Part 2 Of Fleet Taxi Test 3-9 Using Auto-Rx

[dbdeland]

*Fleet Taxi Test Using Auto-Rx.
*New Data Open and Scroll Down





The taxi fleet test data has been extended out over a few more OCI's, also another test cab#8 was changed over from a lucas oil additive to ARX at the 15,000 mile mark. The results speak for themselves.

Results focused on gas mileage. Empty cells indicate mileage not achieved yet or not reported. Mileage is averaged over as close to 50 gallons starting on the first fill up after the PM..

Veh# 0K 3K 6K 9K 12K 15K 18K 21K 24K 27K 30K 33K 36K

1 15 17 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 18 18 18 18
2 13 16 17 17 17 15 18 18 17 18 16 18
3 14 15 15 16 16 15 14 15 15 15 15 15
4 15 15 15 14 14 11 14 15 15 13 12 15 15
5 12 12 12 13 13 11 12 12 13 10 11 11 13
6 15 15 15 16 16 14 16 13 15 16 15 14

2 vehicles were added, 7 and 8. Both vehicles received a Lucas oil additive at every oil change on the same PM schedule, that is 3k intervals.
Please note that at 15K miles on Vehicle 8, Auto-Rx was used, and Lucas was discontinued.
Notice the improvement.

7 12 11 12 10 11 12 12 10 9 10 11 12 10
8 14 15 15 14 13 13 15 15 16 16 16 17 16
***

...again, a ScanGauge was used in each vehicle. The readings were all off to some degree but consistent, that is repeatable and show trends, when is what we are looking for.

The maintenance dose was 4 ounces because these vehicles are in severe service and were a bit sludged up at the start of the testing. Otherwise 3 ounces would have been used.

Vehicles 1 and 2 showed the only significant increase in gas mileage. Compression figures are coming. I just have not collected them all from the 4 mechanics that worked on these vehicles.

A reminder about the vehicles
1. Auto-Rx, driver aware of additive
2 Same as 1
3 No Auto-Rx
4 No Auto-Rx, flush used
5 No Auto-Rx, flush used
6 No Auto-Rx, fake gas additive
7. No Auto-Rx Lucas every 3K
8 No Auto-Rx Lucas every 3K, Lucas stopped after 12K and Auto-Rx started at 13K

 

[hate2work]

Studies where the test subjects are aware of the parameters and what is introduced (given) to them should be heavily discounted.

A completely blind study would carry much more validity than something like this. The slightly better mileage in numbers 1 and 2 could easily be accounted for by better/slower driving.

 

[Steve S]

Interesting as I used A R/X in my 92 toyota 3.0 v6 pickup that ran on syn oil since 800 miles .At 85,000 miles I did a double clean and rinse and the mpgs went up around 2 mpgs which matched the as new mileage so my numbers were in the ball park.

 

[c3po]

It is obvious this test shows that the vehicles that used auto-rx had better mileage because they were running more efficiently.

My thought is that these engines were cleaner which promoted better combustion and ring seal.

Since oil could get everywhere in the engine there was better lubrication, and less friction loss.

 

[tom slick]

are they all the same vehicle?
It will be more interesting when they are beyond 30k and absolutely finished breaking it.

 

[chevrofreak]

I think they're all Crown Victoria's. I had similar mileage gains in my ex-police cruiser Crown Victoria.

My theory is that when the 4.6 idles for extended periods the rings get plugged up from unburned fuel.

I think you're reading the numbers as miles on the vehicle. It's actually miles on the test.

 

[Rick20]

They are all 8 different Crown Victorias. The cabs are driven each by the sole driver only. Cab #1 the driver knew of the additive. Cab #2 the driver did not know the ARX was in the sump.
Cab#8 the driver was aware of an additive being run. He was unaware what the additive was at any time. That vehicle discontued Lucas at the 15,000 mile mark and went on to Auto-Rx.
I would have to say that over the course of 30,000 miles, the drivers of each cab ultimately would have fallen back to normal driving habits.

There will be some compression numbers coming forth on these units in the near future.

 

[Rick20]

Correction cab #2 the driver was aware of ARX. Cab 3 was unaware of arx, was told of air pressure adjustment test.

When I look at the mileage difference in cab #1, it went from a base line of 15 miles per gallon to a steady average of 17.92 miles per gallon. Over the run of 33,000 miles the fuel savings would be 358 gallons. So about $100.00 worth of Auto-Rx saved over 700 bucks worth of fuel with current $2.00/gallon fuel. Of coarse a fair amount of time this test was running fuel was over $4.00/gallon. Pretty substantial.

