Toyota 1.3 VVT-i driving style tips?
 

Morning all,

I've done a bit of pondering / searching and can't find an answer - probably because the above mentioned engine might not have made it to the USA.

I wonder if there are any 1.3 VVT-i owners out there who can give me a hand.

My ma has just picked up a low milage 2012 Yaris 1.3 (not sure if it's the 2NZ-FE or 1NZ-FE engine). It has the six speed manual trans and a "ECO" shift light to tell you when to change.

She's come from a 1.4HDI engine, so is probably still driving it like a diesel, and expecting 70mpg UK (58mpg US) average tanks.

She and her partner have been glued to the MPG gauge but it's averaging about 40mpg UK (33mpg US).

Anyone have this car or powerplant? If so, I'd love some tips.

I'm not sure how VVT-i works, but can that be used to benefit FE somehow?

Also, the shift light is useless; it says shift up, but when you do there is nothing there (c. 2200 RPM) and your foot needs to be planted to get going.

Perhaps this car needs a VW TDI "boot it for FE" approach - along the lines of the (oft-quoted here) keep your foot in 70/80% to load the engine, shifting at 0.7 of the max torque RPM, in this car, that's 3080rpm, until cruising speed had been acheived.

As an aside, I'm trying the above technique with my Mercedes M111 engine - a small but thirsty unit - to see if it is happier under load.

Or, maybe for the Yaris, a more gentle apprach will help the little thing get better FE?

Glad to hear anyone's views, especially people who drive the 1.3 VVT-i powerplant.

Variable valve timing is automatic and, generally speaking, improves the efficiency and/or power generation over a broader RPM and load range. It's not something for a driver to take advantage of.

I don't have experience with that particular engine, but generally speaking, the keys to improving economy are conserving momentum and keeping your speed down.

Diesel has two main advantages over gasoline engines to keep in mind:
1) Gas engines have reduced efficiency at part throttle, while many diesels do not.
2) Diesel fuel has something like 25% more energy in it than gasoline, but is also more expensive in many parts of the world, so you can't really compare miles per gallon between the two.

I remember on my Civic hearing about a VTEC "switchover" point--turns out Honda uses extra cam lobes and rocker arms that lock at a certain RPM (or do/did on SOHC engines, at least). Toyota's VVT-i, on the other hand, seems to advance timing by adjusting the camshaft drive of the intake cam. I'm guessing there's no set RPM/load where that happens, but probably a variety of conditions under which it does. So, on a Honda you can stay out of VTEC if you want, but on a Toyota you can't stay out of VVT-i?

Basically, yes. Honda's later "iVTEC" also incorporates variable cam timing in addition to having more than one cam profile.

My mother has a Brazilian Toyota Etios with the 1.3L engine, but since it's a 2014 there is still no VVT-i on her car.