New car, new goals. 91 Ford festiva

[cowmeat]

Did some aggressive EOC this tank and got 53.9 mpg, which is about 8 mpg more than my last tank, and about 10 more than my average (I've tracked it for over 20,000 miles on Fuelly).
The EOC did more for mileage increase than everything else I have ever done to it put together
I might not even bother with any more mods if I can consistently get in the mid 50's

[paintme205]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

Did some aggressive EOC this tank and got 53.9 mpg, which is about 8 mpg more than my last tank, and about 10 more than my average (I've tracked it for over 20,000 miles on Fuelly).
The EOC did more for mileage increase than everything else I have ever done to it put together
I might not even bother with any more mods if I can consistently get in the mid 50's

What was your technique?

I just tried some engine off coasting accelerating up to 75 (speed limit) and then coasting to 55. For the experts, am I going too fast at 75 to be effective? I don't like coasting lower than 50 because the RPM's start feeling pretty low for optimum acceleration.

[mikeyjd]

I dont think ive ever gone 75 in a Festiva before..

[paintme205]

Originally Posted by mikeyjd

I dont think ive ever gone 75 in a Festiva before..

I think you told me before you do a lot of EOC and PG. What is your technique on the highway?

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by paintme205

I think you told me before you do a lot of EOC and PG. What is your technique on the highway?

Depends on traffic. Ideally 60-45 without a draft, or 65-55 with (yoyoing 2-5 seconds following distance). I prefer driving without a draft but utilize it on longer trips or when I'm wanting to travel faster.

edit: This obviously fluctuates based on traffic conditions, so please don't do anything unsafe for a few extra mpg.

[bhazard]

Originally Posted by mikeyjd

I dont think ive ever gone 75 in a Festiva before..

I have, and well beyond ^_^

Ford Festiva 12.50 @ 110 mph in car video - YouTube

[cowmeat]

The technique I used to jump 10 mpg:

First, it's important to know the type of traffic I face. I live in central Florida, halfway between Tampa and Orlando, so my commute is in fairly heavy traffic, a lot of them going the same way as me since they're heading toward Disney (many people from here work there and all leave about the same time I do). I have the option of taking I-4, it adds 7 miles to a 21 mile commute, and my 21 year old car wouldn't go for that, so I'm stuck with in-town driving. There are 22 traffic lights and 3 stop signs on my commute, giving me plenty of opportunity for EOC.

Route change - I recently moved onto the lightest traveled back road
I could find for my daily commute, giving me plenty of opportunity for P&G. I really didn't have any P&G opps on the main road since there were always people right on my ass, so changing my route helped tremendously. There are also multiple pull-off parking lots along this road, and if traffic builds up behind me I just EOC into a lot and wait for a long break to start up again.
Aero mods - The goofy looking full grill block gained me about one mpg. The flat detached wing pushes the air out past the chopped off rear of the car and netted me another mpg. The tires are at 50 psi, so the combination of all these have turned a brick shaped vehicle into something that will roll quite a distance
Driving change - The giant increase in mileage came from EOC and P&G.

EOC - I EOC as far as humanly possible to every stop sign. I'm pretty much in tune with the timing of every light on the route, so I also EOC to any light that's going to turn. Pretty easy since they added the blinking walk signs.

P&G - All the way down the road (when I have distance between my car and anyone behind me), I smoothly accelerate up to 55, and immediately key-off P&G down to 35 (lowest mph I can restart in 5th gear). This seems to work best for the Festiva, I'm sure everybody's car is a little different. I tried pop starting, but I was afraid the clutch would fall off, so I just key it off and on. The Festiva cranks quick, I barely have to hit the key, so the starter should last a while.
All in all, in my 21 mile commute, I am engine-off rolling about 4 miles. I big part of the gain is just not having the engine running at lights. I learn more tricks every day, and if anybody can help me with more tips, please do!

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

The technique I used to jump 10 mpg:

First, it's important to know the type of traffic I face. I live in central Florida, halfway between Tampa and Orlando, so my commute is in fairly heavy traffic, a lot of them going the same way as me since they're heading toward Disney (many people from here work there and all leave about the same time I do). I have the option of taking I-4, it adds 7 miles to a 21 mile commute, and my 21 year old car wouldn't go for that, so I'm stuck with in-town driving. There are 22 traffic lights and 3 stop signs on my commute, giving me plenty of opportunity for EOC.

