* Wheel Alignment Affecting Gas Milage *
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
* Wheel Alignment Affecting Gas Milage *
Hi guy,
3 days ago I was on a Corvette run with CF members in the hills. And car was running just good, and had good traction with the new Invos I put on. Just yesterday I got alignement done, car seems to be running the same (not able to tell much difference yet), but my Gas Milage seems to have gone Down quite a bit...
. The alignment is slightly aggresive than before, but I wasn't told it would affect the gas milage. I would normally get 27/28 on freeway, 17/19 city. Now, 23/24 freeway, 15 or so in city. In today's age, with gas prices shooting sky high (especially in California), this not what I hoped for. Has anyone experienced the same, or IS it True that a little aggresive alignment will reduce gas milage (maybe causing more drag)..
Plz let me know. I'll talk to the tech who did it after I get some feed back from the forum guys...
Thanks in advance..
3 days ago I was on a Corvette run with CF members in the hills. And car was running just good, and had good traction with the new Invos I put on. Just yesterday I got alignement done, car seems to be running the same (not able to tell much difference yet), but my Gas Milage seems to have gone Down quite a bit...
. The alignment is slightly aggresive than before, but I wasn't told it would affect the gas milage. I would normally get 27/28 on freeway, 17/19 city. Now, 23/24 freeway, 15 or so in city. In today's age, with gas prices shooting sky high (especially in California), this not what I hoped for. Has anyone experienced the same, or IS it True that a little aggresive alignment will reduce gas milage (maybe causing more drag).. Plz let me know. I'll talk to the tech who did it after I get some feed back from the forum guys...
Thanks in advance..
Last edited by Vette_Fan; May 20, 2008 at 11:39 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 836
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs, Colo., USA
Unless the alignment was a huge difference from the stock settings, I doubt that you would see such a change in mileage.
I suspect you are pushing the car a little harder, testing the new set-up, and that may make the difference.
Gas mileage is remarkably subjective, different drivers in the same car will get different results, a change in the route you generally drive will make a difference and depending on where you buy your gas, it can differ greatly from tank to tank, if the station buys on the "spot market" from whatever supplier has the best price.
Gas mileage is generally best measured over several tanks, and not using the onboard Driver Information Center. Do it the old fashioned way, by dividing the miles traveled by the gallons purchased. You have to remember to reset the trip odometer to zero when you refuel, then note the gallons you buy at the next fill up, but it is the most accurate way. Try to use the same pump, set at the same fill rate, and stop filling at the automatic cut-off
I suspect you are pushing the car a little harder, testing the new set-up, and that may make the difference.
Gas mileage is remarkably subjective, different drivers in the same car will get different results, a change in the route you generally drive will make a difference and depending on where you buy your gas, it can differ greatly from tank to tank, if the station buys on the "spot market" from whatever supplier has the best price.
Gas mileage is generally best measured over several tanks, and not using the onboard Driver Information Center. Do it the old fashioned way, by dividing the miles traveled by the gallons purchased. You have to remember to reset the trip odometer to zero when you refuel, then note the gallons you buy at the next fill up, but it is the most accurate way. Try to use the same pump, set at the same fill rate, and stop filling at the automatic cut-off
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
I toally agree with Every thing you've said. But just to prove to myself, I have been driving since yesterday (from after the alignment was done) exactly the same way I would normally do. Freeways are pretty straight, so can't really test the new setup. I always drive 70-80mph on the freeway, so I've been doing the same. I always read the instant gas MPG, and its always 27-29 consistantly over last 3 yrs of my ownership of the car.Since yesterday, its consistantly been 23-24 on the freeway, and the gas needle has been declining faster in just the last 80 miles or so that I've driven on the new set up. I wonder if its related to alignment, cuz nothing else was done.
Guy... plz step in with your comments. 35 readers, only 1 reply..
