Ecomodding Fiesta diesel
 

Hey there!

I'm from Prtugal, I have a Ford Fiesta 1.8D NA engine from 1992 like this:

http://images.quebarato.com.br/photo.../F/8F79F_1.jpg

It is a kinda hipermiler does an unpreocupied average 5l/100km, which is a good average for a car like that, no mods at all!

What ideas do you give me so I can improve mileage?

It has no undertray panels.

I have been using all the hipermiler tips and the fuel consumption rides about 4.8 and 5l/100km.

The use of alternator cut off, even with belt. Use of undertray. Some examples no?

Thanks!

Hello and welcome to EcoModder:)

The Fiesta is a very economical car to start with, but I'm sure you can do even better.

Other than pumping up your tires and adjusting your driving style (which I'm sure you have already done), here are a few ideas:

1. Grille block, at least partial, but a full block with closeable holes is better,
2. Fold or remove the passenger side mirror,
3. Narrower and/or taller tires with low rolling resistance,
4. Alternator cut off switch with a larger battery,
5. Engine kill button,
6. Bellypan (under the engine, and maybe all the way back),
7. Flat wheel covers (hubcaps),
8. Rear wheel skirts,
9. Kammback.

The above mods should let you easily get below 4 l/100km. Check out 65+ Efficiency Mods for more ideas.

The '92 Fiesta has a very nicely shaped rear hatch for adding a Kammie, it could be at least 60-70cm long. I'd love to see how much of an improvement it would give.

Hi,

Welcome to EM.

(for info to posters this "Fester" has a 1.8 Litre IDI NA Diesel engine, roughly 55hp - 81lb/ft) - its an older mechanical Diesel pump too.

The "Fester" you have is the original IDI engined version so you seem to be doing really well so far - from your figures you are around 50+mpg (imperial) which seems good to me from this car.

As Piwoslaw has tapped, check out the original mods thread if you feel you are at the limit of what you can get with driving alone.

There aren't a lot of mods available for the motor of this car, the aim from Ford will be long-term life rather than extreme MPG. Ford did a TDDI version which may give you longer gearing with a similar gearbox but they are about as rare as chickens dentures here in the UK. You may also be able to use/get the gearbox from a TD Escort (aka Scrote) or an early (as in late 1990s) Focus - if/when a brit tourist crashes a hire car :D. But the cost/benefit of this is probably not working for you.

The key mod for this version of the Fester will be weight reduction I think - remove any seats you don't use regularly, the spare, the rubbish in the boot/trunk and so on. You can remove the spare if you get one of those re-inflate cans.

You are then into aero-mods if you want to get a lot more from this model.

Take care on those roads though, I have driven in p-gal and know about the patchy tarmac. :thumbup:

Hey!

Thanks a lot guys!

Things I'm planning to do:
[*]Grille block, partial, because my car has almosto no air enter at all, the onde over the front bumper is like 2 fingers thick, and the under one is practically closed by the license plate. though I'll think about a way of auto close or open it, depending on engine's temp.
[*]Allready have narrow tires, are 165mm wide, have some 145 but are a bit unsecure. mines are: 165/65 r13
[*] Alternator cut off switch I'm really interested on that, could you help me on this please? :eek:
[*] Engine kill button how does it work?:(
[*] Bellypan only under the engine and on the left rear side of the spare tyre, I'll use some form any other car and just adapt it there.

If with this I'll reach maybe 4,2l/100km I'll be really happy as it does about 4,8/100km.


Does the Escort gearbox is longer that the fezzy? Won't it burn more becaus has few power for the rotation?

as for your questions, just do a search, there are several good threads on each topic.

So the engine kill button shuts off the engine like when you turn off the key right?

The alternator cut off is used in the wire that goes to the batery + pole?

Mostly - yes. You hold a button down for 1-2 seconds and the engine shuts off. There are many ways to do the wiring, it depends on your engine. It's better than turning the key back and forth since a kill switch doesn't turn the lights and accessories off or reset your computer.

You switch the engine off when you stop at a red light which you know will stay red for at least another few seconds. Some people turn their engine off when coasting. This has good and bad sides, both safety- and legal-wise. First be comfortable with P&G, then you can start thinking about engine off coasting.

NO!!
That is the thick supply wire and you don't want to touch that. First, the current going through it can be as much as 100A. Second, cycling the supply on and off can damage the voltage regulator (a bunch of electronics that keep the alternator from frying the rest of the car). If you are lucky, then your alternator has a field wire coming out of it - its current is small and putting a switch or relay on it will give the same (only safer) results as disconnecting the supply. If you're less lucky, then either the alternator doesn't have a field wire, or cutting it doesn't unexcite the field. Then your only hope is replacing the alternator with a unit that can be turned off, or taking it apart and cutting/soldering the internal parts. The latter was done by one if the members here, but I believe he had problems with getting it to work.

In some cars there is a thin wire on the alt, a so called lamp wire, cutting which won't turn the alternator off. The best way to check is to turn the engine on, turn on all accessories like lights, so you put a load on the engine, then unplug the small wire. If you can hear a change in the engine, then you're golden:)

Another option is to go totally alternatorless (take off the accessory belt). This requires some sacrifices and planning, but many members have gone down that road and so there is lots of info on it here. This definately works better on older cars without energy-hogging accessories or advanced electronics.

EDIT: Here is the beginning of AXMonster's odyssey with his self-exciting alternator.

So the kill switch button in my car's case it cuts power for the Injection Pump when I press down the button right?

But It has to be a 2 button system so that the other button turns on the car right?

Thanks!

As for the alternator still have to se it, I have a W wire for the rev counter!
Is that?

In your case cutting the fuel pump should work. Here are two threads to look into:
Kill switch how-to
Killing a diesel.
If you have a camshaft or crankshaft sensor, then cutting one of those may work (in my case - it doesn't:( ).

You can always use your key to turn the engine back on (or if you are still rolling, then bump starting would be better), but a start button is probably easier than a kill button, so you might as well do it.

Thanks mate!

Now I know how is it!

I'm thinkin about using a single switch that when pressed just turns off the car by the Injection pump and then I'll bump start it!

On traffic lights I'll use the key!

But at night for example if you turn on the car with the lights on it may blow one out, so there has to be a way of auti turn off the lights with a second button to turn on the car without key by pressing the clutch for example. A relay should work it out!

Once again thanks for your help! As soon as I have some time to it I'll make it work, for now colleage is in first place! :thumbup: