Gas Mileage and LIFTING

I've got a story. I've lived with about 15-17MPG for the entire time I've owned the VX. It seemed to be on par with everyone else, so I didn't really complain. I'm not a minivan driver, I don't bring kids to soccer practice--when I bought her I was a kid that loved driving sportscars, and I couldn't care less on "practicality."

Then about 2 years ago it started stalling out in the summer. I never got around to fixing it because by the fall it stopped the low idle issues. THen last year I was deployed, so I didn't drive it for more than a year. When I came back, it's the middle of summer and here's me pumping the pedal just to get it to start when it's 100 degrees out. (true story: the humidity makes central Texas much worse than Iraq. And I'm someone who lived in pre-OIF I conditions: slept on my HMMWV, on top of a building under a camo net in the middle of Amarah, Iraq, or at best, in a tent where dust turned to mud on my sweat and temperature rose to 130 INSIDE.)

Anyway, I spent the last month and ahalf screwing around with fixing the stalling and low idle. It got worse and worse. Changed fuel filter. It got worse. Before, it would have a hard time re-starting after the VX was shut down after a few minutes and I came back to the car still slightly warmed up. Never had a prob starting for the first time in the morning. After the fuel filter change, it started stalling while driving. It probably got worse from the gunk in the system already--I changed the filter in a too little, too late moment. Idle started bouncing. Cleaned MAF. no change.

In the middle of this, I took her out mudding/crawling. This was earlier a few weeks, when it would only stall on re-starts. I got around it by using gas pedal on warmed up starts. That, or opening the fuel cap and releasing pressure. WOrked pretty much all the time. But the mudding made me want a lift. First time I went out with this group of guys, and as many of you know--they were all surprised to be impressed by the funny EYE-su-zoo. But ground clearance kept me back on two hills. So I raised the stock VX 3inches with new 32 tires.

Eventually, though, idle probs got worse and worse. Stalling more frequent, now even as I was driving.

I wanted to change FPR for years, but the year before I deployed, as I wrote earlier, it started cooling off in the fall and all my stall issues disappeared. That, and the stupid shield around the FPR pissed me off to no end. It would have no more of my knuckles and hex keys.

I finally changed FPR a few weeks ago when the stubborn bracket/shield thing apparently gave up on its own. The rear bolt facing the firewall just got loose on its own as I kept trying to twist the whole housing after removing the other bolt. I also Cleaned idle soldenoid. Idle still sucked. Better...but bouncy on first starts. Eventually, Cleaned out entire throttle body. MAF.

AND I DUMPED IN A CAN OF BG CF5. http://www.bgprod.com/products/fuelair.html Can't reccomend that stuff enough. Try thator BG 44K...it's NOT some fuel additive you find at autozone. Dealerships have them for thier fuel system services, they sell'em; you can find them on ebay, too. Also, Changed sparkplugs.

I also threw a can of Seafoam into the engine when I changed the oil. I threw in half can. Ran the engine for about 20 minutes, gunned the throttle a few times. I then changed the oil and threw in the other half with the new oil. I've read about seafoam in the fuel system, but I"ve used that in the past and never felt a discernible difference. LIke any other fuel addiitve if used in the tank,for me. The BG 44k though, noticeably improved idle in during that tank full. Seafoam in the engine gave me piece of mind in clearing out engine gunk. BG cleared out the fuel system gunk.

Idle probs gone. After all of that, I had a lifted VX with larger tires. I was expecting the gas mileage hit. The speedo was wrong, it took a while for me to get used to the body roll with the new springs. I was just happy that there was no stalling goin on anymore. I got 32 in tires installed and when getting an alignment after the lift/tire install, the shop noticed a wheel bearing leaking. THey fixed it.

It's been a couple weeks. I just measured the MPG by using the trip on a new GPS I just bought to compensate for now-inaccurate speedo and tripmeter.

After getting 15MPG for for the entire time I've owned my stock VX, I AM NOW GETTING 19.5 MILES PER GALLON AFTER A 3INCH LIFT AND 32INCH TIRES!!!!! I am happy, happy, happy. It took a while to get used to taking corners slower now...i come from a love of sportscars and the stock VX...and the OME 912s felt, well, sloppy, initially. I figured it was all tradeoff. I was expecting inaccurate guages, sloppy handling, and worse mileage for the sake of climibg over a couple rocks or getting past deepr mud pits. Initially, I kinda had regret on the tradeoff. But with the MPG, forget it. I love this truck.

Just sharing. :) I know, i know, TLDNR...just wanted to mention my mileage story. THis way, some hits will pop up in search regarding stalling, crappy idle, and BG products. Maybe someone can learn some things that I couldn't find in the searches myself. THis site, BTW, was great through it all--everything I did started here from advice on previous threads.

I can't believe that mileage IMPROVED. Man, i didn't know I could get mileage like that on a stock VX. MPG FTW!
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...m/kdk_0115.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...m/kdk_0116.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...m/kdk_0109.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...m/kdk_0110.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...m/kdk_0106.jpg

Good story dude, Glad it worked out :D.

Very nice set of wheel you got on it now.
For me i prefer the 912s than the stock springs alot better ride imo.

I see some nice sport cars in the last pic what are they ?

Yeah, they do ride much, much better over bumps. It was one of the reasons I changed them from stock. It was embarassing to take passengers in it with the stock springs...I kept apologizing for the ride which was not expected in a "SUV." The Porsche (Boxster S, pictured on left, Sprey. The other's a Lotus Elise) was actually a more comfortable ride. But part of me still misses riding something "special," which the stock VX was. It handled like a car in the corners, and now it's like any other truck in a lot of ways. Whatever, it just takes getting used to.

The thing is, I got frustrated trying to change the shocks to the rancho 9000s I ordered. I couldn't get the top bolt off on either side. Putting it all back together, I like the stock shocks, really, I don't know why I thought I should change them. The new springs softened the ride enough so that I'm not hurting on bumps anymore; I no longer see the need to get softer shocks. I'm thinking of selling the rancho set, or just keeping them for when the stock ones go bad much further down the road...