how does tailgating tractor trailers increase mpg? is is because of the wind resistance?

 

I also tried it several times when younger, but on much shorter distances. You have grown wise, young one. Tailgating is the last thing you want to do... especially these days when driver's are so much more unpredictable.

Several things, really. First, the trailer will create a huge hole and you are cutting the wind resistance as you suggest. But in addition, the tall, flat nature of the trailer creates a huge vortex (negative pressure) right behind it which helps pull your car forward doubling the effect. If your car feels like it's being tossed around, you ain't close enough and are caught in the roosters tail.
Ya' have to get mighty close in order for that to work properly though, too close really, and I would/could not recommend doing it.

 

All vehicles create a low pressure area behind and under them, the bigger the vehicle the bigger the low pressure area. So if you get close enough it will suck you up to it actually making your motor coast or run with less fuel to keep your own mass moving.

 

I'd be worried about all the rocks gettin' kicked up at your windshield, too.

 

But i don't think so with my personal experience i used the Plus fuel and i get more mileage. I have been using the plus fuel for the past 2 years since i brought the car. What do other people experience or think about this?

k&n airfilter + premium gas = better mileage

yes/no

 

Sorry, not physically possible. Fact, your car measures the weight of the incoming air and adjusts the amount of fuel accordingly. Regardless of whether you have a high-restriction intake, a factory intake, a low restriction intake, or no intake at all, you're going to get the same exact fuel economy.

As for Premium fuel, unless your engine is built to take advantage of the extra detonation resistance (i.e. high mechanical compression ratio and/or the ability to advance the ignition timing to keep the combustion wave at the ragged edge of insipient detonation) there is no physical possibility for Premium fuel to give you better mileage, and if anything, your mileage may actually go down.

 

Well, you asked for opinions and/or experiences so I have to agree w/Dale, Jane.
Here are my experiences and what I've done:
1) Installed a K&N panel around 7-8k miles. No difference.
2) Monzta timing mod around this time too. (It adds about 4* advance.) No difference.
3) +/-10k miles. Modified the stock airbox. Kept the K&N panel. Still no difference.
4) Converted to full synthetic oils (first Mobil1, now Castrol) in both the engine and the trans. No difference.
4) Removed the stock airbox and install a Mazdaspeed/AEM CAI @ roughly 30k miles. No difference.
In addition, I have tried tanks of straight 93, 89 oct, and various mixes, as well as running a bit higher oct in the summer months to help compensate for the Texas heat. No difference.
The only difference I have seen has been fairly recent, w/50k on the clock. This summer, in spite of it being hot as h*ll, I have seen a +/-3mpg increase while using the A/C that I never had before. I used to get 24-25mpg, but I have been getting 26-28mpg starting this year.
My best back and forth to work has been 30mpg w/A/C in the afternoon and none in the morning.

 

As for Premium fuel, unless your engine is built to take advantage of the extra detonation resistance (i.e. high mechanical compression ratio and/or the ability to advance the ignition timing to keep the combustion wave at the ragged edge of insipient detonation) there is no physical possibility for Premium fuel to give you better mileage, and if anything, your mileage may actually go down.[/quote]


Shipo you could be right. I am not a car technical person. It had been my experience that with the use of both k&n and better gas will improve the mileage. However I will try on regular unleaded next tank instead of the Plus and see if there are diff. in the mileage

 

Do you guys not watch Mythbusters?

Tailgating will not have much of an effect unless you are 1'-2' behind the vehicle, and even then it only shaves off about 2-3MPG.

 

I have a 2019 Mazda 3 with all the premium bells and whistles, sun roof (which I rarely use but it's nice), upscale radio with subwoofer, upscale seats and wheels). On one occasion (a recall) and one occasion (repair under warrantee), I was given the same Mazda 3 with an automatic as a loaner (actually it was the sedan and not the hatch I drive). I drove the loaner as conservatively as I could on the same roads to get the mpg average. I got 32 to 34 which is quite respectable IMHO. However, driving my own car with the 6 speed manual I average 42 and my wife who drives differently gets 38 to 39. In a competition with her to prove my skill at driving a stick for economy is better I got as high as 50 mpg but I must admit some of my skills were annoying to other drivers (we don't have much traffic around here though). If I drive the Mazda 3 manual in what I consider a perfectly normal way I get the same 39 mpg as my wife does, but no matter how much effort I put into it I could not get the automatic past 34 mpg and I tried very hard. What's up with this? I've heard modern automatics get the same mpg as sticks. In addition, the automatic "felt" slower, but to be honest, I really don't know if that's true. It just definitely felt that way.