2002 Xterra..i need more power and better gas mileage

Hey Guys,
I need to find out how I can get better gas mileage out of my 2002 Xterra, and more horsepower. I have heard about the Turbonator or something like that you can buy online or at a parts store. But is there anything I can do to increase gas mileage. I am about to take a trip to Missouri for the holidays. I wouldlike to find a rather inexpensive solution to my problem. Thanks

read around the forum...there are TONS of posts on this. Nothing realy helps with the xterras gas milage. An intake and exhaust is your best bet, along with driving light.

Don't go.

Seriously, the first gen X can only improve HP with an intake/exhaust combo, but then again "proven" gains are minimal <5hp~maybe . As far as gas mileage make sure tires are properly inflated, keep rpm's below 2500 (drive like an old lady), take off any roof baskets/fairing(some say it improves gas milage). The Xterra by nature is a gas hog, and an underpowered, 00-04 that is

Bigger tires and lifts also kill gas mileage But damn it looks good.

:rolleyes:

Forget the BS available like the Turbonator, Tornado, et al.

(None of them actually work)

Increase your air pressure to 10 psi over the placard's recommendation, or the tire's limit if a limiting factor (Filling when cold, not after driving more than a mile...)

Make sure your plugs, etc... have less than 60K on them.

Make sure your air filter is clean.

Make sure your wheels are aligned.

Swap in synthetic lubes for ALL lube options.

Carry as little wieght as possible.

Don't pile stuff on the roof.

Drive the load, not the speedometer...let it slow on the uphills, and catch back up on the down hills....the cruise control will cost you gas in hilly terrain.

You can install a freer flowing intake/exhaust...do the math though, the gas might be cheaper...they tend to improve you 5-15 hp though....and make you vulnerable to sucking in water on crossings, etc.



Don't drive like you're in a race....anticipate traffic flow, and go with the flow, trying to avoid speeding up with gas/slowing down with brakes.

Over 55 mph, wind resistance starts to add up quickly, despite the obvious aereodynamic bullet like shape of our trucks...so, you lose proportionally more and more fuel economy as you go more and more over 55 mph...like at 70 mph, you lost about 20-25% of your 55 mph mpg.

In short, say hi to the guys at the gas station!



PS - I am running 3" SL + 2" BL on 33's...and am averaging 20 mpg.

So - a lift and big tires are not as much of a killer as thought....as a matter of fact, my 33's drop my OEM 4.60 gearing to an effective 4.0...and give me a deeper overdrive/relaxed rpm at cruise....which helps to compensate for the added rubber's resistance.

Don't get to down on your rig's power. Remember although your truck is a 2002, you are dealing with 1998-1999 technology. 170 horsepower was the norm, a Ford Explorer in 1998 was rated at 160hp and a Mustang GT was only 215. The 260's/270 horse midsized SUV jobs have only came about in the last 18 months or so. This is one of the added bonus of purchasing a new $25,000 plus product.
If horsepower was a concern maybe you should have opt for the S/C model with an extra 40 horses.
I understand that this is not what you would like to hear but these are the facts. The $80 and $90 bolt-on toys are not going to provide the desired outcome that you are looking for.

DRAFT BABY....DRAFT, I took a trip up to Massachusetts following my father in law and family and "DRAFTED" him all the way at 75-80 mph and got 320 miles until I had to refill. I got all the way to my destination and filled it the next day. So I guess "DRAFTING" the "BRICK" actually worked. Also all the other tips from other members do help, (over inflate by 10 psi,don't use the cruise control etc...)Have fun but make sure u find a willing partner to "draft"behind, some people get pissed!

If you are going to draft a willing partner, and you want the best possible gas savings...

Take it one step further, ans long as you are planted on the other guys ass anyway, just have them tow you.

How close one should be following a willing partner to be drafted? :-)

TJ....too funny, I had thought about being towed but I heard that hurts the gas mileage on the Explorers...LOL...Anyway I kept about 2-3 car lengths behind.

http://www.tonemonday.com/images/nissan_sc/nissan_sc.htm

Intake, throttle body, cam, headers, high flow cat, exhaust system, fuel pressure regulator, injectors, and of course forced induction.

OK - the REAL solution.

Given: The X gets MUCH better MPG at 50 mph or below, (despite its bullet like aerodynamics...) ...as speed builds, so does the engine power required to overcome wind resistance.

So, to get better mpg...LEAVE EARLIER....Drive Slower.

What kind of driving do you do?

In my experience, the X is hopeless in town.

If you do lots of highway driving, clean air filter, good alignment, high tire psi (40+) and drafting behind another truck will all help. If your really desperate, you can remove the roof rack and drive a "naked X".

