New Member with a Veloster
 

Hello,

My name is Zach, I am 25 and commute 26 miles each way to work M-F. My drive consists of mostly back country roads with stoplights and stop signs throughout the drive. Speed limits range from 35MPH to 55MPH.

Right now my Veloster is stock 2012 Base model (non-turbo) with 80k miles. I don't have any particular mods that would effect MPG, I do run Mobil1 full synthetic though. I got new tires a year ago and since then my MPG have dropped, I was averaging around 40MPG for a couple months prior to. I would like my Veloster to look as OEM as possible while maintaining good MPG.

I recently put the stock Veloster over the teardrop diagram and found the aerodynamics are pretty spot-on.

Recently have been thinking about smooth wheel covers and potentially blocking the fog light covers since my Veloster doesn't have fog lights, the insert is pretty deep.

Hi, welcome!

Don't focus on the fog light covers...
Many modern cars have ridges on the bumper corners to block, rather than guide, the airflow over the corner.
This creates a high pressure area ahead of the bumper, pushing the air around the car more gradually and directing more of the air stream over the car rather than over the sides.
The model without the fog lights might have a slightly lower Cd than the version with the fog lights because of this effect.

A grill block (combined with a gauge to measure intake temp) may be effective and can be done inconspicuously, if behind the grill. Also airing the tires to max sidewall pressure, etc.
See the 65+ Efficiency mods from the link in the menu bar on the top.

40 mpg is pretty decent for a Veloster, good work!

Welcome to the site.

I second RedDevil's tips!

The tires are a suspect. How well inflated do you keep them (measure with a hand-held gauge, not the gas station air pumps)? And what tires did you buy? Were the new tires LRR rated? LRR = "low rolling resistance." Check out the specs on tirerack.com

And I agree 40mpg in that car is pretty good. Is it an auto or manual transmission?

Thank you both for the welcomes! Thanks RedDevil for the tips on the fog lights, once I hit 5 posts I will attach a picture. I read the tips a while back, I have checked out this forum over the past couple years every now and again, I will have to re-read them.

I need to check my tire pressure more often but I don't have an air compressor, I have see those tire inflators but don't know if they are any good. Anyone have a recommendation there?

I have been thinking of the grill block and was thinking of starting with the upper grill area where the emblem is but there isn't a large space there as it is so I don't know how much benefit I would get. I also was thinking about the windshield wiper cover.

I don't keep them up like I mentioned above, I need to invest in an air compressor so I don't have to go to the gas station often. I filled them above what discount tire put in there, I think around 40PSI but it has been a while since I have re-inflated them, how often do you all check your tire pressure? I use the hand-held guage.

I bought stock size (215/45/17) Nitto Motivos, they are not LRR from what I can tell, tirerack doesn't sell them but discount tire website doesn't have them as LRR. There is a long story behind my tire shopping experience. I have had them since 12/05/14 and so far enjoy them besides the MPG losses.

Sorry I forgot to mention, it is Automatic.

Here are a couple of pictures
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3hamzfti.jpg

Paint skills with wheel covers
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...pssyap1vcj.png

Wheel Covers + fog covers (but sounds like I shouldn't do that)
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...psnqc0xazl.png

And if it is allowed, here is my "build thread" on the Veloster.org forum - Zachs Build Thread

I am not sure if I want to go full blown grill block and have to worry about intake temps, kinda over my head for now. Was thinking of doing the upper grill block, assuming I wouldn't have to worry about temperature issues because not much gets in there as it is.

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...psujmxzxim.png

Forty mpg tank average is pretty good in that car. Sounds like you are 33% above EPA combined rating. Also, neat little car. 1.6L naturally aspirated... that's my civic. But you are rated for significantly better EPA highway (35) than my Civic is (33). I didn't know it came without turbo. The six speed gear ratios are not half bad either.

You can get more from it. Proven stuff that can be very stealthy, easy, and cheap are grill blocks (already mentioned) and airdams. (Skip wheel covers if stealth is your goal.)

Do you have an Ultragauge or a ScanGauge?

