Observations: Road Trip to Austin TX
While driving to/from Austin today, I discovered that I began to get a rather nasty lifter tick. I'm hoping that it's nothing serious and that maybe I just need to switch to a heavier oil for summer (especially if I'm going to make any long trips). I will try to remember to keep an eye on things and report back with any new information that I discover.
I also monitored the average MPG that I was getting with the Scangauge. The car seems to get the best fuel economy when traveling between 55 and 65 mph in 5th gear. That seems to be the ideal range for balancing engine load against drag (primarily aerodynamic) for most efficient fuel consumption. Going above 65 mph tends to decrease fuel economy due to too much drag, and going below 55 tends to decrease fuel economy due to higher engine load (or falling out of the power band).
Also worth noting: While raising the headlights decreased the intake temperature by at least 10 degrees while driving on the highway, it seemed to raise the water temperature by 2 degrees (presumably because it increased the under-hood air pressure and reduced the airflow through the radiator).
Total miles traveled: 408
Average MPG: 30.5 (approx.)
Average MPH: 53 (approx.)
Total Driving Time: 5 hours, 12 minutes (approx.)
I also monitored the average MPG that I was getting with the Scangauge. The car seems to get the best fuel economy when traveling between 55 and 65 mph in 5th gear. That seems to be the ideal range for balancing engine load against drag (primarily aerodynamic) for most efficient fuel consumption. Going above 65 mph tends to decrease fuel economy due to too much drag, and going below 55 tends to decrease fuel economy due to higher engine load (or falling out of the power band).
Also worth noting: While raising the headlights decreased the intake temperature by at least 10 degrees while driving on the highway, it seemed to raise the water temperature by 2 degrees (presumably because it increased the under-hood air pressure and reduced the airflow through the radiator).
Total miles traveled: 408
Average MPG: 30.5 (approx.)
Average MPH: 53 (approx.)
Total Driving Time: 5 hours, 12 minutes (approx.)