I would not use any 0w oils unless it is recommended by the manufacturer. Regardless of what the bottle says regarding warranties, it will void your warranty if the oil weight caused the problem. Continue using 5W30 as recommended.
You can maintain your fuel economy by adding a fuel injector cleaner to your full tank of gasoline everytime you change the oil. Using a K&N Filter, will increase efficieny and horsepower, and even installing many other performance parts will do the same. Performance headers will greatly reduce resistance of exhaust, allowing the engine to breathe out more efficiently. A cold-air intake has more surface area on the cone shaped air filter than your stock, and due to its location furthest from the engine, the air your engine breathes is colder (more dense), so you get more air at the same time, whch allows the fuel to burn slower. Although a lot of people disagree with using a higher-than-recommended octane fuel, my car (1992 Nissan Sentra) gets 44 mpg highway with the A/C running while using 93 Octane (As opposed to 38mpg with 87 octane). With regular unleaded gasoline I get 9.5 miles per dollar, whereas with premium, i get 10.476 miles per dollar.
Although some of my suggestions may require a bit of money, it may be worth it if you wanted the performance gains. Explore your options and find what is best for you. Again, don't change your oil weight... 5w30 will work year-round. Avoid excessive acceleration. A/C affects your highway mpg the same as rolling down the windows, so stay comfortable, but on short trips, roll them down to save your precious city mpg.
Be sure to keep up with maintenance. Clean your entire fuel system every 36,000mi. Change your air filter whenever its dirty (or clean it if you have a performance filter). Change your oil every 3,000 and check the tire pressure once per month. (Note: Nitrogen filled tires will maintain pressure year-round, regardless of temperature).
Phil
|
