Better Aerodynamics for the Corolla

[Weather Spotter]

put a bottle of heat in the tank and see if that helps.

my car gets worse MPG the colder it gets too.

[pacobeagle]

Would love to pictures of the finished product. How is the car to date?

[ps2fixer]

Sadly have not done a whole lot with it. Getting around 40-45mpg steadily and can get trips upto around 50mpg with EOC and coasting up corners as if I have no breaks (targeting to be at the stop sign @ around 5-10mph via coasting). Route changed from my other high traffic route since I moved, still has quite of a lot of traffic, but the people are not nearly as bad since it is more of a country route. Down side to the route... train tracks, but you can see when a train is going across them way ahead of time, so it don't hurt mpg, but it messes up my times some times .

Added things since my last post (off the top of my head)

• Half of a front belly pan (side with no drain plugs, riveted to the K Frame (for engine) + body rails, survived very deep snow this last winter!)
• WAI (not hot since it isn't sealed up very well, gives around +30-40F air intake temps, seems to help with my car's "High MPG mode")
• Gas Tank replaced (it effects the gas gauge a LOT, runs out @ E basically, before I had 2-3 gal when I hit that far (light comes on @ 1/4, before it was @ E).

Talking about High MPG mode, still unsure what it is caused from exactly, suspecting it to be lean burn, same engine over seas with a different head/intake is actually a lean burn.

I'm starting to think the high miles are starting to effect my mpg slightly, last year it was easier to get 50+ on a trip, now I have to really be aggressive to get 50+ and normally it just barely touches 50, before I could get 51-52 at times. Car does use a bit of oil, probably around 1 qt per 2000-3000 miles which is pretty common for these. Been thinking about doing a compression check on it to see if it is time for a rebuild/replace. Simple kit is pretty cheap, around $150-200ish for rings + gaskets to freshen it up (I have the hone and do the work my self etc). Might have to buy valve stem guides since I think that is what wears out on these engines to cause the oil burning problem.

Anyway... 255k vs my Camry (STILL DOWN fom over a year ago now! Dang brake lines and low mpg vs this car lol) with 300k miles, the Camry held up much better in its life.

Oh... status report on hub caps.... ZIP Ties are STILL holding! They are higher grade automotive ones, and zipped down very tight when first put on and checked them after every trip for 2-3 days. As stated above, belly pen is holding up very well too! The $1 / can paint is showing its low price on the front lower grill block, hub caps seem to be holding out well (only 2 light coats!).

Garbage bag upper gill block "heat shrieked" to the grill plastic started to weather check pretty bad ~4 months after being installed, packaging tape fixed that!

Looking at this car vs a sun fire, and the sun fire looks like it should get better mpg! My car has a lot of ground clearance vs the sun fire and the upper body is a bit wider. Kind of shocked actually. FYI I bought one super cheap with a blown head gasket, might fix/drive that for a short bit to rebuild my corolla engine. Suspecting the 2.2L DOHC engine isn't the ideal engine for FE, but at the same time, I think the factory areo is a tiny bit better.

PHOTOS!

[NH scrap]

i may give some of the things you have done a try
my corolla is a 94' 1.8?L 5speed
with 277k on the clock it uses some oil but i carry a case of it in the trunk

[ps2fixer]

Sounds like mine except you have the stick model.

Just to note, most of the driving is more or less ideal, not many stops and an hour drive each way to work. Under the hood there is a sticker that says what engine size the car came with factory. If I remember right, the DX only came in a 1.8L. I got about the same miles too at 260k .

My 2nd O2 sensor has been flagging my cat being bad since winter, so maybe the increased back pressure of a plugged cat is helping my mpg. I'll Probably have to install a straight pipe and deal with the check engine light before this next winter.

Anyway, good luck with your corolla .

[christofoo]

I have never had a CEL with my 89 no matter what (weird), but I think for other reasons that it's a likely candidate for O2 and cat (and carburetor rebuild).

(For me the carb is probably first, planning on paying shop for it this fall. Biggest issue is loss of AAP functionality... something that probably applies to no one except ooold 4A-F engines...)

