I sure this has been covered before (too bad we can't do a search for "gas"), but with CNNMoney's report today about California hitting $4.39 for premium today, I was thinking of ways to minimize gas consumption.

The math from a financial analyst during his lunch break :
On average I'll fill up 13 gals around ~$3.75/gal = $48.75. By mid summer if Chicago hits $4.75/gal, that = $61.75 which is a $13 increase. 1 fill per week = $52 increase in gas expense per month. June - Sept = $208. Worst case scenario of $5/gal = $260 increase over the summer at 1 fill up per week.

So, although it doesn't sound like a lot, it could be money better spent on something else. Personally I also drive more in the summer especially on the weekends so I'm budgeting $208 x 2 = $416 more for gas this summer.

So.. here are some ways I know will minimize gas consumption. Please add to my list.

1. Cold air intake. Even the mod in my signature as cheap as it was, gives me 3 mpg more on average in the city and hwy.
2. Keep acceleration under 3000 rpm or even 2500 rpm when possible.
3. Dont go over 60 mph if possible
4. Maintain proper tire pressure
5. Windows down in city driving with no AC, up on highway driving with AC
6. Maybe perform some of the "putting the TL on a diet" mods. Remove trunk and bumper anchors, etc.
7. your input please.

 

IMHO...I would say if you are that concerned about saving on gas, you should trade in your TL for another vehicle that doesn't require premium fuel... just seems silly to me to make all those mods to the car and adjustments to your driving to save on gas.

 

how bout
8. dont drive

 

car pool with someone for work = save almost 50% for fuel. And public transportation too.

 

Do not make complete stops.

 

umm, rrriight....

Why get a sporty sedan if you will drive it like an economy car? Switch to Prius.

Just maintain your TL to achieve optimal results, but any drastic changes are not worth it.

 

to be honest with you, i agree with this one the most. fortunately i am close enough to walk to work now, about 2 mile round trip. exercise and saving money? count me in! i only have to fill up the tank once a month. i used to fill up once a week, that was painful.

some personal things i do:

seldom run A/C, just keep the sunroof vented for circulation.
shift at 2k.
keep freeway speeds at or under 60mph, make sure to stay to the right.
keep trunk empty when able.
walk if it's close enough, public transportation when it's further. the TL stays in the garage during the work week, babied like a queen. only comes out on SUNNY weekends.

i would rather keep the structural integrity of the front bumpers and the security of the spare more than the removal of such to save on gas.

 

In Ca. where gas is expensive, we still drive 80 (or get run over in any lane!)
shift at 4000, use vtec getting on the freeway, have fun on corners and keep the tires a few psi over factory spec.

Turn my AC off- are you insane?!?!?!?!? The air here is bad news, and running all of it thru the cabin air filter is a life saving expense.

For fuel savings- in town is our worst mileage- getting the object moving vs accelleration from in motion= let off the gas early approaching red light. Leave it in D5 and brake to half speed, coasting towards the light and it goes green -you go back to speed.
The stopped car has a much greater obstacle to overcome and requres fuel to overcome it.
If you think $5 a gallon is a worst case event- expect 5 to be a fond memory in the forseeable future~ thats 50 cents away out west right now!!!
Oil is $117 a barrel and rising daily- OPEC says its not going to increase production because the price is not due to any shortages...but they will consider it if some event in the future changes that. uh-oh
I bought a fast 4 door sports car- it cost money to fix it up and to enjoy it.
Treating it like it was meant to be driven is WHY you own a TL, and it gets better mileage than my truck by far.Lugging the engine is going to be worse in the long run.
You never get internals hot enough and enough pressure to keep itself clean,
use Seafoam often~

 

 

I was just reading this earlier:

Get the Lead Out

Weight is fuel economy's natural enemy, so removing unnecessary items — or people — from your car can translate to real fuel savings.

Get the Leadfoot Out

You can save fuel immediately in whatever you drive by going easy on the accelerator. Jack rabbit starts and full-throttle acceleration boost fuel consumption dramatically. It's all a matter of degree: Light acceleration saves more than moderate acceleration.

Top speed also plays a part. Most vehicles are most efficient when cruising in their top gear at a relatively low speed. For example, a car with a five-speed transmission would be most efficient in 5th gear at 40 to 55 mph. Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed, so as your pace increases from this point, fuel economy drops dramatically. Onboard trip computers that show instantaneous and average fuel economy are remarkably accurate. Keep an eye on this and you'll learn how to drive in a miserly fashion.

An Ounce of Prevention

Keeping your tires inflated properly and your engine running right is critical to efficient motoring. Underinflated tires can lower your fuel economy by full miles per gallon. (Get the proper inflation pressure from the sticker on your car's doorjamb or the owner's manual, and not the tire's sidewall.) Even if your car seems to be running well, that perplexing Check Engine light could represent a dead oxygen sensor or some other emissions control problem that causes the vehicle to waste several miles per gallon.

Open Windows or Air Conditioning?

