New xB owner going for the MPG's

[The Fridge]

Just started hypermiling when I got this new (used) car - a 2005 Scion Xb which I have dubbed 'Kelvinator.'
Right now my best tank is 31.4 MPG.

I work as a handyman so I needed something that can hold a bunch of tools and has a decent roof to put a rack on.
I got a ProRac which sits low and the crossbars are sort of aero.
I try not to drive with the ladder on top except when I really need it.

My SG2 is on order, I'm looking to take out the back seats, and I plan on building a fuel injector cut-out.

Speaking of that project...
Can anyone recommend which brand of service manual to buy for this car, or where I can find schematics online???

Thanks!

[SVOboy]

Welcome to ecomodder! You'll be happy when you get that SGII, but don't forget to fill out a fuel log!

Also, does helm's make a manual for toyota/scion? They're my preference for Honda.

[TestDrive]

OEM factory service manuals are the most detailed.
Don't know how much Toyota wants for theirs, but here is a good site to watch for used.

Used books - Worldwide

Suggested search terms for OEM Scion service manuals
Author: Toyota Motor Corporation
Title: Toyota Scion

[The Fridge]

Thanks guys...
SVO: too bad, Helms doesn't do toyota.
Test: nice link for booksearch! but no-go.
========
I'm looking for the common hot to the injectors.

I found links to PDF manuals at Scionlife and now I just need to find the B-R wire coming out of connector 1O (pin 5) on the back of the main junction block under the dash....
If I give up on that I should be able to find it in the engine compartment somewhere before it splits into 4 wires.

hehe

[whokilledthejams]

Welcome! Slowly but surely, us xB'ers are taking over ecomodder...

How do you intend to wire an injector cut-out? I'd like to do that, but I haven't really had the chance to sit down and get it done.

Basic mods that will really help the xB are blocking the lowest grille, airing up your tires, and driving sensibly. That alone will get you into the upper 30s.

[The Fridge]

Hi Jams,
I got the job about halfway done today.
Finding wires under the dash is an absolute nightmare.
After poking around under there a bit I realized there is no way I'm going to find (and splice into!) the wire I need.
So I went back to the engine compartment, unwrapped the tape from the wiring harness where the injector wires come out.
I found the black/red wires coming from each of the injectors, but I couldn't find wherever the junction is that they join to become one wire.
I knew from the schematics and what I observed that these are the common hot. So I took a chance, cut them and joined all 4 of them together on both ends of my cut. Then I used a 14 ga twinlead wire to take each cut end into the cabin.

For now the ends of the twinlead inside the cabin are soldered together, but my next step is to set up a relay to open and close the circuit with a small control switch on my shifter.

Then I hooked the battery back up and....It runs!
I re-taped the wiring harness and got everything put back together and now the rest of the job is inside the car.
I took a good bunch of pictures and I'll post them soon.

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by The Fridge

Hi Jams,
I got the job about halfway done today.
Finding wires under the dash is an absolute nightmare.
After poking around under there a bit I realized there is no way I'm going to find (and splice into!) the wire I need.
So I went back to the engine compartment, unwrapped the tape from the wiring harness where the injector wires come out.
I found the black/red wires coming from each of the injectors, but I couldn't find wherever the junction is that they join to become one wire.
I knew from the schematics and what I observed that these are the common hot. So I took a chance, cut them and joined all 4 of them together on both ends of my cut. Then I used a 14 ga twinlead wire to take each cut end into the cabin.

For now the ends of the twinlead inside the cabin are soldered together, but my next step is to set up a relay to open and close the circuit with a small control switch on my shifter.

Then I hooked the battery back up and....It runs!
I re-taped the wiring harness and got everything put back together and now the rest of the job is inside the car.
I took a good bunch of pictures and I'll post them soon.

Interesting.

I've spent plenty of time upside down under my dashboard (mine came with an alarm that I accidentally set off twice a day, so that had to go; I added an extra lighter socket, upgraded the stereo, etc), so I know what a pain it is in there. The engine compartment, by contrast, is downright comfortable.

I should sit down and study the wiring diagrams some time. A kill switch would do wonders. I can only imagine how many miles are stacking up that my odo isn't rolling when I kill my engine(with the key) to EOC (well, ok, not really a lot, but every bit counts!).