 

[c3po]

When I bought my Mercury Marauder used in December of 2006 I was averaging 21 m.p.g.

I did a few Maintenance Doses and now I am on the Clean Phase, as soon as I started using auto-rx my mileage in the winter time went up from 21 m.p.g. to 23 m.p.g.

I really do not have any mileage numbers for the warm weather since I usually drive the other car in the nicer weather.

I did average 29 m.p.g. going from Maryland to upstate N.Y. and I was doing 65 m.p.h., this was last August

I averaged 31 m.p.g. coming home doing 55 m.p.h.

My car is rated for 17 city and 23 highway.

I do have to say that I drive this car very conservatively.

 

[Rick20]

Thats pretty impressive. Come on, were you drafting off a big rig? Seriously, the difference in wind drag sounds about right, 2 mpg.

 

[c3po]

When I was driving home at night I left N.Y. at midnite and I pretty much had the road to myself and I was doing 55 m.p.h.

There was no wind that night, I was at a steady 55 m.p.h.

Whereas when I was driving up there was more traffic and I was going 65 m.p.h.

Going home with hardly any cars on the road, I was probably sucking in cleaner air.

That evening I gassed up in upstate N.Y. and drove straight down to Maryland, and I gassed up in a town off of Route 70 in Maryland. I think that the mileage was so good because I did not stop at all on the way back to Maryland.

 

[txrhino]

Originally Posted By: c3po

There was no wind that night

I was probably sucking in cleaner air.



I think you misunderstood the wind drag comment, drafting a rig is following close enough so that your vehicle is caught in the pulling draft of the semi. Nascar drivers do this on the track.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: txrhino
Originally Posted By: c3po

There was no wind that night

I was probably sucking in cleaner air.



I think you misunderstood the wind drag comment, drafting a rig is following close enough so that your vehicle is caught in the pulling draft of the semi. Nascar drivers do this on the track.


I understand what you are saying. The other thought is that since this is a V-8 it does not rev that high, when I am doing 55 m.p.h. in overdrive the tachometer is at about 1700 rpm's.

Of course the car will rev higher if I am really hitting the gas peddle.

 

[Rick20]

Just think if the trans had one more gear and rpm's were only 1500 at 55 mph.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: Rick20
Just think if the trans had one more gear and rpm's were only 1500 at 55 mph.


This car has 3.55 rear gears, so maybe I would have to drop the gear ratio down too a 3.23 or 3.08 Gear Ratio.

 

[Rick20]

c3po, I was just giving you some #$%#. I am impressed with your results. Best off to leave vehicles as stock in most cases. I might be jealous of your mileage gains, my Silverado gains I was happy with, but do not match yours.

I thought of you the other day. I saw an '83 El Camino for sale in the Tampa Tribune. Sales price was around $3,750. Same 305 cu.motor.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: Rick20
c3po, I was just giving you some #$%#. I am impressed with your results. Best off to leave vehicles as stock in most cases. I might be jealous of your mileage gains, my Silverado gains I was happy with, but do not match yours.

I thought of you the other day. I saw an '83 El Camino for sale in the Tampa Tribune. Sales price was around $3,750. Same 305 cu.motor.


That is a good price for that El Camino.

Is your Silverado 4 -Wheel Drive.

Do not be jealous of my mileage gains, the other reason I am getting good mileage is that my wonderful county here is strapped for cash and the cops are writing tickets left and right.

I ran into a cop up at 7-Eleven and he told me that he has been watching me go by from his hiding spot, but that he no longer aims the radar gun at me.

 

[Rick20]

Yes my Silverado is 4 wheel.Although it does have the smaller 4.8 liter V-8. I really can't complain about mileage it does consistantly 16 mpg in average driving and 19 on the road running at 70 on the highway. Then again its a 4200 lb. tub with alot of air resistance.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: Rick20
Yes my Silverado is 4 wheel.Although it does have the smaller 4.8 liter V-8. I really can't complain about mileage it does consistantly 16 mpg in average driving and 19 on the road running at 70 on the highway. Then again its a 4200 lb. tub with alot of air resistance.


My friend has a 2003 GMC Sierra that has 4-wheel drive and he has the 5.3 liter V-8.

He is averaging between 16-17 m.p.g.

My Marauder weighs 4200 pounds, are sure about the weight of that Silverado. When I let the lift come down with the Marauder on it, the car comes down slow.

When my friends Sierra is on the lift, and we let the lift come down, it comes down fast.