2004 nissan sentra spec-v ser 2.5l, 175hp, 6speed, 4cyl. factory mpg specs=23/29. so any way the 23 city would be roughly correct, but the 29 highway is a joke, you get that on a good day driving behind my grandma, its was more practiclal to say it was 24-25 mpg highway. I bought the professionals tornado fuel saver (as seen on tv) and it actualy worked, bumping my practical highway mpg upwards of 27-30, and yes i know alot of people dont believe in performance mods such as these, but it actually worked. I drive 34 miles to and from work. a guy i work next to lives in my neighborhood. In a conversation he said that he gains x amount on gas by driving 45mph in a 60/55mph zone, and this is why i couldnt ride with him due to the fact that i drive with the mentality that I will be the passer and not the passee, and i just hate riding with other people. So pondering the idea, im on my second tank of gas now, i decided to slow it down. speed limits are posted at 60mph half of the way and 55mph the other half. so going from always doing 5-10mph over, i set my cruise at 50mph and my rpms run 1900 the whole way. now hold on cause its realy unbelievable, i now get 38.1mpg on the highway. i did try the 45mph but the rev's were too low to pull some of the hills eficentialy. so 50 it is. So anyway thats my story and im sticking to it .
mpg in aww!!
- Thread starter pwrstrk02
- Start date
DodgeRacer
New member
Those factory mileage figures are done on a dyno under controlled conditions, temperature, humidity, etc. There is also no wind which can affect your mileage in a big way. They never exceed 55 mph, so it is very difficult to match them in the real world. They are good to compare one vehicle to another because all vehicles are tested the same way. The best thing to do is slow down if you want to save fuel, it sounds like that worked for you. I have tested a number of those "fuel saving devices" in my job at DaimlerChrysler over the years and I never found any that did what they claim, in fact some of them have the opposite effect. Unless you test it under the exact same conditions before and after you install it, you can't really be sure of any change in fuel usage. If there was anything out there that could save fuel, believe me, the auto companies would be using it. Something else about testing, they use straight gasoline in the tests and most pump gas these days has about 10% ethanol in it. Ethanol reduces mileage by about 25%, so even though you may only have 10%, it will reduce your mileage slightly. Sorry for the long explanation, I was a Service Trainer before I retired and I tend to ramble about this kind of stuff. :chuckle:
RTexasF
Pay Attention Boy...
The reduction in speed/rpm is what increased your mileage. I'd bet that if the device were removed and you drove the way you are now the MPG would remain the same.
cute02spec
New member
I have a '02 Spec V and I get 32 miles per gallon on the highway, going 80mph. I get around 24 mpg around town (shifting between 2500 to 3000 rpm) and while drag racing (redlining, full throttle, etc). The car is also heavily modified, but with no fancy tornado thingy, as those are mostly a waste of money IMO.
Have you checked your tire pressure and air filter? Both those things can drastically affect gas mileage. And of course driving habits. Obviously going 55 mph is better on gas mileage than going 85mph, as with staying in a lower rpm range.
Have you checked your tire pressure and air filter? Both those things can drastically affect gas mileage. And of course driving habits. Obviously going 55 mph is better on gas mileage than going 85mph, as with staying in a lower rpm range.
Mr_Elusive
New member
I've heard the the Tornado does help fuel economy when installed in large motors (i.e. Large pick-up trucks). There are things that I have done to help my fuel economy. I installed 9" K&N Cone fenderwell intake and I saw a difference. I didn't calculate exactly how much it increased by but I did see a difference. Other things such a freer flowing exhaust will help especially on the highway. But those kind of modifications cost a little more than a Tornado.
I have a 06 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. No mods driving from Chattanooga, TN to Augusta, GA around 260 miles at 70 mph. I had three people, few things of luggage and air condition on and I got 31.7 mpg. Also drove about 100 miles 60-65 and just 2 people. I got 32.9 mpg. I have to agree with RTexasF. Slowing down will help.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
That Tornado thing goes in your air duct upstream of the throttle body, right? I don't care how straight you get your flow there, once it passes through the throttle body, into the manifold runners, and down to the valves, it ain't straight no more. Those devices are bunk and routinely proved so.
PS Driving 85 never seemed to have much effect on my highway mileage, to my surprise.
PS Driving 85 never seemed to have much effect on my highway mileage, to my surprise.
MikeTyson8MyKid
New member
Take it from someone that has designed intake and induction systems, those things dont work. There are only 2 ways that I can think of that it would actually give you more efficiency:
1) Changes the throttle response/power curve so you are forced the drive it differently, giving you a better mpg (which seems like you've done so far)...this seems far fetched though, but a better possibility than #2.