Thanks! Yeah the six speed DCT isn't half bad, the turbo models range from 2013-current which run at about 200hp stock, mine is 138hp stock. I was thinking that if i did wheel covers in black it might be somewhat stealthy? I am not sure though I would have to experiment with it, the wife is the one who will probably object the most to it :)

I do not have an Ultragauge or ScanGuage and am not looking to invest that much money for this right now, would a bluetooth OBDII connector with an app be as reliable for my purposes?

you need a way to live track with reasonable accuracy three things: engine load, rpm, and short range or jnstant MPG. For the best hypermile strategies the first one is the most important. If you are concerned about expense and stealth, the ultragauge is a much better strategy than wheel covers. You can learn to drive in the optimal load band, or closer to it, with you paddle shifter auto trans. Your car wil, look the same, the wife won't object, and over 10 or so tanks, with skill, you'll get your $70 back. The wheel covers will never be atealth, especially if you use cheap materials to save cash.

With a grill block, airdam, tire pressure 5-10 psi above sidewall, and a gauge and driving technique, your car will look almost exactly like it does now, and it will get significantly better FE with your same techniques, as long as weather cooperates too. Even if you akip the gaufe... do the others because you should see a difference. ☺

you need a way to live track with reasonable accuracy three things: engine load, rpm, and short range or jnstant MPG. For the best hypermile strategies the first one is the most important. If you are concerned about expense and stealth, the ultragauge is a much better strategy than wheel covers. You can learn to drive in the optimal load band, or closer to it, with you paddle shifter auto trans. Your car wil, look the same, the wife won't object, and over 10 or so tanks, with skill, you'll get your $70 back. The wheel covers will never be atealth, especially if you use cheap materials to save cash.

With a grill block, airdam, tire pressure 5-10 psi above sidewall, and a gauge and driving technique, your car will look almost exactly like it does now, and it will get significantly better FE with your same techniques, as long as weather cooperates too. Even if you akip the gaufe... do the others because you should see a difference. ☺

Thank you for your input! Is there a dummy guide on reading the "engine load" and how that can translate to achieving better MPG? I am very new at all of this and trying to read/learn as much as I can haha.

I have the "TouchScan" App that I got for free a while back on my android device, could I buy the OBDII adapter and use my phone to get the same results or would be be better to invest in the ultragauge? Robot Check

Reason I ask is because I have some Amazon gift cards from Christmas but the UltraGauge isn't on there haha.

You did mention an air dam, looking at the 65+ efficiency mods thread, that doesn't look any more stealthy than wheel covers, is there an alternative to that?

Thanks again for all of your great input!!

I don't think apps are as reliable as a unit directly plugged into the OBD2 port. But I have no experience with the apps, so my opinion ain't much.

The engine load thing has to do with the dynamics of how much power per unit of fuel your engine makes at a given rpm. Gasoline engines don't produce a uniform amount of power per unit of fuel across the whole power band. Generally, though I gather not always, you will be burning fuel most efficiently in the 70-80% load range. That's not throttle % but load. It is a fairly brisk rate of acceleration, counterintuitive when thinking about saving fuel. In your auto trans you would get to speed in the most efficient way and then cruise, or perhaps coast in nuetral with the engine on ifmyour car is designed to handle that.

The airdam jn the list is kinda extreme. A different and also very good airdam can be under the bumper, a few inches behind the leading edge of the bumper, made from black lawn edging. It is very low key. I have hd to point it out as a mod to people looking at my car. Often, they cannot guess how I made it. It's also a really good mod. It keeps air from going under the car, the messiest aerodynamic area of most cars, prob yours too.

When you add to the low-key airdam, a grill block behind the existing grill, you get quite stealthy, cheap, but known effective mods.

Thank you so much for the detailed replies and explanations! I have been reading about the apps/OBD2 connectors and I think it would be good option for me right now and if it doesn't work out I will look into investing into the ultragauge.

I actually looked at your build thread and like the way yours looks! I will see about doing something similar to mine. The only issue I might run into is scraping on my driveway because I have a bump right in the beginning but I guess I can try and see. And it looks to be easier that trying an under-belly pan.

Do you think an upper grill block would be worth trying or should I stick to a behind the grill lower block? I tried to show what it would look like in the previous posts, right now my air intake (OEM) scoop pulls air from the upper grill block and the opening isn't very large.

If it were my car and I shared it with a partner who seems trepidatious about conspicuous mods, I do the grill block as stealthy as possible. So only do behind the grill blocking. Also, as far as upper/lower, I'd want maybe a 70% block total and the remainder to be in frint of the cooling radiator (not the AC radiator) if possible. Experiment. Maybe leave the top grill alone because it looks pretty small and might only be about 30% of total grill opening. If so, try blocking all of the lower grill. Monitor coolant temperatures if you can (another reason to get an ultragauge is precise readings from all engine sensors including coolant and intake temps).

