close to giving up....
 

this last tank of gas has made me so frustrated its disgusting....
my worst mileage to date at a measely 28.03mpg...
granted, I found that 2 tires had close to 20psi and its been rainy and windy due to Irene going by, but still, that is disgusting that Im not consistently breaking 30mpg.
what bothers me the most, is my SGII always shows a reading of 30+ avg. so how come I only got 28mpg ?

It's this exact frustration that makes us push harder, find those extra mods, squeeze more technique, and fix those items that hold us back. When it gets easy, we get complacent.

I've been in this position many times, said something very similar, and ended up breaking personal records after turning that despair into drive.

Best FE,
-RH77

Filling error can giveth, and filling error can taketh away.

I drove many different models, all new, before deciding on the one I bought. The Mazda's were barely ahead of the Subaru's in mpg, and both were at the bottom of the list.
Granted all the cars I drove were 4 door midsize.

Well hey, at least it has a standard trans. With lotsa air in the tires there's potential.

In FL you're gonna have rain. And probaby run a/c most days, too! Just a fact of life.

Make sure you keep those tires pumped. I'd suggest whatever the sidewall imprint says, for starters. I won't print what pressure I run...

Maybe some modest aero mods to help things along? Windy days hurt you less if the car has better aero. Specifically, I'm thinking flat wheel covers. Low cost, removable, and pretty much no doubt you will get some benefit. Some guys are doing them in plexiglass or lexan (scratches much less than plexiglass) so you still see the pretty wheels underneath. I used perforated sheet aluminum, but it's NOT a quick project that way!

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post254856

I've been at a 35 mpg plateau since June. I can eek out 1 or 2 more occasionally, if I drive a lot slower than I'd like, but 35 seems to be it for now. ...can't complain, the car is only supposed to max out at 29, but of course I want 39. I'm a bit obsessed with fabricating a belly pan for it, but have not put in that great an effort to get that project off the ground.
My suggestions: map out a new route for your most-travelled drives, jettison some weight, add a pound or two to the tires...and just enjoy the drive. One good windy/rainy/trafficky(?) week will always be waiting around the corner.

Right?! Wheel covers, too. ...should be good for 1/2 mile/gal.

Sounds like your SG could use some more calibration? It should be closer to the truth than that.

BHarvey -

Yeah, that's been my impression. True or not, I look at Mazda as the "Pontiac" of the Japanese auto manufacturers, aka tuned for performance, not MPG.

d0sitmatr -

Every drivetrain has it's sweet spot, so keep searching and you will find it.

CarloSW2

I feel a bit the same. I was averaging well over 30 but i had a few trips down in the mid 20's MPG that pulled me down. I have been working overtime and taking a class, no time to finish my long list of mods but I see now more than ever how much I need them! Sometimes life does not lend a great hand to the hyper miler but keep trying new things! Seek and ye shal find!

Absolutely. I've had one Christmas and one tax day already.

Like everything, don't hold onto specific outcomes too tightly. Take them as they come.

road trip?
 

You know what sometimes helps your average, a road trip.
Take a one-tank-long road trip with an eco-sympathetic friend or even alone (to save the weight) with a long stretch of flat highway involved, and no city driving. When you get home you'll have had mini-vacation and probably a good mpg tank. of course, this means actually blowing through a tank of gas deliberately which I personally find difficult, but not everyone does.

It can be frustrating when your instrumentation makes you think you have a good tank on the way and then it disappoints - kind of like growing carrots with healthy, tall tops only to find the actual edible bit is tiny :D

Given the bad conditions and tyres and the size of car I would say that figure is not bad. If you look at your fuel log though

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/graph5168.gif

you can see that your average won't be affected too much by one bad tank.

