# Gas mileage estimates



## Guest (Feb 20, 2003)

I know the 6cylinder 4x4 frontier doesn't get great gas mileage, but it seems to be way less than the estimate that my window sticker had. It says 16/19.. I seriously get on average more like 13/16. I change my oil and air filter often, and I don't drive with too much of a lead foot. Anyone had any improvement over this by adding a k/n filter, computer mods or maybe headers? I ran a pace setter header with a flowmaster two chamber on my 4cyl 2wd, and I seriously got 26-28 miles to the gallon. I realize I'm not gonna get great mileage with this truck, but any improvement would be nice considering the current prices of fuel.


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## PiMpPaThFinDeR02 (Feb 3, 2003)

i pretty much have the same problem, my car is suppose to be 16/20 or something like that but it seems more like 12 mpg. My homies father makes a product called the Tornado, and you put it in your intake, then it boosts your mpg up, and there is some hp gain. i have been meaning to buy one but i am broke. it estimates around 70 dollars, but my friend whos father owns it has one on his car and he says he gets about 4 to 10 more miles to the gallon, but that might be a bias answer.


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## currykid3 (Jan 10, 2003)

Nissans always get crappy milage.


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## JoanJetta (Dec 11, 2002)

with such reported gains from using K&N filters, slick 50, the tornado, etc., I have oftened wondered why these were never made OE.


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## jadcock (Nov 22, 2002)

It's because they're all snake oils -- products that are all talk and no action. The tornado is one of them. You actually put something into your airstream -- it's a restriction -- and it's supposed to boost power and mileage? Gimme a break. There's a sucker born every day and these people sure do know how to market to them.

Save your 70 bucks and REMOVE restriction to/from your engine -- put on a performance muffler or exhaust system.


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## PiMpPaThFinDeR02 (Feb 3, 2003)

hey jadcock, you need actually try the tornado before you try it homie, and if it really doesnt work then why is the LA county police department equiped with the tornado?


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## jadcock (Nov 22, 2002)

Got me -- cuz they got money to burn? I'm smarter than to throw money at products that don't do anything. Listening to the guy who makes it obviously gives you a biased opinion. There's LOTS more real-world advice against snake oils like the Tornado.

Prove to yourself that the Tornado doesn't work. Put a vacuum gauge on your intake tube, between the throttle body and the air filter. Mount the gauge so you can see it while you drive and check it out. Most likely, you'll have very little vacuum, even at WOT, meaning there's no restriction in your intake tube. This is why K&N filters sometimes don't give much of an improvement on some vehicles -- there's no restriction to begin with, so there's nothing to improve. Do the research yourself and prove it to yourself -- you got nothing to lose (but 70 bucks with the Tornado).


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## jadcock (Nov 22, 2002)

Look, the Tornado is bunk:

http://www.salemboysauto.com/tornado.htm


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## Ag Bullet (May 16, 2002)

Other things you can check to make if you are getting below average miles to gallon:

Fuel Filter
Spark plugs
Tire Pressure
Injectors

One other thing is that with the colder air, you are probably running richer than usual. I have also heard in areas where that winter gas (oxygenated?) is used that people see a drop in mileage too. 

You are lucky I have a 2001 SC CC with 32's and I see about 12 in the city and maybe 18 on the highway if I am lucky. Then again, I drive it like I stole it. 16 seems really low on the highway to me...

Good Luck and let us know if you try something that works!


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## JoanJetta (Dec 11, 2002)

I would expect LA county police was paid by the company to have their vehicle use the tornado as a propaganda slunt. Then is information would be used in their commercials to boost sales and add pseudo-credibility for the potential buyer. With our country's tremendous issues related to oil dependency, SVU hysteria, and increased polution, I still would expect these items that porport magnificant claims be an OE item coming from the factory. The ole maxum still rings true "If it's too good to be true, it probably ain't".


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## Tolleyy (Dec 13, 2002)

jadcock said:


> *It's because they're all snake oils -- products that are all talk and no action. The tornado is one of them. You actually put something into your airstream -- it's a restriction -- and it's supposed to boost power and mileage? Gimme a break. There's a sucker born every day and these people sure do know how to market to them.
> 
> Save your 70 bucks and REMOVE restriction to/from your engine -- put on a performance muffler or exhaust system. *



Amen brother!!

A few Nissans guys on other BB's have tried them and say it didn't do crap for them. except one guy that I don't trust because most of his posts are BS.

Just my 2 cents.


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## dslwizard (Jan 25, 2005)

*milage on my 2000 V6 crew cab*

There is a couple of undenilable points in my opinion. First, my 2000 if it like other is geared low. @ 67 miles per hour, my tach is at 2500 RPM. It needs one more gear! Also, to some extent displacement is going to consume a certain amount fuel. Now I have 255x70x16 tires on mine now. I commute 65 miles or so one way to work and back. As long as I generally keep my foot out of it, it has always been about 19.3 to 20 miles per gallon of gas. I wish it was better. 

