How to make my car Eco smart
 

I am new here and not sure if I am posting in the right place. But here is what I would like to do. I have a 2001 Toyota Echo. I want to make her as Eco friendly as I can since I won't be buying a new car ANY time soon. I'm a chic and kinda car illiterate, but want to learn more. My girl is going for a tune up and I would like to get my own parts for my mechanic to install. I just found out about reusable air filters. But I have read the horror stories over the K&N. Could someone please point me in the right direction? I also recently read about E3 spark plugs. Do these really work? or a waste of money? I also need a radiator flush, any way to make this anymore eco friendly? He mentioned a gas filter, but I heard my gas filter is IN my gas tank, so does this get changed? or is this a lifetime gas filter? If it DOES get changed, again, is there any way to make it Eco friendly? Any other info would be greatly appreciated. OH a little more info, I live in North Western Arizona, about 2 hours south of Las Vegas. It is DUSTY and WINDY and most of all HOT this time of year. We seldom hit freeze 32F in winter. I read about changing the timing belt? IDK if this has ever been done. He did just do two belts on my car, but I'm not sure what they were. Just want my girl tuned up and as Eco friendly as possible. Thank you all very much.

Welcome aboard.

Do a search here on the site for results of using aftermarket filters, plugs, etc.

Others on the site have your car or a Toyota product and they can confirm or refute the claims by personal experience of said products.

Me personally, using the stock recommended equipment is a safe way to go.

Never go by anecdotal advice, get a service manual and learn about your car, what it needs and where various parts are.

If you don't know if something has been done, do it, especially timing belts and tune ups, and keep records and documentation.

The main thing about eco is adjusting driving habits and technique moreso than just putting parts on a vehicle.

Look at the efficiency mods and hypermiling techniques. Study them. Use them. You will see your mpg go up.

Look at the efficiency mods and hypermiling techniques

What are those? Never heard of them.

Look at the buttons below "ecomodder", right next to "Recent Posts" at the top of the screen.

Hi, and welcome!

Apart from the mentioned tips on following the manufacturer's recommendations on what equipment to use, if your Echo isn't already a light color applying a white vinyl film to the roof would reflect more heat. That should keep the inerior cooler and reduce how much you need to run the air conditioner. Similarly a dark tint on your windows would reduce a hot cabin and therefore the cooling demand on the A/C.

I would recommend the driving technique "driving without brakes" (DWB). Do not take that literally, but more as a reminder for the following: Every time you push on the brakes you are wasting the momentum of your car, thereby converting your money into heat. So look ahead, time stoplights so you don't need to come to a complete stop, give people more room, give yourself a few extra minutes time to drive so you don't need to rush.

Good luck with your pursuits! :thumbup:

Have a look here :

65+ Vehicle modifications for better fuel economy - EcoModder.com

and

100+ Hypermiling / ecodriving tips & tactics for better mpg - EcoModder.com


The main things :

- pump up your tires

- start driving slower (6mph makes a fair difference)

- look far further ahead and adjust your speed to whatever situation you see developing (you'll recover the lost time from going slower)

- start coasting down to places where you'll have to slow down anyway (you'll have to look even further ahead)

- track your fuel mileage if you don't already

- easy mods are a grill block (the upper grills gets blocked most often) and an air dam.

- ditch all unnecessary stuff lingering in your car (for me that includes the spare and jack :) )

- look at what other with the same car have done.


Pick up some of the tips, and when they've become habits, re-read the lists and add more tricks to your driving.

What the others have said are good tips. As for the maintenance issues. I'd stick with the OEM type paper filters. You really don't need to change them that often. Forget fancy spark plugs. A coolant flush isn't a bad idea, but I probably wouldn't bother. Toyota uses a coolant that isn't supposed to need to be replaced for a rediculous amount of time. Same goes for the fuel filter. They make em to last forever (unless your manual says otherwise). My 1997 Toyota Paseo still has the original filter and runs like a champ.

I agree with euromodder.

I use SOME of the hypermiling tips. If you decide to drive slower, get used to being passed and some of those people being angry. Just drive your drive and do your thing and don't worry about everyone else. I do a lot of coasting and I time the green lights so I don't have to stop - look for cross traffic waiting which might tell you the light is about to change. It took me a bit to rid myself of lots of bad driving habits. ANYBODY can just punch the accelerator, not everyone can get good fuel mileage.

