Well Just filled my tank and I'm pulled a 25.6 MPG this tank. The cold is just kill my MPG, not to mention the portly weight of the subaru to begin with. I'm thinking I need to do some weight reduction. I consistantly lossing my overall tank MPG to driving up hills where I live. If I run to the grocery store or walmart and have to descend/ascend I am lossing 0.2mpg for the overall tank per my scan gauge. I might now sound like much, but if I make 2-3 trips per week, i'm lossing 0.4-0.6mpg due to the hill climbs coming home. Which for the Subaru is 2% loss. I also have to drive the hills every day coming back from work, and there is mostly a net loss (ex. coasting down will give +0.1mpg per tank, driving up yields -0.2).
I'm not what to do at this point. I have stripped the trunk flood and spare out of the car (~40lbs). But I don't think there is much more I can do without removing seats, flooring, roof, or door panels. I might consider swapping out the seats for a "race" seat, but the Subaru has side airbags integrated into the seat. So removing the chairs disables the entire system.
Carbon fiber hoods are available, but the return would never be there.
I thought about a wheel change, but I require 16" plus wheels, and I can't really find smaller 16" wheels that could run a smaller 185-195 tire. I could get something that fits a 205, but dropping down from a the 225 to the 205 just doesn't seem like the rotational weight savings would be large, especially if you consider tires + wheels = $$$
On the side of rotational savings, there is a light weight pulley, and it drops 5lbs off the crank. Its 5lbs of rotational weight lost and would be less costly than drop weight off the four wheels.
I thought and have posted about the LED rear light conversion, and would be in the ball park of ~0.3hp at the alternator, but at the cost of $65-70 dollars.
I have wheel skirts on the rear, and my front wheels taped, my front grill blocked to 80% (can't go any higher or I will require the fan to keep the engine cool).
I'm considering removing the powersteering, but I'm not sure the advise effects on the Subaru, and removing the PS pump would effectively remove the tensioner from the crank to the alternator.
Along the lines of the alternator, I drive too far to go alternator-less and buy a deep cycle battery. I recently brain farted the idea of a turbo run alternator, but that entire project would be way off to a reliable road unit.
Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? It feels like I'm at the point of trying to find a whole new vehicle
