new to hypermiling
 

hello guys, James here from the Philippines, I heard so much about hypermiling, saw it on TV and read about it on the web.

Currently, I'm using a 1990 Toyota Corolla with a 1.3 SOHC Carb engine on it, lately FC isn't good I'm only shelling out 10 km/L given its a 23 year old car, with a contact point distributor and a 4 speed manual transmission. I use it every day to go to work approximately 43 kilometers back and forth everyday.

What's more, road conditions so bad, with bumps and holes everywhere, its a nightmare for wheels and suspension. Plus, road courtesy barely exists. you couldn't get a constant speed as other cars would unpredictably swerve at different lanes, this one example of many.

So, given these extra challenges, can you guys give me tips on how to improve the performance of my engine to achieve a good fuel consumption. My goal is to have a 15-16 km/L FC for my car. Thanks a lot and God Bless! :)

Welcome to the forum!

The hardest part of 'playing the game' for you is that you have a carb, so fitting a digital fuel consumption meter isn't really feasible (unless the folks in the MPGuino subforum have sorted out this problem.) Instant / trip average feedback is a critical piece of the puzzle, and going tank by tank is too slow for meaningful feedback to help you fine tune your techniques.

"Bumps and holes everywhere" ... so, you're not doing the typical Manila stop&go city commute, correct? Can you describe your typical drive? Rural? Urban? Average speeds? Hilly/flat?

thanks! actually my route is from Paranaque City (a suburb south of manila) to Dasmarinas City, Cavite (a provincial city south of Paranaque and Manila). Well, to describe it more clearly I drive along a highway known as "Daanghari" which literally means "Kingsroad" its a long stretch of road that connects the southern suburbs of Manila to the many towns and cities of the southern provinces mainly Cavite and Laguna. The route is mostly flat but at times there are hilly sections, its rural in the ling stretch but when I get to my destinations (the cities itself) I usually encounter traffic. Bumps and holes, well the road isn't perfect actually its mostly made out of concrete and not asphalt so its a very rough road. I read somewhere that smooth roads provide a better fuel economy, so I suppose that factor puts a minus to fuel consumption right?

and also I go out early in the morning (6am) to avoid traffic here in Paranaque (which is much worse than in Dasmarinas Cavite). Average speed is 60-70kph at 2.5k RPM 4th gear.

I'm surprised your RPM is so high at such a low speed! Really, 2500 @ 70 km/h?? That's going to make it hard to get good results on the open road.

Also with the rough road, pumping up the tires is going to make the ride harsh. So another strike against a common tactic.

You mentioned unpredictable drivers, and in that case one of the best things you can do is increase your following distance to generally keep as much space around you as possible. It gives you better forward visibility to predict changes in traffic flow so you can to avoid having to brake suddenly/sharply. Minimizing brake use is key.

By the way: what was this car's official fuel economy rating?

Reduce weight, reduce speed, buy larger diameter tires when next needed, do some of the simpler and cheaper aeromods, like an airdam, partial grill block, and tire spats.

Will you be getting a different car someday? One with electronic fuel injection and taller five speed gearing?

Have you never considered to get a surplus 2C engine to fit it into your Corolla?

yeah :( 2.5k at 70 km/h but that's the max, I usually go around 60 kph at 2k rpm, that's the bad thing when only have 4 gears in your tranny :( i'm still saving enough to get a surplus 5 speed tranny and an electronic distributor, coz I still use a mechanical or contact point type distributor.

official fuel economy rating? that I have no idea. Its a 1990 Toyota Corolla XL4 EE90 with a 2E engine

i'm planning to get the new Toyota Yaris/Vios here in our locality, but its still months away so I have to make good use of what I have and practice some hypermiling stuff.

only a few people here have made that kind of mod, I was also thinking about it but its way too expensive and we never had diesel corollas released here in the Philippines. so it would be hard to find a half-cut with a 2C diesel on it. :(

What about the Isuzu 4FB1 or 4FC1? Those are also good option for the Corolla :thumbup:

Just an update I used WD-40 on my engine and lubricated and sprayed on the following parts:

1. alternator
2. water pump pulley
3. a/c compressor
4. tensioner bearing
5. main crankshaft

I also sprayed the internal of my contact point type distributor and the ends of my high tension wires and sparkplug ends with WD-40 and results were remarkable, my engine is now running smoother and more quiet, and even with all of my accessories open (e.g. lights, a/c, radio, etc.) the RPM does not drop that too low.

also, I just finished doing a DIY installation of customized cold air intake, I hope it performs well tomorrow


BTW can you guys suggest a design for a hypermiling sticker that I can put on my rear glass? i'm planning to put one soon...

In general, on this site, you'll find testing showing warm air intakes a benefit (or no change) to FE. In general cold air intake systems are understood to improve power modestly and reduce FE a little.

Get the "ecomodder.com" sticker by donating to the EM site (or just buying one)... promote the community!

good day! thanks for the reply, I already tried a warm air intake on my SOHC 1,3 Carb engine and I ended up stepping up the gas more often due to lack of power, so I'm still going to try out this one, I'll update soon :D:D