101 MPG segment for ZX2 at 32 degrees.

[MetroMPG]

CO:

Amazing numbers. But I just wanted to comment on this:

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

I am disheartened when I hear negative insinuations but I really can't fault anyone for doubting the validity of these 2 runs.

I'm not only referring to people questioning your figures, I think it's a GOOD thing when GS members take other members to task on this board. Some members here and the public at large generally don't seem to know when it's appropriate to show healthy skepticism, or what constitutes proper evidence of a claim.

So I hope you won't take it personally and be disheartened if someone challenges you (with reasonable questions, I mean).

Personally, I tend not to report 1-way FE figures because there's little context for the numbers. In my opinion, the round trip is what tells the real story, so those are what I report. Of course if you happen to drive the same route regularly, and have a whole bunch of figures to compare against an individual 1-way segment, then there's some context (I don't commute, so I don't really have "regular" routes - doesn't apply to me).

Anyway, keep posting! You're inspiring lots of people. And opening eyes to the previously unknown potential of the ZX2!

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

holy ****... 98% of epa... that's overkill..... congrats dude!

Watch your language, Kid. Good looking boy you got there. Here in Colorado dudes are east coast cowboys with flowers embroidered on their shiny new boots. They don't get within 50 feet of a cow pie. They would probably cry if they stepped in one. Read my cowboy story in my reply to MetroMPG #39.

That is 98% over EPA. Overkill? What would you have me do? Trade for a SUV?

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by LxMike

seeing what you have been doing with the 5 speed make me think i should have waited and found one instead of the auto i got. oh well guess i'll just have to do what i can with it.

most of my driving is short trips to work and to town and take almost halfway which is about 2 miles for engine to be fully warmedup (180+ coolant temps) i have found torque converter lockup at 42 mph and once locked i can go down below 40 mph but soon as i back off gas fully it unlocks on me.

LXMike, good to hear from you. Are we the only two ZX2s on the site? We all have to just make do with what we have till we decide to do something different. If I had asked any FE freak if my ZX2 could ever be a good FE car, what do you think I would have gotten for an answer?

Do you coast in neutral? Your car start OK in neutral? You could probably make a heck of a difference in your MPG by considering these items. I would like to see you wire an ignition kill switch and/or an injector shut-off switch. Either of these will kill the engine without touching the key but I now prefer the injector shut-off. It has less delay when shutting down and you're sure no fuel is going into the engine. I have my switch taped to my gearshift handle till I decide where I really want it. Having this switch and the willingness to do Engine Off Coasting can improve your mileage drastically, both city and highway to coast hills, slowdowns, offramps, stoplights, parking lots, any place you can. A start pushbutton could be wired so you're not fumbling with the key and also keep the normal operation of your ignition key switch.

I do not mind that the power steering and brakes require more effort. Your brakes will have vacuum enough to make 3-4 stops before the pedal gets harder. I am going to rig an auxiliary vacuum tank that will make my brakes good for 3-4 added stops.

I think you asked me about my grille block in another reply. Look at the picture in My Garage. I just cut an oblong piece that covers the whole air inlet below the license plate. Then I used duct tape to fasten it. Then I masked up close around the outside edge of the tape and spray painted the panel and tape at once. Looks pretty good, and easy. I did the fender skirts the same way. If you decide to do skirts I could send you a pattern from mine. If you use squared off pieces for your panels, makes duct taping a whole lot easier. You don't have to deal with taping curves. If you need to change a tire you can just peel loose enough of the tape to do the job. I carry tape and scissors with me. Tape don't stick twice very well. You could
also use these tools for an opening in your grill block if needed.

I do not warm up my car before driving. Just drive sensibly for a minute. If you look at your SG2 GPH gauge you will see that idling cold uses as much fuel as going down the highway at 60 MPH.

It would be worth the effort for you to consider these mods. I can answer any questions you have and help you if you wish.

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

clencher(2726 x 1.09 = 2971 rpm @ 55 mph, ZX2. CO, do you have a tach? Does that sound right?)

Wow. You just did it again. You come up with figures faster than I can read them.

No, that is not close to the RPM I turn at 55. I can't tell you right now (I will tomorrow, no, today) but I'm considerably lower than that. Your RPM number looks closer for my number.

