Improving and tracking.
 

Hello, it's me. :D

Just another person looking to improve his MPG on his wagon until long distance EV's become the norm. I regularly make a 400 mile trip, so I can't use an electric car now. I do have my beloved schwinn stealth though. Its my main way of commuting in my town.

http://lesbaru.com/stuff/schwinn9.jpg

Although I do use the car to carpool, or to get large amounts of groceries, etc. Anything that can't be done in the stealth.

The car is none other than the lesbaru.

http://lesbaru.com/stuff/Picture/CEB/CEB8.jpg

Its a wonderfully practical car, the 2.5 engine and 3400 lb curb weight (plus my tools, plus about 50 lbs of soundproofing) make it fall in the 'not too swift' category. But even with its 9 Inches of ground clearance and ridiculously useful trunk space. It doesen't change the fact that gas is 3.50 a gallon, always going up, I sometimes have to put 400 mile trips on it, and well, I'm a cheap *******.

So here I am. I've been reading about aero modding and plan to do it soon, since its all high speed interstate travel (70 mph). I'm not too sure how extreme I want to go. I want to keep the car as practical as possible, if only because thats the whole purpose of it. I dont like the idea of lowering it or killing the approach angles. It sees some regular subaru abuse. Although increasing the underbody drag coefficient is just the excuse I need for some more 3/16 skid plates.

First thing I think I'm going to do is make the roof basket moveable. When on the interstate I can toss it inside the trunk, still have it, but save me a lot of drag with it off. I know it costs me 1~2 mpg, and with some sort of quick release it wouldnt be too much hassle.

Welcome to ecomodder! Looks like you're off to a great start, :)

Hi brucey - welcome.

I'd also recommend getting the lower bumper cover back on the car... (is it missing in that photo?), and then gradually blocking the grille.

Got a ScanGauge on order yet?

Thats part of the approach angle problem. I regularly drug the stock front end on the farm or country roads (West Virginia) and one day someone hit me in the parking lot, and it was draggin the entire way home. I simply cut it off. I'm hoping I can think of how to round out the front and keep the approach angle.

You're as well off too taking an extra hour reduce your speed to 60-65, even 2-3 or 4-5 miles per hour off that 70 will save fuel. Either way it's going to take time, as far as investments go, this is just my take on it.

I'm not so sure how much slowing down has helped me. I dont know if its the permanent AWD or the hills I drive through, but doing 60 mph I get around 28 mpg.

Doing around 68 mph, I get around 28 mpg. I've tested both several times, and its pretty consistent.

I do have an automatic though, which sucks mpg, but I can still get better gas mileage out of it I'm sure. I'm thinking between 60 and 68 mph that something is happening to the awd features and almost all available power is going to the front, the torque converter is locking up. Or something.

I'm all with you with approach angles. screw up the angle and you've got a screwed up bumper.

Take the grille block advise. I never really go over 55, and an upper grille block helped me 2mpg from last tank at 20.22 to this tank at 22.56. I know I can do better.

For you, you could see way better than that, especially at 70mph.

I read there was a fuse that can be pulled or put on to enable only FWD only mode on certain Subaru models. Supposedly used when the vehicle is being towed or something. I see it in my Impreza owners manual so it could be for yours too.

That would make for a nifty interior switch.

I had two short trips to do the other day, so I decided to try out the grill block. I screwed it up somehow, because I had 2 mpg from removing the grill block. I think the sample was just too small.

Also, the FWD fuse is a BAD idea. It will tear out the clutch pack (AWD) in short order. But thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll make a new thread sometime.

What were you trying to use for a grille block? and how was the sample too small?

Disabling AWD is a pretty bad Idea, it's like having an automatic EOC in gear. It's not 4wd you know.