I once tried to compare if there is some torque to weight ratio or Horsepower to weight ratio measure to help me understand it. All I got was about 20 lbs per horsepower but it never got me anywhere. 

sorry to be so long winded. 

mike


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## Fulltilt1 (May 14, 2004)

Tornados do work on some cars. If they have central point fuel injection it can help mix the fuel with the incoming air. Frontiers don't have central point fuel injection so your just stirring air, and you get no effect.


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## AZdriver (Sep 8, 2005)

*Gas Mileage*

I've only got about 250 miles on my 05 King cab, 4.0 liter/6 speed manual & after a couple of top-offs at the pump, I've calculated an average of 16.7 MPG on my drives across town to work. It should get a little better after it;s all broken in.

I'll be going to visit the folks in Tucson this weekend, & will track the highway mileage.

I'd like to see the link to the Tornado/LAPD information ... they look like something you could put together for a few pennies-worth of sheetmetal & a tack welder.


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## Reverendbiker (Jan 29, 2005)

AZdriver said:


> I'd like to see the link to the Tornado/LAPD information ... they look like something you could put together for a few pennies-worth of sheetmetal & a tack welder.


This Tornado scam has been around for a number of years now, and has been totally debunked by a number of objective reports. Here's one:
Test of Tornado Gadget 

Automobile manufacturers have been knocking themselves out trying to improve fuel efficiency of their fleets and have been using any means possible; some are even going to ultra-lightweight engine oil (5w-20 is now recommended in many engines) to do so. Believe me, if they knew that using "a few pennies-worth of sheet metal and a tack welder" would gain them anything at all they'd have done it.


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## 05 NISMO 4X4 (Jun 4, 2005)

Consumer Reports also had an article in a recent issue stating the Tornado, and a few other of these gimmicks were just that, gimmicks. They suggested saving your money...

Interesting link, Rev. Also looked at another link from that page about the Sonic Sparkplugs! He saw an increase of .8 mpg with those, and they only cost $4.95 a piece! Considering the best mpg increase he quoted for the Tornado was only .2 mpg, the Sonic Plugs give a 200% improvement over the Tornado for less than half the cost (based on 6 plugs)! How's that for a marketing spin! Personally, I don't think either is worth the investment in time of money for the results you gain! Just my $0.02...


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## mainerunr (Jul 30, 2005)

I've got an 05 CC 6-spd with a little over 3000 miles on it and I'm averaging 19.88mpg since I bought the truck (it had 180 miles on it since they had to drive it from another dealer).

Last weekend I drove about 700 miles and averaged 20.8mpg for the trip. The only tank I've gotten less than 19 is when my wife had the truck for a week and I only got 17.8.

the 6-spd is nice my 97 5-spd was geared so low it was turning 3400 rpm at 75mph.

One other thing to remember about window sticker gas milage...the EPA tests do not reflect real world driving. Highway tests are done based on a 55mph speed limit and have an average speed of like 48mph (I think thats what I read). Over 75% of the people out there get lower milage than the sticker says...it's not just Nissans.


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## John Bennett (Sep 10, 2005)

> _I've only got about 250 miles on my 05 King cab, 4.0 liter/6 speed manual & after a couple of top-offs at the pump, I've calculated an average of 16.7 MPG _

Your fuel economy will improve somewhat as your engine breaks in.


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## bestblinds (Dec 28, 2004)

*03 crew cab 4x4 long bed gas milage*

What about syntecic oils in transfer case and 2 speed rear.K&N filter did very little on last frontier. I am getting about 19/20 on highway. With the original plugs/ignition system/wires and probabily fuel filter. I just traded my 02 2wd for this truck .It has 61000 on it. This is my 4th nissan pickup and the most comfortable to drive so far. Any trans oil suggestions?


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## bethesdasprings (Sep 13, 2005)

*Yesterday*

I filled up yesterday. I ran 250 miles on a tank, which is the most I've ever stretched it. I got 13.5mpg. Mine is a SC 4x4 5spd manual.


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## Adam (Apr 30, 2002)

The tornado is absolute bullshit, don't buy into any claims made by that piece of garbage.
2nd, I've had the truck since March and kept track of fuel using gasbuddy.com's fuel logbook:
Total Quantity Purchased (Gallons) TotalCost ($) Average Price ($/G) Average Fuel Economy (MPG) Total # Fill-ups 
431.187..........................................$1,043.34..........2.433...............................15.27.......................................31


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## tmendeol (Oct 4, 2005)

I just bought my '05 Frontier XE Kingcab last Wednesday and have yet to drain the tank. I'm at 218 miles and the fuel guage reads at exactly half a tank...and that's the main reason I went for the 4-banger. I love this truck!

-Tim


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