The SOHC VG33 is a workhorse, but not typically a high performance motor.

The best solution if power is a concern is to trade it in for an '05/'06 model.

Bah, I drive 60 mph on the highway and I drive in the city as well. I have the same mileage either way I go. I still get about 14 mpg in the winter. I drive like an old lady, as a matter of fact old ladies have flashed me... i mean... flipped me off because I was going too slow.

Another option if you have a problem with the gas mileage that your X gets, can be had if you have a hitch on the back is to mount a rack to haul one of these

If your going to be a whiny biatch about the mileage pink is definitely your color.



Rob

Feh, I hear you, mine is lucky to get over 230 on a tank, and I drive 45 miles to work on an interstate and 45 miles home at 65MPH. I tried taking a parrallel highway that is 55MPH and didn't really see any difference. I switched to Syn. Oil about 2 months ago, tire pressure is up around 35, I will try 40psi and see what happens. Its just when the pressure is that high, it becomes a rather bumpy ride. It's still fun to drive

It's just a brick with an engine that
is fun to drive.It's all in the design.

You MIGHT be able to get a bit better mileage by driving without the spare tire/wheel. That thing weighs a ton (at least it does on my 05 X), so driving without all that extra weight in the rear end could improve your fuel economy. That is, if you dont mind the risk of not having a spare on hand.

It might also improve your speed/acceleration since the truck will have a bit less weight dragging it down in the rear.

Every bit helps!

first off, welcome to XOC

next, running without a spare, i def would not recommend it, and i doubt it would do ANYTHING to your MPG or acceleration for that matter, a person weighs alot more than a tire, and i highly doubt your gonna notice an acceleration loss and mpg loss when someone is in the passenger seat, so theres no way i could see in loosing your spare would help, i think my spare weighs around 30-40lbs (ballpark guess) thats hardly anything when added to the weight of the truck and everything in it

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome. I've been lurking for a while before deciding to post.

You may be right about the mileage factor, but I think the spare tire weighs a lot more than 30-40 lbs. My trailer hitch receiver is 30lbs, and I have no problem lifting it for a long period of time.

But with the spare tire, I cant carry it more than 10 ft without having to put it down because its so heavy. Of course, you usually want to roll it, but I had to carry across my living room without getting the carpet dirty. My spare tire/wheel is probably closer to 100lbs.

Also, I know that people with lifted trucks/oversize tires often drive without a spare tire, simply becuase they have no room for an aftermarket spare, so its not a huge deal for people like me to drive around without one.

If I ever get a flat, I could simply call a friend or family member to come get me, go fetch my spare, drive back to the X and put it on. Of course, you might want to put the spare back on when driving your X on a long trip. But most the time, I prefer to leave it at home.

ive discovered that most of it is due driving style. If i drive my X like i drive my Porsh, then im getting about 12 or 13. If i drive it like the truck that it is, im around 16 or 17. Once you get above 65 or 70 mph on the highway, you lose mileage extremely quickly. Ive havent experienced it myself but my friend has: lights on the top KILL highway mileage, i mean absolutely destroy it above 65

j\w but do you have an 05X with a stock spare? isn't that a 265/75/16? if it is, thats the same size tire i'm running, i couldnt imagine yours weighing 100lbs if its the stock size, i dont even think a 33" tire would weigh that much, but even if it does, IMO it's still not enough to effect your power\mpg (especially if its an 05 with 265ponies)

i could see it effecting your MPG if it was strapped to the roof, because that will def effect your milage due to drag, and cause alot of noise too, but i dont see it as being enough to decrease your milage and power, it still weighs less than a person, and i wouldn't wanna drive without a spare, onroad is just too risky, because you never know if or when it could happen, and i would NEVER run without a spare offroad, because thats just asking for trouble (plus offroad you're in 4wd all the time, so milage is already bad enough)

i wouldnt want to have a flat in the city and have to call someone to go home and get my spare, or get stranded on the side of the highway at night because i wanted to try and save some mpg (which i doubt it effects at all) but thats just my .02

Wonder is there any truth to this -- says you can get ~6% better power and mpg with a K&N air filter.

http://mynissanparts.com/ps-708-18-kn-air-filter.aspx

I've gained 3MPG on my 1995 Jeep YJ and a little bit of low-end torque. I did not see an increase in MPG on my 1997 Civic, but I did also see the increase in low-end torque. On the 2002 Xterra, I only saw like a 1MPG increase, but that was only one test and variables other than the filter could have contributed to the difference.

