Just got an '02 Neon 5 Speed. Need advice - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

lxrubin · 09-07-2012, 09:09 PM

Firstly, I'm new to the forum. I just bought an 02 Neon and plan on hypermilling it and doing minor mods to improve my efficiency.

I wanted to get advice from more experienced Neon owners to get on the right track. What is the minimum recommended rpm speed for each speed and what rev range should I be aiming for?

I'll be installing a vacuum gauge, what reading should I see under different conditions?

I want to make sure my car is running well. I accelerated from 0-60, and I don't expect to achieve the 8s that are posted by car mags, but I got 13.5 :..(.. I could probably improve it by a second or 2 by revving higher and dropping the clutch or actually shifting at redline, but that still puts me at 4 off. My friend said he saw some blue smoke then, otherwise there's none. If I test with a compression tester, what reading should I see?

Thanks in advance. I'm really excited to join this community and see how I can stick it to the EPA rating.

ksa8907 · 09-07-2012, 09:14 PM

Welcome! Read the mods and tips for starters, good luck!

Gealii · 09-07-2012, 09:32 PM

hello. It seems some people can get quite a bit out of neons' I'm going to post a link to 1 guys neon build thread I've been following as the mods he is doing can be done to any car.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ods-20741.html

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post308862

His is an auto but the mods should help

mcrews · 09-08-2012, 10:49 AM

welcome!
pump up the tires to 40+ psi. (see threads)

Really need a gauge like scangauge. (see threads)

2000neon · 09-08-2012, 11:27 AM

Hey welcome to the forum! I also have a neon, mine is a 2000 and an automatic unfortunately

I have a few threads about my car, which Gealii posted. I do still have some more things to add to it like my partial belly pan.

As far as aerodynamics go, I hope I can help you out if you plan on going into any aeromods. But for shifting I can't help at all, sorry.

lxrubin · 09-08-2012, 02:06 PM

Hey 2000neon. I've been looking at your threads and am very impressed. I really like the partial kammaback that doesn't fully cover the rear window. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to imitate your design.

Right now, I'm just working on my driving habits. I know this isn't the right way of thinking, but I can't wait to finish this tank asap to see my mpg.

Gealii · 09-08-2012, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lxrubin

Hey 2000neon. I've been looking at your threads and am very impressed. I really like the partial kammaback that doesn't fully cover the rear window. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to imitate your design.

Right now, I'm just working on my driving habits. I know this isn't the right way of thinking, but I can't wait to finish this tank asap to see my mpg.

It always is exciting to see how a change in driving or some mods affect your mileage.

2000neon · 09-09-2012, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lxrubin

Hey 2000neon. I've been looking at your threads and am very impressed. I really like the partial kammaback that doesn't fully cover the rear window. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to imitate your design.

Right now, I'm just working on my driving habits. I know this isn't the right way of thinking, but I can't wait to finish this tank asap to see my mpg.

Hey, I know exactly what you mean about wanting to fill up just to get results.

I am still doing some testing to figure out how good the kammback really is, it seems to be helping, but so far not as much as I had hoped. However the air damn, grill block, and smooth wheel covers have all been hugely beneficial.

I am going to finish up my belly pan, and likely do full rear wheel skirts soon if you need any more ideas.

NoD~ · 09-10-2012, 02:09 PM

I drove a 2004 neon off the lot up until a few months ago. I hypermiled it for about a year before selling it. Here was my results...

Normal driver mostly highway = 32mpg
Normal driver mostly city = 25mpg

Started with removing the wing and some blocking of the grills... but the biggest thing was to stop using brakes so much and did a lot more coasting...

City and Highway mileage = ~38MPG

I didn't have very good eco tires, though... they were more "performance" tires... wider and stickier anyways. The car also had a ton of stereo-related equipment that added quite a bit of weight. Best tank I ever got was just over 40MPG.

First thing I would recommend: Install a kill switch. I now drive a 98 Neon and was doing the same key off - key on that I did in the 04. After putting a switch in (especially as easy as it was to do), it made life 10x easier for gliding. I'd do some searching on how the 2nd gen neons can have a kill switch installed, but the 1st gen was as simple as tapping into a single wire out of the ECU and running 2 wires to the dash, to the switch (as a hint, it was the ground wire from the ECU to the ASD relay... I'm sure the 2nd gen is no different, but definitely do some research to insure that.)

Hitting the tires with all the PSI you can put in them as well... that makes a good difference. Most tires are rated at ~44psi these days, it seems. I put mine to 50psi anyways. Seems to be the "sweet spot" for most tires, but as soon as you go over what they recommend, you take a bigger risk.

A lot of it is going to be practicing technique and getting used to how much "slower" the driving feels (if you weren't hypermiling prior). I don't think any amount of aero mods can compete with good driving techniques (at least for city driving, that is).

lxrubin · 09-24-2012, 11:57 AM

I got an Ultragauge last week and quickly realized the answer to my question. I'll go ahead and answer it for others that may be searching

. Basically, there is no magical rev range. The key is to have a steady and light foot. I would try and keep the throttle at 20%TPS and that would allow me to glide between 55mph and 70mph depending on incline/decline. Having 20%TPS at 2500rpm used a lot less fuel than 30%TPS at 1500rpm. Anything below 1500rpm would cause a bog and would use even more fuel.

So basically, the moral of the story is don't worry so much about the revs and more on the throttle. On my last mostly highway trip I averaged 36.2mpg (confirmed with actual miles/actual gallons, not just Ultragauge) cruising between 55 and 70mph and minor city driving. I could have done better if I drove a bit slower, but I felt that I had compromised my speed enough. My next long trip to Toronto I'll try to have some aero mods to see if I can cut through the air a bit easier.

I'm planning on:
blocking the bumper/grill
removing antenna
taping rim voids flush
Removing the spoiler and replacing it with a Bonneville style.