This is an age-old conundrum. (Unlike a car's heater, which uses free engine heat to warm the cabin, the air conditioner robs engine power and lowers fuel economy.) So which approach is better? Sorry, but it's not as simple as one or the other.

If your car has been sitting in the sun and is hotter than the outside air, drive for a few minutes with the windows open to cool it off. Then, if you're hitting the highway, close 'em up and turn on the A/C. Aerodynamics are more important at high speeds, so if you're not exceeding 35 or 40 mph, open windows won't make as much difference. It also depends on the vehicle. The detriment from driving with the windows down is greater, say, in a Chevy Corvette, which has excellent aerodynamics, than in a Hummer, which has ... none. The same applies to convertibles; you'll burn less fuel with the top up.

Keep It Sleek

Speaking of aerodynamics, roof-top carriers and bike and ski racks don't do you any favors — even when they're empty. If you keep all your cargo inside the car, you'll slip through the wind better. Also, strip off any aftermarket add-ons such as bug deflectors and window and sunroof wind deflectors. By design, these items work by wrecking your aerodynamics. Sure, bug entrails on your windshield are gross, but they aren't known to cost you any fuel.

Premium or Regular?

Lower octane costs less, but should you use it? Most modern cars that call for premium fuel can run on regular gasoline without knocking or any long-term penalty. Technically, this makes the car less efficient, but not to a degree that negates the cost savings from the cheaper fuel grade. NOTE: This is true of cars for which premium is recommended, not required. If in doubt, look for terms such as "for best performance" and "recommended" as opposed to "only" or "required." If your car has a turbocharger or supercharger, you probably should stick with premium fuel. Of course, if your car calls for regular gasoline, there's no reason to run it on anything higher in octane.

 

The info above doesn't change.

For all of us, city drivers, it doesn't matter how you drive, the traffic we stand in on daily basis is our biggest waste of gas.

I actually noticed today how much less mpg I'm getting with A/C on...I was driving 40mph...with A/C on, I was getting 21mpg...turned A/C off...within 3 mins of the same speed, I was getting 26mpg....but I like myself too much, and I enjoy being comfortable too much to drive in a sauna...

I can only image, 10-20 years from now....cars will be getting 100mpg, with 600whp It's there, we just have to wait for it, lol.

 

The TL has an hi compression engine, the base model is 9 to 1, the Type S is slightly higher- so running 91 octane is what it requires!
Only fuel saving tips to the TL are really applicable here, and it wants Teir 1 brands of gas and 91 or 93 to be happy.
Using octane gas (or boosters) higher that 93 will NOT make a normally aspirated TL, meaning no turbo no supercharger- just a normal TL, run any better.
If you have the listed changes, you already know you have special gas needs,
and probably dont care about how much of it goes thru the tank in a week

Aftermarket air intakes can help somewhat- some more than others.
A clean air filter and cabin air filter help
Replacing spark plugs with 60k miles or more is a good investment of 50 dollars.
Clean the battery cables and post- clean all the ground connections- that helps the electronics run the car better
Cleaning the EGR ports in the intake manifold is really good idea. Now that I read up on exactly how it works (see wikipedia) the intake manifold and combustion chamber is constantly bombarded with partially burned fuel, combustion residue and general crud fed from the exhaust pipe back into the intake manifold and then thru the valves and to the pistons- it does help reduce smog, but not great for engine performance.
2 hours or less for the average home mechanic to R&R the manifold and clean everything
Thats my tips for a TL

 

going by the instant read is not a fair comparison- drive it and measure actual fuel used over a tankful or 3 of no ac and let us know

 

you can install an underdrive pulley which lessens rotational weight onthe engine and drives the ac slightly slower- will not hurt its performance
That should offset some ac penalty
caution: lightweight pulley allow faster revs and tendancy to enjoy your driving

 

01tl4tl....my reading will be highly inaccurate...I drive 1.5 hours form work, 1 hour of that i do 0-2mph in traffic... Plus I freeze fast, and keeping the A/C on all the time means I will arrive to work frozen to the steering wheel, lol.

 

Most of you people are lame, the TL is a great car that can serve as a weekend sports sedan and a fuel efficient daily driver.

The most beneficial driving tip to conserve gas is limiting brake use, yes try letting go of the gas and predict the traffic flow, if you traffic is slowing down let go of the gas instead of hitting the brakes when you're 10 feet away from the car in front of you.

Also, I would keep my windows down and A/C off on the highway, it'll conserve more gas, despite what you may think.

Lastly if at all possible keep behind a Semi will yield better gas mileage, even at 20 feet away it will reduce wind resistance and you should notice a 3~4mile per gallon increase versus driving w/o the truck in front of you. This was proved by Myth Busters and through self-tests.

 

umm, lame? me? thanks for the compliment....

I'm assuming you don't drive much behind semis....I already had THREE windshield's cracking from the rocks launched by the rear wheels....

And most of us do engine breaking to slow down anyways, in a TL-S it's actually fun....

 

aka hypermiling. it's a sport for prius drivers.

