Welcome to ecomodder.
What sort of mileage are you usually getting, and is it an automatic or manual ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aldairion
It's 575 miles, and I could probably make it on one tank but the less fuel I use, the better!
I'm taking this trip at the end of the week and I'm looking for some quick mileage boosters. I've already stripped out whatever weight I can. I'm about to look into taping off panel gaps and such.
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Weight won't matter very much on a long interstate drive, though it could matter a bit more if there's lots of climbing to be done.
Start a bit earlier and slow down.
Doing 70 instead of 75 mph (or 65 instead of 70) will seriously increase your mileage.
Inflate the tires to (near) sidewall max.
The ride will feel rather harsh if you go straight from VW recommended pressure to sidewall max.
Bit of a warning here :
On my car, the lightened rear end gets a bit nervous at sidewall max, so try it out first to see if it works, or keep the tyre pressures a bit lower (say 5psi) on the rear axle than on the front (which is rather heavily loaded on a TDi).
An upper grille block will help, but to play it safe you should be able to monitor the coolant temperature - on-board thermometers are notoriously vague.
Taping the panel lines is pretty hardcore modding
I'll help a wee bit - probably not as much as you'd hope for with such a plainly visible mod.
Sealing the front and side panel gaps around the hood (on the inside) with weatherproof self-adhesive foam strips will help - if VW didn't already do it.