Thread: Nissan VS FIT
View Single Post
Old 07-31-2008, 01:34 AM   #13 (permalink)
Twerp
Modified Driver
 
Twerp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Western middle of nowhereish New Hampshire
Posts: 104

Frozen Tundra - '03 Toyota Tundra 4WD SR5 Access Cab
90 day: 26.51 mpg (US)

Red Skateboard - '91 Honda Civic DX
90 day: 45.49 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Here's my two cents: Changing your wheel diameter might make it look like you beat your boss on paper, but it's making your mileage readings inaccurate. So if you want to beat him by cheating, that may be one way.

If you really want to set about this the honest way, I would recommend studying and practicing some hypermiling techniques. That's the first thing I did to start getting better mileage in my Tundra. I would highly recommend getting good at pulse and glide. If you have a stick shift, there may be some places where you can do some engine off coasting. Obviously, study your local laws to see which techniques are legal (or at least, don't share your techniques with the local police). Also, I would recommend checking mapquest to try to find the most efficient route to work. The highway may be faster, but if there is a more direct rural route with few traffic lights and light traffic, it will give you better economy.

If you don't mind parting with a little money, buy a Scan Gauge. It will help you monitor what you are doing. Call them up and you can get the ecomodder discount, it's pretty sweet. If you set up your gauge properly and use it wisely, it will eventually pay for itself in fuel savings. If you are looking at wheel covers, try the salt-racing moons. I've seen them on ebay for not much. Or you can make your own out of pizza pans like AndrewJ did. Also, if you go to Walmart, you can find beaded seat covers for $8.88 or so. They help by making hot temps a little more bearable, and if you run windows up and AC off while it's sunny out, it will get pretty hot in your car. Remember that running with your windows open will cause aerodynamic drag.

I don't know if disconnecting the AC compressor will be more work than it's worth. I'd recommend keeping it, but just not running it. If you really want to disconnect things like that, the alternator would prolly make a bigger difference, but there's that whole thing about needing electricity to run the engine and recharge the battery. AndrewJ has some solutions to that on his build page.

There's a lot you can do, but hypermiling techniques are prolly the easiest and most effective way work yourself up there. Just by using some hypermiling techniques, and increasing my tire pressure to 40psi, I've been able to get slightly better mileage out of my Tundra than my mom gets out of her Legacy Outback. Granted, full time AWD doesn't help her, but still, her engine is at around a liter and a half smaller than mine and the car is a lot less massive than my truck.

Thus concludes my two cents...
__________________
  Reply With Quote