Amazing Fuel Economy in my 420a

[Ricardo18]

Here's an updated graph. Points are updated daily:

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Based on the numbers from last tank. My estimated gas mileage is currently 55mpg.

 

[Chrispy0530]

Subscribed to this thread. I'm very interested, as I'm looking for a daily beater as my job requires a lot of miles/driving per day.


In the mean time, I've tried adjusting my own driving habits in my DSM. It feels like I'm doing something wrong, on my commute home, I only mustered up 17mpg according to my ECMlink logs ( mpg1.elg )

Shifting around 2-2.4k, and completely staying out of boost. Gas is going sky high, and I was unemployed for a long while, trying to get the best mileage I can till my paycheck arrives.

And before anyone tells me "worried about mpg in a DSM? Your driving the wrong car", Stfu now. Im looking for a beater for that already.

 

[Ricardo18]

Subscribed to this thread. I'm very interested, as I'm looking for a daily beater as my job requires a lot of miles/driving per day.


In the mean time, I've tried adjusting my own driving habits in my DSM. It feels like I'm doing something wrong, on my commute home, I only mustered up 17mpg according to my ECMlink logs ( mpg1.elg )

Shifting around 2-2.4k, and completely staying out of boost. Gas is going sky high, and I was unemployed for a long while, trying to get the best mileage I can till my paycheck arrives.

And before anyone tells me "worried about mpg in a DSM? Your driving the wrong car", Stfu now. Im looking for a beater for that already.

This is difficult to do without a SG II, but here's a tip for accelerating:

On the 420A, the throttle position sensor reads from 0 to ~75. Due to an angular offset of the throttle plate, once installed, it only reads from 12 to ~75 and once in an odd while it will show 11.

I have the 60mm Jeep TB so mine will read in the lower range for the same rate of acceleration or speed.

When I accelerate, I'm usually at a tps range of 19-23. You can gauge this in your car a number of ways.

Accelerate from 1500rpm and floor it (speeds can be anywhere from 20-50mph during this test). You will notice that at a certain point (well before the pedal gets to the floor) that you're not accelerating any quicker. You need to find this particular point and back off slightly below this point of acceleration.

My tps reading is usually about 26-28 where I'm not accelerating any quicker, and I back off to between 19 and 23. It makes quite a bit of difference. Hope that helps.

Another tip also, is keeping your foot steady. Try driving as if you're brakes are busted or imagine you have an egg under your foot. Try timing the lights (you wont always get it, but it helps to keep momentum). Some lights are triggered by the presence of a vehicle, so take note of the ones that do and the ones that don't so you can predict when they will change and you can just coast.

The most efficient speed in steady state driving will be 50mph on the freeway. You'll easily be between 40 and 45mpg here.

I can't see your dsm link long btw. could you do maybe a print screen and post the jpeg?

 

[hoss1264]

Awesome! If you you introduce yourself on the site, people will be more than happy to welcome you, ask about your commute and provide tips as well as expectations. Contrary to what is believed, the 4g63 turbo is rated pretty much the same as the 420a. AWD is what kills the mileage. Stay out of boost and your mileage can be as good as mine.

I suggest starting out with simple techniques. properly inflate your tires (mine ar at 60 psi, but one slow leaks and drops 20 psi in one week, so I have to keep refilling. Can't wait till i get new wheels this spring. )

At this rate, I'm using about half the amount of gas I was using before. It's the equivalent (to me) of paying <$2.00/gallon. I would've spent $50 to fill my tank up a few days ago if I wasn't hypermiling. (395 miles). Check out my log and see my last tank prior to hypermiling this season. I filled up on Feb 17th or so I think..March second and still have another week of gas in the tank.
Leon: do you have an ultragauge or scangauge?

since when is 60 psi the proper tire pressure.

 

[Chrispy0530]

This is difficult to do without a SG II, but here's a tip for accelerating:

On the 420A, the throttle position sensor reads from 0 to ~75. Due to an angular offset of the throttle plate, once installed, it only reads from 12 to ~75 and once in an odd while it will show 11.

I have the 60mm Jeep TB so mine will read in the lower range for the same rate of acceleration or speed.

When I accelerate, I'm usually at a tps range of 19-23. You can gauge this in your car a number of ways.

