Modding a Honda Pilot

[Bonnie Ferero]

Anyone have an success modding a Honda Pilot, I have a 2003 and am looking to improve MPG.

[Daschicken]

I would look at this guy's thread: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...epa-27437.html

I believe there was a speed vs mpg chart made for a pilot, having trouble finding it.

Edit: Nope, it was a ridgeline:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...nomy-7552.html

A useful driving technique tip from the thread.

"My 04 Odyssey 3.5 V6 is a 5-speed auto. I'm almost positive this is the same.

My results match, especially the dip at 43 mph. The shift points are 10, 20, 30, and 45 mph. See that last one? It doesn't match. The 40-45 mph span is just painful as the engine revs but won't shift. I generally try to keep it below 40 or above 45. You can do a quick D-N-D shift and get it to shift sooner, down to about 42 mph."

With SUVs there is a lot of tire area exposed, decent improvements can be had by directing that air away slowly and smoothly rather than smacking into the tires. There isn't much overhang for the front tires, so not much room to make deflectors, but there should be plenty of room in the rear.

This is what I did for my accord:

[slowmover]

Saving money is the ostensible reason, here.

Some analysis helps in defining a goal. By record keeping

How many miles last calendar year?
How much fuel purchased?

Against the miles traveled / fuel consumed numbers, what in your eyes would constitute worthwhile savings?

In other words, to use the car to do the same things (as 90% of us go to 90% of the same places 90% of the time) am I willing to change the way I use the car prior to changing the car itself?

Combining trips, and optimized routing, might see a 20% savings at the end of the year. It did for me.

Keeping overall miles to a minimum, and driving the remaining miles with better habits, really pays well.

I'm not an advocate of hyper-miling as practiced by some, nor am I in favor of anything but a near-stock vehicle. (Not criticizing those who do). I AM in favor of setting the ground rules early.

Discipline.

I'll make an example. 15k miles annually at 20-mpg is 750-gals. A 20% savings over the course of a year (huge) is $375 at $2.50/gl.

That doesn't seem impressive. A weeks net pay after bills? One can see why folks aren't interested in fuel economy, generally.

More miles and/or worse fuel economy, the savings is greater. Same for an in increased price per gallon.

The return is really on vehicle longevity. A reliable car that lasts longest is the real economy winner. FE and longevity track closely. As do safety and FE. Think of this approach as a cluster of wins. Adding up to the genuine savings.

I'd say: Decide how long the car will be kept. A date. Then bring scheduled service up to par. Have a pro give it a hard look for potential problems (Honda forums for model details about things that break). A yearly schedule of needed attention (tire pressure check, oil change, etc). Dates to do these things as time -- not just miles -- matter.

Alignment verified. New shocks or struts. Best brake operation.

So, all the boring stuff. To too many Americans it feels like money spent on taxes. . No entertainment value. I'd counter it saying that,

"As I'm practicing to reduce fuel burn to do life's attendant errands, my new relationship with my car is sensitivity to the way it runs, steers, brakes. "

Fewer miles. Same personal convenience. Less fuel used.

At all clear?

1) How many miles annually? How much fuel used (annual average mpg)? But we need to "tune up" the car and the driver so they'll work together, better.

2) By combining errands, and using optimized routing, we will cut out cold starts and idling in traffic. (These kill mpg).

3) By consciously striving to avoid stops (traffic light timing), avoiding left hand turns, and a route which is best for highest average mile per hour, we've taken care of errands. And commutes. Which is most of our use.

4) Parking at home under cover (avoiding wind), and use of the engine block heater year-round, those fewer starts are accomplished with shorter warm-up times. Which is fuel efficient and promotes engine longevity.

Etc

FE is really about being concious of quite a few details. Each of the above has more detail (see resources on this site; use MapQuest optimized routing, etc) and what I find most important to confront is my willingness to change.

Stuff like: leaving earlier, daily, to avoid the feeling of being in a rush. Which means getting up earlier. Having something besides caffeine before I leave. Which, in turn, means earlier to bed the night before. Etc. That's how the details work.

So I'd emphasize that being willing to change means the determination to acquire some new habits. And not only behind the wheel.

As we next to none of us ever buy anything more expensive than a car (except a house) you'd think we'd be better about how we treat them. In my grandparents day, they did. They'd build a garage. Quite a few men became handy at repairs due to the expense. This was a new burden on the family finances.

Nowadays, nearly a century on, we take them for granted. The expense of the car is the monthly note and the weekly fuel outlay. That's poor thinking.

It always helps me to think that, if I had a breakdown I'd be walking (way out on a country highway). That's sobering. Helps me keep anxiety and frustration in check. So, I need to plan. I need to treat this machine more like a partner than a servant. To plan, I need data. Best data is Year by year, IMO. Easy to break down to month or week, then.

An app like Fuelly is a good start. In about 3-5000 miles I have a snapshot to start with. Real numbers from real life.

What am I willing to do (is the first question)?

In that 20% annual savings above, it's only about $7.50/week. Not worth it to most. They'll sit in drive-thru's and waste more than that per calendar quarter.(The half-step is to park and go inside. But real value was avoiding that kind of place all together. $375/year pays for cooking lessons).

So in five years it's $2,000 in fuel plus an equal or greater amount in increased vehicle and component life. FE is an indicator of how much value I'm receiving. The higher, the better. (Same with tire and brake life. Longer = better).

So, having taken the long way round, the answer to your question is:

1) Eliminate unnecessary miles.
2) Drive remaining miles at a higher skill level.
3) Treat the vehicle like a partner (not a hair dryer)

To do this needs a plan. Which must have real-life data. And one must be willing to change old habits, to exert some discipline.

So where's the fun?

That's easy: it's an adventure every time I turn the key. A route plan, a bit of a driving challenge, and the satisfaction that comes from skill enhancement. Less money, but a better car & driver than before.

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[slowmover]

The second part is that the above was the first part. Vehicle mods come AFTER vehicle use optimization.

One already has records. Has eliminated the easily changed bad habits. Has already seen a percentage drop in annual fuel consumption (extrapolated that). Has updated service with a schedule.

Most of all, one no longer uses the brakes, or idles the engine.

Not until this is done can any cost::benefit apply to vehicle changes.

(With the exception of a feedback device such as Ultragauge).

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