Project double my VeeDub's mpg

[NachtRitter]

Awesome! Congratulations on getting it to this point!

[COcyclist]

I found this thread late but what a cool swap! Can you post your mileage since the diesel/6 speed manual swap? Did it double in real world driving?

Originally Posted by dremd

Also decided to go to higher temperature thermostat.
Modified Thermostat for higher MPG's... - TDIClub Forums there is a great white paper linked in there someplace BTW.

I got a Stant Super Stat because most people have them run in the 200-205 range despite being rated for 195. I'd do the hybrid, but that is a tad scary for me. Hopefully that's good for about 1-2MPG.

The factory thermostat does 188, but fades to 182 in about a year and a half, so this should be about 20f warmer than my last car was running.

Yes, I now have a larger oil heat exchanger and have always run high grade synthetic lubricants. And, Yes, I want an active grill block pretty bad.

I have been running the Stant Super Stat for about 2 years and once warmed up it stays at about 207º F on the ScanGuage II. I seem to have picked up about 4 mpg. I did a Malone intelligent EGR stage I tune at the same time so it is hard to say how much is because of the thermostat.

[dremd]

Yeah, I totally doubled my real world MPG going from 1.8T auto to current setup.

Worst tank(s) to date with current setup was towing a large enclosed trailer empty at 29.9 MPG and back loaded with about 3000 lbs of workshop + a 1200 lb trailer at 29.4 MPG.
I regularly get 47-49 MPG unloaded and the 1.8T was a struggle to hit 25 MPG.

I ditched the higher temperature Stant thermostat when I blew my head gasket right at a year ago now. I never lost coolant (level) BUT I had 2% anti freeze in my oil (thank you Blackstone labs!) and there was quite a bit of oil in my coolant that wasn't super evident until I flushed it while changing head gasket. I DONT NECESSARILY blame the BHG on the huger temp thermostat, but the way that I use the car it is probably much better to have some extra safety margin. I'm sending off my first oil sample since the BHG (20,000 mile oil change interval) tomorrow wish me luck.

The car has turned more in to a truck than an eco modded car, I'm running a VNT 17 turbo (keeps exhaust temps down while towing stuff heavier than the car), the stickiest LRR tires I could find, much bigger brakes up front and stock TDI front brakes in the back in attempt to keep every thing in check.

I'm really interested in Halfing my transportation carbon foot print again by picking up a used LEAF for what I call my Prius duties that accounts for about 75% of the miles that I cover in the TDI.