 

haha

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=saving+tips

 

The gas prices are high here in Va., but not as high as places on the West Coast! I drove past a Shell station off of I95 earlier today and noticed their $3.92 price for Premium.

I love my S, and one has to "pay to play". The car gets decent mileage for a sports sedan.

For now, I'll have to suffer with the rising fuel costs, just like every one else in America.

 

If one consults the cars owner manual and learns to operate the temp control system within its design intention-
the a/c runs when needed and shuts off when not, just like ac is supposed to.
The compressor has a clutch that engage or disengages so its doesnt pump anything from the compressor- thats the click and engine drag you can sometimes feel.
If it ran all the time- IT would be frozen up before you were!
Find a temp that works for you- 69, 72 whatever and it should take care of itself.

Mythbusters are the LAST place I would go for FACTS and safety!!
Those idiots didnt know a falling penny hurts or kills- then decided it really didnt-
until one got shot in the butt with it,, and YOW hey busted!!
Or that breaking the top off a compressed gas cylinder launches it like no torpedo the navy has even dreamed of!!! right thru the shop- THRU the brick backstop- thru the building wall and down the road at 30 mph----ooooops Sorry Officer

 

The AC has nothing to do with how much gas you will use. If you think by turning off the AC will save you or give you better MPG, then you have no business driving a car.

 

^^^^^ OMG flame suit on?

 

Some of the posts here are funny, in sad kind of way.

 

does a simple mod of CAI really improve gas mileage by 3MPG??

 

I used to cruise around Chicago during the summer time & let me tell you those hot air (during the day) would make it really uncomfortable since you would be sweating on those nice leather seat ..

I guess the best way to is to take public trans. and/or car-pool ....

 

I always take my foot off the gas and shift into neutral (6MT) when I see a red light up ahead. There's usually some jerk behind me who seems to be in a hurry to get to the red light as are a lot of drivers.

Minimizing our gas consumption would be a lot easier if we had an instaneous MPG guage instead of just one that only shows average for the tank. The Accord Nav/Trip Computer system has had one since 2003, why not our TL's? We TL buyers pay $1000's more and have every right to expect the same or better functionality, NOT LESS!
...
Acura

Let's see if Acura finally wakes up and puts one in the '09.

 

Sell your CAR homie ! ...and become "OMISH"

 

Pushing the clutch in and coasting whenever possible along I found is good for up to 3 mpg if I don't drive like a wild man.

 

you do drive like a wild man especially on the Watterson EXPY

 

are you kidding?

 

lolz......drive ur girlfriends car dude.....thats what i do......lolz from 2 fill ups a week i went to 1 fill up in 12 days.......and she has a civic so no premium gas hassle........ ........ but if u drive the TL give it the respect you supposed to.......dont let a civic beat u on the highway just coz u saving gas.........

 

A couple points.

The TL most definately gets better mileage with AC on and windows up on the freeway.

Stock compression is 11:1, not 9:1.

My car gets better mileage on 91 vs 87, enough so that it makes up for the difference in price.

If you have a manual, don't shift to neutral when coasting, keep it in gear. The fuel injectors shut off when coasting in gear (as long as rpms are above idle speed) so you're consuming 0 fuel. Coasting in neutral consumes the normal idle amount of fuel.

Brakes are the enemy.

 

Fuel saving tip # 1--- this will work---

cruise control on @ 25-35mph in 6th gear
I did it before and got ~50mpg... you just cant accelerate

CAI saving fuel is a myth. yes it ideally will. but once you install it you will want to rev higher to hear it growl.

I've been bouncing back and forth between 93 and 89, tired 87 once.
I can feel loss in power but fuel mileage was about the same.

I would actually recomend using lower octane on a long trip. You will be running at a constant RPM, no heavy accelerating and no need for high octane.

But if you disagree and want to flame that, go ahead, I'll live my life you live yours, dont ask for an opinion if you dont want it.

 

No...and you if you believe it, then you shouldn't be driving a TL as well. Seriously the AC has nothing to do with how much more gas you will use. This is a known fact and has been a myth as well for years. But it doesn't matter to me. If you prefer to drive with the windows down in 90+ temps and feel like you are saving gas, then so be it.

 

I don't know where you got that info; my TL has 11:1 compression. If it was in fact 9:1, regular unleaded would be fine.

 

someone said drive with ur windows down and a/c off....i dont think thats going to make much of a difference. You're adding to the amount of drag thats already there by opening your windows..... i think that would = less gas mileage

 

Park it.

 

Will have to check the book- I thought my 01 type P only had 9 to 1 compression and the type S was higher- like 11 to 1 as you said
It has a sticker that says 91 so I obey it.
Everyone should wiki EGR and find out why half the things said here are worthless.
I want to see the guy who can cruise thru town at 35 on cruise for 50 miles and never have to adjust for traffic or lights- thats an amazing town you live in!

Does anyone who is a real tech know for certain about the decel controls and the FI system- better for manual trans cars to go to N (DONT push the clutch and ride it in gear- thats an expensive fix) or should they stay in say-- 3rd or 4th coming to lights in town?
WHATS the Actual facts on this one???