Mileage improvement - breaking in????

[Elliotness]

I was a little disapointed when I drove the car home. I was getting around 15 mpg. I know, I know, who cares about mileage. Well I thought the car might have clogged cats or something because nobody was getting 15 mpg on a stock 03 on the highway.

Well I added a K&N filter and dropped about 2K miles on the car and believe this, I got 22 mpg on a road trip. I drove the car between 85 - 90 mph the entire way and got 22 mpg. Amazing......

Guess the car is breaking in....

 

[thedutt]

wow.. this is interesting data, I get 16ish on highway myself in my new Vert (1.2k miles on it) Did the filter help or was it just breaking in that made the difference? Any change in your driving style that might have effected it ? How much did the filter cost you ?

Thanks!

 

[Elliotness]

Yes, I changed my driving habits form the first drive. I never set the cruise when I drove from Tucson the first time. I varied the speed from 55-90 and never kept the car at a constant speed for over 3-4 minutes. I heat cycled the car. I later drove to my parents with the cruise set at 70 no passengers and empty trunk got about 15-17 mpg. This time I set the cruise at 85 had a loaded trunk and a passenger. The car was probably 30-40 pounds heavier this time.:shrug: Must have been a combination of break in and the filter (better breathing).

The K&N filter cost me around $60 with the service kit.

Good luck....
:coolman:

 

[Elliotness]

Oh, by the way, you can buy the filter at any parts store. I bought mine at checker.

 

[03 Red Cobra]

My car is all stock and on the highway, I average 22.5 mpg.

 

[Frederick Brown]

03 cobra, im 70 years young, around town 17-19 on a 5800 mile vacation this past summer, about 22- 23.5 two tanks were 24.7 car presantly has 9800 miles .all earlier problems resolved. rear end, heavy pull to the right black and flawless. Fred

 

[JSHTROD]

Originally posted by Elliotness
I was a little disapointed when I drove the car home. I was getting around 15 mpg. ... I got 22 mpg on a road trip. I drove the car between 85 - 90 mph the entire way and got 22 mpg. Amazing......

Guess the car is breaking in....

:thumbsup:

I've just noticed the EXACT same thing... get this...

Buy the car new... and get ~18mpg, city and highway driving. I was getting a little worried that my fuel costs would be outrageous (it's my daily driver).

At 800miles, took a road trip. From here in central cali, to Phoenix and Tucson AZ to visit family.

Here's my observations....

Car gets BETTER milage if cruising ABOVE 2000rpms. I was runnin around PHX, always in 6th at 40mph, and it SUCKED down the gas. BUT... if I cruise in 4th at 40, it sips the gas. :shrug:

On the way to Phx, I got ~19mpg (with 800miles on the clock). On the way back I got up to 23-34mpg (with 2600 on the clock).

 

[Hunter]

Originally posted by Frederick Brown
03 cobra, im 70 years young. Fred

Wow, 70, that is so cool! I am impressed at the various age differences with the owners of these cars.

 

[Elliotness]

Originally posted by Hunter
Wow, 70, that is so cool! I am impressed at the various age differences with the owners of these cars.

I think anyone can appreciate this car.

Took my father-in-law for a ride. He's an ex-mechanic. He's around 65. He had the same grin on has face that I had on mine the first time I took her for a spin..

The car is awesome.

 

[thedutt]

Thanks for the Info Elliotness.. somehow I didnt get the notifcation that someone had replied to me
I am thinking of doing the following two mods..... maybe after the first oil change:
1) Take out the snorkel
2) Add a K&N

Does that effect warranty in Any way? How about removing of the snorkel? Would either of these have side effect ? (Other than making the sexy beast sexier ? )
When I had dynoed, removing the snorkel had given me 10hp.. So 20-30 HP gain for <$100 sounds too good to be true........

 

[stopsign00]

mileage

:burnout:
My black 03 conv. has about every bolton that can be done to it. I was cruising to Myrtle Beach and had approx. 2500 miles on the car and set cruise control at 75 and to my astonishment I got 25.6 miles per gallon. BTW I'm 54 and abosutely love the car. I have always had high performance cars, this is one of the best.
My car will be on display with "FORD SVT" at the Charlotte, N.C. Autofair April 3rd thru 6th. Good luck and be careful. My particular car has been dynoed at 473rwhp, which is detuned, on a Mustang dyno not a dynojet.

 

[03Redfire Cobra]

I dont think we can get a good answer to this until like 10,000 miles have been put on the car.I have 9,400 to go.

 

[Bingo13]

At 75~80 mph on the freeway in sixth gear I average 22 mpg with the cruise control on. I have seen 24 on the high end and 6 on the low end in daily driving.