Hi from France !

[Adrien]

Hello everybody,

I'm a proud owner of a 2003 Corolla IX 1.6 VVT-i, my first car actually.
I bought it hoping that I could learn to do maintenance work on it, as I began to be interested in car mechanics.

I started with my first oil change, brake discs and pads, and I started to read a lot of things online about this car, so I decided to change the intake manifold and throttle body from the small one on the 1.6 3zz to the bigger one of a celica 1.8L 1zz.

This gave the engine a way softer behaviour at low revs, having more torque, and an appreciable high rev power.
As the initial goal was to have more torque, and more fun, I was and still am fully satisfied.

Over 10 000 km, I averaged 5,78L/100 (41mg US, or 49mgp UK, which one should I use ?) reaching as low as 5,33L/100km for almost 1000km which doesn't seem too bad for me.

I don't consider myself an "hypermiler", as I just drive normally and cautiously, in a way I think everybody should learn to drive.

My next project are :

- considering using E85, I still have to do some research on this.
- and installing a kill switch, as turing the key disable all accessories in my car.


Hope you'll have a ton of advice for me, and you are welcome to correct my english if you wish

[Fat Charlie]

Welcome to the fun!

Hypermiling isn't anything special, it's just driving "normally and cautiously" with a calculated effect for efficiency.

It looks like you're well on your way, we're glad you joined us.

[California98Civic]

Welcome. It seems you've made a good start. Other simple things you can do which are cheap and easy to reverse would include inflating the tires. You'll have to decide for yourself what is safe and feels good. But your tires can take a lot more pressure then we generally put into them. Mine for example pumped up to about 58 or 60 PSI, even though the max sidewall pressure is something like 45. And I've done that for nearly a decade straight without incident or difficulty.

Since you're mechanically inclined and interested, you might consider engine modifications, such as deleting the power steering belt. Others of the accessories you might also delete or switch to Electric Drive. Air conditioning for example could become electrically driven if you had the time and patience to design and build the system, or transplant one from another Toyota vehicle.

There's also a variety of aerodynamic modifications you could implement that are low-key and would not radically change the overall appearance of your car.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by Adrien

Hello everybody,

I'm a proud owner of a 2003 Corolla IX 1.6 VVT-i, my first car actually.
I bought it hoping that I could learn to do maintenance work on it, as I began to be interested in car mechanics.

I started with my first oil change, brake discs and pads, and I started to read a lot of things online about this car, so I decided to change the intake manifold and throttle body from the small one on the 1.6 3zz to the bigger one of a celica 1.8L 1zz.

This gave the engine a way softer behaviour at low revs, having more torque, and an appreciable high rev power.
As the initial goal was to have more torque, and more fun, I was and still am fully satisfied.

Over 10 000 km, I averaged 5,78L/100 (41mg US, or 49mgp UK, which one should I use ?) reaching as low as 5,33L/100km for almost 1000km which doesn't seem too bad for me.

I don't consider myself an "hypermiler", as I just drive normally and cautiously, in a way I think everybody should learn to drive.

My next project are :

- considering using E85, I still have to do some research on this.
- and installing a kill switch, as turing the key disable all accessories in my car.


Hope you'll have a ton of advice for me, and you are welcome to correct my english if you wish

If you're getting 41 mpg out of a stock corolla, you are doing quite well at driving already.

As said above power steering delete is a good one, these little cars don't need power steering, and you will get an appreciable increase in fuel economy.

Kill switch is a good plan, but make sure you're legal to use it, in America we can largely get away with what we want but I understand that in Europe they are hardcore about traffic laws. If I'm wrong, or it's legal, using the kill switch to coast engine off to stops will save you big time in city driving.

[robincooper]

Hello!

[XaqFixx]

Howdy!
Where in France are you? I'm in the US but lived about 20 from the french border in Belgium (near Mons) in primary school.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Adrien

considering using E85, I still have to do some research on this

Not too much problem doing so, as the ZZ engines had E96h-compatible flexfuel versions in Brazil

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by XaqFixx

Howdy!
Where in France are you? I'm in the US but lived about 20 from the french border in Belgium (near Mons) in primary school.