Sometimes taking a break helps, maybe do a tank with no hypermiling and see what the effect on FE is - then work out the cost and then start again ;)

Driving in SFL is a challenge in its self, it is not conducive to good mpg. No real hills for coasting, more stop signs than trees, air conditioning running almost constantly and heavy traffic. Under these conditions and the fact that you only had the car for 3 months (fuel log) I think you are being a little hard on yourself. What techniques have you tried, are you using? If you got the car used don't forget the maintenance aspect.

thanks for the replies and input, its appreciated. Im going to answer everyone :)

yes, I was surprised the two were so low, but I had been slacking on checking them, until yesterday when I came out and saw one of the rear tires sitting pretty low.
Ive been planning doing some lexan covers but Im waiting until I can replace the rims, as 1 or more on the car now is slightly warped (which Im sure isnt helping my FE)
as far as other aero mods, honestly, Ive gone over the car and it has some good aero stock, it has a front end belly pan, and is quite smooth along the entire underpan, a full belly pan might help, but I doubt Id even see a 1% increase from it. and overall the design is pretty good aero.
I have done a couple of mods already, by adding a lower grill partial block and making foglight covers.

I really wish that was possible, but unfortunately where I live there simply is no other routes, plus, Id say 90% of my driving is all 10 miles or less. although I do have it planned to lose some weight from the car, Im having difficulty in that the car already doesnt have much it could lose (no sound dampening, anywhere). as far as AC goes, I never really use it. being born and raised in SWFL Im pretty used to the heat, and personally Im not overly fond of AC, not to mention the fact it makes me want to sleep, not a good idea when driving... :)

yea, Im thinking the same thing, guess I will have to figure out how to do that :)

I agree, except for the comparison to pontiacs, mazdas are WAY more reliable ;)
I love Mazda's, Ive owned... 6 or 7 of them, and every single one has been more reliable than anything else (except my 99 ranger, which is basically also a Mazda)
I figured with a 2.0L 5 spd, I should be seeing at the very least 30mpg with little effort, and its just frustrating as all **** when I see anything below that.

I might just take you up on that idea, it would be a good way to void some frustrations.

its funny you mention the lack of hills, which, for the most part, your absolutely correct, except where I live there are some small hills/valleys (none more than a 100' elevation change though) the sad thing is that from my house to almost anywhere, is uphill immediately after a leave, granted, its not much of an incline, but still, its an incline. the same goes for most of my destinations, they are at the lower end of an incline, but due to traffic, I cant really coast long without people getting all bent out of shape (most people around this area are either gun toting rednecks, or gun toting gangsta's)
as mentioned above, I hardly ever use the AC, in fact, over the summer, Ive only turned it on 5 times, every time was for my wife or son's benefit, not my own.


the biggest thing I think I can do at this point, is the maintenance as suggested. its been in the plans, but I may just move it to the front. Ive been reading on the mazda forums a couple people claiming to get an average of 400mpt, Im seriously finding that hard to believe. my absolute best to date is 392mpt and that was with a 1/2 tank daytrip to visit my mother, running at a fairly consistent 65mph most of the way, and drafting at least 1/3 of the trip as well.
my biggest plans will involve putting in a different trans, there is a Diesel trans for the FE-DE engine from Europe that will lower my gear ratios noticeably, (current: 3krpm = 64mph, new trans 3krpm = 78mph) which will allow me to drop my RPM significantly at the speeds I travel on a day to day basis. the car may be slower in acceleration, but not so much as to cause any problems. the problem is, finding that trans...
Ive also read of some people on the ford probe forums that have the same engine as me, who are able to use a 626 LS trans (the V6 trans for the 626 has the tallest gears of any of the G-series trans) so I may go that route, I can find one of those for less than $100.0 at a PnP junkyard. and lastly, the 626 intake mani is a straight bolt on and allows the engine to breathe better, thus lowering the amount of fuel for its combustion a tad. again, I can find one of those at a PnP JY for about $20.0 the problem is, I have to wait for the couple of PnP JY's near me to actually have one of those cars in its lot ;)
ah well, back to the waiting game :)


also, I wanted to apologize to the MOD's, I realized I should have put this in the Lounge section of the forums, right after I hit enter.
if you wish to move it, please do so.

Aha! A high percentage of your drive is spent warming up the engine. OK, in South FL it has a head start by being maybe 50 deg warmer than mine when stone cold, but you still have to burn the fuel to bring it to operating temp. Consider getting one of these oil pan heaters. Instructions say to plug in 3 hrs. before startup but in your case, 1-2 hours should do it. I have one and definitely found the car reaches "warmed up" status sooner. Medium-small sizes are about $20-40. Some brands come with the high-temp silicone seal that it needs around the edge, keep an eye out for that.

