Getting frustrated by lack of prior Aero modded Camry's - Page 5 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

pgmomni · 07-04-2010, 09:03 PM

594 miles on 16.035 gals. ]

Last week during the power outage I used a 1500 watt power inverter on the Camry to keep the frig and freezer running. These 2 with a light in the kitchen drew 20-30 amps. I had to rip put the upper grill block as running the Camry at steady 1500 rpms behind the house the fans came on a lot!

When we made coffee using a Mr. Coffee maker the amps peaked at 90!

So, any way, this 99% pure hwy run, avg speed with a decent amount of traffic was 48. No uppper grille block, BUT some water induction thru a 1/4 vacuum line into a bottle of water in the cup holder in the center console.

Installed a tee in a vacuum line btw the high idle vacuum soleinoid and the throttle body. Ran the 1/4 line to the center console. On the end of the vacuum line I used one of my late mothers insulin syringes. Kinda like a IV drip of water into the TB.

"Seemed" better at hill climbing. Ran cooler on the water temp but then again we had no upper grille block and the weather was cool.

Peeked at the pistons thru spark plug hole and noticeable less carbon build up which is why I wanted to try the water IV drip.

Pete

windshadow · 07-04-2010, 10:25 PM

dude that looks very close . i wonder if you could bend the outer edges around a bit into aerodynamic line of the tires with a heat gun or hair dryer .

pgmomni · 07-05-2010, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windshadow

dude that looks very close . i wonder if you could bend the outer edges around a bit into aerodynamic line of the tires with a heat gun or hair dryer .

A couple of other members concur and today I may get around to tweaking.

Was thinking of making some side skirts too as I have more vinyl siding anyway.

I need to work on changing over to water injection as opposed to water induction. Induction method draws more water on high vacuum, less on low vacuum (high load, throttle opened wide) when the exact opposite is what is desired. Need to use washer fluid pump and a misting nozzle in the throttle body along with a vacuum switching valve the shuts it off under high vacuum.
A couple of times when idling in traffic it "sucked" down 8-10 oz of water dam quick when map was in low 4's. Good way to blow a head gasket or bend a piston rod or valve.

Pete

pgmomni · 07-23-2010, 06:12 PM

My Spoiler is gone, ripped off violently by a truck tire carcass rolling in the road on I495.
Last nite in congested but fast moving traffic (70-75) while coming to the end of a hyper-miling pulse and glide. I came up on a pack of cars "grouped" together blocking. I drifted into the left lane to extend my glide when out of now where came a large truck tire carcass rolling perpendicular to traffic. Too late to perform pervasive manuvuer without possibly hitting another car. I drove over it, or should I say thru it. It hit my front right lower bumper, right tires both rode over it.
Traffic was so tight and moving I could not even attempt to pull over. I listened for the tell tale sounds or vibration of serious damage. All quiet.

This AM I went out to go to post office and to my horror, spoiler completely gone. Crack in bumper cover. Rubber on bumper and right rear door AND worst of ALL my right rear full moon hubcap GONE!

#$%^#$&#$&@#$. When I bought these I just knew they were going to get stolen or something. Had I bad feeling.

I can make a new spoiler, the brackets are still attached to the lower bumper cover, but no way to easily replace that 1 hubcap. Incident happened approx 50-60 miles from house so not real practical to go back and get it now. As it was the right rear wheel and I was in the left lane of a 3 lane interstate with congested traffic it most likely got ran over.
At the time the avg mpg for the tank was at 37.1, this am it was at only 36.5. The last 60 miles with no spoiler and missing a hubcap appears to confirm the spoiler was working to reduce drag.

Pete

aerohead · 07-23-2010, 06:25 PM

Sorry to hear about the incident.I will face similar challenge in September.No risk,no gain,right?
Your spoiler looked REALLY good,I hope you can stomach the strength to redo it.
And it sucks about the MOON,they don't exactly fall off trees.
In a perfect world,we'd have forward-looking ranging electronics,and the spoilers would be 'active'.If the sensors 'saw' a road gator looming up,the spoilers would retract until past the danger.
Thanks for sharing some tough memories.Don't lose heart.You're a hero!

pgmomni · 07-23-2010, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerohead

Sorry to hear about the incident.I will face similar challenge in September.No risk,no gain,right?
Your spoiler looked REALLY good,I hope you can stomach the strength to redo it.
And it sucks about the MOON,they don't exactly fall off trees.
In a perfect world,we'd have forward-looking ranging electronics,and the spoilers would be 'active'.If the sensors 'saw' a road gator looming up,the spoilers would retract until past the danger.
Thanks for sharing some tough memories.Don't lose heart.You're a hero!

Losing a Moon sucks. They cost me $90 for the set. I will have to remove the other back one for now.

If weather permits I will rebuild spoiler this weekend. Will not take very long now that I know how to do it.

Will make ends curve better this time.

Pete

NeilBlanchard · 07-23-2010, 09:09 PM

Hi Pete,

I lost a smooth wheel cover about a month ago, in Ohio. It fell off and I saw it, and I was able to stop and retrieve it. I tweaked the fingers to try and keep it more firmly in place -- and then it promptly fell off again in less than 15 miles... That was a bumpy section of Rt 80.

I am going to try to make some out of pizza pans or just flat aluminum (though the latter cost as much as the one I lost), and fasten them with something "positive" like screws and weld nuts onto the rims?

3-Wheeler · 07-23-2010, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

...and fasten them with something "positive" like screws and weld nuts onto the rims?

Hi Neil,

That's my sentiment as well.

If I go through the time to make custom wheel covers, I want them to stay on no matter what...

When I make them for the Insight some day, there will be some nicely done, drilled and tapped holes near the center of the wheels...

Jim.

pgmomni · 08-01-2010, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerohead

Sorry to hear about the incident.I will face similar challenge in September.No risk,no gain,right?
Your spoiler looked REALLY good,I hope you can stomach the strength to redo it.
And it sucks about the MOON,they don't exactly fall off trees.
In a perfect world,we'd have forward-looking ranging electronics,and the spoilers would be 'active'.If the sensors 'saw' a road gator looming up,the spoilers would retract until past the danger.
Thanks for sharing some tough memories.Don't lose heart.You're a hero!

Will try and post a new pic tomorrow.

Still took a few hrs as first I had to repair the cracks in the plastic bumper cover and replace MIA wheel well cover to stock under body covers. What a mess. bad crack in bumper cover, luckily mostly underneath and out of site.

Pete

P.S. I worked thru dinner time and wife was PO'ed I didn't make dinner again!
"what did you do all day?" lol

Well, I replaced the plywood floor on my utility trailer and made a new spoiler for my car!

That went over reeeaal well!

SturnellaNeglecta · 08-15-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgmomni

When I bought the 15" pizza pans they were too small, needed the 16" pans to fit my 15" steel wheels correctly.

I had the same problem. The 13" pizza pans I bought on eBay were about an inch smaller in diameter than the 13" wheels on my car. My pizza-baking needs were already covered, so I'll make it work... I'm not just throwing out that $20!

For those of you thinking about ordering pans, grab a tape measure and check your wheels first, as the rim size is actually listed as the diameter of the tire's bead. Fairly common sense but if two of us can miss it, others will too.