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gas mileage

moduleunknown

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2008
Messages
193
Location
Elk Grove, CA
The galant has survived it's first week of commuting 70 miles a day since I picked it up - and dry too, not so much as a drop of oil on the road from this thing anymore! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif (was bad before)

Anyway, I know I've got plenty more issues to sort out, one of those being gas mileage. I haven't started to look into what's going on yet, just noticed that gas mileage is horrible. I'm sitting at 169 miles on the trip meter after having left the gas station at 0 on a full tank and the fuel light just popped on. I'd say I can get 180 miles out of a full tank with 80% of my driving being on the freeway. Just wondering what the average is on bone stock GVR4 so I know what to aim for. haha
 

2of9

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Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
869
Location
IGH, MN
how fast are you driving on the highway? Back when my car was "stock" I was getting at least 26-27mpg going up north. On a full tank, cruising, I can probably get to 300 on a FULL tank...but I'm lucky to get 270 on a full tank nowdays.
 

Proto's right, with the window sticker saying 19cty 25hwy mpg's. Estimated annual fuel cost: $1035( 1991 remind you)
 

mitsuturbo

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Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
On a long freeway trip, i managed to get over 450 miles out of 14.5 gallons of 91 octane. Of course, this is because i tuned for economy and stayed completely out of boost.

SLC UT to Baker City OR on one tank of fuel.
 
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cheekychimp

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Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
7,333
Location
East Sussex, U.K.
450 ... damn. The best I ever got on a stock VR4 was 250. Then again, highway driving here is a lot different to over there. I can barely go 25 minutes without having to go back urban, slow down for a tunnel etc and no journey here ever exceeds 45 minutes. I can understand a true highway cruise at a real steady pace making a big difference.

It is interesting that some guys get better fuel economy out of their "built" cars (yes that's a dumb term I know but you know what I mean) than a lot of guys get stock. I guess it comes down to the quality of the tune and a well put together motor with great compression, no boost leaks etc. Bigger turbos make it easier to stay out of boost while cruising I guess.

I also heard that 56 mph was best for fuel economy, but I always got better economy doing around 70. That doesn't make sense to me. I probably could only do that speed on highways here so I guess 70 on the expressway is still better than averaging around 50 with stop and go driving.
 

2of9

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Aug 29, 2007
Messages
869
Location
IGH, MN
For my car, I've driven my car back and fourth over the years from school and home and I remember clearly that when going over at least 65mph, my mpgs would drop at least 2-4mpg. For my car, the sweet spot for getting great mpg's would be setting the cruise at 62mph. 450 miles in a full tank would equate to about 32ish mpg, which is pretty neat! When it really gets down to getting the best mpg, i think it depends on (random order) mods, tuning, location, and driving style. I wouldn't mind taking the Galant on another cruise up north with no worries. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

fuel

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Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
2,166
Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
I struggle to get more than 450kms (280 miles) out of a tank on mine, it always seems to average about 400-425kms no matter how I drive the thing. I swear is uses just as much if I nanna the thing as it does if I boost everywhere. I think it is running a little rich but am unsure how to correct that. I have turned the AFM adjustment bung right out for more air to bypass the AFM but didn't seem to make a difference. I do notice however that it runs better and gets better milage if I remove the air filter completely, but with a stock paper type or freshly cleaned and lightly oiled K&N filter the performance isn't as good and there is slight hesitation or surging while accelerating, and about 20-40kms less out of a tank. My tyre pressures are right up at 38-40psi.

The gas milage is probably one of the things which really bothers me about this car, I know it's heavy and turbocharged with 4WD but I've owned plenty of other turbo Mitsubishis and the only thing worse than my VR-4 was a '97 Legnum VR-4 Tiptronic which would struggle to get 350kms out of a full 60L tank. Both of my 4th gen Galant turbo coupes can get 450-500kms out of a 45L fill with combined open road/around town driving with the worst being 300kms from a 40L fill. I guess having a TC06 turbo which doesn't spool until 3000rpm helps a bit, with the original TC05 the fuel consumption was higher.
 

mitsuturbo

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Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
Quoting cheekychimp:
450 ... damn. The best I ever got on a stock VR4 was 250. Then again, highway driving here is a lot different to over there. I can barely go 25 minutes without having to go back urban, slow down for a tunnel etc and no journey here ever exceeds 45 minutes. I can understand a true highway cruise at a real steady pace making a big difference.

It is interesting that some guys get better fuel economy out of their "built" cars (yes that's a dumb term I know but you know what I mean) than a lot of guys get stock. I guess it comes down to the quality of the tune and a well put together motor with great compression, no boost leaks etc. Bigger turbos make it easier to stay out of boost while cruising I guess.

