot... i sure as hell wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars for one... i paid $45 for the filter, and like $20 for the tube...



dyno says theres more power, and i could feel it faster in my neck lol but it could just be

CrazyWJ242

things like those tornado's, throttle body spacers, and magnets you put on the fuel lines are all complete wastes though... and fuel additives i have a hard time believing... only fuel additive i believe in is Seafoam and Zmax...

seafoam is a bit of an abrasive, good for cleaning out your injectors once in a while, and running thru the vacuum line to clean around the valves, can bring back a few HP when she's feeling sluggish... have done as much to add some to the oil before a change... helps get rid of sludge...

and i use Zmax cause i wonder where the hell it goes lol... add it to your oil and the level doesn't rise, it says it seeps into the metal and lubricates, which helps reduce the wear, and increase horsepower... now in a BRAND NEW mustang, brand new as in about 30 miles on it... we put some in and it definetly pulled harder low-mid rpms...

other thing i thought might help is Bosch platinum 2 plugs... seemed to really help out my 4.0L in fuel economy at highway speeds. Platinum 4 IR's really hurt the fuel economy, but definetly gave me more power... dont understand that one...

Jazzer

LOL, I am 'installing Bosh Platinum 2. plugs this weekend at $8.50 a pop..

Glad to hear I made a good choice, well even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in awhile.

CrazyWJ242

you should be pleasantly surprised by their performance too, first time i got on it with the platinum 2s i thought to my self, what in the world... noticeable increase in acceleration...

but then i was getting the best mpg i've ever seen with those plugs, put in the plat 4's Fusion IR's and man did mileage go down, but stayed the same maybe went up abit

as far as i know people consider the bosch plugs hit or miss depending on the motor their installing them... my buddys mustang just burned them up, too cold of a plug (he's got upgraded ignitors and all kinds of other mods which sitting around 450-500hp N/A)

but my 4.0L loved them thats for sure

Framewerk

hmm...alright, well thanks for the input guys (and girls). I very rarely ever drive hard as it is and my jeep is always getting proper timely maintenance done on it. I just wasn't sure if there was a way to get more out of it or not. And yes, I know its a toy, but its my only wheels and I don't ever want to get rid of it!