new to hypermiling

[jmmbmd2013ph]

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!

[MetroMPG]

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?

[jmmbmd2013ph]

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?

[jmmbmd2013ph]

Originally Posted by jmmbmd2013ph

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.

[MetroMPG]

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?

[California98Civic]

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?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

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

[jmmbmd2013ph]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

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?

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

[jmmbmd2013ph]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

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?

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.

[jmmbmd2013ph]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

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

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.