Is there actually anything out there that can improve your cars MPG? Apart from not putting your foot down all the time.

Ive seen Ecotek valves mentioned when asking about this, but i don't know anybody thats actually tried it and found it to give a noticeable increase in fuel economy....Anyone have any advice?

Since i had a Power Boost Valve, Collins performance Chip, K&N Induction kit, and my Cat Back fitted i get about 70 miles to a tenner if i drive really nicely. Thats from my 1.8 Escort Si.

Oh and thats from a tenner of optimax, i always fill up atleast £20 or just fill the tank though. So 140 miles to £20 of Shell Optimax. The amount i spend on petrol a week is getting out of hand, ive known myself to spend £200 a month or more sometimes.

Taking the car out of gear when going down hill/straight to try and maintain speed. Although not ideal as you are not "in control" of the car, it does show benefits.

Plan your route, try and stick to roads were you not starting and stopping every 5 mins.

Don't race every car of the traffic lights.

Put fuel injection cleaner in your tank, cleans alot of **** out older/high mileage engines.

Walk short distances instead of driving.

Good tips there, ive done all of those apart from taking it out of gear and ive noticed my spending go down and i can sometimes get almost a week out of £20 worth of Optimax, this is on rare occasions though.

I am also wondering wether or not the idle problem, which i assume is the Idle Control Valve, could be adding to the problem. everytime you put the clutch in the engine drops to approx 500rpm and then even out again. Although sometimes it can bounce up and down between 1k - 2k rpm when cold, this would probably not be helping.

That's bad mpg mate. I get 100 miles to ten quid, and mine's running far too richly (so much so, I get fire out of my exhaust all the time).
Make sure your leads, distributor, rotor arm, and air filter are in good nick. Cone filters are useless, good if you prefer hot air to cold air.

Also check the lambda sensor, the coolant temperature sensor, the idle control valve, the fuel pump relay, and the air flow meter. All have been replaced on my car.

Leaving the car in gear and taking your foot off the accelerator is actualy more efficient, as the engine is using mostly inertia, idling naturally uses fuel to keep the engine ticking over. We're talking about 1% different, but it matters when you're running on fumes and the petrol station is about 1/2 a mile away!

uve deffo got a gunked up ACV mate, not sure wether urs is the solenoid in the throttle boddy or the old style one but deffo get it looked at,

I recomend gettin a ecotec as they do work and also run in the highest gear possible when ur not driving for fun and use only a tad of throttle to maintain speed, dont load the engine up in fifth if u can do it in fourth with ur foot just restin on the peddle(kinda contradicting but it varies with speed/gradient)

Scoop what is an ACV??

I'll look into getting an Ecotek soon as i get paid.

Also i would imagine my car should get a better MPG or equal to a 2.0 Astra GSi, they are the red top engine and 150bhp right?

I've got an ICV but need someone to fit it for me

u know i meant icv mate lol.ur mpg shud be loads better than a GSi but the mileage and mods and ur drivin style have made it the way it is, get ur icv fitted and see how it goes

I was considerin takin my car back to almost standard, but not sure yet. I'm tired of driving a modified car.

I like them and would still go to cruises etc, but keep mine standard. It would make life easier not havin to worry about speed bumps. Also something quiet would be nice. Both these things seem like luxuries lol.

Wish i could change my lowering from 60mm to 35mm lol

40 mil is the only other option i think mate, thats wot ive got! i was gonna go 60 but its a good job as recently my dampers have been really bedding in and my rear tires are lost up in the arches and theres less than half an inch in it at the front lol. only get scrubbage on full lock on bumpy roads i hear a little noise and i think its just the arch liner

You do realise that's about 35-40mpg? Woulda thought that's damn good for a 2.0GSi!

I am lucky to get 120 around town in mine.

Really good for motorway driving though.

Anyone heard about one of those magnets that straps to your fuel line and can increase the MPG?
Im not sure if they actually work as there are a lot of mixed reviews.
Ive got a link to some information here

Sorry peeps, but its all a load of rubbish

If all these products are so good why dont the manufactures fit the parts as std, after all they have already spent millions on developing a car and angine.

The only way to get more economy is to drive more economically and ensure your motor is in tip top condition - ie fuel system is clean, plugs are clean and gapped, timing is good, and all electrical sensors are working correctly.

Unfortunatly, performance comes at a price, and more bhp needs more air and fuel, which means more money

I have heard of Taxi drivers turning the diesel rate down on their diesel pumps, this gives more mpg, but at a cost of performance.

If you want cheaper motoring, an LPG conversion is an option, your MPG will be worse as the gas is a lower grade fuel than petrol, but the price to buy it is cheaper, so you get more miles per pound (Not the same as mpg) - though this will reduce performance.

Sounds about right stuy. The wise man speaks again! lmao

I havnt bothered to read this topic yet but if u think u have it bad try being me. £20 gets me about 90miles :S Thats average driving (some playng some sensible)

EcoTek valve? Been there done that, waste of money and they make a horrid noise @ idle (Some of you may remember when I had mine fitted)

/\ Now that's bad mpg!! /\

How do ya drive dazza?

Thats average driving (some playng some sensible)

Ahh sorry didnt read the post properly, my fault.

Mines with average drivin, its not too bad in comparison really. i feel lucky lol.

Really? oh, I'll stop moaning then. I've just bought a new Air Flow Meter as well! I thought I was getting about 20 mpg to be honest.
100 miles is a fair rag to Chester and back twice a day at about 70mph to pick my girlfriend up from work.
That's not bad then.

You would get better mpg if you use normal unleaded fuel and not optimax. I get about 100 to £10 on normal fuel, If I use optimax, my mpg goes down to about 70. There is not a big difference in preformance.

Some people say different things about Optimax, I don't use it anymore, as I seem to get through more than nomal unleaded. Don't know why, maybe I'm just paranoid?..

Optimax is not super-unleaded, it's the same RON as regular stuff, but has the detergants in (allegedly), though I've heard these have evaporated, or dissolved or just sink to the bottom of the tank in the petrol station!!

If you have an Octane plug in your engine bay, turn this round. Vauxhalls have them, it's got 95 on one side, and 98 on the other for appropriate RONs. If you car has a knock sensor then it won't. Mine has A and B on, nobody knows what this does exactly, but I've noticed difference in economy and left it on the better setting.

Ive got an ecotek valve and i do think it makes my petrol consumption a bit better. Maybe its illusion but before the ecotek i used to get bout 85-90 miles from a 10er, now i get 100.

If you set them up properly they dont make any noise when idling (or shudnt do) but if ther too open they do rasp a lot! mine jus makes a little "tss" sometimes when u change gear, but as i said, it did seem to make me petrol consumption better.

I definately see Stuy's point of view, i mean surely they wud fit them standard if they worked, but ecotek reckon its because they arent willing to pay the price for patents etc (obviously some sort of lie)

I gave it a try because there only £25 and if they arent making it any better, its only a small hose that needs replacin if you wanna take it off.

My mates for 1.8Si with an ecotek tho and he doesnt seem to think its made any difference.

Ok i havent helped at all there, but there my 2p! hehehe!