I have a 97 Cavalier 2.2L auto. Are there any tuners to help me get better gas mileage? I dont care about power, its my daily driver....

thanks

HP Tuners


C:\Users\Phillip\Pictures

X2 - but try a tune up too - new O2 sensor, air filter, plugs, wires, maybe even coil packs. Be sure you have you plugs gapped correctly - it can really make a difference - if they are over gapped it could hurt your mileage.

OK how much is this HP Tuner? Does anyone in the PGH area have one i could use?

generally someone who shares a licence fee will be about $100 or more for the credits, unless someone has that entire year(of yours) unlocked, then they may just charge you for the tune time.

I'm not an expert hpt user, but I would be careful about trying to gain much fuel effieciency from tuning alone because that generally means changes to timing which if done incorrectly could lead to spark knock. I really recommend starting with the things I mentioned earlier - general maintenance can really help in some cases - also the way you drive can have a huge influence as well as how much weight you're hauling around in the vehicle (or trunk.)

yea i dont really wanna mess with it too much, just a few more mpgs for the DD would be nice haha
i usually drive pretty calmly i guess haha
and i have no weight in the trunk at all

im gonna do my oil, filter, air filter, plugs and wires all at the same time sooner or later

How hard/easy is it to change coil packs and O2 sensors? thanks

Coil packs are a piece of cake - just 4 bolts and they slide straight away from the mount - I think it's like 6mm or smaller (quite small). Don't remove the large bolts (10mm or larger) because thats for the whole mount to the head on a 2.2L.

Also the back of the ignition mount has a thermal paste or grease on it to transfer heat but you shouldn't be getting into that part - (its the part the coil packs push onto).

If you want to change your 02, just change the front or upstream 02 sensor - it's the least expensive and has more to do with your fuel economy than the rear Heated 02 sensor that monitors your catalytic converter. You will likely need a o2 sensor socket because it has slot cut into it to allow the wire to pass through - they are not expensive. Be sure to use some anti-seize grease on the threads of the new sensor - make for more easy removal the next time.

how much do the coil packs usually cost? i saw only one set on google shopping and they were 159 bucks

You can by accell from Napa, Autozone etc etc

Stock type $25 each.

Accell others about $80 a set.

Usually coil packs last quite a long time so depending on your mileage you could skip it. If you have near over 70k miles or more I suggest replacing...

I think you will get the most noticable performance out of set of wires and plugs correctly gapped - the car will run more smoothly. Usually tangible benefits of coil packs are not realized unless they are problematic.

The upstream 02 sensor can be a benefit if you have ring wear and it's coked up with oil or other deposits, but that's such a hot area they usually last - I had well over a 100k~150k miles on mine it worked fine. I did however have to replace coil packs (once) and plugs and wires several times for optimal performance.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:18 PM

OK tomorrow im gonna do this:

Oil/filter change
Air filter
Plugs/wires (possibly coil pack b/c i have 96000mi on the car)
possibly o2 sensor
motor mounts and tranny mounts