New guy here driving a VW TDI

[Don2001TDI]

I re-found this forum while doing a google search. Aparently I found it some time ago, registered, then forgot that I registered.

I have a VW Golf TDI that I usually get 47mpg. I drive it fairly conservatively & sometimes will use hypermileing techniques. I used to own a Camry Hybrid and hypermiled that car everywhere I went which was very taxing and stressful trying to get 44 mpg out of it.

I'm interested in seeing if I can get 55mpg or more out of the Golf. I put 1100 mile trips on my car 2 or 3 times a month...all interstate. It is a long drive, 550 miles one way at 70 mph is almost 8 hours. Then I return home the next day with another 8 hour drive. I don't mind slowing down, but at 65mph it would take me 8.5 hours.

Anyway, I look forward to exploring the site.

[Domman56]

Straight pipe rear muffler just a suggestion never hurts on a turbodiesel Spools up the turbo quicker and has never hurt mileage

[theycallmeebryan]

Since most of your driving is on the highway and at a high rate of speed (in the case of speed vs. drag), you need to improve the aerodynamics of your car and lower that Cd!

Grill block, front air dam, Kamm spoiler, moon disk wheel covers, belly pan, and close up that rear wheel well.

All of these can be done tastefully.

[MetroMPG]

theycallmeebryan is right on the money: for highway driving, you need to focus on aero mods.

VW's are also popular for top gear swaps to reduce engine RPM at cruise.

I'm not sure of any studies/valid tests of exhaust mods that have been shown to improve economy. Lots of testimonials, but they don't count.

[robchalmers]

I'd start with a grille block and other some tasteful areomods and..... lower the ride height, some people downlike it but VW's alway look good lower!

If it aint scrubbin' you aint 'dubbin!

[Don2001TDI]

Thanks for the tips! I wasn't expecting anyone to post anything more than a welcome to the forum type message on my first post.

These are some good ideas. I hadn't thought about any aeromods. I was just focusing on driving technique, tire pressure and good car maintenance. Anyone have any pics of these mods? I'll have to do some reading to find out what a front air dam and kamm spoiler are. LOL

I've thought about the 5th gear (and also thought about swapping in a 6-speed) gear swap. But any mods I do will have to pay for themselves in fuel savings...otherwise why do it? The point for me is to save money to have money.

[robchalmers]

I'd check the ratios, some 5cog 'boxes have just as tall top gear as some 6coggers!

another thing to try is seat position - I'll probably be flamed for this - but don't sit too close tot he pedals, make sure you can safely depress the brakes but have the seat far enought back that you have to consciouly pivot you ankle to acclerate rather have the weight of your foot adn leg reating on the noisy pedal.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Don2001TDI

I hadn't thought about any aeromods. I was just focusing on driving technique, tire pressure and good car maintenance.

That's the hard way

The grille block is a good first mod.
The grille lets far too much air into the engine compartment, which leads to drag.
Closing the better part of that intake is an easy job, and can be done from the inside so it's not even visible. Watch your coolant temperatures on the trials.

Car manufacturers do the very same thing these days.
Huge grilles (see Audi, Mazda, Peugeot, but a lot of it is blanked off on the inside.

[Don2001TDI]

Originally Posted by robchalmers

don't sit too close tot he pedals, make sure you can safely depress the brakes but have the seat far enought back that you have to consciouly pivot you ankle to acclerate rather have the weight of your foot adn leg reating on the noisy pedal.

Agreed. I sit pretty far back and usually will kick off my shoes to drive barefooted. This allows me to minutely adjust the throttle with very slight pressure from my big toe. The roads are mostly flat in coastal Alabama so I try to keep an even throttle.

On my 550 mile interstate commute I will use cruise control since it is a flat run down the Florida coastline on I-10 & I-75. There are some gentle hills on the I-10 part where I see better mpgs than on the flats. I attribute this to the engine being more efficient under a heavier load going up the hills and basically coasting on the downside. I've noticed this to be true in the tdi, my wife's Mustang and also my diesel Excursion. We did a trip up to TN this summer in the Excursion by way of Mobile, AL to Tampa through S.C. then went over the N.C. - TN mountains. I made it a point to fill up at each of the different terrain breaks on the trip to get the mpg for that leg. I was surprised to see that I got the best mpgs going over the mountian and then repeated that mpg going back over the mtn on the way home. I guess it was kinda like a HUGE pulse and glide.