Stock paper air filters are just fine. K&N give more air flow, but require cleaning and oiling. For ECO driving, paper filters work just as well. You might be able to find some biodegradable antifreeze. Standard spark plugs (cheap) are just fine also.

...the one, single-most, important thing you can do is to be "...100% aware..." of your gas milage: as you drive and sit idling!

...and, you can do that by using one of the many MPG meter devices available, such as the ScanGauge II™ (SGII) and the UltraGauge™ (UG)...for you, I'd recommend the UG as it's both less complex and less costly.

...with it there on your dash, constantly "showing" you what your MPG is as you drive, you'll soon become "100% aware" of what HELPs you get better MPG and what HINDERS your MPG.

One trick that makes me more aware of my driving habits is to imagine the brake pedal is wired to a (mild) taser which in turn electrocutes me when I step on the pedal. Now I actually cringe when I should have anticipated a stop/slow-down and didn't and have to pay for it with using the brake pedal.

Yes, we ecomodders are a strange bunch... :D

We are not "strange".

We just have an "interesting" perspective on reality.:p

...so, is *that* how Dr. "Doc" Emmitt Brown gets his hair styling 'done' in his "flux-gate" capacitor DeLorean?

I don't think it is worth it to you to buy parts for your mechanic to install, main reason is that the auto part store gives your mechanic a decent discount so that they can charge you list price on parts without having to charge for their time in ordering parts, so if you find that they are charging a markup on auto part store prices then call them out on it and move on to a more honest mechanic.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is who puts the standards and ratings on motor oil and gasoline they also do a great deal of testing on automotive ideas and parts, their testing on spark plugs boiled down to stock copper core plugs give the best power and mileage for the dollar, silver core are a little better but cost way more then they are worth and exotic metal tipped spark plugs are only good because they last 100,000 miles instead of 15,000-20,000 miles.
Synthetic motor oil is worth it unless your engine is wore out and burning a lot of oil, same with synthetic transmission fluid.
How soon do you need new tires? Low Rolling Resistance tires will often save you more then the cost of the tires in the first year of use and web sites like TireRack.com let you sort out the LRR (low rolling resistance) tires.
To me filters that filter better are worth buying, filters that can be washed are only worth it if they filter out more dirt, K&N filters let a lot of dirt pass and that wears out the rest of your engine, some of the micro fiber filters filter down to a smaller micron (dirt size) and the foam air filters have so much area that they can hold a lot more dust then others, but just going with a high quality like a Wix filter is often the best choice and it's worth letting your mechanic know that you would rather spend the extra $3 to get the part that will help your car last longer because a car that lasts is more Eco then one that wears out.

Im not ECO.... Im just a jew b@stard that hates spending half my paycheck on gas. :p

and stick with recommended parts from the parts store. then track your MPG after a few tanks set a goal on your target MPG. Be realistic with your self though. For me I started with 52mpg, SO I set a realistic goal of 60mpg. Well my last tank netted me 59.11 mpg!!!! all thanks to this place for tips and tricks.

Thank you everyone! I have read your posts and appreciate all the helpful input. I already do some of the things you talk about, just kinda figured it out myself one day while driving. So I'm one up on the game :) Thanks again!

What do you guys think about after market parts? I was told 811.00 to get my ac unit done. Thats labor and parts. I found an ac unit "bundle" that has the compressor, the oil, and the other thing that I can't think of the name for (keeps the gas or oil or something out of the line). I found the bundle for 395.00 no shipping, 1 yr warranty and then their "gold" warranty, that if any of the parts go out they will ship out overnight no cost. I think I calculated I could save 60 some odd dollars. Thanks.

...I believe you're describing a "dryer/separator."

Aftermarket parts can be great, if you're confident in the listing and doing the work yourself. Most shops won't be willing to install customer supplied parts for a long list of perfectly good reasons- and unless that warranty pays their labor (at their labor rate) then you're going to be paying for that second install. If you're paying someone to work on it you're best off having them handle the parts.

I'm a parts guy at a dealership and we've got no problem with most aftermarket parts- if I'm happy with the listing and the tech doesn't have a bad feeling about it. The tech isn't going to waste his time on a job like yours that might have problems because he's on his own. I can't support him and the shops I buy from can't support him. You are his parts department for the job- "Call customer Smith and tell her we need a gasket for that kit she bought on the internet." Once he's gotten through all that he knows he's going to face the "ever since you did X job I've had Y problem with my car!" It's not something most places would touch because it's not worth it.

Nice suggestion dude.Its really good to read.You have born talent.
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