tips about an already economical car
 

Hello
I am from the Netherlands and I drive a 2003 Renault Twingo 1.2 16v 75hp.
In general I get 20.1 km per liter of petrol.
There are some tricks about improving the range but I am interested on the first simpel things to do.
Things what I thought about and I would like your opinions about if it is useful or not are:
- removing the antenna.
- Something can be done with the wheels, I like to keep the standerd 14 inch steel wheels but I think the wheelcaps can be better.
The rear wheel archers can be more closed so that the rear wheel are covered, but with what and how much?
- The panel gaps are relative large, how can I fill this gaps without tape?
The grill and bumper can be more aerodynamic but there has to be cool air to the radiator.
What to do there?
-Other things like less weight is considered.
I would like to have a 6 speed manual but that is to expensive for the benefits.
Are there other relative easy things to do to improve fuel economy?

Thanx in advance

20km/1L = 5L/100km =47.04 mpgUS = 56.5mpgUK

Pizza pan wheel caps, upper grill block to start aside from maximizing your driving style.

What does the underside look like? Are you using synthetic oils? Tire pressures optimized?

Underside is standard and not aerodynamic.
I can put panels there, but how to attach them safe?
Is there a DIY way of hubcaps? or can I buy these somewhere online? (Europe?)
It needs an service so I have a option to use the best oil available (but wich one?)
Tire pressure is about 2.4 to 2.6 bar.
I am driving relative economical, it means not above 110 kp/h, steady driving, minimum breaking, looking ahaid.
But not like a very old person and not annoying all the other road users.

panel gaps
 

I completely taped all the panel gaps on my truck for the wind tunnel and the difference in drag could not be measured,so I don't anticipate any savings for you there.
Simple pizza-pan wheel covers would help.
Wheel skirts would help.
The belly panels would help.
I tried expensive,full-synthetic transaxle lube (Red Line Racing Oil) in my Honda,and couldn't measure any savings.
On the open road,at highway speed,the greatest saving would come from boat-tailing,or a box-cavity device.The box-cavity would be the easier to fabricate.The boat-tail would have the highest performance.Perhaps a 15% mileage improvement by itself.

Mr Aero Head
I now realize why driving to Gainesville Texas is a PIA aka Sanger 35 Interstate road construction is horrid on any random day.

Hey, aerohead. I din't know Texans were so formal.

They can be right after they punch you in the face

PIA
 

Wow,yeah!
I hit the LOVE's at Milam Road about a week ago,to grab some air conditioning and an icy drink after mowing at a friend's place.I-35 was a complete parking lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will take some detail pictures later.

Also what is better, pan style flat hubcaps or lightweight alloy wheels like vw lupo 3L wheels.
They are 4.5 kilo each and bolt pattern is the same, just the center needs to bored out a little.
I dont know what a standard 14 inch steel wheel weights.

replacing the mirrors with small camera,s with a screen inside the car, would that help out a lot?

Two factors:
Weight — they carry angular momentum which can be more than the static weight. Makes a difference speeding up and slowing down, not so much at a steady pace.

Aero — a smooth cap will have lowest Cd but poor brake cooling. You're choice.

ecomodder.com: dzus-fastened-moon-disc-wheel-covers-32996.html

ecomodder.com: fasteners-20563.html

Dzus fastners can be used for the belly pan and the wheel disks.

Here are some extra pictures

Lighter wheels are always better.
Lighter and more aerodynamic if you can

Your fake alloys / aka hubcaps only add weight and don't help to reduce drag - so remove them.


But buying another set of wheels is never going to pay for them through slightly reduced fuel use, not even @ our fuel prices.
Lupo 3L wheels are usually fairly expensive - it's a rare cult thing ...
I didn't buy a set for these reasons
Though they would fit perfectly as is.


It'd help
But it's illegal in Europe
Lots of mods you see on US vehicles, are not allowed here.

With yearly inspections, mods must be easily reversible too.


Inflate your tyres to the max the car and suspension can take.
Start with the pressure advised for full load, and add 0,2 or 0,3 bar every week or so
If it becomes bouncy (especially the rear), reduce pressure again.
You can run higher pressure up front (engine weight) than at the rear (very light without passengers/load)

Your Twingo is a light, older car, so it's easy to get a bouncy suspension.


Change your driving style
Let it roll out of gear (coasting / gliding with the engine on)
Yes, it'll use fuel, but it'll roll far, far further than in gear (using no fuel)
Below about 20 km/h, there's not much more benefits

Accelerate or keep on the gas only as long as you need to coast to the next turn, stop, ... or generally anywhere where you must slow down.
Takes some practice.

