Controlling the zoom zoom tendencies

[D.O.G.]

I've achieved the latest goal that I set myself.
With my latest fill-up, I've used less than 5.5 L/100km for the last three fills in a row.

While I haven't been brave enough to use the whole theoretical 1000km range of the 55 litre tank, all three have been over 900km, with the highest being 960km.

This is from a Mazda Astina that was advertised in Australia as doing 6.6 L/100km , highway, while the closest equivalent US Mazda was rated at 8.1 L/100km, highway.

I credit four factors with reaching this milestone:

1- Working afternoon shift for the last few months gives me light traffic most of the time.

2- Summer … enough said.

3- Taller tyres. From 195/50/15 to 195/60/15 = 5.7% taller gears, essential for a marque whose whole marketing strategy was based on Zoom Zoom.

4- Ecomodder. Without the positive reinforcement of the folk on this site, I don't believe I'd have kept pushing beyond 6.0 L/100km.
No one on the Astina site that I visit is rude enough to call BS on the fuel consumption figures I've posted previously, but my figures are so far beyond the norm, I get the impression that I'm considered "eccentric".

So here's a big thanks to all who post on this site ... where we can all be eccentric together.

Pete.

[gone-ot]

...consistency is always good!

...eccentricity is simply green electricity in plain disquise (wink,wink)!

[D.O.G.]

So, what for the future? The next obvious goal is 5.0 L/100km (47 US mpg).

I think this is going to take more than careful driving and pumped-up tyres, so ... It's time for some more mods.

As a starting point, I've just fitted an injector kill switch.

Using the ignition key also turned off the speedo.
Because the engine sometimes restarted if I made the key-off time too short, I often missed out on recording 50 or 60 meters every time I used EOC.
Given that I use 25 or 30 short EOCs going to work, that adds up fairly quickly.

I'm off work for a few weeks now, so I'll have to wait to see how much difference this might make for a normal commute.

[euromodder]

Seems like you're hooked

[D.O.G.]

Originally Posted by euromodder

Seems like you're hooked

Oooh yeah!


I went for a 150km drive to pick up some FREE Datsun parts this morning.
I can already see that I'll be using EOC a lot more with this kill switch, it makes it so much easier.

[D.O.G.]

A brief update on the new kill switch.

I'm on to my second version of the kill circuit now.
The first, that only killed the injectors, let the engine stumble to a halt. The latest version also kills the spark, so it's quicker.

I find I use EOC much more often now that when I keyed off.

My latest fill is a new personal best of 5.19 l/100km.
My previous best was 5.3 l/100km.

[brucepick]

Nice work!