I looked at prior threads and while the question was asked, I didn't really get a good enough sense whether to go the $200+ for a CAI or save my money...

If you've put a Volant or K & N CAI in your H3, did it give you at least a couple of more MPG? Please let me know which you installed. I know there are other brands, but these two look very easy to install and fairly cheap. If you can give me a before and after MPG, that would be very helpful.

FYI, I have a 2008 Base with 78k miles and 315/75/16 very aggressive tread tires. My mileage is 12 - 13 mpg... If I can get to 15, I would be okay with that.

Thanks for helping a newb

 

When the H3 left the factory, you can get 14mpg city driving and 18mpg highway.

I just looked that up.

Where did they test it to get those numbers?

I didn't buy my rig for fuel economy, I just fill it up, when the gauge falls to 1/2.

If you are concerned with fuel economy, you shouldn't be driving a Hummer!

Maybe, you should get one of those rat dancing machines?

 

Screw that! If I can get another few mpg out of it with an easy mod, I'm going to try it. No shame in that... I already drive a class a diesel motorhome that gets 8 mpg and a boat that burns 30 gals. an hour doing 20 knots. I asked for help, not a smart *** telling me what I should drive...

 

 

You are not going to get a couple MPG with just an intake.

K&N is NOT a cold air intake. It is an "open system" which draws underhood heated air so really it is a warm air intake. You do get a vroomier sound if that's what you are looking for. Open flow is offset by temp increase in the inlet charge.

Volant comes close, but they fubar their own effort with open hole at the bottom. Pretty box, almost a "closed system". Volant no longer make intakes for the H3 so your buying off what is left in the market.

Closed systems are what you want in an truck. The filter is enclosed in its own box protected from dirt, mud, water, snow and ice.

After a couple hundred thousand research miles, I can assure you an intake can improve mpg in a small, but measurable amount. The I5s respond surprisingly well to an intake, but you're looking at maybe a 1/2 MPG improvement. What I tell customers is, if you are now getting say 14-14.5 MPG, you can round that up to about 15, but only if you continue to drive normally.

What happens is, most peeps buy and install an intake, then the transform into Big Daddy Don Garlits and mash the skinny pedal trying to feel that performance bump every chance they get for a while until the novelty wears off. After that (some people take longer than others to chill out) , they can see a small but measurable increase in MPG.

You can get more than a couple with an intake, PP TB, PCM Tune, Efan and Cat back exhaust. I run 33" MTZs with all the performance mods and off road mods that add a bunch of weight, and get 17+ around town, 19 on the highway. IMHO 35s are too much for the I5s, they look cool and all, but 7/16" added ground clearance is not worth the final gear ratio hit to driveability.

 

I looked at k-n and see a few hp at 4000 rpm where you don't drive,ever.
I don't see a k-n mpg claim but 2 would be great huh?


fun with numbers: round numbers
$200 buys 50 gal. if you got 20 mpg that is like 1 extra gal per fillup for 50 fillups.


at 20 gal per fillup that's an extra 2 mpg, what you want.
50 x 400 miles is 20000 miles. so if you spread out the 200 bucks for 20000 miles you get 2mpg by doing nothing but pulling 4 bucks out of your hiding place at each gas stop! and no threat to warranty.
do it 5 times =100000


do the math for your car.

 

Thanks Doc and Happy for the replies... I read in another thread (in here) that a member said he went from 15.5 to 19-20 MPG with tires similar to mine... That sounded too good to be true, but figured it was worth asking about... Actually, I would be happy with the mileage he started out with and extatic @ 4!

This is not a daily driver for me... More of a toy... So mileage is not a critical factor... But IMO, why give the oil companies any more than we have to... Not much I can do about the motorhome or boat...

 

Yes, you can easily get more mpg's: install the original size tires & raise the psi a few lbs, drive it like a granny, stay off streets with heavy traffic, avoid streets with excessive stop signs and stop lights, don't warm up your vehicle when it's extremely cold outside, don't carry a load, etc... I currently get around 8-10 mpg's, because it has been extremely cold(10-15min warm up), I mostly drive city streets to and from work, with lots of traffic, stop signs, and stop lights, I carry a load, and I drive with a heavy foot. GL with your mods.

 

Did you recalculate your MPGs according to the difference in diameter or revolutions per mile from the old tire size to the new tire size?

If not, then your mileage calculations will be incorrect to start with.

 

I have the volant power core cai and I can say I added bigger tires.. lost about 3 mpg, and the cai got maybe half that back.

A cold air intake will definitely not hurt gas mileage.