What did you do to/with your vehicle today?

[MPG Undercover]

One of the foremost ways to get higher MPG is by NOT using your A/C. In fact, as stated here in Ecomodder, if you remove all of the A/C components from your car, you will lose about 50 pounds of weight, and remove some parasitic belt drive losses in the process, which would result in even higher MPG. Although the latter would be ideal, for some of us with wife and kids, that is simply not an option. Therefore, in comes the A/C mod.

As we know, unless you physically turn the A/C off after having turned it on, the A/C will remain on until you turn the car off. Fact is, once the A/C has reduced the humidity and lowered the cabin temperature, it really can stand to be off for a bit, before you turn it back on. Some people are aware of this, and they manually cycle the A/C on and off as they drive, in order to save a little money. That is what I used to do.

My car now has a timer circuit that runs the A/C for 3 minutes, and turns if off for 2 minutes, automatically, as I drive down the road. This timer is connected inline with the "A/C compressor" fuse in the engine fuse box. This is the new "normal" for the A/C in my car. It is a good compromise between keeping my family happy, and not doing complete harm to my MPG.

I used a 12V, 0-15 minute timer, where the ON and OFF triggers are settable to anything that you want, within 15 minutes. Do an Ebay search on:

"Adjustable Infinite Cycle Loop Delay Timer Relay Switch"

One last note: I would recommend that if you do this, you do not tell your wife and kids, because if you do, it would create a bias in their minds, and you would be driven crazy over it.

[California98Civic]

When driving my wife's Subaru, you can feel a difference in the engine when you turn on and off the air conditioner. I toggle the AC switch on and off according to the road conditions and driving situation. If I'm climbing a hill or accelerating, I turn it off. If I am decelerating in fuel cut off mode, I turn it on. Otherwise, while driving on the freeway, I'll toggle it on and off according to whether I am ascending or descending small hills or behind a truck... the ButtMPG Gaurge says this is effective, andwhen I get bored I can just stop. My wife has taken to imitating that practice when she drives.

[California98Civic]

Bought a lightweight VMS Racing crank pulley, instead of getting my OEM one milled by Inline Four. At 2.6 lbs, the VMS pulley is maybe 1.5 or 2 lbs lighter than stock, and slightly lighter than the Inline Four option while being half the price. It has the key for crank position and the groves for the timing marks.

Also, went for a great drive near susnset in this nearly perfectly operating car, after tinkering with it and cleaning it a bit. Love this sturdy machine.

[California98Civic]

I did a little test driving on local roads to develop a throttle stop block for under the gas pedal. I had some good results for 45-50 mph in 4th gear at a little over 2100 RPM, but I wanna hold 60 or 65 MPH steady.

[MetroMPG]

YKYAEM when you've been thinking about throttle stops lately.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by MPG Undercover

My car now has a timer circuit that runs the A/C for 3 minutes, and turns if off for 2 minutes, automatically

Welcome to the forum, MPG Undercover!

One last note: I would recommend that if you do this, you do not tell your wife and kids, because if you do, it would create a bias in their minds

Good psychological consideration!



I've been grocery shopping for my elderly parents during the pandemic, and mistakenly bought the "wrong" brand of cran/raspberry juice (first world problem)! Instead of getting rid of it, I bought a jug of the "right" kind and, with the other parent's blessing, mixed the two together in the "right" brand's jug. The picky parent didn't notice.

[MetroMPG]

I changed the gasket between the manifold and front pipe on the Metro. Above: new & old. Much quieter!


I didn't know they were graphite over steel mesh inside. Learned something new!

[California98Civic]

An old car is like a friend that you have known a long time. He can have defects that you are so used to overlooking that you surprise yourself one day realizing how loud he is.

[MetroMPG]

Old, yes. Friend??? Debatable!


I didn't mean to start a new thread about this... meant to put it in "what did you do to your car today".



Forums are hard!

[MetroMPG]

Merged my goof thread.