Route change - I recently moved onto the lightest traveled back road
I could find for my daily commute, giving me plenty of opportunity for P&G. I really didn't have any P&G opps on the main road since there were always people right on my ass, so changing my route helped tremendously. There are also multiple pull-off parking lots along this road, and if traffic builds up behind me I just EOC into a lot and wait for a long break to start up again.
Aero mods - The goofy looking full grill block gained me about one mpg. The flat detached wing pushes the air out past the chopped off rear of the car and netted me another mpg. The tires are at 50 psi, so the combination of all these have turned a brick shaped vehicle into something that will roll quite a distance
Driving change - The giant increase in mileage came from EOC and P&G.

EOC - I EOC as far as humanly possible to every stop sign. I'm pretty much in tune with the timing of every light on the route, so I also EOC to any light that's going to turn. Pretty easy since they added the blinking walk signs.

P&G - All the way down the road (when I have distance between my car and anyone behind me), I smoothly accelerate up to 55, and immediately key-off P&G down to 35 (lowest mph I can restart in 5th gear). This seems to work best for the Festiva, I'm sure everybody's car is a little different. I tried pop starting, but I was afraid the clutch would fall off, so I just key it off and on. The Festiva cranks quick, I barely have to hit the key, so the starter should last a while.
All in all, in my 21 mile commute, I am engine-off rolling about 4 miles. I big part of the gain is just not having the engine running at lights. I learn more tricks every day, and if anybody can help me with more tips, please do!

First of all great work! Good job finding an off highway route to allow for lower speeds and P&G. I'd recommend learning to bump start effectively as it will save your starter and allow for less energy use (leading to less alternator load). The way I do it is by leaving the car in fifth gear with the engine off, key in the on position ready for the bump. When I hit 30-35mph (depending on whether I'm approaching an incline or decline) I let the clutch out just enough to engage the flywheel and immediately press the clutch back in. You will get a feel for how much to let the clutch out after a few tries. After the fly wheel starts the engine slowly release the clutch and do a rev match with the accelerator. Once you master this most passengers can't even tell when you're doing it, as it's barely noticeable. A very worthwhile mod for you would be an air damn (worth about 4mpg) or a belly pan (worth about 6mpg). You can see my belly pan here http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...iva-25694.html Another possible mod for you since you have a consistent + short commute is an alternator delete. This has been shown to add roughly 9-11% in fuel economy on a consistent basis.

[cowmeat]

I guess I'll try bump starting again, I'll copy anything that's working well. Thanks for the how-to cause I sucked at it!
Basically I was following your exact instructions but with some crappy results because I'm pretty impatient, but if it just takes time to get the hang of it, I'll give it another try.

Nice belly pan, think I saw it before a couple months ago and wanted to copy it. I might try one myself, but what did you find to attach the center to? I might just flip my car on its side to put one on, it would probably be easier to do than getting under it in the driveway. If I do, I will post pics!
First I'd have to find some cheap/free material to work with. A guy here sells plastic from pallets, think these would hold up? They're 2 bucks each and look pretty sturdy (and come in assorted colors), I could probably get by with two or three and some supports?

Plastic mats

Thanks for the help, man!

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

I guess I'll try bump starting again, I'll copy anything that's working well. Thanks for the how-to cause I sucked at it!
Basically I was following your exact instructions but with some crappy results because I'm pretty impatient, but if it just takes time to get the hang of it, I'll give it another try.

Nice belly pan, think I saw it before a couple months ago and wanted to copy it. I might try one myself, but what did you find to attach the center to? I might just flip my car on its side to put one on, it would probably be easier to do than getting under it in the driveway. If I do, I will post pics!
First I'd have to find some cheap/free material to work with. A guy here sells plastic from pallets, think these would hold up? They're 2 bucks each and look pretty sturdy (and come in assorted colors), I could probably get by with two or three and some supports?

Plastic mats

Thanks for the help, man!

Yeah you just need to get the hang of it, but bump starting the only way to go IMO. Those plastic mats could work. I'd get 4 in case you mess one up. Or you could use 1 to make a Kammback too . I wouldn't flip it on it side though. Maybe a friend has a garage you could use with jack stands? Also, I find by far my best mileage comes on 45-30 P&G's, when I have time for it on back roads. I was able to get 94.5mpg on a 190mile trip using just 45-30mph pulses