Four-wheel drive vehicles often receive poor fuel efficiency. Four Wheeler Editorial Director Douglas McColloch offers the following tips for increasing fuel efficiency in four-wheel drive vehicles:

1) After installing bigger tires, regear the axles to ensure optimal engine rpm at cruising speeds. The speedometer should also be recalibrated.

2) If running a three-speed transmission, consider an overdrive unit. A manual transmission also provides an increase in fuel efficiency.

3) Ensure the engine and fuel-delivery system are tuned. Improper carb jetting, clogged injectors and filters, improperlygapped spark plugs and worn out 02 sensors can all decrease fuel economy.

4) Install freer-flowing aftermarket air filter and exhaust components that improve intake and exhaust flow.

5) Use synthetic lubricants for reduced wear, better viscosity retention and longer service intervals.

6) Keep tires properly inflated and wheels aligned.

7) Install an electric cooling fan to replace the stock beltdriven fan.

Shed excess weight such as lightbars, nerf bars, side steps, jerrycans, auxiliary lights and storage boxes during the winter months.

9) Turn off the A/C when it is unnecessary.

10) Avoid short trips, jackrabbit starts and too-high (or too-low) revving.

P.i. Performance Improver Concentrate (API)
Improves fuel mileage an average of 2.3% and up to 5.7%. Reduces emissions such as hydrocarbons (HC) up to 15%, carbon monoxide (CO) up to 26% and nitrous oxides (NOx) up to 17%. Restores power and performance. Reduces the need for costly higher octane fuel. Reduces noise from carbon rap and pre-ignition. Offers better vehicle drivability and smoother operation.

Unsurpassed Deposit Clean-up
Port Fuel Injector Deposits form after the engine has been shut down and there is no gasoline flowing through the injectors. During this “hot soak” period the injectors heat up and the gasoline remaining in the injectors degrades and forms deposits. This can happen very quickly with the use of poor quality gasoline and short trip driving. Because the clearances within the injectors are extremely tight and injectors must deliver precise amounts of “atomized” fuel, even small amounts of deposits can cause injectors to malfunction. Fuel flow is reduced and spray patterns are disrupted, decreasing engine efficiency, power and fuel economy, while increasing exhaust emissions.

Intake Valve Deposits form on the intake side or back side of the valves. As deposits increase, they restrict airflow and alter airflow patterns in the cylinder. The deposits disrupt the balanced air/fuel ratio by momentarily absorbing and releasing fuel, and they can cause valve sticking by getting in the way of the valve stem and guide. Deposits also restrict proper seating, and the valves may be burned. Intake valve deposits cause lost engine power, increased emissions, poor engine efficiency and potential valve failure.

Combustion Chamber Deposits form on the top of the pistons and on the cylinder heads. They increase compression and absorb heat during combustion to later release it during the intake cycle. In some engines with tight squish domes, combustion chamber deposits cause the piston to actually hit the cylinder head. This is referred to as combustion chamber deposit interference or “carbon rap.” Combustion chamber deposits also flake off as they get large, and these flakes can get trapped between the valves and valve seat, resulting in compression loss, difficult starting and rough idle.

Higher compression and stored heat cause increased intake fresh charge temperatures and the increased likelihood of pre-ignition “knock” or “pinging” when the fuel spontaneously combusts prior to spark ignition. This increases emissions and may cause engine damage. Many of today’s cars have “knock” sensors that adjust spark timing to prevent knock.

Although audible knock is controlled, power is lost from retarded timing. Higher octane fuels of 4-5 octane numbers can be used to help prevent knock, an effect called “octane requirement increase.” As a vehicle ages, more expensive higher octane fuel is needed to keep it operating at peak performance. By cleaning combustion chamber deposits, knock is controlled, power is restored, fuel economy increases and higher octane fuels are less necessary for peak performance.

Maximum Fuel Economy
AMSOIL P.i. maximizes fuel efficiency by dissolving and removing fuel system deposits and other contaminants for improved power and overall performance.