Accelerate from 1500rpm and floor it (speeds can be anywhere from 20-50mph during this test). You will notice that at a certain point (well before the pedal gets to the floor) that you're not accelerating any quicker. You need to find this particular point and back off slightly below this point of acceleration.

My tps reading is usually about 26-28 where I'm not accelerating any quicker, and I back off to between 19 and 23. It makes quite a bit of difference. Hope that helps.

Another tip also, is keeping your foot steady. Try driving as if you're brakes are busted or imagine you have an egg under your foot. Try timing the lights (you wont always get it, but it helps to keep momentum). Some lights are triggered by the presence of a vehicle, so take note of the ones that do and the ones that don't so you can predict when they will change and you can just coast.

The most efficient speed in steady state driving will be 50mph on the freeway. You'll easily be between 40 and 45mpg here.

I can't see your dsm link long btw. could you do maybe a print screen and post the jpeg?

Thanks.

Maybe it's just that I'm shifting way too early. I followed the "How to save gas" guide and read that shift points were supposed to be around 1.5k-2k.

Doing my best to stay out of boost with reading the boost gauge.

DSMlink log is a 10 mile drive to my house. Don't think I can Screen Shot that .

This is difficult to do without a SG II,

I was looking at this, and was thinking of buying Scan Gauge e, have it in the DSM till I get my beater car. Will SG e be sufficient?

 

[NeMiZiS]

With a neon transmission swap, the gas mileage is freaking crazy.

 

[Ricardo18]

since when is 60 psi the proper tire pressure.

It's sort of an inside thing . Check out the site and you'll get it . The most important thing is that your tires aren't underinflated. If you increase them to the max sidewall, you'll get better handling out of tires with higher A/R or skinny tires. Check out this awesome article :

nemizis:

Yeah depending on the year, they had some different ratios I believe. I haven't read up on the ratios used in the eclipse vs the neon, but with taller gears, that'll definitely help.

Chrispy: yes, Scangauge E will work . Also, give me a bit more detailed description of your commute including speed limits, and amount of traffic, amount of traffic lights and amount of stop signs, major hills etc.

 

[Chrispy0530]

Chrispy: yes, Scangauge E will work . Also, give me a bit more detailed description of your commute including speed limits, and amount of traffic, amount of traffic lights and amount of stop signs, major hills etc.

Oh boy. Well, it's pretty much stop and go for 10 miles which is the total distance to get from home to work and vice versa. Though, traffic on the way home is much much worse then going to. Speed limits are usually 35, and construction is very common. So the roads aren't too smooth.

Good amount of traffic lights, which is why the traffic is caused.

Avg'd out at 16.6mpg driving home.


DSMlink log attached: Here

 

[Ricardo18]

Tank update:

57 degrees

home from work

136/(0.14*16.3)

Tank is at approx. 86% Odo is at 236 miles.

Approx. running tank average is 59.6mpg

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Chrispy:

Stop and go traffic as most anyone knows is pretty bad for gas mileage. Shutting down at lights that are longer than 5 seconds (approx. payback time) would be the most helpful along with timing the lights. Try getting as many greens as possible. Look three lights ahead so you can know whether the light will be red by the time you get there. It might take some getting used to.

Avoid extensive warm up periods (I have yet to introduce my car to such a thing as a warm up as it only wastes fuel). With AWD you can't really coast as long, but try those techniques I gave you. I'll list them all again so they're easy to see and remember:

Avoid extensive warm up periods When you start in the morning, as soon as the car idle drops, get going. For reference, I get going while idle is still up there.

Light timing (look up to three lights ahead to know whether it'll be red or green when you get there)

Rabbit timing Watch cross traffic to see whether or not there is a vehicle at the stoplight up ahead. If this is a rabbit light, it will change soon. It will change more quickly if traffic in front of you is light, and less quickly if traffic is dense.

Coasting (avoid speeding to red lights. experiment and take your foot off the gas and see how far your car can coast (in neutral).