What does it all mean? Power and efficiency are one thing. For drag racing I would probably be doubling gear ratio and RPM. Fuel economy is another. In my experience, for FE I would be lowering my RPM, not raising it.

I used to sleep when there was nothing else to do. But I'm getting over that.

clencher, looked at my tach. 55 MPH=2400RPM maybe a shade more. Are you somehow not figuring my overdriven 5th gear. That would make my figure come out about right.

[BEN_EJ8]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

Please read my reply to basjoos. It about says it all for me. I resent my integrity being questioned by persons that have no basis for their statements.

I hope to just be a good member of GasSavers helping anyone I can.

Im sorry, please dont get defensive. I was just telling a story of my experiences; its not like wind could cause you to get 2.5x the MPG I get anyway.

[LxMike]

CO: Yes could be that we are the only zx-2's here. could be more but right now we're only two that are activly posting.

I'm a bit leery of cutting into any wires on my car. I don't have good luck/success with doing any car wiring at all!

car starts ok in N and i use that when coming up to lights when i know it's gonna still be green when i get there.

realy don't need to warmup down here in Fla at all i start car and give maybe 10-20 second of idletime then drive off.

[CO ZX2]

[quote=BEN_EJ8]Im sorry, please dont get defensive. I was just telling a story of my experiences; its not like wind could cause you to get 2.5x the MPG I get anyway.

[/quote= BEN_EJ8]It sucks thinking that you found a more efficient route, or driving technique, only to realize it was the wind that did it

If this didn't refer to me, who did it refer to?? CO ZX2

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by LxMike

CO: Yes could be that we are the only zx-2's here. could be more but right now we're only two that are activly posting.

I'm a bit leery of cutting into any wires on my car. I don't have good luck/success with doing any car wiring at all!

car starts ok in N and i use that when coming up to lights when i know it's gonna still be green when i get there.

realy don't need to warmup down here in Fla at all i start car and give maybe 10-20 second of idletime then drive off.

Get serious LX. No excuses!! I don't particularly care for wiring either but some things just got to be done.

Ignition kill switch requires snipping 1 wire at your coil, then run a wire from each snipped end inside car to a switch. You're done.

Injector shut-off requires a little more wiring but not hard to do. Surely you could find someone to spend a half hour to do it for you if you don't want to tackle it yourself. Either one of these mods will do more for your FE than anything else you will do.

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Hey ZX you need to look at post #11; I made a mistake on the engine rpms which I caught pretty quickly but you still have the bad numbers!

Still if you say 2400 and my calcs say 2500 that is too much discrepency to overlook and it must be a difference between the ratio info I found online and what you actually have. We could really track those ratios down with your VIN.

clencher, correct your calculations. Output info is only as good as the input info.

Your figures on my final drive ratio are not what I have. I have a final drive ratio of 2.914 compared to your figure of 3.075. That's 5.5 %. That would match up with the RPM showing on my tach.

Another thing I have always done is to measure the on-the-car loaded rolling circumference of tires to fine tune my actual gear calculations. Tire sizes and manufacturer specifications are just sort of an estimate. Barometric pressure and altitude all contribute to a variable air pressure that affects the external pressure on the tire, reducing its size and reducing the vehicle's velocity. The tire size is also affected by other factors like air pressure, temperature, humidity, car weight, car weight distribution, weight shifting caused by acceleration, and rotational speed (centrifugal force). Gravitational forces from the earth, moon, and sun also affect the pressure on the tire and its size.

Not sure you want to get in this deep.

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by theclencher

"It sucks thinking that you found a more efficient route, or driving technique, only to realize it was the wind that did it"

This looks like a pretty innocent comment to me; in fact it looks like a very practical consideration seeing as how the wind on any particular run could be a bigger variable than route or technique changes.

I have no difficulty comprehending the effects of wind on the performance of a moving vehicle. Why would anyone (including you) presume that I would be unaware of a 30MPH tail wind and it's effect. Worse yet, that I would ignore it. I would be more apt to not notice a flat tire than a 30MPH tailwind (or headwind). In racing, I have dealt with wind many times.

I took the sentence you quoted as being a direct statement to me. Besides, I don't like vulgar language.