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Old 06-13-2015, 02:27 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BabyDiesel View Post
I speak for everyone here when I say that we avoid idling at all cost. You get 0 mpg when sitting at a stoplight, stop sign, traffic, parking lot, etc. This is where changing routes and timing lights pays big dividends.

The stock weight for your MINI is 2678 lbs. I'm curious to know how you have dropped nearly 400 pounds out of that car.
Thanks BD. After doing more reading here, you are indeed correct. Idle or die, lol. I can see how some even wish to even cut their engines off at times; seemingly not ideal in all situations, and with certain cars, but I understand the motivation now...

As one might be able to surmise from my initial post, I've modified my MINI (larger injectors), with track performance in mind. Fun little cars, even on the canyon roads where we live. Hoping to hit Laguna Seca at some point, probably after I get the new home remodeled...

That said, the car has been a build of sorts. While I've increased the engine's output, the staple has been a steady diet of weight loss. The figure I have for a starting point is 2,513 pounds (Google that number and MINI Cooper). I confirmed that at a truck scale soon after purchase. Thereafter, I've had a couple corner balances. I'm currently at 2,292 pounds. A target of 2,250 seems doable...

I won't list everything, but wheels and tires alone, a little over 50 pounds. The stock runflats are heavy, and wheels are boat anchors. Within a few weeks after purchase, realizing that none of my friends or family would feel comfortable in the back seat, that was removed and sold. Corresponding hardware, belts, etc removed. Stock battery at 34 pounds replaced with a 12 pounder. Removed the battery box too that the exhaust had to snake around, which paved the way for a straight exhaust. My notes show a 35 pound savings there. Oh, A/C gone too (23 pounds). There are more such changes, but to give an idea as to the extremes, I took-out the interior carpet, and with a heat gun, removed a few pounds of sound deadening material. Same inside the doors too. I of course put everything back so it looks nice of course, not gutted. I temporarily removed the headliner and did some surgery to find and remove heavy brackets in place for a roof rack...

The car currently has a weight to hp (bhp) ratio of about 8.8. It will be around 7 to 7.5 when done, which is pretty good company:

The 2014 Audi TTS is at 12.3, the 2014 Subaru WRX STi is at 11.1, the 2014 Nissan 370Z is at 9.3, 2014 Ford Mustang is at 8.6, 2014 Corvette is 7.6, Chevy Camaro Z28 is at 7.6, the 2014 Porsche GT3 at 6.6, and the 2014 BMW M3 is a little over 8.

Light is good, in many respects. Braking is vastly improved too, as well as the suspension (responds quicker with less mass). There is less wear and tear in general...

To see the car getting about 40+ mpg is not a surprise I suppose, but still great to see, as that is what I had hoped. I originally got the SC2 to monitor water temps (installed an EWP) and intake air temp (a new IC I had designed) and had not made time to look at fuel efficiency until recently...

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Last edited by TonyB; 06-14-2015 at 06:43 PM.. Reason: correction re wheel / tire weight loss...
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Old 06-15-2015, 02:01 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Very interesting TonyB! You should start a build thread and a fuel log for your MINI. It sounds like you have done awesome work, you explain yourself very well and are knowledgeable. Perfect for Ecomodder!
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Old 06-15-2015, 03:07 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Thanks BD! I'll strongly consider such.

Looking forward to the next fill-up so I can get the SG2 dialed-in... A good week to you, everyone.
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Old 06-30-2015, 01:59 AM   #14 (permalink)
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So I got an email today from the forum, stating that I haven't been active in a while here...

So, I'm back. I actually had a question anyways...

What exactly is the time duration being considered on the Average MPG? I assume/d it was from engine on to engine off, but lately, on shorter breaks between trips, like where I ran into a store for a couple minutes only, then fired-up the engine again, it resumed where I left off - the Average reading was around 40 MPG, which was where it was when I turned the engine off a few minutes earlier...

Curious if this is normal and by design. Thanks much. I should be at 1/4 tank later this week. Looking forward to see how much I need to adjust, and in which direction...
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Old 06-30-2015, 02:14 AM   #15 (permalink)
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Your issue is a non-issue the SG clears this data, called recent trip data, after the car has been off for a minimum of 3 minutes.

As far as I know, the SG starts processing data as soon as your ECU receives voltage, i.e. when the key is on. Only after cranking and the sensor readings come into the ECU does the SG display these treasures you probably already knew that though. I need to get to bed!!

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask sir!
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Old 07-05-2015, 02:31 AM   #16 (permalink)
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Thanks so much BD! I did not get an email alert of your response, so sorry for the delay...

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