Create a buffer (leave abundant spacing between yourself and the car in front of you so you don't brake every time they brake. If you get really good you can avoid braking altogether)

Shut down at extended lights (lights over 5 seconds long slowly drain your tank. Start with long lights if you're not comfortable at 5 seconds)

Alternate route Most times you can find an alternate route with less traffic and lights etc. Your best gains can be had here. Sometimes the route is a little longer, but will use less gas, and be less hassle, so look around. I have at least 4 different routes to get to work.

These are just a few of the techniques I remember off the top of my head. For hardware:

I mentioned tire pressures. Just make sure they're not too low and bring them as high as you're comfortable. I had a cousin who would just put air in his tires just because...I never got why he did it. I went with him once and his CRV was at 90psi!! and he was putting in more!!

He drove like a maniac too, but I dunno how his tires wore. I wont advise to go that high (the law of diminishing returns takes place at around 55-60psi)

So, again:

Tire pressure Is crucial. Maintain pressures at sidewall max. I lose like 3mpg for every ten psi my tires are under. This is without hypermiling numbers. At 50mpg, those numbers go sky high since I depend on coasting.

Alignment Very critical for tire wear, performance and it will also keep your gas mileage up there. Bad alignment will drop a few mpg off, as much as a low tire

shed excess weight You mentioned you have a lot of stop and go. Well, this is extremely important in your situation. Any unnecessary weight will cause unnecessary fuel use everytime you accelerate . It's not even so much the acceleration, but the loss of momentum when you have to brake.

upgrade to lighter wheels Stock rims are 22.5lbs, I'm getting a set of wheels much much lighter (14.5lbs). In stop and go, this will minimize losses to brake pads

Thinner tires With AWD, I don't think you have to worry about traction, so getting some skinny tires, as this will reduce the contact patch (read friction), car frontal area (important for coefficient of drag) and weight. With max sidewall pressures, handling is very close to that of wider tires.

drivetrain mods

warm air intake ( I don't have one), but during winter, it helps by warming up the engine a bit faster by recycling heat lost through the exhaust manifold or header.

underdrive pulley lower rotating mass on the crank. Also lower weight overall

5W 20 or 0W-20 oil lighter weight oil is better for reducing stress on the crank. Yes, the manual does state 5w-30, however, the new 5W-20 is the replacement. It's what I use.

underbody aero reduces drag on the bottom of the car

Final drive gears If you can swap out to a taller final drive ratio, you can very good increases on top of everything else mentioned. If however, you do a lot of pulse and glide, this mod becomes increasingly useless.

Those are all the worthwhile mods I can think of right now while still cruising along in a nice ride. There are more, but not really worth the trouble.

 

[Ricardo18]

Looks like we have a change in the tank slope. I'll have to map this into my calculation:

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175/(0.22*16.3)

=48.8mpg pace.

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[Ricardo18]

Tank is at ~43%, Odo is at 458 miles

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[Ricardo18]

Just filled up today:

684.6 miles and used 14.14 gallons.

48.4mpg.

On the trip home:

76F
Tank is at ~115%
Odo at 20.2 miles
Sg @ 51.0mpg

This tank will last a while as I wont be driving my car much after this week. Some carpooling will be in order. I got my eyes on something and maybe in a couple months i can haz it!

54F this morning:
17.2 miles at 47.9mpg (My sg was unplugged for the first 3/10ths of a mile)

Tank is at ~115%
Odo is at 37.8 miles
49.5mpg

Another high temp record breaking day in Albany NY
77F previous record was 72 or 73F.

The ride home was awesome! Lots of traffic, but I managed to time those lights with surgical precision . One tire seems low tho..I know it slow leaks so ill get that fixed today.

17.6mi @ 56.9mpg
Tank is at ~105%
Odo is at 55.4 miles
Tank average at 51.2mpg.

 

[Ricardo18]

home to work:

17.5mi@ 53.0mpg

Tank is at ~94% 162 miles on the odo.
__________________

 

[Ricardo18]

The eclipse has been parked for a while..since the 24th, so nothing to update...

 

[PieEyedPiper]

How are you measuring how much is left in the tank?

 

[Chrispy0530]

Think I just got a record in the dsm , 280 miles with city driving on a full tank. Also myself an Eagle Talon ESi not too long ago that's awaiting an engine.

 

[eclipsemodder]

That's pretty good. I had a silver 99 420a and used to get 300 to 325 depending on how I drove it. Loved that car