[Caddylackn]

Update:

I stupidly removed my battery cable last weekend and lost my last fillup mileage, so I couldn't calculate my last tank gas mileage when I filled up. There was at least 600 miles on the odo. My daily mileage commuting readings for the last month were all over 50 mpg, some around 55 mpg. I hit a best of 57 mpg one way 35 mile commute. Lowest trips around 48 -49 mpg in the pouring rain or a trip with a bad traffic snarl. The weather has been cold; mid 30s to low 40s consistently. It takes about 10 miles of driving for my car to warm up and turn off the coolant electric heaters. These draw about 60 - 70 amps, so a big alternator and power draw and associated gas mileage reduction. I have considered doing the fuel temp mod, which tricks the computer to thinking the motor is warm and turn off cold enrichment.

Last month, I did a 90% upper grill block and saw about a 2 mpg gain. Only the VW logo now is not blocked. The only air that gets through is around the letters. The upper grill area is so small on a passat that I didn't think I would see much or any gain difference with blocking it. I can tell the difference when coasting, I picked up a few mph on hills I always coast down. I will fill up this upcoming week and I should see the gas mileage average go up a little.

To Do:
1 .I need to fix my rear window wiper. My rear window spoiler basically prevents any rain from cleaning my rear window, so it gets dirty and hard to see out of.

2. I only have one heater fan speed, speed 2 of the 4 speeds. Not enough to get great defrost or heat until about halfway through my commute. I used to get speeds 1, 3, 4 until I did my complete dash teardown and gut out to replace the heater core. Now I got the opposite of what I had, so maybe I have a wire switched?

3. I may put some studded tires on for winter, and remove my rear wheel covers. This winter has been pretty snowy so far. I can drive my crown vic with studless tires and expect about 18 - 19 mpg on my commute.

4. Looking for some cheap used passat headlights to convert to led projectors. I would convert my original ones, but the aiming plastic gear mechanism is stripped on one, and I like the idea of completing these headlights before swapping in case I ruin one in my conversion. I am not stuck with no headlight until I find another one. I have done two other headlight projector and led conversions. My bronco, and my crown vic. Major vision improvements without blinding drivers. The passat stock headlights suck b_lls. Poor light distribution and cloudy plastic lenses that get microcracks and the projector chrome surface degrades. There are no real options to buy new headlights without spending about $500 on european Hellas. Even these Hellas are becoming hens teeth.

The headlight projector retrofit consist of baking the stock headlight in the oven at 300 deg. F for about 1/2 hour to soften the urethane glue to remove (prying off) the lens cover. Then put in the new H1 projector housings from the front using the factory bulb hole, and try to align the new projector to the same focal point so it can be aimed correctly. I put the bulb in with temp wiring and fire it up with the headlight level and see where it falls. Usually spinning the housing will get it correct. Then tighten and seal the projector housing, then put the original lens back on, or make a new lens cover out of lexan. Cut the lexan, then bake it in the oven at 300 def F, after placing on top of the old cover. It will then bend to the correct contour of the stock cover in the oven. Then epoxy, or urethane seal the new lens on. Then make a wiring conversion harness to use the new H1 LED lights from the stock headlight connector. Then install and aim after sealing the edges well where the lens attaches to the housing so water doesn't get in.