2) The intake system is poorly designed that this does actually help get the air around a bad curve or something that will knock out some standing waves. This I find kind of hard to believe too.
Yank that thing out of there and drive slower like you are now. I bet you'll like your results even more.
1) Changes the throttle response/power curve so you are forced the drive it differently, giving you a better mpg (which seems like you've done so far)...this seems far fetched though, but a better possibility than #2.
2) The intake system is poorly designed that this does actually help get the air around a bad curve or something that will knock out some standing waves. This I find kind of hard to believe too.
Yank that thing out of there and drive slower like you are now. I bet you'll like your results even more.
cute02spec
New member
MikeTyson8MyKid said:
#2 I think has been disproved by me and the other Spec V owner that posted in this thread. I don't think it's a poor intake system at all... probably 100% driver and poor maintenance of tire pressure and whatnot.
Good ol' case of the placebo effect... ya got something that is suppose to change the gas mileage, but it doesn't do anything and the improvement is really due to you changing your driving habits because you think that the device is working.
Easy on the throttle, shift at a lower rpm, and drive a reasonable speed, and your car will be nice on gas.
MikeTyson8MyKid
New member
Yep!
I saw something that compared it to water draining out of a bottle. It works for water because:
a) its incompressible
b) denser than air
Air is compressible, and b explains itself.
Engines can be simplified down to a simple total work in vs. total work out. It takes work to bend and airstream, let alone circulate it. Engines pull in thier own air, so the bend/circulate it your adding to the work the engine has to do to pull air in. The only way this could work is if it somehow betters the distribution between cylinders, and I cant really find a way for it to do that since the Tornado is upstream of the throttle body.
Changing direction of an airstream = more work = bad
But hey, if its working somehow and you like it, stick with it. I'd just hate to see the peak output of the engine though.
RTexasF
Pay Attention Boy...
This is interesting, it didn't work for them:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars_trucks/1802932.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars_trucks/1802932.html
the tornado was installed about two years ago, im just mainly telling about the "slow down effect". although you are prob right about its all in your head with the tornado. never realy did any pre tornado mpg testing, just ran the crap out of it when i first got it cause they are pretty quick, and then slowed down when i got the tornado. so after six round trips at 50mph i think the peddle is about to meet the floor mat once more i dont think i can take it, old people passing me and looking at me like im the idiot for a change. im not old enough to slow down yet. anyhow thats my experiment.
DodgeRacer said:
You aren't kidding about the ethanol, I have definitely noticed a decrease in mileage since the Dallas area switched to gas containing ethanol in late spring. I was averaging 21.5 mpg in the city (1999 Mazda 626 with the 2.5 V6) and now I get about 19 mpg. Plus it adds about a dime to the cost.
Supposed to reduce pollution but if you burn more fuel, I fail to see how that really helps.
imported_CkretAjint
New member
my friend is ALWAYS redlining his Spec V (2002) and if her gets about 16 mpg he is extatic. Then again he bitches about the gas mileage winding out each gear allthe way to redline. *rolls eyes*
cute02spec
New member
CkretAjint said:
Typical of a lot of Spec V owners. Hopefully he's not doing that on a stock header, either...
I shift mine at 2500 to 3000 in most normal conditions, and I get great mileage. I can still even go out, do 6 or 7 1/4 mile passes, and still get 24 mpg.
The Tornado is as big a rip off as the "Gas Pill" and the "Gas line Magnet." Notice no endorsements from anyone famous? CNN just did a report on these frauds and every one failed, in fact, got worse mileage. When they asked the Tornado people to respond all they could say was that their device worked but could not offer any proof. I wonder why some State Attoney General has never prosecuted these people for defrauding the public and false advertising.
DodgeRacer said:
Two things.
First, my 1990 Olds 98 was EPA rated at 27 mpg hwy, but more than once I babied it and got 30+ mpg. Best was 32, 31 for an extended cross-state trip. I know plenty of other people who managed this with the GM 3800 engine. Yes, a lot of the time the EPA ratings are pie in the sky, but not always.
Second, typical ethanol-blended gas won't knock your mileage 25%, more like 5 or maybe 10% tops. This isn't just counting my experience in a number of cars, but a number of people I've spoken to. Now if you're talking about the specialized E85 fuel, then you're about on target. I've heard accounts that a 25-30% loss in mileage is pretty much what you can expect. As a test driver at GM I drove cars with about any any blend of fuel you care to mention. It's a simple fact, as the ethanol (or methanol) percentage goes up, the mileage and power goes down.