Everybody's favourite Australian ecomodding site has posted another good one:
The 5 cent modification
The subject this time is a mod of the intake air temp sensor, spoofing the engine computer into thinking the ambient temps are lower than actual. The result is more advanced dynamic ignition timing, which if used wisely (ie. earlier light load upshifts, driving with load in a higher gear, or lower speed than usual) can result in improved fuel economy.
The mod was performed on the owner's Honda Insight, and changes in timing were recorded via an OBD scanner.
The usual caveats are mentioned: beware of detonation!
Conclusions?
Quote:
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This is not a groundbreaking modification. There’s not 30 more horsepower or 20 per cent better economy. ... There’s clearly improved driveability and potentially a little better urban fuel economy. And at a cost of less than five cents (the cost of the resistor), that’s one helluva bang for your buck.
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For the full details, the article is worth a read:
http://autospeed.com/cms/A_110350/article.html