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"WCJ" <nospam@bogus.fake.com> wrote in message
news:bgTRg.1212$Y24.1192@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
>I have a 2001 RAV4 (I'm the original owner) that currently has 25,000 miles
>on it. It's a 5-speed stick, 4x4, L-series. I have all the normal
>maintenance stuff done on time, the gas I use is the octane recommended in
>the owner's manual, and--if I may say so myself--I'm an excellent driver.
>I'm happy with the mileage it's getting, but I'd like to improve it anyway.
>I'd appreciate tips on things I can do, or have done, to make it even more
>fuel-efficient. Kindly keep in mind that I am not mechanically-inclined
>and therefore don't know what might be added/changed to accomplish this.[/color]

I'm generally unimpressed by any mechanical doo-dad you can bolt on to
improve mileage. The most outlandish claims such as magnets on the fuel
line to align the gas molecules (rolls eyes) are snake oil. Those that
might actually work - special air intakes etc. - do so only incrementally,
cost a lot, and any gains are modest enough to be negated by sloppy driving
habits.

You're already doing part of what you should be doing with the regular
maintenance. Keep your tires inflated correctly. Don't haul around any
more weight than you have to - keep the golf clubs at home. Look in your
manual for the shift points - speeds at which upshifting is recommended.
Accelerate gently. Anticipate traffic and signals so that you don't have to
change speed abruptly. Plan routes that eliminate stop and go driving.
Don't speed, particularly on the highway where wind resistance is highest.
If you have anything that sticks up into the air stream like a bicycle roof
rack that you don't use very often, consider removing it.
--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX