the "Daily Drive" thread - March 2008
 

Post your achievements, frustrations and general info about getting about efficiently in your daily travels.

I guess we skipped doing a February thread.

My latest trip was about 80 km (50mi) of mostly rural highway (light traffic), with about a 45 minute stop in the middle.

88.6 mpg (US)

- -1 C / very light wind
- 1 hour block heater warm-up
- average speed 29 mph
- max. 54 mph

Technique: mostly 3rd gear P&G between 45-65 km/h, with a bit of 2-3 and 3-4 as well.

Just sent my scangauge out to get upgraded this week. Can't wait for the xgauge features!

My mod's last weekend seem to be paying off this week, despite some strong winds. I credit the WAI. But WAI is causing me to relearn my radiator-block vs ambient-temp settings. :)

The Scanguage is reporting 1-2 mpg increase on the 20 mpg hills, and I'm watching the tank average creep up every day. I've been able to maintain my average this winter, but hadn't seen any gains until now. I'm very pleased.

Just started ecomodding

This week with the metro my 50mile one way trip I have been doing about 20-25 miles of Drafting semi's at 60-65 mph. Trying some other new techniques on the 20 mile gravel )averaging 45-50mph )stretch like EOC and coasting in neutral. We will see wha dkind of results I get at fill time.

I took the '92 corolla out to Tufts University, MIT, and Brown University this weekend while I toured my grad school options and then visited my gf. I drove about 311 miles, maybe 40 of which were city. I never drove those roads so slow, but I squeezed out 34 mpg. I was pretty happy considering I'm new to this and it's an automatic. This summer I may or may not get the car and, if I do, I will instrument it properly and do some mods :D

I've also ridden my bicycle ~42 miles in two shorter rides. If the rain holds off tomorrow I am looking to double that number.

Our VX has been subjected to rough conditions for the last several months. we live on an unpaved road, and there has been lots of snow. Now it is melting, and you can really feel the drain of energy from the mud. I am averaging mid to upper 40's mpg with a few miles on the mud and then the remainder on rural highways. I think my average would be better but my wife uses the car too, and she is not as obsessive as I am. At least she drives really slow. She sometimes forgets and drives along in 3rd going 50, while talking...and all I can think of is "shift up...shift up".

I don't have the nerve to average 30 mph. I would definately be run off the road...but I have been pushing it these days. This last tank I have been driving 47-50 in a 55mph zone, and then doing just 40-45 mph on the really quiet 55 mph zones. I think the vx is most efficient around 35mph. Really though I cant wait for the weather to get better so I can do some aero mods.

http://metroxfi.com/wp-content/uploa...3/100_0136.jpg

My drive is as crazy as always :)

BTW an aluminum can won't hold up to highway driving. I changed over to an old spray can after blowing the back off that can. Possible results friday when I fill up.

Drink
 

Here's the problem: Mountain Dew Light

Regular Mountain Dew may have done the trick, but the diet version tends to be lighter and more prone to detachment. :p

Honestly -- looking forward to the results. EZ mod, practical results...

RH77

Fuel gauge hit 1/2 at ~225 this week. I think it was 180 on the first tank and 200 on the last. Might be able to reach 400 to E :D

Thinking about filling up anyway since gas ain't getting any cheaper, and I could start experimenting with more air in the tires. Even though I'm enjoying filling up every 3 weeks instead of 2, I'm trying to get more data until I can get a SG or equiv. (still eyeing the dashdyno, but both are out of reach)

What the hell is that can doing on your exhaust?!? I missed something :confused:

Ugh, just had another average fill up. Dogonnit, SG was reporting good numbers all week. Very disappointing. I found this in another thread today, concerning SG fuel calculations:

Scangauge is reading:
0C - RPM
04 - Load
05 - Engine coolant temp
0B - MAP
0F - Intake air temp

So I think raising the IA and engine temps may have been fooling the SG.

It has been windy though. Maybe the WA helped me maintain status quo. We'll see...

That's KC
 

I've had the same problems in Kansas City.

I drive to the airport against the wind, then back home against the wind.

I set up a warm-air intake for frigid outside temps and it warms up outside -- creating a HOT air intake (140F = not good). Then it rains like crazy! At least this time, the WAI is a good, solid attachment.

According to the SG, I should be getting 33-34, but I end up with 31-ish at the pump. Ugh.

I need to set up a variable intake temperature system of some sort (talked about it for a long time). As it gets warmer, I'll have to move the source from the exhaust header to somewhere else or the engine will ping itself to oblivion.

That has been the hardest part about this car -- finding cold air (for both the engine and cabin). The cowling next to the battery has a removable partition that might be a good source of cool air. I may affix some sort of scoop to direct air to the airbox. It'll take a hit in aero, but I predict that the correct IAT will outweight it.

The "Vent" setting for the cabin draws air basically from the engine compartment (the hood sweeps over the vent intake and sucks hot air most of the time -- good for Winter, really bad for Summer). Avoidance of the A/C definitely will outweigh any scoop aero. We'll see what develops...

RH77

I've been running with the gas warning light on for a while waiting for a break in pricing. Gas here in the Toronto area is around $1.09 a litre (3.785 litres per gallon). There were only about 400 KMs on the trip odo when the light came on so this tank will probably be somewhere around 16 mpg. It is totally indicative of all the short cold drives since I've managed to keep my right foot out of it in all this snow that we've had.


Who sells electric wheel bearing warmers? I can't even roll backwards down a clean driveway onto our street like I can the other 3 seasons...

Oh what a night...
 

Welp, I had another Pontiac Vibe this week -- 63 miles of lots of cold-engine operation. Location: Columbus, OH. Came in on the tail of the record 20" snowfall. The car did great.

Back in town: Airport to Home. Cool, dense air -- the BEST!

Teggy was dialed-in. I kept the TPS around 21% on the highway and let the rolling hills serve as load (with some technique at the hilltop).

The dense air, meeting up with the WAI @ 110F gave the engine everything it needed to make power and economy. It hasn't ran this nicely (and efficiently) in a LONG time. No wind either!

Distance: 53.6 Miles
Avg. Speed: 47 MPH
Max Speed: 76 MPH (downhill)
Time: 1.1 Hours
IAT Avg. 110-115F
Max Coolant: 220F
FE: 39.7 MPG!

Take that, Winter :D

RH77

Shoot. I thought you already had that working. I want it too. I've been noodling it - got to take some measurements this weekend and work on those pesky details.

Nice cruise from the airport:thumbup:

I really researched it a while back and actually got started on it. The hardest part was finding cool air high-enough in the body of the vehicle to avoid the potential of sucking-in water. I got busy with other projects and gave up :o

I'm half-tempted to remove the passenger-side high-beam a-la racer style :p. I've heard of trimming the turn signal to allow an air inlet. The problem is the plumbing for the A/C and coolant lines are all in that area.

Instead of a complex, electronic system, I might develop some sort of manual, in-cabin cable system to change or mix intake air.

RH77

This past week I have had the Integrity's back on and have had some nice commutes. Last Friday night I broke both the previous constant speed and trip record. At 75F and a 13 mph tail wind, the new CST record is now 69.1, previously 66.9. The new trip record is now 70.8, previously 68.2.

Nice, Dan. And this is at 60 mph, right?

The constant speed test is at 60mph indicated, 59mph actual for 37 miles on cruise control. The trip is 50 miles highway at 59 actual and another 18 miles of 25-45MPH speeds.

Finally EOCed up to my favorite gas nozzle today and I did it: 5.73 l/100km = 41.02 mpg! That's better than the 6.0 l/100km limit I had hoped to break. In the summer I should be able to beat 5.5 l/100km (43 mpg), which means my car already meets the European CAFE for new cars of max. 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer, to go into effect in 2012! Compared to the 247 VW Golf III drivers (mostly sedans, a few wagons) with 75-hp engine registered on www.spritmonitor.de, I'm ranked #14 (min = 5.12 l/100km, median = 7.95 l/100km, max= 12.69 l/100km). But now I'm pretty maxed out in terms of technique, until I buy or build an FE gauge to do more optimization.

Just noticed something today while driving: people are predictable.

While coasting to red lights cars zoom around me, hit their brakes to stop, and instantly look into their rear view mirror when I pull up behind.

I know they must be thinking, "Who the hell is driving so slow? Grandma?" Only to be surprised to see a college kid..while all I can think of is the absolute pointlessness of zooming past me to stop.

At almost every long red light I hit, two people are always wondering why the other is acting so dumb. :p...happens every time. :)

I wonder if that law becomes retroactive (i.e. applies to all cars made before 2012) if you could convince them it actually passes. :)

- LostCause

Do we get to count it as infinite MPG when we walk or take the bus?

:)

18.8 Mpg
 

That was the Accord's last fill. Well maintained 2001 5 speed. Does the same short trip stuff. People shouldn't breed in the burbs. Kids make schedules demand 2 vehicles, and neither can be a Smart. :mad:

She does the same stupid commute although she should use the block heater we just put on with the new timing belt water pump at the 55k mile point, and she could also take 5th down to lower speeds but you tell her.

Makes me feel way better for what I get in the lead station wagon. :p

I'd like to know what load just cold bearings cause. Looking forward to spring... happy to be passing the equinox.

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To The Forum
 

I left work tonight at a reasonable time, 11:45pm.
As i was traveling down thew highway on my way home.
In the right lane, DWL ~55mph
I see many blue flashy lights in front of me.
All the other traffic ssslllooowwwsss down and a giant GMC Yukon pulls directly in front of me.
He had been rolling up on my left earlier at a faster pace than me.
Leaving little room between him & me.
I lift my foot from the throttle to allow him to pull up and space us out
BUT
my Geo stays right in his wake
SO
I lift my foot a little more, same thing, foot completely off the gas and I am still traveling at 55mph ~1 geo length from him.
I put car in neutral and ride his wake for ~ 1/2 mile before a side gust of wind breaks the wake/drag connection.
Just another indicator of the parasitic drag caused by the turbulence behind our cars.
The Yukon didn't even feel the Geo behind, cause he was already pulling twice the weight in dead air. [I'm guessing]
I know the dangers of tailgating.
I was actively trying to distance me from him.
I did not want to hit the brakes, but was getting ready to when my earthship finally broke free from his tractor beam.
Thats my funny [not haha] story for the day.
Good Night and have a Pleasant Tomorrow
S.

Talking about smarts, I broke my personal mpg record today with my smart Roadster while learning to do P&G. After a 78 km (49 miles) trip, of which 30 miles was trailing a Russian semi truck, with an average speed of 73 kph (45 mph) the onboard computer displayed numbers 2.8l/100km (83mpg). Unbelievable, and with a completely stock vehicle with no aero or other FE mods. A feather light body with a small turbo charged engine really seems to be the key to high mpgs

Bumpin' up against 40mpg. I'm hopin' tomorrow will get me ~43-44mpg.

2007 Aveo stick, rural highways. This last tank was 383.6 miles, refill with 9.651 gallons for 40.05 mpg.

homeworkhome53

I got my Scan Gauge today and will be hooking it up tonight. After my terrible refill last week (22 mpg) I have been impressed thus far. By changing driving habits only I have already gone 62 miles with the gas needle not moving.

I now go 55 mph to work (I have a 28 mile round trip) instead of 68 mph. I have also mastered EOC for rolling into main street and home.

I will be doing a tune up this weekend (changing plugs & wires, distributer cap and rotor, fuel filter, O2 sensor, PCV Valve, Synthetic ATF Swap). Hopefully my WAI comes this week as well, shooting for 40 mpg!

Also if anyone has any recommendations on Low Rolling Resistance Tires let me know. I am looking at the Nokian i3, I do almost all highway driving.

next... the "Daily Drive" thread - April 2008