First Oil change makes BIG MPG difference!

I just got the first oil change (at about 5600 miles) on our 2004 over this past weekend. Up to that point, I had managed to change my driving habits and gotten up to about 48 mpg. I had them check the air filter as well. It didnt' need to be changed. I had them put in that new fangled synthetic oil (Mobil One) after reading lots of positive internet posts.

I needed to fill up the tank a day or so later. So today I drove to work like normal, and had to make about a 10 mile detour to visit our cooperative farm to pick up our fresh veggies and strawberries. I now have about 50 miles in on this tank, and I have managed to get the the mpg up to 58! Previously, I had never managed to get above 52, and that was on a round trip between Boston and NYC back in April.

So, have I changed my driving habits so much for the positive over the last several days to account for this difference, or has the oil change managed to increase the mpg by 10 all by its lonesome? It's probably some combination of the two, but I am kinda suprised of the jump all of a sudden. Has anyone else seen this kind of behaviour?

Temperatures have been as high as 98 on Saturday, and as low as the upper 60s in the morning when I leave for the office. So I don't think that temperature has any role to play here.

Thanks,

Mark

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"102434)</div>

From work to the farm the roads are country roads. From the farm back home, the trip was mostly on congested highways where the speed was between 40 and 55 or so. Good amount of hills, with probably a net downhill.

As for oil level, I'll be honest and say that I hadn't checked it at all. I should be paying more attention. I'll check to see what the current level is.

At the end of the day, I'm just happy to be in the upper 50s.

Thanks,

Mark