01 Beetle TDI 5spd 5 state trip planning, mpg help??

[Hip001]

Hey guys! Taking the 01 Beetle this Friday on a 5 state trip to see family and hoping to use this trip as a good test for MPG. Any help or advice to get better mpg? I'm not a newbe to hypermiling, just looking for things i may of overlooked.

so far:
-Scan Gauge II
-check air pressure
-driving with windows up and sunroof closed(AC as little as possible)
-New Fluids and clean airfilter
-check/clean brakes so there is no drag from sticking
-Pulse & Glide when not on interstate. and 65mph on interstate. shifting at 2k
-Fuel additives? Hope to buy fuel at quality diesel suppliers.
-thinking about blocking off lower grill as a Aero Mod test
-Want to add a Malone tune, and Ernie Rogers style wing but no time before trip

any advice is appreciated.....

[cleanspeed1]

Add some Hotshot's Secret to the oil and some of their Firepower fuel treat ( only 7.50 or so a bottle )Hot Shot's Secret | Diesel Engine Oil Additive

I have run this stuff in the trucks I drive and it flat works ( Mercedes Benz MBE900 and 4000 powered Freightliners and Volvo VED 12 powered Volvo ). Fuel economy went up, engine smoothed out, throttle response got better.

They have a combination specific for the VW TDIs that you should try out. You won't regret it.

[slowmover]

Cleanspeed, you post over at CAD or T-Report also? Someone else was hopped up on that formula (I read earlier today).

To the OP:

Take a truck driver tip: Plan all your stops in advance. As fuel economy is a matter of attending to small things this would include fine motor skills. And those work best when we are rested. Relaxed. Breaking the trip into legs of about 100-miles or two hours (at most) works to this end.

I try to find both rest areas, restaurants and fuel stops on the same side of the highway. "My" side. Past any traffic stops (lights/signs) that Google Earth shows me are also fairly modern and well-kept. It does take time the first few attempts (hours) but it also teaches me some new skills. I combine with it the "adventure" from Roadfood.com - Your Guide to Authentic Regional Eats to brighten my day for lunch. Tiny penalty, at worst, if one has checked every foot of the route away from the main road.

Time and distance calculations take more than at first seems easy. Practice makes perfect . . and when one has been doing it for years, it is enjoyable and leads to interesting diversions that can sometimes be incorporated. All work makes Jack a dull boy sort of thing. When one drives for a living, it is the "spices" that invigorate and keep one new.

Thus, knowing ahead of time how far till the next stop -- and how long it wil take me -- keeps me focused, allows me to focus on the here & now to aid best FE. A plan that is over-arching. Takes into account also weather, winds, traffic, construction, etc. Alternates to the days trouble can also be charted. One need not lose momentum because of the unexpected.

Buy a Road Atlas, too.

.

[cleanspeed1]

@slowmover No, I'm not part of those forums. I initially got turned on to HSS because I had Ford Powerstrokes. After getting in contact with the owner and chemist of HSS, I tried it out in a Freightliner that was running like garbage ( that one had the MB MBE900 ). It transformed the truck. Took 2 bottles to do it, and felt the difference in 100 miles of running. After 1000 miles, it was night and day.

I am not the type that puts stuff up unless it's legit, and this product is the real deal. Engines that have HEUI or cam/rocker actuated unit injectors that get affected by carbon and varnish buildup are the ones that this product works the best on. With common rail injection systems like the one you have on your ISB, you don't have to worry about oil contamination on the actuation side since actuation is all electronic, like a gasoline injector. The other benefit of HSS is it will clean out all the coking inside the turbo and carbon buildup on the piston rings.

This is a sidebar, but it will directly affect the OP and you: look into putting a Filtration Solutions FS2500 bypass filter on your units. Best in the business, extends the life of the engine exponentially and will save you a ton on oil changes.