I've had the exhaust manifold out and noticed a lot of white deposit on the O2 sensor... that plus likelihood it's original at 225k is my criteria for thinking it should be changed... on newer cars it may be worth a voltage check and/or code-scan as well... (but on the 4A-F my best guess is I should wait on the O2 until just before I send it out for the carb - don't want the new O2 getting deposits due to the old carb.)

More to the point, Scotty Kilmer had an episode on testing pressure fore and aft to diagnose a plugged cat. I might try this next spring, depending on many things between now and then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzyvL5tQLzU

[ps2fixer]

Interesting video, never seen a cat tested like that, but it makes sense. My flex pipe is just starting to come apart, so it could be from the extra back pressure or it could be causing my error code.


My car is EFI, DOHC, and nearly 260k miles on the original cat/o2 sensors, I'm sure something is starting to go after a life of no repairs (I had to spend $500+ fixing it myself when I first bought it).

[NH scrap]

Originally Posted by ps2fixer

Sounds like mine except you have the stick model.

Just to note, most of the driving is more or less ideal, not many stops and an hour drive each way to work. Under the hood there is a sticker that says what engine size the car came with factory. If I remember right, the DX only came in a 1.8L. I got about the same miles too at 260k .



Anyway, good luck with your corolla .

i use the car to run around in & also for my night job delivering pizza
2/3rds of the driving i do is at about 40mph
the rest is on the highway
just did the timing belt so i guess it's time to get started
i think i'll remove the grill & build a solid fiberglass grill block
i don't think a scan tool will work on a 94' because my car is a OBD1
not the later one you have.

[ps2fixer]

You are correct for ready to go scanners, however you can build a gauge if you have basic soldering skills.

Check out the MPGuino, it works for basically every older car as long as it is fuel injection (yours is)

MPGuino - EcoModder

What kind of MPG do you get going 40? In mine (1.8L 4 speed + lockup) 35mph is better than 40, and 45mph is better than 40 (lockup kicks in there). With my car I can go 45mph and drop down to about 40mph before it drops out of lockup, so I try to cruze 42-48mph, and if I have to go slower (say 35mph zone or 30mph zone), I try to hang around 30-35mph. 35mph and 45mph is nearly the same mpg for me at around 55-65mpg for instant readings, averages of course are a bit lower (40-50mpg per trip, ~45 per tank).

[NH scrap]

Originally Posted by ps2fixer

You are correct for ready to go scanners, however you can build a gauge if you have basic soldering skills.

Check out the MPGuino, it works for basically every older car as long as it is fuel injection (yours is)



What kind of MPG do you get going 40? In mine (1.8L 4 speed + lockup) 35mph is better than 40, and 45mph is better than 40 (lockup kicks in there). With my car I can go 45mph and drop down to about 40mph before it drops out of lockup, so I try to cruze 42-48mph, and if I have to go slower (say 35mph zone or 30mph zone), I try to hang around 30-35mph. 35mph and 45mph is nearly the same mpg for me at around 55-65mpg for instant readings, averages of course are a bit lower (40-50mpg per trip, ~45 per tank).

i'll have to check out the MPGuino , thanks
i have a OBD2 code reader but the plug us wrong for my 94'

i have been getting about 33mpg combined
i didn't feel that was all that bad with all the stop & go driving i do at night.
with the timing belt change i can now use 5th gear while going 40mph
before i had to stay in 4th so the engine wouldn't fall of it's face.
i also changed the cap & rotor which looked to be well worn
i thought i would do the fuel filter too but i can't get a wrench on the bottom line. i got the top broken loose but there is way too much cr@p in the way
so i guess i'll wait on that for now.
maybe i can talk the guys who do my state inspection come Oct.
into letting me borrow their lift for 15 min.
i think if i could get the rite angle on things i might be able to get the thing busted loose. might require a crows foot wrench, trying to get my face up in there while the car is on the ground sucks
i have never changed it so it's got a whole bunch of miles on it.
over 100k



thanks