First Tank

[Accented]

Hello,

A week ago I joined the forum after reading for a couple of days. I made the decision to try some (more, already did a few of them) of the techniques outlined and see how it goes. I found a handful of receipts between the seats and plugged in those tanks and found I was already doing a fair job of beating the EPA 25 combined and 32 hwy estimates.

I filled this morning and pulled off an impressive 36.41 mpg. The pump automatically shut off at 5.8 gallons and I did not want to artificially inflate my mpg so I filled until it was to the top of the filler neck and 6.7 gallons.

I will be ordering an Ultra-gauge this afternoon just so I will have real time numbers to watch and beat.

My commute consists of 18 miles 1/3 is 65-mph divided highway, the rest is 2-lane highway with 50, 65 and 45-mph zones and 6 traffic lights. There is 315 feet of climb on the way to work and 682 feet of climb on the way home. The climb home is where the gauge should be most helpful in getting better mileage.

Dan

[roosterk0031]

Welcome, my filling accuracy is terrible, I pay more attention to my 3 tank average, and the closer you take it to empty the better your tank to tank or 3 tank average will be. Can't figure out how you have to climb to work and climb to home though? I'm in Iowa and most everything's flat. With neutral coasting the downhills can often beat the uphills.

Love the Fiero's my wife room mate had one in college and I'd buy one in a second at the right price.

[Flakbadger]

Welcome to the forums!
My Ultragauge has been an amazing tool, I'm sure yours will be the same for you.

Make sure if it doesn't automatically detect DFCO to program it to recognize it (I had this issue!). A quick google search will help you, or the online manual... I had another user (Bestclimb) explain it to me awhile back. Makes a huge difference.

Are you planning on any mods, or just going for driving style alone?

[Accented]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

Welcome, my filling accuracy is terrible, I pay more attention to my 3 tank average, and the closer you take it to empty the better your tank to tank or 3 tank average will be. Can't figure out how you have to climb to work and climb to home though? I'm in Iowa and most everything's flat. With neutral coasting the downhills can often beat the uphills.

Love the Fiero's my wife room mate had one in college and I'd buy one in a second at the right price.

Think of the elevation profile of the commute as a capital M, 150 feet of climb to the top of the first peak, 200 feet down the valley, 100 up to the next peak and then down to the end. There is a net loss of 365 feet from home to work. I hope that clears it up for you. Coming in with a cycling background probably gives me a different perspective. I very aware of energy loss when climbing any small rise.

The Fiero is fun, highly impractical except for commuting, and when driven with a light foot will easily get good mileage.

Dan

[Accented]

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

Welcome to the forums!
My Ultragauge has been an amazing tool, I'm sure yours will be the same for you.

Make sure if it doesn't automatically detect DFCO to program it to recognize it (I had this issue!). A quick google search will help you, or the online manual... I had another user (Bestclimb) explain it to me awhile back. Makes a huge difference.

Are you planning on any mods, or just going for driving style alone?

Aero mods are in the back of my mind, nothing too radical. I have access to urethane sheeting (flexible, about 1/4" thick) so front air dam out of that and belly pan with smooth wheel covers. She who must be appeased is interested in HHO generation, I need to find out more about that. I also need to find out if side skirts help at all, with the urethane I have adding those would be easy, but need to look into the benefits.

Great, now I have to start reading about DFCO, as if I don't have enough to learn already!

Like I said I feel I'm off to a pretty good start, so I have time to learn and do what I want right the first time.

Dan

[Flakbadger]

Oooooh no. Be careful tossing the HHO thing around on this site. Here on Ecomodder we believe in empirical data. Based on a NASA study, the improvements were unspectacular. A grille block+rear wheel skirts+belly pan would likely exceed the results they achieved. Don't forget this was with 100% pure hydrogen. HHO generators (if they work at all) generate a fractional percent of that hydrogen. Please read this link and at least a couple of the related links before you jump into anything or believe in fantastical claims.

Other than that, it sounds like you're on the right track.

-Matt

[Accented]

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

Oooooh no. Be careful tossing the HHO thing around on this site. Here on Ecomodder we believe in empirical data. Based on a NASA study, the improvements were unspectacular. A grille block+rear wheel skirts+belly pan would likely exceed the results they achieved. Don't forget this was with 100% pure hydrogen. HHO generators (if they work at all) generate a fractional percent of that hydrogen. Please read this link and at least a couple of the related links before you jump into anything or believe in fantastical claims.

Other than that, it sounds like you're on the right track.

-Matt

I guess I will just hope that being a Noob will give me a "free pass" on the HHO comment, at least 'she who must be appeased' is showing an interest in my new hobby by suggesting something she had heard of. She is really looking forward to the arrival of the Ultra-gauge and was watching my changed habits when we were in the car together this last weekend. It's nice to know that my efforts will not be wasted once she gets behind the wheel.

Dan

[Gealii]

Originally Posted by Accented

Aero mods are in the back of my mind, nothing too radical. I have access to urethane sheeting (flexible, about 1/4" thick) so front air dam out of that and belly pan with smooth wheel covers. She who must be appeased is interested in HHO generation, I need to find out more about that. I also need to find out if side skirts help at all, with the urethane I have adding those would be easy, but need to look into the benefits.

Great, now I have to start reading about DFCO, as if I don't have enough to learn already!

Like I said I feel I'm off to a pretty good start, so I have time to learn and do what I want right the first time.

Dan

Welcome.
As far as DFCO and the UG. it is calibrated in the UG by going to the injector cut off option and then taking the liters of your motor and multiplying it by 6, then rounding your answer UP (i believe)
For ex.
2.2L motor
2.2*6=13.2 so the calibrate would be 14

All DFCO does is cut the fuel to the motor at certain instances

If you have steel wheels, smooth wheel covers are very easy to make and attach, as you'll see some using pizza pans screwed onto hubcaps...zip-ties work better on steelies