Hello fellow modders

[Tmugz88]

Morning,

My goal is fuel economy and reliability honestly. So my second thought was getting rid of unnecessary weight. And, continuing with gaining knowledge from this forum and adjusting my driving habits. I do want to obtain a 2nd set of rims/tires for winter driving in Wisconsin ao maybe locating a 15" set of insight rims would be beneficial for summer driving.

Are there any tire manufacturers that would be recommended that are specific to mpg ? I know those tires are available. As of now the car has a mitch match set from the previous owner. This is my 2nd tank and I'll know my MPG after I fuel up this morning.

Would cruise control be beneficial for MPG goals? It currently doesn't have it and it's a nice feature but it's not needed.

I looked around the forum, over inflation or tires seems to be another option. The tires now are currently at 38psi, maybe on the next tank I'll jump them to 40psi? I've seen many discuss an increase to 70 or even 80psi! I'm new here but that definitely seems unsafe, and would potentially cause premature failure of the time, please correct me if I'm wrong though .

[ECO-AKJ]

This guy posted his wheels from Canada,

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...ale-40176.html

[Tmugz88]

I'm waiting for photos, thank you.

Clocked in at 41.08MPG today , not bad I'd like to try and increase that with adjustments to my tire psi and driving habits.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Tmugz88

Would cruise control be beneficial for MPG goals? It currently doesn't have it and it's a nice feature but it's not needed.

Sometimes it's quite helpful, as long as it's adaptative.

[65whitelion]

I’ve stopped us adaptive cruise, as it is not that smart in my generation of software.
I have a speed limiter function, which allows ME to drive the car, but helps prevent intervention from the constabulary:-0
The CC also has disadvantages of using rear brakes to slow the vehicle on hills. Went through rear brakes fairly quickly when I first had the car, and didn’t realise the cause.
To my mind, an alert driver can easily outperform cc in the fuel economy stakes.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Most of my references to adaptative cruise controls were talks to interstate bus drivers, yet nowadays truckers and bus drivers often have a more comprehensive training on how to use features such as the adaptative cruise control. I never forget a night in 2007 when a bus driver told me he could drive from the city I lived at that time and my hometown and almost never touch the pedals, and my father then questioned me how that would be possible, then I had to explain about the adaptative cruise control and braking retarders.

[Tmugz88]

So would standard cruise for longer commutes not be beneficial unless I'm more active with it? I didn't think anything beyond a universal kit was possible .

[JSH]

Hello Tmugz88 - welcome.

I had a 2016 Spark but it was the EV. First things first - is your goal to save money or to save fuel and show the highest MPG you can? (We have people on Ecomodder in both camps) I ask because you could spend $1000 on new wheels and tires to save $100 in fuel.

14 inch wheels will work on your car (Tire Rack sells them). When buying a used wheel be very careful to research and make sure the bolt pattern, size, center hub and offset are all correct.

Personally I run about 45 psi in my tires. Near the max pressure but not over it. I also run higher pressure in the front than the rear because I want more neutral handling.

One easy thing you could do is get rid of your spare tire, jack, and tire change kit. The Spark EV did not have one and just had a factory air pump with tire sealant. You could buy a can of fix-a-flat and save about 30 lbs of weight. That depends on your risk tolerance. My 2017 Bolt didn't come with a spare tire and I bought a Spark spare from a junkyard because I've had enough flat tires to always want a spare with me.

You could also remove the rear center seatbelt if you don't need it for small kids or car seats.

Another easy thing is a grill block. Most of your center grill is blocked off already but you could use tape, cardboard, or some custom made plastic panels to block off more of the grill. It is likely way oversized for use in Northern Wisconsin and is sized to flow enough air to keep the car from overheating going up steep passes in death valley at 120F outside temp. Just keep an eye on your temperatures (I blocked about 30% of my grill in a 2003 VW TDI and 2004 Prius while living in Alabama with no issue)

For a factory look you could buy the top grill from a Spark EV

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Tmugz88

So would standard cruise for longer commutes not be beneficial unless I'm more active with it? I didn't think anything beyond a universal kit was possible .

It may depend on route conditions and other factors, but maybe you could benefit from a cruise control. A few truckers and bus drivers I talked to said the adaptative cruise control was an useful feature for them, yet commercial drivers tend to have better training on how to use specific features.

[Tmugz88]

I deleted a bit more of your response but I'm looking for long term MPG goals. My current employer is 30 miles away. I was just hired for a job job that will require a lot more travel with less fuel reimbursement. So I'm definitely looking for better MPG.

Personally I run about 45 psi in my tires. Near the max pressure but not over it. I also run higher pressure in the front than the rear because I want more neutral handling.

I'm presently playing with my tire pressure and adjusting it in 2psi incriminate. I believe the mismatch tires on the car (lion heart and fuzion) is causing a marginal decrease in mpg.

One easy thing you could do is get rid of your spare tire, jack, and tire change kit. The Spark EV did not have one and just had a factory air pump with tire sealant. You could buy a can of fix-a-flat and save about 30 lbs of weight. That depends on your risk tolerance. My 2017 Bolt didn't come with a spare tire and I bought a Spark spare from a junkyard because I've had enough flat tires to always want a spare with me.

My 2014 didn't come with a spare just the repair kit.

You could also remove the rear center seatbelt if you don't need it for small kids or car seats.

I unfortunately need to keep the safety gear due to having children .

Another easy thing is a grill block. Most of your center grill is blocked off already but you could use tape, cardboard, or some custom made plastic panels to block off more of the grill. It is likely way oversized for use in Northern Wisconsin and is sized to flow enough air to keep the car from overheating going up steep passes in death valley at 120F outside temp. Just keep an eye on your temperatures (I blocked about 30% of my grill in a 2003 VW TDI and 2004 Prius while living in Alabama with no issue)

Are you referring to blocking infront or behind the grill?