Piwoslaw's Peugeot 307sw modding thread

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by euromodder

0W30 :
ARAL S.Tronic E A5/B5 Volvo, Honda, Renault| 0W-30 |1 L

If you want to stick with 5W30 :
( DPF rated)
ARAL High Tronic J, 5W-30 | 1L

Thanks, but I forgot to mention that I bought the Elf 0w30 about 2-3 weeks ago. I hope to get the oil change done next month. But I'll try the Aral next year if I'm not impressed with the Elf.

As for insulating the engine, today I sacrificed some time, got dirty and took everything, after which I put it all back together and stashed the insulation back on the garage shelf It turned out that there is NO room whatsoever to get that 2.5cm thick wool anywhere close to the lump. The engine itself is hidden by all the accessories hung on it - cam belt cover, alternator, A/C compressor, turbo and cat, vacuum pump, fuel pump, EGR, etc. Covering any of those would mean that they'd be working in a much higher temperature, which probably isn't good. The intake air ducts have almost free space around them, while the air filter is pretty much glued to the rear of the engine block, being no more than 1cm away from it, while the bottom of the filter box rests on the EGR valve and cooler, with vibrations slowly making holes in the plastic. I couldn't even squeeze the wool between the engine and battery. Yes, there are places where the wool would fit, but they were too far from the engine to make any difference. All of the vital stuff is crammed into a tight little package, which make any kind of work a royal PITA

But to be fair, other than wasting 2 hours of time (plus another 15 min trying to get clean again), breaking a few plastic somethingorothers, and getting 2-3 deep scratches, I did get something done: I cleaned off some of the oil that is sprayed from intake ductwork. And I whole-heartedly cursed a few engineers.

[vtec-e]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

And I whole-heartedly cursed a few engineers.

Damn those engineers and their ruthless efficiency!!

I looked into doing the same but there was simply no room to do it. Yes, it could be done but at a major time and effort penalty. Something i just dont have these days! But i will use that bubble foil to do my bellypan and under the hood. Pics when it happens....when...

[Piwoslaw]

Here is my next mod, which (indirectly) helps to lower fuel consumption and increase safety: a SHARE THE ROAD sticker.

I'll add that I'm not a fan of turning the car into a christmas tree (and I might even shave the badges one day - I'm sure Euromodder would be proud ), but there are a few things I seem to be able to make an exception for:

• EcoModder.com clings,
• A green leaf sticker (usually means that the driver recently got his license, so some people are willing to forgive slow driving),
• Share the Road,
• Maybe a "Research Vehicle, May Drive Slowly" sticker in the future.

Absolutly no political, religious, or funny stickers, only what is related to saving fuel.

[Piwoslaw]

So I get a call from my brother-in-law that he's stuck in the center of the city with a broken clutch and could I give him a tow. Sure!
No time to plug the engine heater in I go outside, an d*mn it's cold! -4°C with a thick layer of frost on the windows, and even thicker on the outside. Scratch, scratch, scratch - I'm kinda in a hurry - scratch, but it ain't comin' off! So I cringed and I wept, but I started the engine. Yes, I will whip myself tonight. I even turned on the rear window defroster to raise the load on the engine. By the time I had got rolling my onboard computer was showing the max average trip fuel consumption - 30.0 liters/100km. I'm doing my best to not hypermile so the engine gets up to temp asap, but the hot air blowing on the partially defrosted windshield is robbing it of most of its heat.

OK, so this trip is a goner I finally made my way to where my bro-in-law is freezing, with lots of lights along the way (that's one of the reasons I prefer to bike to the city center, but today I -er-, couldn't take my bike). We hook up his 1.5 ton car and start off, catching all the red lights except one (which I passed as it turned from yellow to red, but stopping on short notice wasn't an option when towing). I finally drop him off at my other bro-in-law (car mechanic) and drive him home. When I pulled into our yard the OBC said my trip avg was 5.4 l/100km. Not bad, as my car's official avg FC is 5.6. This was still enough to bump my tank average from 3.9 to 4.0, though

So here's what I noticed while towing:

• All the roads were more or less flat, except for one loong overpass. After struggling up it I didn't get to coast down, since bro-in-law kept touching his brakes. I dunno why? If I wasn't gaining speed, then neither was he. (See next point)
• I tried to coast on a few flat portions and I could feel the difference between my aero and his. Since the tow rope was elastic it wasn't a steady slowing down, it was a sudden jerk. Even though his car has less frontal area than mine, and was drafting very close, its higher rolling resistance and roof rack were killing everything Not to mention his touching the brakes.
• Towing a car is probably the only excuse for going 10 km/h below the PSL and not being on the receiving end of nonstop road rage. Maybe I could rig up an ultralight, superaero dummy car to "tow" around?

[mdiendd123456]

You say well, support you

[euromodder]

I feel your pain buddy

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

This was still enough to bump my tank average from 3.9 to 4.0, though

I suspect it was a short towing trip then ?
It'd have been a lot worse on the tank average otherwise.

Still, I wouldn't mind a 4L/100 tank average with Hägar.

[Arragonis]

How about chemicals for de-icing ? I can usually get the front and front-side windows done with a de-icer spray and scraper before setting off, or a warm (note not boiling) kettle or maybe even a jug of warm tap water to shift the ice and then wipers to remove water to stop it freezing ?

I'm nervous about the warm water / kettle approach though because of windscreen cracking due to the heat so I now park George nose up under our car-port - nose to nose with the Prius. Our central heating boiler was moved a while ago from under there to the front of the house but it still seems to stay above freezing even down to -6 Deg C.

[lowglider]

Why not just use and old blanket on the windscreen?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I'm nervous about the warm water / kettle approach though because of windscreen cracking due to the heat

You should be.

As for chemical anti-icing spray, I'd rather not use too much of the Isopropyl-alcohol (IPA) based stuff - it's not that environmentally friendly.

[Piwoslaw]

Especially since Svieta is parked in the yard. Last year I had an old piece of cardboard that just fit the windshield, but I haven't found it yet (it's probably gone to recycling). Finding a new one, making one that wraps around to the side windows, is priority at the moment. The only downside is that covering the windshield also covers up my solar trickle charger, unless I make a small cutout for it.