can waxing your car essentially make your gas mileage improve? I mean technically the car is far more aerodynamic since the air can slide right off it...and therefore the less resistance there is against the wind, the less stress you put on the car, thus getting better gas mileage...

does anyone think this is true?

 

Only when you drive downhill.




:p

 

HAHAHAHA..... Do a study.

Fill up your tank and take it on the highway for about a hr drive on cruise control. Then fill it up at the gas station and see how much you use.

Wax you car and do it again and see if you get any gains...

 

I'm not going to drive 250 km/h simply to see if my gas mileage is improved. Unless someone has already noticed that it helps, I guess we'll never know cause I'm already well over my allowance of kilometers.

 

Okay. Well...take this with a grain of salt.

I used to know this guy who worked for UPS. He said they washed their delivery trucks every day because they calculated that they saved more money through better gas mileage with dirt-free trucks than it cost them to wash them.

Hmmmm? Hmmmm?

 

Wax it for the sake of waxing it. Better yet use Zaino !

 

LOL; while you're at it, fold in both your side mirrors...

 

Actually there is some truth to this. There are also several airlines that wash their planes often to save fuel as well.

 

lol You also weigh your car down. Maybe if your application of wax was completely even. I got no clue, I wouldn't think so... if anything you'll get an extra .001 miles for the tank

 

You're kidding right?

 

We always try to keep a nice wax coat on our airplanes. There is a noticeable difference in speed when the wax is fresh, which in turn leads to an increase in efficiency. I don't know how much the effect would be in a car, but I'm positive it makes some difference.

 

I've always noticed that washing the car makes a difference in its performance... people may poo-poo this idea, but I'm almost certain it's the case. In fact, I just Zaino'd my car.. and I'm certain it's driving better than it ever has before.

 

maybe at 550mph it makes a difference...

no, you will not notice any gains by waxing the car. If you are really cheap and want to improve gas milage, fold the mirrors in, take the wipers off and tape up the body seams, and also fit some cardboard or duct tape over the front grille.

 

Is that why they wash them or is it because a dirty truck looks ghetto and reflects poorly on the company? I don't think there is much you can do to improve the aerodynamics of a box.

 

Just what I was told. I said "...with a grain of salt..."

 

The washing could do a little something, if you make sure you clean your wheel wells and wheels, brakes, tires etc. But the wax? Minimal.

 

I know that washing your car (under-neath) in the winter can increase gas mileage........ Gets off all that snow/packed snow/mud and whatever hangs below the car...... Less weight too move as well = better fuel economy!!....... Just my 2- Bits.......

 

HAHAHA, So true, and so funny.

 

from a pilots view point....washing a plane helps the air flow smothly over the wings, blades, fuselage, etc., which helps in lift of the aircraft. And yes a clean plane does use less fuel (remember though, a plane is flying several hundred MPH)...HOWEVER, the small size of a car and the low speeds means a car will not save a measurable amount of gas around town. Now if your on a long road trip, say 1000-3000 miles, at high speeds over 80 mph. then you will save a little, but not much....

What does this all mean????Since we all hate dirty cars..WASH IT ANYWAY!!

 

Theoretically, yes. But probably not measurable in any scientific sense.

 

I agree. It has to improve aerodynamics, but the difference wouldn't be statistically significant. Wax it because you love your car and want to protect the paint, not to save $0.01 each time you fill up your tank.

 

I get 6 knots extra speed out of my Cessna after i have freshly waxed it... that lasts about 4 minutes

Tracer

 

You must be joking. You have a $30+ K car and you are worrien about an ounce of gas. C'mon just fill the tank!!

 

Draft another vehicle on the highway; that will increase your mileage more than anything else you could do (also chip the hell out of your nose and get you a ticket!).

 

And wind up looking like your avatar when they hit the brakes .

 

k guys...don't think I'm cheap because I'm not. I was just asking whether the aerodynamics of the car would be improved if and when you wax your car.

It was simply for highway driving that I wanted to know if there would be noise reduction.

thanks