a new hypermiler on the loose?

[GreenTDI]

Hello all,

I'm glad to have found a website like ecomodder, while I become more and more interested in getting every mile out of my tank.
My name is Cedric - english name - my father is originally from France, my mother from Germany and my wife is from Holland, but I live in Belgium with my family (yes, the land of chocolate, waffles and the smurfs). Does everyone follow? It doesn't get more European than this, sorry!

I own a green Skoda Fabia Estate since 2011. It's actually a Czech Volkswagen Polo (all of VW technique and materials), but in a roomier stationwagon version and with the new 1.2 CRTDI on board. This one is still my first car and it has been quite practical, reliable and economical so far without any changes.

Without modifications and my 'normal' driving (65MPH) it gets an average of around 55 MPG (more in summer, little less in winter). Now, my goal is to achieve improvement with some modifications. I'm eager to learn more on this forum!


Bye!

[Flakbadger]

Welcome to the forums! If you haven't already seen this list, it's a good place to start: https://ecomodder.com/forum/fuel-eco...ifications.php

Feel free to ask for help or clarifications. I spent a long time browsing this forum when I first discovered it, can't tell you how many hours I spent reading!

Sounds like you do pretty well with your car as-is. My advice would be to start a fuel log, and get yourself some sort of instrumentation---Scangauge, Ultragauge etc. The fuel log is a neat tool because it shows you how various changes to your vehicle affect your mileage.



It also shows you the effects of summer and winter months, as you can see the yearly dip in MPG when the weather turns cold (and here, rainy).

Outside of that, switching to synthetic oil is a good and easy mod, if you don't already use it. I waited until I found it on sale at Costco and bought boxes of the stuff, as well as watching sales on oil filters. My cost ended up being only about 10-15% higher than conventional oil, with the added benefits of longer oil change intervals and smoother operation.

Good luck to you, and have fun!

[Daox]

Welcome to the site Cedric. Looking forward to seeing what you can achieve. 55 is already pretty respectable.

[GreenTDI]

@Flakbadger & Daox

Thanks for welcoming me and I appreciate your instant help!

I have noted my fueling data for a long time on a german website called spritmonitor.de. The total average from 0 tot 100.000 km (60k miles) was exact 54 MPG. But after a few years without keeping it up with it, I notice that the engine runs smoother and better with age. So it's time to pick up some new data and optimize the car.

I saw some awesome things on this beautiful forum like grill blocks and moon discs, those are quick wins = not expensive and easy to install.

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by GreenTDI

@Flakbadger & Deox

Thanks for welcoming me and I appreciate your instant help!

I have noted my fueling data for a long time on a german website called spritmonitor.de. The total average from 0 tot 100.000 km (60k miles) was exact 54 MPG. But after a few years without keeping it up with it, I notice that the engine runs smoother and better with age. So it's time to pick up some new data and optimize the car.

I saw some awesome things on this beautiful forum like grill blocks and moon discs, those are quick wins = not expensive and easy to install.

I only had a grille block and moon discs on my Yaris and regularly smashed 40 MPH, they're definitely good, easy, and simple mods.

[GreenTDI]

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

I only had a grille block and moon discs on my Yaris and regularly smashed 40 MPH, they're definitely good, easy, and simple mods.

I think those things are going to be my first adjustments. I like your moon discs, they look great on your car. Did you make or buy them?

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by GreenTDI

I think those things are going to be my first adjustments. I like your moon discs, they look great on your car. Did you make or buy them?

I made them with pizza pans secured with magnets and some foam insulation to prevent them from sliding. They worked great for around 3,000 miles, until one of them forcibly removed itself from my vehicle at highway speed and smashed into the barrier alongside. I then removed the rest and never reinstalled them. I would strongly suggest getting the "real" ones, and installing them with screws so that they don't go anywhere!

[COcyclist]

Welcome Green. It's good to see another diesel on here. I would start with tire pressure, ScanGuage and upper grill blocking. I did mine with black insulation foam for plumbing pushed between the slats. It is easy to remove if needed but I have never felt the need in 15 years.

[cowmeat]

I would strongly suggest getting the "real" ones, and installing them with screws so that they don't go anywhere!

So I wasn't crazy after all! Here's how I kept a set on my Insight, they worked great and looked awesome. Good luck with the car

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post485092

[COcyclist]

GreenTDI, I started a thread about Eco-driving the TDI diesel that you may find helpful.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post621801

FWIW I have not had good luck with smooth wheel covers on the Golf. I have tried them multiple times both A-B-A and over several full tank fills and they do not seem to increase my mpg. They may actually hurt my mpg. Heresy!!! Julian Edgar's book quotes several studies showing why my results may be correct, at least for my car. I need to start a thread if I can ever figure out how to add photos.

What transmission do you have in your car?