1995 Saturn SL1 the quest begins... - Page 2 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

PowerHaus930 · 06-02-2010, 03:36 AM

LOL thanks for the info

PowerHaus930 · 06-03-2010, 12:58 AM

So i went to fill up today and to my surprise i got 36.34 MPG. I'm quite dissapointed to say the least :-(. I guess what i need to do is splurge for some instrumentation like the MPGuino or a vacuum gauge. I have replaced plugs with regular copper core NGKs, cleaned the throttle body and EGR, seafoamed the intake and gas tank (1/2 a bottle for each) I guess i should finally get around to replacing my ECTS even though it seems to be working ok (needle almost to halfway mark). How much can the ECTS affect gas mileage?

PowerHaus930 · 06-08-2010, 06:06 AM

So my latest tank i started shifting at about 2000rpm about half way through. I used the AC alot and for some reason (Girlfriend:-)) i had the windows down alot on the highway. I actually got 40.59 mpg which was a big surprise to me. I have since started to shift at about 1600-1900rpm and hope to see an increase in MPG from that. Going on a road trip to Ocean City MD on wed. Its only about 400mi round trip but id like to see what i will get on that tank. Going to up the tires to 44psi. Also changing oil tomorrow to 5w-30synthetic with oversized filter so maybe i will see a little gain from that as well. Happy miling

PowerHaus930 · 06-09-2010, 01:54 AM

well the trip is getting rained out but will be rescheduled next week sometime. Also changed the oil tonight airred up to 43psi and filled the tank for 40.44mpg

analogguy · 06-11-2010, 12:53 AM

Keep us updated PowerHause930. I have a new 95 SL1 5-speed myself and I'm inspired to keep up the good mileage. I did the increased air and the driving techniques and got about 39 MPG. We'll see how it goes next fill-up.

How did you do the HAI? Did you do the mods one-at-a-time so you could track how effective each one is?

Carl

PowerHaus930 · 06-11-2010, 02:08 AM

For the HAI i removed the resonator from the stock airbox then removed lid to airbox and there was an intake tube in there. If you look at the box from the front of the car on the lower right is where the IAT sensor is. I took the IAT sensor out removed the intake tube and enlarged the hole on the left side of the airbox that the resonator went to. I then cut off the flared piece of the intake tube where the IAT sensor was bolted and flipped it around and stuck it inside the airbox and out through the larger opening i made from where the resonator was. I then went to Home Depot to the HVAC section where they have flexible dryer hose and that kind of stuff and i got a 3" adjustable aluminum 90 degree elbow and attached it to the intake tube coming from the airbox with a hose clamp and got it as close to the exhaust manifold as possible. I ended up having to use a piece of aluminum from a throw-away roasting pan so i could extend the pipe a little to the exhaust manifold. Its not pretty but it works and it keeps my IATs around 145*-155*. As far as the other mods the tire pressure and the engine cut-off switch i ended up doing things so fast that i wasnt able to measure the gain or loss. I have been continually been adjusting my driving style and I feel like i'm close to finding out what works best for me. Once my driving becomes consistent i will most likely do tests for each individual modification to see if it helps or hurts. But for now i'm consistently getting 40 mpg with mixed highway and city driving, windows down, and some AC. I will try to get pics of the HAI tomorrow.

cosmic_kid · 06-11-2010, 02:21 AM

pics would be great. Is the 95 similar enough to the 96 (what I own) that I could copy yours?

PowerHaus930 · 06-11-2010, 05:07 AM

Im not sure actually i would imagine that they are very similar if not the same pics to come soon

PowerHaus930 · 06-12-2010, 10:56 PM

Here are the pics. I wouldnt reccomend placing the IAT sensor where i did (on the upper righht side of the box) but i didnt want to have to make the wires longer

Gas-x · 06-14-2010, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowerHaus930

What do you think this car could do? i was thinking max of 50mpg but i'm not sure. Like I said I have the tire pressures up to 39psi (44 max sidewall), a hot air intake (how much above ambient is yours? do you use the resistor in place of IAT?), and the engine cut off switch. What would be the next best upgrade you think? I was thinking vacuum gauge and/or MPGuino. What about aero mods? what are the most beneficial aero upgrades? Thanks so much for your help!

Do you have a couple of pics for me? One would be the engine shut off and how it helps you and the other would be of the warm air intake and if it needs to be monitered for temp or not. thanks so much in advance. I am looking for ways to get a few more mpgs out of my 06 Aveo 5spd