Amazon.com: Kat's 24100 100 Watt 4"x 5" Universal Hot Pad Heater: Automotive
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...bL._AA160_.jpg

You're still new at it, still getting good at it. It'll come with time- time not measured on the calendar, but on the odometer. This is actually a Good Thing, because it means you're simply not driving all that much and gas money still in your pocket is its own reward.

You're way ahead of where I was at that many tanks. Great work.

There aren't enough entries in that fuel log to make any sort of statement, beyond, "hey, I'm doing pretty well". Seriously. One needs at least one year of entries before being able to say much one way or another.

The hottest part of the year and the coldest part of the year aren't going to give the best numbers, and "why" is central to the "problem": None of us feel as well as we do at these calendar points as when the temps are moderate. Doesn't matter what theory may predict. No good thing comes overnight (which is a few months) and immoderate temps only make it more difficult.

Some of us have been driving a decade or more before you were born, I'd guess, and driving for best return on money spent . . this means we've all had to change habits as we've gone along. And it's not as easy to do the laser beam concentration as when we were 26.

Look to some other aspect of ownership: Do you have a garage? (why not?) Have you some other project (stereo, other upgrade) that will take some of this energy? Etc. Let the miles accumulate by taking a step back for awhile.

Reality check: What's the annual average $ difference between 31 and 27 mpg? How much?

Never let feelings box you in that you cannot find another outlet for them. Every aspect of ownership/operation deserves your attention, not just mpg.

.

Oh, I forgot Mount Trashmore :rolleyes: I'm in SFL also.

Fat Charlie -

I didn't look at the fuel logs until just now.

d0sitmatr -

Fat Charlie is right, the sample size is too small to give up.

CarloSW2

yea, sorry guys, I was just super frustrated to see a 28mpg on there since Ive been doing good by being close to 30mpg most of the time.
@ slowmover
that is a pretty bold assumption to make about my age, Im 43.
so while I know there are some people on here who are older, I'd wager Im older than probably 80% of the other members ;)
I think what upsets me most is that my ranger (that I got rid of for 2 main reasons: not enough room for a family and poor mileage) got me close to that same mileage as I was averaging 24-25mpg hwy and 19-20 city. that was with a 3.0L V6, automatic, and I just expected much better from this car.
anyways, Im changing my priorities on planned MODs
first and foremost,
replacing the ECU with one from an MP3. it will give me a much more smooth and clean power curve (most people running these in the mp5 are getting an avg of 7-10% increase in FE)
a full fluid/grease replacement with synthetic fluids where applicable
a full tuneup
a 626 intake mani
and then either the 626v6 trans or, if I can find one, the diesel g-series trans from Europe.
total cost will put me somewhere between $400-$800, depending on which trans I can find. and should give me a substantial increase in FE, probably around 25% or better.
that would make me feel a LOT better :)

after thinking about it, Im not doing too bad
my combined avg EPA is 24mpg and Im getting better than that with all city driving, which EPA sets it at 22mpg, so in light of those numbers, 28mpg all city driving isnt too shabby :)
to date Ive saved almost $100.0 and 25g. not too bad with such a short log.

@ slowmover
that is a pretty bold assumption to make about my age, Im 43.
so while I know there are some people on here who are older, I'd wager Im older than probably 80% of the other members

The "giveaway" was the frustration over a short time/distance . . and likely not more than ten years of driving and only recently converted to economy. We all lag somewhere on the sliding abstraction/emotion scale. Women file for divorce (they miss "feeling in love") and men get too involved with objects (money, cars, hunting, etc) past a certain age. We all still foolishly think life is college-career-kids and then proceed to fall off a conceptual cliff (consume, consume!!).

after thinking about it, Im not doing too bad
my combined avg EPA is 24mpg and Im getting better than that with all city driving, which EPA sets it at 22mpg, so in light of those numbers, 28mpg all city driving isnt too shabby
to date Ive saved almost $100.0 and 25g. not too bad with such a short log.


