10 Ways to Improve Your Mazda’s Fuel Economy
The Impact of Tuning
Despite offering a tuning service oriented toward performance, fuel economy is something we get asked about a lot, And I really can’t blame you guys one bit. Gas is SUPER expensive these days, and when you’re already sacrificing on the upgrade to premium octane fuel, you want to know what the impacts on your fuel consumption will be with a tune.
Well, the answer is probably not what you expected.
On its own, tuning will generally improve the fuel efficiency of your engine. But that potentially small improvement can be far outweighed by the other factors that having a larger impact on fuel consumption. The reality of fuel economy, is that by majority, the most significant factors are already within your grasp, and will remain in your control even after we complete your tune.
How to Manage Your Fuel Efficiency
Properly maintaining your Mazda:
Regularly changing the oil and air filters, keeping the tires properly inflated, and following the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule can have a really noticeable impact on your fuel efficiency. Dirty filters are harder to draw air through, old oil has higher drag against internals, and low tire air increases the roll resistance of the tires dramatically.
Driving habits:
Avoiding aggressive driving, such as rapid acceleration and braking, can improve fuel economy by as much as 33%. Also, planning routes to avoid traffic and using cruise control can help reduce fuel consumption. I know, it’s pretty lame, and I know this isn’t going to happen all the time. But if you have a lot of commuting, or a longer drive to do, taking this into consideration can save you a lot of money on gas each month.
Carrying unnecessary weight:
Avoiding carrying unnecessary items in the trunk can help reduce the overall weight, which allows the engine to use less torque to achieve the same acceleration and maintain the same cruising speed.
Using the right fuel:
Using the recommended grade of gasoline can improve fuel economy and extend the life of the vehicle's engine. Even though it can still function with 87, Mazda recommends using premium octane with the 2.5T Skyactiv engine. We also recommend switching to premium octane fuel with all of our tuning kits, in order to maximize the potential torque gains, resulting in improved fuel economy!
Monitoring the vehicle's performance:
Regularly monitoring your Mazda’s performance can help identify potential issues that may be affecting fuel economy, such as a malfunctioning oxygen sensor, clogged fuel injectors or a dirty MAF sensor. While this doesn’t improve fuel economy directly, it can help identify the maintenance issues that ARE causing an increased fuel consumption because you know what is typical for your engine.
Getting a quality performance ECU tune:
Properly tuning the engine increases the torque output of the engine, which reduces the amount of throttle % required to maintain an optimal cruising speed. Less throttle % means fuel required to burn at that same engine RPM.
All of our Mazda Tuning Kits are proven to increase torque output, and have continually demonstrated to improve fuel economy!Use of technology:
Some Mazda models come with a feature called Eco mode which can help improve fuel economy by adjusting the engine and transmission settings to maximize fuel efficiency.
Drive at optimal speed:
Driving at optimal speed is one of the most effective ways to improve fuel economy. The 'optimal’ speed will vary depending on your engine’s torque curve, and transmission gear ratio in the lowest gear (5th or 6th for most Mazda’s). That’s why tuning helps improve economy, because we can increase low-RPM torque and reduce the amount of throttle opening required to maintain that optimal engine RPM/wheel speed.
Avoiding irregular and unsteady throttle:
Constantly changing your throttle % up and down will result in a significant increase in fuel consumption. Many drivers do this throttle ‘modulation’ without even realizing it, constantly accelerating and decelerating while they drive. Not only is it inefficient, but it’s also very difficult for drivers behind you to maintain a safe following distance, and can cause nausea for your passengers. Using cruise control when driving on the highway ‘smooths’ out the throttle application, and eliminates the need to over-accelerate to maintain the desired average speed as a result of slowing down.
Drive less:
OK I know this sounds ridiculous, and I don’t mean you should stop enjoying driving your car around. But, if you have the ability NOT to drive somewhere, carpool, use transit, or combine trips in a week, you’re saving 100% of that fuel. Instead of going to the store every other day, go twice a week. If you have multiple vehicles in your house, drive the most efficient vehicle for the longer boring drives.
If you drive 10 miles less, you can drive aggressively for ~7 miles and consume the same total fuel as if you drove normally for 17 miles. I’d much rather enjoy 7 miles of touge canyon runs over those extra 10 miles driving to and from the store.
Still Curious?
Chances are if you’re still reading this, you’re highly interested in the pursuit of performance for your Mazda, but you want to ensure you’re not going to be spending a boat load more money on fuel after upgrading to premium octane. If your intrigued about how our ECU Tuning Kits can help you save on your fuel consumption, don’t hesitate to reach out and chat!