I have done long distance driving for more years than I care to admit, and getting your route down to a science is absolutely correct as slowmover said. What I do in stop and go traffic will save you time shifting and keep you moving ( getting on and off the clutch with 10-13 speeds is a pain in the butt ). I back off and let a gap of 10 or more car lengths open up for me, stick it in a gear that will let me idle the vehicle to keep that gap, and let all the leadfooted idiots run in and out switching lanes while I keep moving constantly. I end up passing them every time. Saves your brakes and clutch. While they fight for that 5 feet stressin' out, I motor right past them.

[NachtRitter]

For the OP: What kind of distance are you talking about?

Grill block is a good idea... if you make it out of foam (e.g. pool noodles), then you can press fit it in the grill and if it ends up being too much (scan gauge tells you the water temp is too high... above 215*F for instance) then you can easily slip it back out again.

[Hip001]

Thank you guys for the advice!
I may give the HSS a try if i can pick it up local before the trip.

The Beetle has almost 280Kmiles on it so some additive couldn't hurt. Looking forward to this trip because it's not a rush & hurry type trip. Hoping to relax and enjoy the sites!

[Hip001]

Originally Posted by NachtRitter

For the OP: What kind of distance are you talking about?

Grill block is a good idea... if you make it out of foam (e.g. pool noodles), then you can press fit it in the grill and if it ends up being too much (scan gauge tells you the water temp is too high... above 215*F for instance) then you can easily slip it back out again.

over 2000 miles. Savannah, Asheville, Birmingham are 3 of the stops & thinking about cutting through Tennessee also. I was thinking about coroplast(spelling?) cut and zip-tied in place. Yes watching the temp but thinking that mostly interstate there will still be enough air to stay under 200*F. Should i block the opening if front of the innercooler too?

[cleanspeed1]

Yeah dude, you are so due for a cleaning. You know how much those injectors cost. This will save you a ton of money. The biggest scam for the electronic unit injectors is that unless you are absolutely horrid with oil and fuel filter changes, and unless there is an engineering defect in the design, THEY DO NOT WEAR OUT. With the HEUI injector, the passages where the oil flows gets carboned up and they have, no pun intended, a stroke. Keep the passages clean, they keep on moving.

[Hip001]

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

Yeah dude, you are so due for a cleaning. You know how much those injectors cost. This will save you a ton of money. The biggest scam for the electronic unit injectors is that unless you are absolutely horrid with oil and fuel filter changes, and unless there is an engineering defect in the design, THEY DO NOT WEAR OUT. With the HEUI injector, the passages where the oil flows gets carboned up and they have, no pun intended, a stroke. Keep the passages clean, they keep on moving.

Funny but I know EXACTLY what they cost I bought this car broken, with 239k miles where the lifter took a dump and broke a valve then jammed it into the piston the the piston jammed it into the injector. I replaced the set with slightly larger ones (t4's i believe). I borrowed a factory set till Frank06 could build mine. Runs night and day better & mileage jumped from 43's to 47. I'd love to try the HSS on this trip. I've gotten lots of 45-47mpg tanks and my best of 58mpg doing painfully slow hypermiling. My goal for this Beetle is to get 50mpg driving somewhat normal.
I'm not sure this Beetle can do it without some tweaks(tune, downpipe/exhaust, wing, grill block, belly pan,taller 5th gear). I was able to get 49.8mpg in the 96 Passat the last time I took this trip loaded with 4 adults. Just the GF and I this trip .

[cleanspeed1]

Best experience with a VW diesel. Helped an XGF get a 79 Rabbit diesel when they were dirt cheap. Had only 99k and was an import from Germany. Old German guy owned it, so it was pampered. Took a buddy of mine from Chicago to Springfield and back, flat out, tunes blastin' having a good time. Burned only 8 gallons of fuel in 434 miles. No hypermiling, just being brutal. Never had a car that ran that good since. I am convinced that there are pump and ECM calibrations that the OEMs offer everywhere else but here for gassers and diesels that are far better than what we get, just wish I could get them to use as a base calibration to improve upon. But that's a whole nuther story.........

Wish you well on your trip.

One more thing, Evans Coolant and a hot thermostat. Get her thermally stable, save the head gasket and head, will boost the mileage and allow you to have a margin of safety when you get frisky with the grille blocks and other aero tricks that lessen the airflow through the cooling system.