I also heard that 56 mph was best for fuel economy, but I always got better economy doing around 70. That doesn't make sense to me. I probably could only do that speed on highways here so I guess 70 on the expressway is still better than averaging around 50 with stop and go driving.



Read up on fuel economy and pulse/glide. From what i understand, engines can be more efficient at higher RPM. It can heavily depend on gearing, i'm sure.
I leaned my car out until the EGTs started to rise, and advanced timing to just before i got knock. I was trying to get the absolute most i could on that trip, and i was thoroughly impressed. Once i got back into WA, dropped in Elevation, and had to climb some passes, that mileage went to sh*t, but the first half of the trip was pretty awesome, for mileage.
 

fuel

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Feb 23, 2009
Messages
2,166
Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
with a stock car how would you lean it out? Mitsis tend to run fairly rich from factory. Is setting timing a simple case of turning the CAS?
 

turbofonz

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Sep 27, 2006
Messages
475
Location
Granby, MA
I get around 275-325 but that's running it pretty dry. Minimal highway driving. Heavily depends on my right foot. This is with bigger injectors and pump with DSMlink.
 

jepherz

Staff member
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Messages
7,878
Location
KC, Missouri
I got almost 26 mpg once going 55 with a failing fuel pump, if that counts?

For those of you referring to miles per tank, you should probably break that down to actual fuel mileage. I can sometimes barely get 300 miles per tank, but I can usually only get about a 12 gallons on my fill up. It's a pretty crappy measurement reference.
 

mitsuturbo

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Jun 2, 2008
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Near Seattle, Washington
Quoting fuel:
with a stock car how would you lean it out? Mitsis tend to run fairly rich from factory. Is setting timing a simple case of turning the CAS?



I've always had at least SAFC and SITC.
My best mileage came with DSMlink, though.
 

Struc

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Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
764
Location
Oconomowoc, WI
I get about 22mpg regardless of my driving style.

2.3l stroker w/8.8:1 compression Wiseco's.

It surprises me a bit because I get 27-28mpg with my 2G Spyder with 4G64 and 9.5:1 compression. I get the AWD drag, but I wouldn't think it's that bad.
 

bmxkid415

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Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
204
Location
Bradenton FL
Ive gotten 35 mpgs on my move in August. Mine is for the most part stock. no emissions, turbo back and a fmic. It didn't see boost of any sort during those tank fulls. I bet that helped a lot. Plus, I have a very light foot.
 

NickDromez

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Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
165
Location
Berkeley, CA
i recently tried to calculate what my mpgs were. i got about 17.5 with a mix of city and freeway. freeway driving speed was about 70-75mph.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,990
Location
Michigan
I get better highway fuel economy on my built car with 3g maf and Evo injectors (Keydiver chip) that I ever do with the stock ones I have owned.
 

jepherz

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Aug 8, 2004
Messages
7,878
Location
KC, Missouri
Quoting bmxkid415:
Ive gotten 35 mpgs on my move in August. Mine is for the most part stock. no emissions, turbo back and a fmic. It didn't see boost of any sort during those tank fulls. I bet that helped a lot. Plus, I have a very light foot.



35 MPG? seriously?!?
 

mitsuturbo

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Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
That's about what i got out of mine if you do the math. If i remember right, it was something like 32mpg.
This was on a gt3076r, MSD 1000's, link v2.5 with blowthru GM maf and translator, Stillen AFPR, 12x3x24 ebay fmic, Wally 255, 3" turboback, 9:1 compression and FP2x Cams. It had a light rod knock at a specific RPM as well. I avoided the area around 3000-3500rpm, and I avoided ANY rapid acceleration as well... until i got about halfway between Tri Cities and Seattle. I didn't want a b0rkd engine too far from Seattle, but once we were a couple hours out, i started getting antsy. Let's just say coming down Snoqualmie pass was a bit of fun.

I pulled fuel until EGTs started getting a bit warm, then i advanced timing until i saw some knock at cruise, then took 1-2° back out.

I didnt have a wbo2, so i couldn't tell you what the AFRs were.

I typically get about 12-20mpg around the city, depending on the way i drive. The lower the MPG, the bigger the grin on my face!

This high MPG thing was a one-off occurrence for me.
 

KiNgMaRtY

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Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
849
Location
Corona, CA
In CA traffic parking lot fwys I get around 18-20 in my VR-4. My GSX gets a minimum of 21 mpg and have gotten 26 mpg on a tank of gas with more fwy driving
 
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