Ride your car like a bike
You don't accelerate or keep pedalling when you need to slow down a bit further either ...


There's a lot of FE to be gained by changing how you drive, rather than modding the car ...
Mods often need to be quite extreme (like a boattail) to also be very effective

zip ties through holes, around solid , stationary parts

screw it into a wooden frame


If it's not using oil, the thinnest oil allowed

You won't get the price of expensive "longlife" oil back through reduced fuel use, especially not if the oil needs changing often (as the car is older)


You might be able to go a bit higher on the front
Above 2.6 rear might start to get bouncy

Slow down to 100 if you want to use less fuel.

You can get very good FE following trucks - but that's @ 85-90 kph (real, not tacho)
Just don't get in their way :cool:


Is not always the best technique though ...

Good start
Now, start to see slowing down by lifting the throttle as "braking" as well, and try to avoid that, too

(you can't always avoid it, and it's more efficient than the foot-brake, but it's still braking ... meaning you kept gassing on for too long )



Don't floor the throttle
If you notice you do, lift the throttle a bit
Accelerating @ 80% throttle or so, is generally very efficient
(efficient in fuel use for the HP produced, but it still guzzles fuel when seen / 100km ...)

The underside is not a good environment for wood. One poster, BamZipPow, started with wood framing and eventually replaced it all with plastic and metal.

If you must use wood, at least paint or fiberglass it, lest it rot.

1). Analysis.

- What is “Dead Minimal Usage” for you? That for which there isn’t an adequate substitute (as some substitutes are penalties of time & energy, etc).

- On a weekly basis: the number of cold starts.

- Besides a work commute, zero in on all other use as separate. In a manner of speaking, only to/from work are paid miles (income offsets them). All other miles are a penalty.

It’s the combination of non-necessary cold starts combined with their penalty miles that should be isolated.

Next, what percentage of miles are at or above 35-mph? (sorry, you’ll make conversions to metric).

Because a road has a speed limit of X does not mean we travel that speed. Metro city street traffic averages 15-mph in US, and local highways average 35-mph.

The time actually spent at speeds where aero mods help can be vanishingly low.

So, find engine hours. Divide that into odometer for Average MPH.

The higher the AVERAGE MPH, generally the higher the Average MPG

Cut out the undisciplined use. Increase the MPH average. Once it settles in where you are comfortable (more changes in operator behavior won’t work per the individual) you have a better baseline.

AND any aero changes to the vehicle stand out.

Personally, I would make no changes that affect design utility or that shorten component life (thus vehicle life).

.

The one at Krum is much, much nicer.

IH-35 splits south of here towards Dallas or Fort Worth and then combines about 100-miles south at Hillsboro. Getting across D/FW East/West isn’t hard (relatively) its the North/South routes (very few) that leave you gasping.

The civilians believe WAZE and Google Maps are enough to route around problems. The truck drivers know that a good CB radio system (where pains are taken to maximize antenna performance) are the real secret.

I regularly run loads into the Peterbilt plant from South Carolina. Drop them at a remote lot behind the Loves at Krum. As home is only 25-miles away, seems easy enough. But more than once I’ve had enough hours on the daily limit to stop there and take a long nap once informed by the usual rock hauler locals about the nature and extent of a backup.

Let it clear out. Then head home.

Relative to the OP: Are you sure your departure times can’t be altered for lower traffic volume?

(Phil: Don’t be put off by preconceptions about CB. Yeah, it’s a free-for-all, but it’s also a MAJOR tool in my box. Those who are helpful get helped. I used to run FM-455 as a teenager 40 years ago and counting. Beautiful country drive. Today, I avoid it like the plague. Once one is out of familiar territory, the CB shines. )

Also relative to the OP: CB radio in your country may make last-moment trip changes viable (given one understands alternate routes).

.

Mount the end cap to a hook from a round car and apply it to the color of the car. Buy a snap (measure the size of the gap and depth) and glue the mask with the bumper, around the lamp, the rear slit of the boot lid in the upper roof seal, sides and side slits of the rear bumper and side door also but with the head not blocking the outflow of water. Lower the car by 2 cm and the engine chip for more power.

Remove the rear head restraints, the spare wheel in the boot (if you're close to work), replace the tires with Nokian because they are lighter by about 0.5-1 kg from Continental.