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Hello all, i just wanted to stop in and say hi. I think i found a mention of this site on the focus forum i joined to look how to save money on gas. I drive 3000-4000 miles a month so fuel economy is something i need to improve. i drive an 2003 focus SE sedan and get 28-29 MPGs in it with 168,000 miles on it now. I try to watch my driving habits a good bit but think i may pick up a scangauge to help me watch myself a little more. I jsut got new tires a month ago and had no idea about rolling resistance till i have started looking for tips. Next year I will need to look a little more and get better educated.

I am considering letting the car breathe a little better with a cold air intake and exhaust but i am not looking for a go fast car just one that can improve the MPGs. I would think if i can find a way to save 10% in FE it will make a huge deal in savings for me.

I've heard from others here that the CAI and exhaust don't really give any mpg boost. Better to work on you techniques. Is your car an auto trans or manual?

Welcome to the club. Make sure you read "Beating the EPA" in the articles section on the left of the screen. Also, air up those tires to the maximum air pressure listed on the sidewall.

welcome! glad to have you on board.

Thanks for the welcome. Mine is the 2.0 automatic.

I think the problem with the CAI and Exhaust is that people tend to lead foot with it.

Actually, the problem is that we don't really need more flow through the exhaust and the cold air intake shoves more (denser) air into the cylinders. Because of the denser air, the ECU injects more fuel to keep the air/fuel mixture the same. The result is more power and higher fuel use. This is part of the reduction in fuel economy we see in the winter and we actually put WARM air intakes on to counteract that. Such a thing really doesn't help in warmer temps.

As mentioned earlier, you are best off inflating your tires to the maximum sidewall and working on techniques. :)

I would think if i can find a way to save 10% in FE it will make a huge deal in savings for me.

Inflate those tires to their max sidewall pressure, and be sure you change your air filter yearly. Also run the proper oil and keep the engine in good shape. Those are pretty much the only hardware things you can do to increase your fuel efficiency. Everything else comes to driving style.

bummer. I was hoping i could do a few things to get more. i have dirve as cool as i can realistically. I was just hoping if i could find a few things in the $500-$800 range that could help.

if i can find a way to save 10% in FE it will make a huge deal in savings for me. ...snip... I was just hoping if i could find a few things in the $500-$800 range that could help.


I think the point folks are trying to make is that you don't need to spend $500 or mod your car in any way. By changing your driving habits you can probably increase your mpg by 10% or more. Start with this article
"Beating the EPA - The Why’s and how to Hypermile."
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510