Yup, longest road in the world: between head and heart.

The scope of the mods versus price sounds good. Ought to be satisfying. Any anticipated downside to them (from stock performance)?

.

the only downside (depending how you look at it) would be a slightly slower acceleration, but the 626 IM should offset that enough to where its hardly noticeable. :)

the biggest problem is finding the parts and buying them. installing wouldnt be all too difficult except if I need to use the 626v6 trans, then I will run into some minor fabrication issues that will force me to use a machine shop.

Well; now you are making me feel very old at 57, but I will not let it bother me.
That's how you should feel after just one or close bad tanks.

I strongly get the impression that you could use a vacation, in that even a short road trip to somewhere for a nice cruise run would boost your tank, and morale!

I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share on here, but 2 tires around only 20psi.??? Bad on you. It's the cheapest best mod available outside of not doing jack rabbit starts.

Life really is 90% attitude! Don't let depression win.

I don't know if this happens to anyone else but: I go through time periods where let's say I scrape a finger, and bleed a little. Time after time, I'll cut myself about 2 more times somehow in the next couple of weeks, then nothing....fine for maybe 2 1/2 months; then the cycle repeats.

There always is testing of yourself in life. It usually is those challenges that long term improve us in strength!!!

Try popping some new spark plugs in. It's cheap, you know it's not a bad thing,,, I always like freshening them before a long road trip!

Definitely hang in there... raised and learned to drive in Boca Raton, I feel your pain. It took me a full year to start getting the numbers consistently that I am now. My location currently helps some, but you may just need some thicker skin, darker sunglasses, and more patience. ;)

yea Larry, that is right at the top of my list of things, probably by the end of the week, as well as a new air filter. Ive read of some people with the same engine as mine using 1.6l coils on their engines, not 100% sure but I think it gives a better ignition. I will have to look more into that.

well, I do have to admit that Im fairly new to truly hypermiling/ecodriving. while some of the hypermiling techniques Ive used for years, it wasnt to save gas, but time. I would always time my lights so I wouldnt have to stop, and I always drafted to some degree or another. but at the same time, I was never light footed when accelerating, or just driving at a steady spd. if someone was holding me up whether two/four or more lanes, I did my absolute best to pass them, usually involving flooring it until I got around them :)
it has truly been very hard to drive so conservatively, especially on the backroads when no one is around, or if I get caught behind someone doing 10mph under the posted limit.
but Im getting there, I have a lot less slip ups now than I did just 4 months ago, thats for certain.

I'm a big fan of pulling the power-steering belt, if the design permits (and if your situation allows it). That can give you some instant gratification.

For crummy weather, I cycle the A/C on hills, with the recirc on -- on flat ground, the same can apply when starting from stops, lights, or during appreciable acceleration.

The bottom line -- if you love to drive or feel better after a spirited drive -- let the tank take it. You bought a 5-speed Mazda for a reason. There's nothing wrong with that. Lots of us here are converts from performance (and/or understand the time to be efficient, and the time to run for fun).

If you enjoy the EcoModding hobby, you can have fun with mods, experimenting, and perhaps use that manual to engine-off coast and bump start (for example).

Contrary to other sites (and many members here) I have a philosophy to let the mods and the car do the job over technique -- this way anyone can drive the car and get better mileage. But, it will almost always take that technique to break beyond that personal goal.

So, keep an eye on those tires -- squishy 17's will negate so many other efforts.

Anyway, we all start somewhere on this journey to FE, and it can take several failed tanks to make us humble, rely on that Scientific Method, and take us to those who understand to help us out.

Best FE to ya,

RH77

A nice essay here on the head versus heart "problem" (scientific sensibility) and the famous letter by Thomas Jefferson to Maria Cosway, here, known by that title (though from a purely personal angle).

Very interesting. Thanks. How did you come across these?

Glad to see the enthusiasm is back. :thumbup:

I tap this a lot but most of my gains have been from technique and pumped up tyres. If you can learn to live without the need to pass all the time and even just use someone under the PSL as a nice excuse for a cruise you will see loads of gains. Before you go down the road of mods I would stick with what you have and see what you can get first.

