5 Basic Aeromods: A-B-A Test Results - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

accord_minded · 08-31-2014, 04:58 PM

Hi All--

I just ran an A-B-A test on 5 basic aeromods. These are mods that pretty much anyone can do. The full test description is below. But here is the bottom line: by increasing tire pressure to 44F/42R, removing passenger mirror, adding full lower grill block, adding partial upper grill block, and adding coroplast wheel covers, I saw an increase of 2.65MPG (or 7.74%). I'll be away for a couple of weeks, so won't have any tank-fill data for a while, but will post results when I get them and info on how I did these aeromods at that time. Hopeful these basic aeromods will take me over the 40MPG/tank line!

Car: 2004 Accord, 2.4L, 4-cyl, A/T. No mods to start. Tire Pressure 32F/30R as per badge. Tank 3/4 full.

Course: 4.7 miles of divided highway. 3-4 low hills and some level ground. North (end) slightly higher elevation than South (start). Start and end marks were highway signs visible from both sides. No traffic.

Test Procedure: Drive to course: about 15 miles. Engine at normal temperature. Not sure if transmission was up to temperature at start of runs. For each run, accelerate to 60MPH (check with GPS), set Cruise Control, hit reset on SGII at start point. Observe/record MPG from SGII at end point.

Conditions: 6:30am start. Temperature 72 degrees. Foggy (and dark). 8:45am end time. Temperature 75 degrees. Partly sunny. No traffic.

(A) Runs. No Aeromods (1: S-N, 2: N-S, 3&4 Repeat):
Avg: 32.37MPG

(B) Aeromods: After 4 (A) runs, added the modifications (lower grill block, partial upper grill block, passenger mirror delete, wheel covers.) and inflated tires to 44F/42R. Took about 45 minutes. Did this work at a filling station a couple miles south of the start point.

(B) Runs. (5, 6,7,8)
Avg: 35.57MPG

(A') Removed aeromods and re-set tires to 32/30.

(A') Runs: (9,10,11,12)
Avg: 33.47MPG [Note: (A') runs were about 1.1MPG higher than (A) runs.]

Average of all (A) and (A') runs: 32.925MPG
Average of all (B) runs: 35.575MPG
Difference: 2.65MPG (7.74%)

Individual Runs:

1: A S-N: 30.6
2: A N-S: 34.1
3: A S-N: 30.8
4: A N-S: 34.0
5: B S-N: 33.3
6: B N-S: 36.7
7: B S-N: 34.5
8: B N-S: 37.8
9: A' S-N: 32.4
10: A' N-S: 34.6
11: A' S-N: 31.8
12: A' N-S: 35.1

mcrews · 08-31-2014, 05:07 PM

You nailed it!!!
Nice job!!!

mcrews · 08-31-2014, 05:11 PM

Three mandatory items for a-b-a testing:
1 gps to get the miles right and calibrate the sgII
2 calibrated scangauge
3 cruise control

aardvarcus · 09-02-2014, 08:07 AM

Excellent job on the A-B-A testing.

MetroMPG · 09-02-2014, 11:45 AM

I count 4 aeromods and one regular mod.

I'd like to post this on the front page. Any chance you can snap a few pictures of the mods? (Yeah, the old timers all know what this stuff looks like, but it's informative for the noobs & browsers).

Nice test - thanks for posting!

accord_minded · 09-02-2014, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I count 4 aeromods and one regular mod.

I'd like to post this on the front page. Any chance you can snap a few pictures of the mods? (Yeah, the old timers all know what this stuff looks like, but it's informative for the noobs & browsers).

Nice test - thanks for posting!

Right! Only 4 aero mods, you are right! I hadn't thought of it that way, but I'm still a noob myself

It would be an honor to be on the front page, but photos will have to wait a week or two. They are on a camera I can't get to right now. But when I'm back I intend to put up a thread with the photos. So up to you if you want to move this now or wait a couple of weeks for the photos.

Thanks for the thumbs up!

MetroMPG · 09-02-2014, 03:19 PM

A week or 2 is fine - reply in this thread when you've got 'em (I'll get auto-notified).

I'm planning to do a similar set of mods to my '07 Civic. Although my test won't be as thorough as yours! (A-B only, done on different days).

accord_minded · 09-02-2014, 04:22 PM

Yeah, Holy Cow A-B-A testing is time-consuming. I spent a lot of time picking the course, going through the procedure carefully, prepping the mods so I could quickly install and de-install them, and practicing. I didn't want to have gotten up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning and then screw it up somehow! Will post pictures as soon as I can.

MetroMPG · 09-02-2014, 04:28 PM

I definitely appreciate how much time it takes! It's worth it though.

accord_minded · 09-14-2014, 07:25 AM

So, I'm back from a trip and am posting up a few photos of the aeromods that I installed for my A-B-A test. As MetroMPG notes, there are really only 4 aeromods here...the fifth mod was increasing tire pressure-- so no photos on that one.

The next 3 posts show what I did.

In general, I'm trying not to do to anything that I can't undo easily, so that's my basic approach.

1: Passenger Mirror:
I used a method another ecomodder used (can't find his handle, if someone recognizes this method, I'd like to be able to cite his work). This method is to cut and fit aluminum over the rubber gasket. With this method the original mirror can easily be re-installed.

The last photo is shown after it was painted and installed during my A-B-A test. I noticed a little wind noise at highway speed and I also noticed that when I ran the car through a car wash (with the inside trim piece still OFF), that some water comes through, so I'll be adding some sealer/calking around the edge to dal with those issues.

I may go ahead and use the same method on the driver's side mirror (and add an interior convex mirror to be in compliance with NC statutes).