[kNOwtalent]

Greetings All,
I have had my insight for a month and it was time for an oil change, went to the local Honda dealer and I noticed a 8-10% increase in my MPG. Is this normal? Is this more likely an anomoly?. Just a little confuzeld by it is all.

 

[Resist]

Is what normal? You've had the car for a month, maybe you just drove it correctly. Or are you saying after you had the oil changed you noticed an improvement in your mpg's? If this is what you are saying then, no an oil change would not effect your mpg. Again, it must be your driving habits that made the difference.

 

[originalbadbob]

You may see an increase even if you haven't changed your driving style if the crankcase was overfull before, or you had a heavier weight oil in it.
When I got my 2000 5 speed 5 months ago with 32K miles on it it had 54.7lmpg. It has been steadily going up and at 42K is at 65.6lmg. I have been way too anal in trying to increase my "score" though.
robert

 

[kNOwtalent]

Greetings Resist,
I went thru a complete oil change cycle of 7500 miles in my first month of ownership. I didn't drive anydiferent the days following the service. Upon reading OBB's reply I relized that the folks at the Ford dealership prolly put in too much oil of the wrong variaty.

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Engines always run smoother with new oil, so an increase in MPG is not impossible. Check your receipts to see what weight of oil Ford were putting in - if it was the wrong one, then you would see an improvement with 0W-20 or 5W-20. HTH.

 

[jack9994]

kNOwtalent

I recently had my oil changed to the correct type 0W-20 and my mpg went up at least 7-8 mpg. So you are right and its not just your driving style improving

Regards

john

 

[kNOwtalent]

Greetings Citus Smoothie,
There are no reciepts from the Ford dealer, it was a maint. that ford did before I took the car.

Engines always run smoother with new oil, so an increase in MPG is not impossible. Check your receipts to see what weight of oil Ford were putting in - if it was the wrong one, then you would see an improvement with 0W-20 or 5W-20. HTH.

 

[Resist]

Engines always run smoother with new oil, so an increase in MPG is not impossible. Check your receipts to see what weight of oil Ford were putting in - if it was the wrong one, then you would see an improvement with 0W-20 or 5W-20. HTH.

While nothing is impossible, it is highly unlikely the oil change increased his mpg. Unless his oil was a greater weight than 20, or synthetic oil was put in, or the oil being replaced was in a slug stage. But using the same oil and weight wouldn't change anything.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

In labaratory copnditions it can be reproducably shown that oil as it "ages" increases in viscosity. And that most non-synthetic oils if left go to their maximum change interval, 7,500 miles in this case, have increased in viscosity sufficently to decrease MPG by 1-2ish% all other factors being equal.

Small potatoes

HTH!

 

[LoNOx 1]

I changed my oil (Amsoil Series 2000 and Amsoil filter) after one year and 28865 miles and got WORSE gas mileage this evening!!!!
Could it be that: I had my wife, four cases of water, pop and 50 lbs. of groceries along with the A.C. on MAX . :shock: affected the mileage???