Saturn SL2 mods fopr mpg
 

:) :) I'm new to the site. Referred by the "Saturnalia" forum.

I know it's not a typical tuner car like Honda, Acura, etc., but thought I'd post what I have, current results, what I've done and future, inexpensive mods.

Car: 2000 Saturn SL2, 5 spd., 86,000 miles. bought 2 months ago for $1900. Have $2500 invested total so far (including cruise control listed below).

Current mpg: 33 (75% highway, 25% city, occasional pedal to the floor for passing), Pre 4-wheel align and Pre-tune-up. 4-wheel align done 2 days ago and replaced plugs and wires last night in prep for 800 mile trip this weekend. Will post results after.

Tires: stock size, 90% tread, Fuzion HRI's, 44 psi

Future mods:
1. Front air dam removal - Free
2. Toying with Warm Air Intake for economy, Cold Air Intake ($36 on e-bay, bought, but not installed yet) for performance, using valve to switch - $100 estimate.
3. Seafoam treatment to intake and fuel - $7
4. Aftermarket cruise control install - $150 for unit + $190 install. = $340
5. ?Homemade front and rear wheel air deflectors? - don't know yet ($100?)

Total = near $550.

Any other suggestions are welcome.
The goal is 40 to 45 mpg highway without changing my gear ratios in the tranny.

Let's see (sarcasm): If I wax the body and apply Rain-X to the windows, that should make the car more slippery, right?

Take Care

Nice car! That should like quite a deal you got on it.

Since you're mostly highway, I think you'll benefit most from aerodynamics modifications, though driving habits are always the biggest thing.

What kinda speeds do you travel at?

Also, don't forget to fill out the site's gaslog and garage, helps use watch as you improve, :)

Welcome. Glad your here. Be sure and give us a update when you get back from your road trip.

Just wax the windsheild and all the glass. Works like a champ.:D My wipers stick way out in the airstream so I waxed the window and removed them. Been in rain several times and it works great.

As SVOboy stated Aero mods will help a lot there's a sticky on the Forums with busted and confirmed mods you can look at. Another Saturn driver has had success with heated intake. Speed kills the FE on the highway.

Welcome!

I installed aftermarket cruise on my car when I got it, but now I tend to use it pretty rarely.

The thing about cruise control... as your driving improves (depending on how far down the fuel efficiency rabbit hole you fall), you may actually find yourself using it less and less. A smart foot will beat cruise control any day, with no appreciable average speed difference.

I pretty much only use it on perfectly level roads. (Or if I'm feeling lazy.)

I've heard so much about rain-x and removing wipers, but I'm so paranoid, where's the water go!?!?

Gravity pulls is down your windshield to the drain.

I have a bottle of rainX that I bought 10-15 years ago but haven't used yet. Does anyone know if it has a shelf life?

But doesn't it still obscure your view?

I've used rain-x with good results, but I wouldn't actually remove the wipers. At any reasonable speed, the wind blows the droplets up and over the windshield. You can see quite well becuse the rest of the windshield is effectively dry and the droplets move fairly fast. The only irritating part is a tendency for it to haze for a few seconds if you do use the windshield wipers to clear condensation or to clear washer fluid. But if you have it you may as well give it a shot.

Interesante, t'would be interesting to do this on the rear and remove my rear wiper. The rear never catch any rain besides at a stop/really slow speeds anyway, and also, it was the difference between the hf and the dx/si in terms of Cd (.29 versus .30).

This is exactly what Insight drivers do... they use rainx and remove the rear wiper.

Anyway, to the original poster, welcome tothe site. There are a few Saturn drivers on GasSavers already, so you're in good company. I was actually surpised to discover how great of fuel economy Saturns have had from the very beginning. It's proof that US-made automobiles CAN have great mileage as well.

Really that was the only difference? Tires? Passenger mirror? (Partial) undertray?

I admit I looked at my wipers too, today. Excrescences! (I think my passenger mirror's days may be numbered too...)

Mine doesn't have a passenger mirror so the decision has been made for me. I don't miss it at all because the Civic hatches have such great visibility. My 85 HF also had no passenger side mirror.

Welcome to the site. I recently bought a '99 Saturn SL2. I didn't get as good a deal.:( Mine has 94,500+ and I paid $2800 for it from a dealer in Paramus, NJ; originally listed on Ebay. It is currently undergoing a head modification at a friends house in Ickesburg, PA. The head is being ported, valves ground and back-cut, and a few other mods such as the Somender(sp?) Singh grooves and power lynzs in the intake runners and grooves on the backs of the intake valves. The grooves and power lynzs are intended to induce swirl in an effort to increase combustion efficiency.
As far as other suggestions, keeping the speed down, as stated above will help a lot. My SL really started to suffer FE loss when I got much above 60-65 mph. You could also replace the air intake temp sensor with a 110 ohm resistor. This has help significantly on my SL in the past. I don't know where it is, but there is a thread somewhere on that. SVOboy? Once again, welcome!

Hi sl2man. Well anyways I can't belive anyone didn't mention getting a scangauge (instant mpg computer) yet, maybee I just missed it. My sl2's lifetime mpg is around 31. But my car is a crappy running 92 auto.

Twas the only difference I am aware of. The passenger mirror was an option but I've yet to see a second gen CRX without one.

The Rain-X additive to the washer fluid is great! A fresh application whenever I hit the squirter lever. I've passed semis in a rainstorm while the cars around me have their wipers on high. However, I'm not about to remove the wipers. Good to have them if needed, such as the occasional spray of mud from the car ahead whose driver can't keep all wheels on the pavement.

Drive to work today I was behind a semi by 4 seconds. The driver must have been drunk, or thought I was tailgating. He was getting the right-side tires off the pavement onto the shoulder. As soon as the first pebble hit my windshield, I dropped back even further and let other cars in line ahead of to protect my car from the gravel spray. <end rant>

https://www.gassavers.org/gaslog/sig.php?id=346

Should be easily achieved. You should probably set your goals higher. By holding a constant throttle at 55 mph, you should be able to get close to or beat your goal without any mods.

I haven't really done any serious mods to my Accord that has an auto tranny and weighs too much and I get that mileage on the highway just by slowing down.