What a long way from home !
I'm now living in south of France, but I'm from north of France, I know Belgium well

Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson

If you're getting 41 mpg out of a stock corolla, you are doing quite well at driving already.

As said above power steering delete is a good one, these little cars don't need power steering, and you will get an appreciable increase in fuel economy.

Kill switch is a good plan, but make sure you're legal to use it, in America we can largely get away with what we want but I understand that in Europe they are hardcore about traffic laws. If I'm wrong, or it's legal, using the kill switch to coast engine off to stops will save you big time in city driving.

You're right, it is illegal here, and if one day i'm involved in an accident, chances are that any modification to the car's electronic could legaly allow the insurance to refuse any indemnisation, so as it doesn't change a lot, I use the key and switch back immediately in "On" position so I can bump start whenever wanted. Also, I only do it approaching a red light, or on straight or known roads. Security first !

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Not too much problem doing so, as the ZZ engines had E96h-compatible flexfuel versions in Brazil

I read that too, and it's what convinced me to try E85. I tried E56 mix for 500Km, fuel economy was more than 6,8L/100 / 34MPG, which I found to be normal (LTFT was +20%)
However, I'm realy not convinced as the car was terrible accelerating.
Of course, range has decreased by 20% as well, but total fuel cost has decreased by 15%.
Furthermore, in order to run 100% E85, I would probably have to switch to 1zz injectors to compensate for the +40% LTFT, and as recommended by many, to change the fuel filter as well.
And finally, I have no reliable way to watch the AFR, as I have a stock Lanbda probe.
So for now, this is not an option, I'll be sticking with E10 and my 1000Km of range and improving my FAS skills. It's amazingly satisfying and relaxing knowing that you are burning no fuel approaching and staying at a red light


I read about automatic lean burn mode in Honda's, do any of you know if a similar mode is used in my corolla ?

And a quick question :
when going up light slopes (knowing that I will not gain much speed on the other side), I'm always hesitating beetween :

1° keeping momentum and applying slightly more throttle, so at the top of the hill I'm already cruising, and only light throttle is applied,
OR
2° using my momentum and applying slightly less throttle, losing speed but staying in an hypothetical "lean burn mode" (that may not exist in my car ), but needing to keep this throttle input after the top of the hill to reach cruising speed.

In your experience, or by science, which one is better ?
(according to BSFC maps, and "accelerating quicker is better", I currently use solution N°1)


And by the way, thanks to all for your advices and answers

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Adrien

I'm realy not convinced as the car was terrible accelerating.

Maybe it got into some limp-home mode, which a remap to enable the adjusts for flexfuel operation could prevent.

Furthermore, in order to run 100% E85, I would probably have to switch to 1zz injectors to compensate for the +40% LTFT, and as recommended by many, to change the fuel filter as well.

There were flexfuel versions of the 1.6L too, so maybe you'be be better off with its injectors. Just need to check if the part number is the same for the regular versions, which would avoid the expense of a newer set of injectors.

And finally, I have no reliable way to watch the AFR, as I have a stock Lanbda probe.

The stock Lambda probe is enough.

[Adrien]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Maybe it got into some limp-home mode, which a remap to enable the adjusts for flexfuel operation could prevent.




There were flexfuel versions of the 1.6L too, so maybe you'be be better off with its injectors. Just need to check if the part number is the same for the regular versions, which would avoid the expense of a newer set of injectors.




The stock Lambda probe is enough.

Because of a defective O2 sensor, I had a CEL and the car ran in Limp mode when I bought it. The fuel economy was around 10L/100Km on E10, vs around 7L/100Km now with E56, so I believe it's just that the car was running lean on ethanol. The injectors are probably limiting flow (1.6 injectors are around 205cm3/min, vs 255cm3/min for 1.8 injectors).
A new set of injectors is 400€, a refurbished one 100€, and a chinese one 30€. I will not take the risk with chinese ones, maybe with refurbished one, but for now, I don't use the car enough to negate the cost of replacing the injectors.

I'm surprised that you say the stock probe is enough, as they can only read between lambda 0.90 to 1.10 (13 to 16 AFR) , however if the injectors don't flow enough, the ethanol mixture could be leaner than this, over lambda 1.40, which is beyond what a narrowband probe can interpret, am I right ?