how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

sadly, i work minimum wage and my driving/off roading habit is getting very expensive with the higher gas prices, what are the simpilest ways to improve the gas mileage of a S-10 blazer?

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

well the obvious first, make sure your tune up is up to date, your tranny is shifting properly, fuel pump is good....

tires are all good and inflated right... that all matters

other then that, its a truck... cant ask it to perform like a neon ya know?

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

what do you do to tune it up?

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

Tune up, you know...oil + filter change, plugs + maybe wires if needed.

If I lived in the city I'd walk or take the bus, but I don't....

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

how much of a difference would a new air intake make?

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

The simple waysto increase fuel mileage:
[ul][*]Keep your fuel filter and injectors/carbuerator clean.[*]If your Blazer is a 5-speed, shift into lower gear when in town.[*]Avoid cutting you car off for less than 5 minutes and cranking again. each time you cut it off and crank it, it uses more gas than if you had left it idling for 5 minutes.[*]Avoid using the air conditioner when possible,strains engine more when compressoris running.[*]Keep tire pressures at tire manufacturer specifications, do not use GM's specs if you change your tires from the OE brand, safe inflation pressures vary by tire manufacturer: hence the Firestone& Ford Explorer situation.[*]Keep tires balanced.[*]Some say tire size is a factor in fuel milage.[*]Make sure you grease all fittings, bearings low in grease cause friction.[*]Service transmission and differential at recommended intervals.[*]Keep coolant at specified levels.[*]Clean engine compartment regularly, too much dust can keep engine parts from efficiently releasing heat.[*]Clean or change air filter often.[*]Check mass airflowsensor for blockages, if screen is bent or damaged, straiten it or buy a new one.[*]Clean the bugs out of your radiator. make sure oil cooler isn't covered with dirt.[*]If you dont usethe luggage rack, take it off, it disrupts the flow of air over your car and increases drag.[*]Also if you keep a lot of stuff in your car, it can decrease mileage slightly, clean it out regularly.[*]Avoid fast accelerations and speeds above 65mph,take your time.[*]Some say oil filter wraps work well.[*]Fill your tank in the morning, when its cool outside gas is more dense and you can put more in your tank for the money.[*]Fuel additives that say they improve mileagereally don't work that well. (except octane booster).[*]Avoid towing loads over 1000lbs when possible.[*]Make sure brake shoes and pads aren't dragging. Resurface or replacewarped rotors and drums.[*]Drive highway routes when possible (unless its rush hour)[*]Coast up hill, accelerate down.[*]Coast a reasonable distance before braking to a stop.[*]CARPOOL!![/ul]

Thereis also fuel saving aftermarket equipmentout there:
[ul][*]A cold air intake and a higher flow exhaust systemgive fairly good results.[*]Also thereare throttle body spacers and intake spirals, these allow fuel to mix with air better.[*]Get a larger oil or transmission fluidcooler (if present).[*]Computer programmer, can be set to increase economy.[*]High flow MAF sensor.[*]High flow catalytic converter.[*]Bedcovers (for trucks).[*]Upgraded ignition, Revtek, MSD.[*]Good spark plugs.[/ul]

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

I never heard about filling your tank in the morning....does it make a difference even though the tanks are underground? Gonna have to try that one out and see how it works! (I usually get my gas on my lunch break, which would be the hottest part of the day.)

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

The stock MAF is perfectly fine until you get into things like forced induction.

Intake spirals RESTRICT air flow.

Throttle body spaces have nowhere NEAR the same effect on a fuel injected vehicle, as it does on a carbed vehicle... If you're lucky you MIGHT get a 1/4 of a mpg and even 1 ft/lb of torque...


If you have a 5 speed, don't drive in gear at less than 1200RPM without getting a programmer on there, the engine lugs way too much... When I hyperteched my Blazer (87 octane tune) I was able to run @ 1000RPM without lugging the engine... until I got my 30" tires, then I had to go back to using 4th gear @ 30MPH.

Cold air intake, good exhaust setup, computer programmer, and general maintenance are your best chances for good fuel mileage....

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

Coast up hill, accelerate down. ?????

RE: how can i find less pain at the pump?
 

It takes less power to accelerate going down hill...

Though, there isn't very many hills I've seen that you can "coast" up...

Must be different down there, lol