When to EcoMod?
 

I'm curious about what you guys think about when you should perform an ecomod. Here is my thinking:

I have a number of modifications that I can do to my car that will have an almost immediate impact on the fuel economy. The problem is, if I do all of the modifications at one time, I'm not going to have a realistic idea of how much of an impact each modification has. My car has built in gauges to provide real-time and trip mpg as well as range estimates; however, knowing that those are not always accurate means that I am relying on mileage between fill ups.

This means that, at this point, I am waiting >300 miles between fill ups, and I've been trying to give at least three fill ups between modifications. That means it will be almost 1,000 miles before trying a new change. In regards to modifications that could provide as much as a 10% increase in mileage, though, I'd like to do them as soon as possible (in order to start benefiting from the cost savings).

What I'm thinking is that I might want to make those modifications that are know to be most effective and are most cost-effective first. I can then tweak my car slowly from that point forward, so that I can get a realistic assessment of how each minor ecomod (especially those with questionable efficacy) affects my overall mileage numbers.

Your thoughts on this? Thanks!

Do the big-ticket mods at once. It's nice to be scientific. It's also nice to save money at the pump!

Im focusing on performance with MPG BONUS... Unbelt Power steering free mpg I also gained 8 hp under 6000 rpms(I have a dyno)...grill block probly no go because turbo....under tray with diffuser is also on my list...alternator delete/solar/capacitor...

this is why I fill up every friday afternoon. that way i dont have to wait so long to see a change.

get a scan gauge, it takes out all the guesswork and you dont need to wait 1000 miles for results. initial cost is high @ $160, but it can be used to read codes and you can swap it to any vehicle you want.

I was thinking about that, but here is my counter logic: For $160, I can still do a significant number of changes that will benefit my car, rather than just logging the change. Additionally, even with a Scan Gauge, I still wouldn't be able to track the efficacy of the modification over time, since it would be followed quickly by another modification.

As it stands, my logging gas used at fill up is still fairly accurate (probably no greater deviations than would be caused by the effects of variations in driving conditions), costs me nothing, and still has the potential for frequent updates (as with the Scan Gauge).

Maybe the answer is just more frequent fill ups. 1/3 of a tank used between fill ups still equals 4-5 gals, or roughly 100 miles with my current mpg.

yes but depending on your vehicle you can gain a tachometer....my manual didnt have one.

intake air temperature (instant)
water coolant temperature (instant)
transmission temps if equipped (instant)

great for grill blocks and not destroying your vehicle.

also you can read
instant mpg
average mpg
gallons per hour (nice to know what you burn at idle)
horsepower generated

plus you get the code reader.

i guess the $160 seems expensive but it brings a wealth of information to your fingertips if you are serious about modding your vehicle.

Im running the ultragauge...its nice for the price...o got mine for 39.99 total around christmas

I'm already planning to have my car professionally tuned using Ecutek's open source program, so all I will need is a Tactrix Openport 2.0 cable and my laptop to get those same readings. But, with the cable, I'll additionally be able to tweak the tables and maps. The cost of the Tactrix and Scan Gauge are very similar, so I'll have to way my options.

You don't need to wait for a full tank to test mods, as long as you have enough miles between fillups to be consistent across them. If you don't have an instant MPG gauge then it really is worth the investment - whatever one you go for will pay for itself.