Fuel efficiency?

[96ozlantra]

Hi all,

Follow up question:

If you fit extractors and enlarge intakes etc to your vehicle, what happens to fuel efficiency? (Obviously motivated by recent developments in fuel prices.)

Is it the case that you are simply increasing the oxygen part of combustion and therefore fuel usage doesn't differ from factory fitted? Presumably you are therefore combusting more available fuel rather than just exhausting it unburnt to get the 5-6% performance increase (as well as reducing turbulence and backpressure, etc).

Can anyone tell me therefore if fitting CAIs, extractors, K&N filters, wider exhaust, wide throttle body, etc will consume more fuel? I'm not interested in supercharging, etc, but I assume the same argument would apply, as supercharging simply forces more air into the process?

Also, my Lantra seems to have a strong unburnt petrol smell on cold starting, but not sure about after running for a while -- I assume this would just be the early choke setting setting the mixture richer which would shortly come off. Any confirmation of this?

Cheers

[Harryo]

My 2cents. From all information I have ever heard, To upgrade any thing will save $ on fuel. The problem is you can't resist the temtation to drop the throttle and feel the ponys which uses more fuel.

Extractors are a good way to save on fuel, the adds from exhaust shops say so. CAI save on fuel, there adds say so.

The fuel smell on startup I would check your air cleaner, or air access to your air box.
Hope this helps.

[96ozlantra]

Originally posted by Harryo
[body]
Extractors are a good way to save on fuel, the ads from exhaust shops say so. CAI save on fuel, their ads say so.

The problem is you can't resist the temptation to drop the throttle and feel the ponies which uses more fuel.
[/body]

ah, cool, thanks for that. I haven't seen the blurbs on these pieces of kit. Sounds like the argument for using higher octane fuel — if you increase power output, then the fuel must stretch further if you maintain normal acceleration etc and don't get carried away with it all...

$1500 on hardware upgrades is a lot to spend to use MORE fuel, but if you're saving something over time, I guess that's a good pretext — and it's good for the planet... :