New ECOMODDER! 2010 HHR LS 5 Speed
 

Hello all,

My name is Kevin and I am from Ohio.

Even though I am not new to the whole forum scene, I am new to ecomodder.com.

I currently drive a 2010 HHR LS with a 5 speed manual transmission.
It has a 2.2L Ecotec FlexFuel™ Engine with VVT. (see what I did there ;) )

I am rather proficient with driving it economically. My Driver's Information Center in the dashboard consistently states that I am at 30.6-31.7 MPG average fuel efficiency. Hard data mathematics reveals that it is rarely ever off. The standard deviation between what it says I average, and what I actually average is barely marginal ~.5 mpg avg.

My driving consists of a 50/50 mix of hwy speed over city. I take a lot of rural roads to work and would say that I have quite a few stops and resume accelerations along the way. I would say that I am definitely in tune with the fuel consumption control.

I drive in at the fuel economy sweet-spot nearest the speed limit I am traveling. I accelerate in a manner that doesn't draw out long durations of fuel waste, and I remove my foot from the accelerator over any conceivable decline or at least use it to help me up the next one. I also find where the engine and flywheel, regardless of whether it is operating at a higher RPM, conserve angular momentum and consumes the least fuel for the speed. I really try my best at saving fuel.

At reasonable highway speeds, I can sustain great MPG on flat surfaces for long durations as well.

to be continued.

Welcome to the site. Doesn't sound like you're doing too bad with the HHR. We can definitely help you get more though. :)

THANKS DAOX!

I was thinking about lowering it with springs and putting an apron below the front fascia.

Any other ideas that I could do to my HHR to help out?

Lowering springs will help, but probably not enough to pay for themselves. However, if you're wanting it to handle better and are willing to pay it definitely won't hurt. Almost all the OEMs use lowering to get better mileage out of their "eco" trim car.

I would highly suggest a scangauge (E or II, they're both great) to monitor your driving. After that, I'd suggest a grill block. Its probably the easiest, lowest costing, and most bang for your buck mods you can do. After that, take a look at our 65+ mods list at the top of the page (and the 100+ hypermiling tips too).

The DIC in the dash already shows the MPG and AVG MPG.

Here is my HHR cruising on the hwy-it is relatively flat, almost a slight incline actually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mikyTbqqJUY

If only I could find a way to hit this MPG more often for greater duration-I know its tough on my daily work route.

I found myself rather descent at dialing in where a vehicle is most efficient.
Here is my Cobalt SS/SC. I got this mileage all the way to Cleveland from my exit on the hwy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1icvXml-e9g

My next mod will be an aluminum flashing under the nose and engine bay to lessen drag and to do the grill damming as you suggested. I will need to experiment to find what shape works best (best mix between temp gains and usability) and is safe for the vehicle.

Maybe I can make some fiberglass air deflectors that shuttle the air down and away from the front tires. All in due time. I picked a REAL brick to do this to. lol:turtle:

Congrats on a fine vehicle, Kevin. I drove my brother's for over a month while dealing with my dead car crisis and found the HHR to be one sweet ride.

Sounds like you're on the right track with your driving style, and I agree with Daox: Your numbers can definitely get better yet. I was getting about the same on my brother's HHR, and it's an automatic (but I've been hypermiling for years).

Granted there's an MPG function in the DIC, but that's only telling you a tiny bit of the story. A Scangauge II (or an Ultra-Gauge if you need to pinch pennies) will give you a wealth of information. Something as simple as learning your throttle positions can make a huge difference. You'll want to monitor temps when you install your grille dams. Then will come the day you decide to experiment an HAI, and so on. It's really a worthwhile investment and will pay for itself in fuel (not to mention self-diagnosing and clearing trouble codes.)

Regardless, have fun and good luck with your gas-saving efforts!

Rick