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Headers and gas milage !!

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Old May 25, 2006 | 01:18 PM
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Default Headers equals crappy gas milage !! WTF ??

Well I've had my Jet Hor long tubes on for a week already and it looks like my gas milage got worse !! Is the any particular reason ? Does the car need to be tuned with just a header install ?

What gives ?

Last edited by 2KSS; May 25, 2006 at 11:09 PM.
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Old May 25, 2006 | 01:29 PM
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Yes, your car needs to be tuned. It is running rich due the movement of 02 sensors.
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Old May 25, 2006 | 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Pesticide
Yes, your car needs to be tuned. It is running rich due the movement of 02 sensors.
Aw hell......

Now I'm going to have to hurry up and do my cam install... so I can only tune it once !
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Old May 25, 2006 | 03:50 PM
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a lot of it is also the foot factor. face it, the exhaust is louder and sounds better so you're gettin' on her more. it's unavoidable. she should also lean out after a few cycles. you'll see it improve a bit.
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Old May 25, 2006 | 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by ChocoTaco369
a lot of it is also the foot factor. face it, the exhaust is louder and sounds better so you're gettin' on her more. it's unavoidable. she should also lean out after a few cycles. you'll see it improve a bit.
So what's a few cycles ?? How long is it gonna take ?

BTW,,, funny ID name... "ChocoTaco"
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Old May 25, 2006 | 04:29 PM
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Took me a week to get over the foot factor, now the mileage is 21mpg (an improvement of 2 mpg)
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Old May 25, 2006 | 11:05 PM
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Yup, got my LTs on 2 days ago and now I can't keep my foot out of it.
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Old May 26, 2006 | 01:22 AM
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cant wait to do my headers
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Old May 26, 2006 | 06:35 AM
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Foot factor was a BIG one for me to get over. Especially cause mine isnt DD. So whenever I do drive it, Im all over it. The Saturn just cant fulfill that part of my needs.
Oh and if you used your stock O2 sensors, depending on what shape they are in, I have heard that they can actually foul out and go bad cause of how rich you could be running. A tune can avoid this. Dont know how much truth is in this, but I got mine tuned a week or so after the install. I gained 23 RWHP from the first pull to when we were done tuning it. So its worth it.

Last edited by Beasst8; May 26, 2006 at 06:40 AM.
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Old May 26, 2006 | 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by 2KSS
So what's a few cycles ?? How long is it gonna take ?

BTW,,, funny ID name... "ChocoTaco"
yea i'm a funny guy. it's been my screen name since i as in 7th grade (7 years ago) and i've STILL never had a chocotaco. one day...

anyways, the stock programming CAN handle headers, just not as well as a custom tune. like i said, the stock programming CAN handle it but it has to adjust itself. the second you add headers it doesn't know what the hell is going on. you have to go through a couple driving cycles before the computer can adapt to the headers. here's how to do a driving cycle:

http://www.obdii.com/drivecycle.html

you may wanna do a few of these. it's like a body detox to us.

note: i'd find a niiiiice empty road to do this or you're gonna be pissing some people off
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Old May 26, 2006 | 08:14 AM
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Just read my sig, these LS1's are awesome for gas mileage as long as you keep your foot out of it. The second I get on it, I watch my mileage go to ****. Although I am using the Underdrive pully and Meziere electric water pump. Those help more for fuel economy then anything. Good luck, get er' tuned and you'll be good to go.
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Old May 26, 2006 | 01:04 PM
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I actually had an increase of 2 mpg when I had my qtp's and ory installed.
I was impressed not that I was concerned about gas mileage. It's never been
tuned either. When I got my 12bolt with 3.73's though it went right back down
2 mpg lol go figure.
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Old May 26, 2006 | 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by ChocoTaco369
yea i'm a funny guy. it's been my screen name since i as in 7th grade (7 years ago) and i've STILL never had a chocotaco. one day...

anyways, the stock programming CAN handle headers, just not as well as a custom tune. like i said, the stock programming CAN handle it but it has to adjust itself. the second you add headers it doesn't know what the hell is going on. you have to go through a couple driving cycles before the computer can adapt to the headers. here's how to do a driving cycle:

http://www.obdii.com/drivecycle.html

you may wanna do a few of these. it's like a body detox to us.

note: i'd find a niiiiice empty road to do this or you're gonna be pissing some people off
Looks like I'll be performing some "crazy" driving procedures this weekend !!

Last edited by 2KSS; May 27, 2006 at 10:41 AM.
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Old May 26, 2006 | 04:05 PM
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The headers will get a bit of different mileage at first because the PCm has to learn the fuel trims again to compensate for the power changes. Give it about an hour of driving and the trims should learn themselves again.
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Old May 27, 2006 | 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by brad8266
The headers will get a bit of different mileage at first because the PCm has to learn the fuel trims again to compensate for the power changes. Give it about an hour of driving and the trims should learn themselves again.
So what your saying is, gas up and go take a 1 hour cruise ?

Time to hit the curves and turns in the hill country !!
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Old May 28, 2006 | 12:04 AM
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You should pretty much be in the clear after a week of driving at the most. This should give the PCM enough time to recalabrate and your fuel trim should go back to around normal...
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Old May 28, 2006 | 12:57 AM
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Originally Posted by 2KSS

Time to hit the curves and turns in the hill country !!
Man, do I miss that....I need to get down to Kerrville, Fredricksburg, and Mountain home...............
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Old May 28, 2006 | 02:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Scotty-Z
Yup, got my LTs on 2 days ago and now I can't keep my foot out of it.
...3 years ago and my foot is still in it!
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Old May 28, 2006 | 03:48 AM
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Yep, I also got a 2 mpg improvement in mileage after the installation of my pacesetter LT's and no cats. See, they pay for themselves!!!
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Old May 28, 2006 | 09:04 AM
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just do the driving cycles i sent you. do them a couple times. cruising is not enough. the computer needs to know how to do full throttle, half throttle, light cruise, deceleration, long cruise, etc.

that's why it tell you to cruise for at least 3 miles at 55, then COAST to 20, accelerate 3/4 throttle to 55...it needs to learn how to do all this stuff again and adjust itself. it's like a little kid learning to walk all over again.
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