However the car - the Protege5 picture I could find is from Wikipedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Protege5_.jpg

Is this what yours looks like ? You can see what I might mention - the bars the bars, oh the aero orrer :D

no roof bars on mine :)
but yes, that is pretty much what it looks like.

the only aeromods Ive done to date is a partial lower grill block and foglamp covers.

An intellectual education.

A definition of what's constitutes literacy is [10] books per year not concerned with ones livelihood, nor cookbooks, self-help, etc. Literature, in other words; science, history, etc. I tend to read 4-5 books per week. And have for closing in on 40-years.

When one reads an influential book (say, Hedges on the liberal class) and the bibliography consists of books one has also read it tends to make for associations, that, over time (and many, many books) lead one to other fine writers and authors one might once have ignored. Even familiar ones read in a new light. Hope you enjoyed those two above as I have.

Mortimer Adler makes the arguments much better than I. The book here referenced should be the basis of any beginning education as an adult.

What to read is not nearly so important as how to read. With that, much is illuminated from the minds older crevices: a recent essay and one recalled from long-ago college. The mind is a more capacious tool than we recognize.

While on that note, the Fuel Crisis Pinto from C&D Magazine, IIRC, was one I read as current way-back when. The great thing about a forum such as this is to recall those older tidbits and re-learn attitudes towards driving plus express the genuine admiration for the DIY work seen here. The citations of Hucho, et. al. starts to get beyond me. But, with help, even guys like me will benefit.



.

We got this one as the 323 - there is a review here.

If you want to go mods there was a 1.5 and a Diesel but I wouldn't bother as you may have issues with AC which I would think would be mandatory where you are ;)

I have no issues not running AC myself, but yea, my wife might take umbrage ;)
the trans for the diesel is the trans I want to import, but the problem is actually finding one. really hard to search Europe for one here in the states. but someone on the mazda forums was able to find one for $550.0 shipped, which is a heck of a deal.

I feel better now.
last tank netted me 31.5mpg avg, I must attribute it all to the tires being @ 40PSi.
I didnt even do a lot of hypermiling this tank due to the frustration of the last tank.
now Im hoping that the new set of tires Im putting on (thinner than the ones on it now) couple with some solid hypermiling is going to allow me to see some 33mpg avgs :)

Thats a good tank - Now your "mojo" is back, set a target - say 35 and go for it. It may mean not going for the front of the queue or always overtaking on the backroads but then again think of the money saved and what you could do with that - maybe a meal out at the end of the month with the Mrs (woo), or a day in a playpark for the kids or something maybe your and Mrs D0s were saving for.

All more important than going fast IMHO.

I would give the mods a miss TBH, although if you want I (or indeed 320, or any of us Europeans with our free healthcare and lazy lifestyles...) could see if we could find what you need. I have to say 323s of that vintage are rare here because of rust - we salt our roads in winter.

Good luck. :thumbup:

I looked at the OP's mention of 1/2 tank @65 mph, and immediately thought, "there's a lot of low-hanging fruit to be picked." 65 mph? Really?

uhm... huh ?
you have completely lost me on that comment :)

We are wondering why you are choosing to drive at 65mph, instead of a more dignified 50-55mph???

Exactly. That's easily 800 RPM over what, a couple hours? Slowing down 10mph on a 2 hour drive will only cost you 20 minutes. Going fast is not worth the gas.

How much are you using P&G and EOC? Especially in the city, when you're not accelerating, pop it into neutral and coast. It cuts your revs in half easily, and on longer coasts you can EOC with effectively infinity MPG.

Also, block up that top grille! The top one will get you better gains than the bottom because you want the air to go over the top of the car easily. Maybe think of getting an OEM front lip.

I'd skip all the trans mods and whatnot because they aren't going to save you much money considering the cost of the mods. I'm driving what's essentially a Mazda MX6 and consistently getting 38MPG and 400 miles with a little effort. It's mechanically stock, but with a few aero mods. Have you removed the rear seats, or do you need those for the little one(s)?

Pop that baby out of gear and save some MPG's.