An added plus of an ultragauge... it reads engine trouble codes. It is *almost* as robust as those handheld diagnstic tools mechanics have.

Once again awesome tips! I think I will start experimenting with a lower grill block this weekend with cardboard since I have some from Christmas. Definitely going to look into some threads here on the best final product though.

I checked my psi and each are sitting at 30. Max sidewall is 50. Was thinking of going to around 40-45. Anyone have experience with a tire inflator?Shop Kobalt 12-Volt Power Source Air Inflator at Lowe's

I wouldn't bother with a power inflator. A $10 Walmart pump and some elbow grease work just as fast and well.

I'd buy a battery jumper with inflater and light for $60. IMO biggest gain is from not using your brakes, get off the gas, start your coast so you don't need to touch the brake pedal untill under 20 mph. that's where the largest % of the driving gains come from.

Thanks vman I didn't even think about that! I will put it on my list. Rooster thanks for the tip. I normally coast often as well. I am at 80k miles on my stock brake pads ....not sure if that is good or not though haha. I need to get back to the gas saving mindset while driving, I think recently I just haven't been conscious.

Depends what your tpms system is set to. Mine won't give an error light until 51 psig but if the stock tire size is 44 psi max then it will come on much sooner. Set it 10% below sidewall max so there is room for pressure increase when the tires get warm. I have mine set 38 front 45 rear to help with handling characteristics.

Also, around Southern California the Chevrin stations offer free use of the air pump. You don't have to buy gas to ask for them to turn it on either. EDIT: check in your area. haha

I went out to walmart and got the $10 stand pump and pumped the tires to 42 psi I will monitor it as it starts to get colder. It definitely was elbow grease pumping them up by hand but it wasn't terrible.

When I lived in Ohio we had the free air pumps as well at some places like giant eagle and such. Not here in north Carolina though haha

Started to check out some of the threads here and saw some talking about sealing the gaps around headlights and such and remembered a thread on the veloster forum where members were trying to keep the engine bay clean and bought a hood weatherstrip. For MPG purposes this might help me not having to do an upper grill block and no one would even see it.

Hood weatherstrips

Blocking excessive grille opening will have a bigger effect than closing up seams. I'm sure you know you need a way to monitor coolant temps to ensure you don't go too far for your typical driving loads.

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Does your car have a "manual" shift mode?

I've often found that you can get an automatic to upshift SOONER using manual mode than the default automatic programming permits. That will help as well.

Thanks Metro for the response. I actually mocked up a grill block with cardboard and I am not sure if it is making a huge difference or not. I do have a bluetooth OBD2 connector + Android app to monitor temps.
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...pszvqc9vgx.jpg

Yes my car has the manual shift mode and I have been using the exclusively. I actually achieved 41.7MPG on this past tank, my record is 41.9 :)

Something I need to test out after this tank is if it is better to neutral coast or DFCO coast. I will test it out on a full tank. I still need to research on here which is better as someone on the Veloster forum stated the instant MPGs I see when neutral coasting are inflated because it is idling.

It'll be making a small difference. Probably not enough to show up above the usual variability in tank to tank monitoring though.

Very nice. I drove my friend's Buick Regal turbo which has this, so I just went in the "manual" shift gate and regularly bap the lever forward to get it to upshift ASAP. Bap bap bap bap bap. It almost needs a little machine to keep tapping the lever for the driver.

Depends whether you're trying to slow down or not. :)

Haha yeah it's definitely an awesome feature to have in an automatic.

Yeah I am still not 100% convinced that the Veloster has DFCO because my gal/hr is worse coasting in gear vs neutral. The instant MPG is also not nearly as high vs in neutral. I have read how to test if it does but I am not keen on cutting the engine while driving.

All modern EFI engines have DFCO. It's a great way for them to jack up city EPA ratings.

FWIW, i have noticed in my car that it will only enter dfco if i am not in manual mode. Yours may be the same. In sport mode and manual mode the ecu will waste more fuel in the assumption that you have the car at a track event or you're having entirely too much fun and need that fraction of a second better throttle response.

That's what I was told but when I look at my gal/hr with 0 throttle it is still ~1.xx with instant MPG not super high. When in neutral, gal/hr = ~.25
Does anyone know of a good way to test it?

I was thinking the same thing as well so I tried to not be in manual mode and was not able to see my gal/hr go to 0 with 0 throttle. I am going to try it on the highway on my drive to my in-laws tonight and see if it depends on the RPMs. Also my trip MPG sucked this morning driving in automatic mode :(