Wow, that's a big mileage gain on your Jeep. I've been reading some good things about this K&N air filter, so will probably get one for my 05 X in the near future. Hope to see some similar results with the 4liter V6. I would be happy with improvement of 1-3mpg, and a horsepower boost to boot!

Anyone else have experience with it?

Interesting. I wouldn't think anybody would be averaging 20 MPG. Are you actually calculating it or is this the "let's see, I drove about 300 miles and it took around fifteen gallons so I'm getting 20 MPG" method? No offense intended, that just seems very high for the X.

With that said, I used to have a 2000 and it consistently got higher mileage than I've gotten with my '02, which is essentially identical. Must be the round headlights.

I think 20mpg+ is possible, if my calculations are correct.

My estimate is based on a stock 05 X with 6-speed manual tranny, 4x2, driving in Southern California winter weather (where its still relatively warm ), mix of city/highway miles, but mostly city.

Simple method I use to calculate mpg:

1) fill up the tank
2) set the trip odometer to zero
3) the mileage gauge is divided by 4 sections by the tick marks, each section equal to 5.25 gallons of fuel. (21 gallon tank/4 = 5 gallons gas per section).

4) Note the trip odometer reading when the needle reaches the 3/4 full tick mark, then divide that reading by 5 (or 5.25 if you want to be more precise) to get your mpg.

In my case, the trip odometer read 110 miles when the needle on the fuel gauge rested squarely on the 3/4 mark.

Dividing 110 by 5.25, gives me close to 21 mpg.

If this result holds up for the remaining 3 sections of the fuel gauge, I will be a happy camper.

So how far can you drive while the needle is still on the full mark? ahhhhh..... now thats good gas mileage there.

That's a guesstimate - and, methinks, wishful thinking. The best way to get your actual mileage is to fill the truck, then note the exact miles driven at your next fillup along with the exact gallonage needed to fill up again. Divide the miles driven by the amount needed to fill up and that's your actual mileage. It's likely to be less.

Every notice that the top half of the fuel gauge goes down slower than the bottom half. The 4 marks on your gauge are not incriments of of how many gallons you have left. It's how full the tank is and all tanks are shaped differently. You burn through the top half of the tank slower than the nottom half.
As far as a K&N filter. I have one on my Talon, made no difference, I have one on my CBR...no differnece. Get a K&N for the re-usability and cost savings in the long run, not if you expect any performance increases.

I've read all the posts, and have to offer my thoughts. My 2004 Xterra consistently gets 16-18 mpg with no modifications. I live in a rural area and drive local roads at 55mph and the interstate at 65mph. The only time my mpg drops is when I drive in 4wd due to snow and/or ice. I usually use Shell gasoline, kkeep the tires at 32psi, and stay off the gas pedal unless it is necessary. The engine is a workhorse, not a jet engine. Just my .02...........

Its hard to get an accurate reading of average mpg on even one tank, as there are so many variables...but if your habits are very consistant, you can at least get a guesstimate.



The BEST way to get real average mpg...which accounts for the differences in top off, etc...is to pick a long term mileage goal, or a ten fill-up cycle, etc...

Ten fill-ups is the easiest to track.

Filler up, note the start mileage, say 30,000. (This is not fill up #1, this is zero/starting point)

At each fill up, note the new mileage, and how many gallons you took.

When you are done with fill-up #10, add up all the mileage (Difference between the zero/start mileage and the end mileage on the #10 fill-up)

Then, add up alll the gallons pumped into the truck in fill-ups #1-10.

Divide the total miles by the total gallons...and that's a good estimate of your mpg.



Also - Huge issue....if you've upgraded to larger diameter tire...you've probably been speeding, as the speedometer told you you were going 60 when you might have been going 70, etc (My speedo for example...)....which KILLS your real mpg.

AND

Your odometer will be off by the same proportion, so your odometer might say you only went 3,000 miles, but you might have ACTUALLY driven more like 3,510 miles (My odometer...)....which KILLS your APPARENT mpg.

I know a guy with a 2001 V6 manual, it's a 4x2 and on the highway he gets around 22 MPG. In the city 18-19 MPG consistent. He drives like an old man.

My 2001 V6 Auto 4X4 gets around 14 MPG with 32X11.50 tires at 59 Lbs. each I weighed one because it is on the roof. I also tow a 20 foot travel trailer that weighs 5200 lbs. loaded and the Xterra does 65 MPH tops with a K&N Filter and a Magnaflow Stainless muffler. MPG with trailer 11. Not bad for the size of the trailer. I had a custom 10,000 lb. hitch installed with 1,000 lb. tounge weight and the Xterra handles it fine. The VG33 engine is a workhorse not a race engine.