Is there a proven device or product available to boost mileage in a vehicle? I have a 2009 Infiniti M35 and I love everything about it except the mileage - 16 per gal - it’s dreadful. Does nayone have any information on this topic? product I can use to increase
There is no magic potent, pill or additive that will boost fuel mileage. Your estimated city driving mileage is only 18 mpg. Your real world driving mileage of 16 is about right. You drive a premium sport sedan so you will never get get great fuel mileage. Performance yes…economy no.
There are only two sure-fire ways to get better gas mileage:
Modify one’s driving habits/patterns/behavior
Keep the vehicle maintained according to the mfr’s maintenance schedule–or better than what the mfr specified.
Since this vehicle is fairly new, maintenance should not yet be an issue, so you should concentrate on things like:
Not warming up the engine
Not using drive-up windows at banks, fast food joints, etc
Not tailgating (if you don’t understand how this affects gas mileage, let us know, and we will explain the connection)
Not carrying unnecessary items in the trunk
Accelerating moderately (make believe that there is a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal, and the object is to not break the egg)
Using the correct octane gas (if your car needs premium gas, it will get worse mileage on regular)
Making sure that the tires are inflated to the mfr’s specification or perhaps 2 or 3 lbs higher pressure (be sure to refer to the inflation information listed on the driver’s door jamb, NOT what is imprinted on the tire’s sidewall)
Aftermarket devices that claim to improve gas mileage are bogus.
If those things worked, car manufacturers would install them at the factory!
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate your candidness.
I appreciate your tips. I wasn’t aware that using the correct octane would affect mileage. I has always heard that using regular in a car that required premium was OK. Guess I’ll try the higher octane and watch for any increase in mileage.
Yeah, I had a hunch that if there was some magic potion or device that could increase mileage it’d already be installed. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
firefly
has always heard that using regular in a car that required premium was OK.
This is one where you have to be careful. If s car REQUIRES premium, then you need to use premium or you will likely damage the car, and certainly reduce performance and mileage. It if recommends premium, then you don’t need to worry about the damage, but it still will reduce power and likely mileage.
No device or product, just driver style that can ultimately influence your MPG.
Don’t underestimate driving style - I can get 16 mpg or 19 mpg from one of my cars, depending on how I drive it.
And yes, premium can give slightly better milage, especially on a highly-tuned engine like yours.
Heavy acceleration and heavy braking are what destroys fuel mileage. That’s all wasted energy.
That is why I cautioned the OP against tailgating.
The jerks who insist on driving 10 feet behind your rear bumper inevitably wind up hitting the brake much more often than if they simply backed off and drove at the same speed, but at a sane, reasonable distance.
I agree, the driver mod is the one that will get you the most results. At my last track day, I was able to achieve about 4.7 MPG (rough estimate), but on the drive back home, I got 22 MPG. The driver is the most important factor in improving fuel mileage.
The best mileage boost device is the driver. Driving for higher mileage is a science and more important an art. Good Luck.
The other responders covered the issue well. One other thing you might consider is to organize your trips so that you don’t make extra ones. If you run errands, group them by location. You might also stop at the store going home from work if it is on the way. Fewer trips won’t increase your mileage, but will decrease your miles.
There are tons of products to boost mileage - non of them work.Keep the tires at the proper pressure and learn how to drive for good mileage. But I guess if you wanted to drive like that you wouldn’t have bought an m35.
Make sure your tire pressure isn’t too low. Keep the alignment up to specs. Don’t speed.
No product will do anything significant to improve your mpg. That doesn’t stop products from making all kinds of claims to improve mpg however. Most driver’s after installing a product modify their driving behaviors as well in the effort to get more mpg. The result is better mpg, but not because of the product, rather the driver behavior is yielding the better mpg.
According to Edmunds your car is EPA rated for 17 City, 25 Hwy, 19 Combined mpg. So, your experience is a bit below the EPA numbers. Try Premium gas, it might make a difference. Your car is a “large” car and weights just short of 4,000 lbs. It is also a “performance” oriented car which means plenty of power, some of which comes at the expense of mpg.
If you really want more mpg you might need to consider a different car. Of course, you’d give up some zip, some comfort, some luxury, and some space to get a smaller more efficent car.
With your current car to maximize mpg, keep it tuned up as it gets older. Inflate the tires to the amount noted on the door placard and keep them inflated to that amount. The TPS system will tell you when a tire is getting low, but you could be a few lbs. down without setting of the TPS system. And, most of all slow down.
Every 5 mph increase in speed can reduce your mpg about 10 percent. If you are driving at 70 mph or more on the expressway, there is your answer. Slow down and you’ll get more mpg. The EPA hwy miles were not calculated at high speeds, just a steady speed but much lower than 70 mpg. Increased air drag is what kills mpg. If you can’t affort the extra time to slow down then you’ll just have to pay for it with lower mpg.
Otherwise, resist the temptation to feel all that power lurking under your hood. A performance car is fun to drive, but everytime you enjoy the thrust of acceleration your mpg drops as the acceleration comes from extra gas being dumped into the motor.
Altering your driving habits should get you a couple of more mpg and at least up closer to the 19 combined number.
Firefly, What Type Of Driving Do You Do ? Based On The 16 MPG It Looks Like It’s Mostly “City” Driving.
There is one thing you can do that can help MPG and save a little brake wear, but it only works well in more suburban or rural driving situations. Otherwise you’ll tick people off and endanger your life.
I do almost all rural “highway” driving. I allow plenty of time to reach destinations on time.
I let off the gas or take the car off cruise and coast for a longer than normal distance to an anticipated stop (stop sign, traffic light, intersection). I car stretch the distance of the coasting out depending on whether I’ve got cars behind me. I am careful not to cause a problem for other drivers.
I let the car’s momentum carry the vehicle to the stop and because the car is going to be traveling more slowly near its stop, less braking is required.
Do you do any driving in very sparse traffic or only than city driving ?
Do you have a driver information center that shows “real time” estimated MPG ? Do you use it ? It can help make you aware of good technique.
CSA