[DML] Gas Mileage - a data point

["Scott McMullan" <mcmullas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've always wondered if my car's gas mileage was "normal" ... and I always
thought it amazing that someone was getting close to 30MPG (as my mileage
has hovered in the 18-22MPG range for a long time, with a pretty even mix of
highway and stop-and-go driving).

On the Fall Foliage tour just completed, I managed to squeeze out a little
over 23MPG, with a lot of highway miles PLUS a grueling parade at Montclair
State U yesterday, and all the stops and starts of the driving tour today.

When I did the math for my trip home, however, I was stunned to have
averaged 29.5MPG.  This was almost entirely highway miles, including many
miles faster than optimal-mileage speeds.  Maybe that pricey gas at the
Citgo was really worth the extra money we paid (oops), or maybe not.

Two things on my car have changed recently, and I haven't had enough
fill-ups to know if these are making a tangible difference or if the Fall
Tour was just an aberration... but here they are:  1) right before leaving
on the tour, I poured in some fuel system cleaner, and 2) I replaced my
stock radiator and fans with the 3-core radiator and low-power quiet fans
from John Hervey.  Maybe the radiator is allowing coolant to flow more
freely, maybe the low-draw fans is helping, I don't know.  Or maybe my fuel
system was really dirty.  Whatever it was, I have always wondered if 30MPG
was really a pipe dream... now I know it's not out of the realm of
possibility, even for me, a regular guy.

And a BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who made the fall tour GREAT.  I brought my
whole family and everyone had a blast.






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