Recommendations
Treat one full tank of gas up to 20 gallons with one bottle of P.i. For very large gas tanks, partially fill to 40 gallons and treat with two bottles of P.i. Using more than two bottles per treatment is not recommended. Treat gas every 4,000 miles or 100 hours of service. P.i. helps pass emission tests by running one tank of treated fuel through the engine prior to testing. Safe for use with catalytic converters, oxygen sensors, oxygenated gas and 10 percent ethanol blended gas. Not recommended for two-cycle engines.

To learn other ways to get better gas mileage and learn more about AMSOIL Request An AMSOIL Catalog

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Although fuel efficiency has become increasingly important to motorists in recent years, they haven’t lost their appetites for speed and performance. A recent trend among vehicle manufacturers is developing increased performance from smaller displacement engines. Automakers are finding that combining smaller blocks with direct injection, Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and other technologies allows them to produce engines that provide the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder engine while still delivering the performance of a V6.

General Motors, for example, incorporates advanced combustion technology in its allnew Ecotec 2.0L Direct Injection Turbo Engine. Gasoline direct-injection technology, VVT and an intercooled, twin-scroll turbocharging system allow the engine to produce 260 horsepower and 260 lb.-feet of torque while maintaining the fuel economy benefits of a small displacement port-injected engine. At 2.1 horsepower per cubic foot of displacement, the engine is GM’s highest specific output engine ever.

Honda is prepared to be a major player in this market as well. The subcompact 2007 Honda Fit features a 1.5L, SOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder VTEC engine that produces 109 horsepower and 105 lb.-feet of torque. Its VVT and Lift Electronic Control provide highly efficient operation at low engine speeds and extended performance at high engine speeds.

Automakers have also been modifying transmissions and torque curves. An increasing number of seven-speed transmissions have hit the market, and Lexus recently introduced the world’s first eight-speed transmission in a passenger car. The gears of these new transmissions cover smaller ranges and act as multiple overdrives, further improving fuel efficiency. Some automakers have broadened the torque curves in certain vehicles to furtherincrease fuel efficiency and performance. The Mercedes-Benz 2007 GL-Class Crossover utility vehicle, for example, incorporates a two-stage magnesium intake manifold to broaden the torque curve, allowing it to be more responsive over a broad rpm range. When operating at lower speeds, a set of flaps in the manifold close off short intakepassages, improving torque at low rpm. The flaps allow a power boost at higher speeds when open.

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While gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles grab the spotlight when it comes to fuel efficiency, diesel vehicles are gaining momentum as well. In fact, diesel is 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline. The introduction of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel and advancements in diesel engine technology have enabled diesel passenger vehicles tomeet increasingly stringent federal emissions standards. High performance, fuel efficient new diesel engines are expected to continue their popularity surge in the coming years. According to John Moulton, president of the Powertrain Division at Robert Bosch GmbH, dieselhybrid models are also on the horizon, combining the advantages of hybrids in city driving with the advantages of diesels in highway driving. DaimlerChrysler has introduced BLUETEC technology to the diesel market, which the company claims is capableof producing the cleanest diesel vehicles in their segment throughout the world.

According to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of DaimlerChrysler and head of the Mercedes-Benz Car Group, BLUETEC isa combination of technologies designed to reduce all relevant emission components in cars and light trucks. M-B commercial vehicles pair highly efficient engines with exhaust gas treatment systems based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology that converts harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) into harmless nitrogen and water vapor by introducing ammonia as a reducing agent in the catalytic converter.

Passenger cars and light trucks incorporate an oxidizing catalytic converter and diesel particulate filter, in addition to systems for reducing NOx emissions.

AMSOIL synthetic motor oils and drivetrain lubricants are ideal for customers interested in both fuel efficiency and performance. Their advanced synthetic formulations effectively reduce friction, heat and wear for maximum power, performance and fuel efficiency. To find out more about great products

A recent trend among vehicle manufacturers is developing increased performance from smaller displacement engines.

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