Official Thread for posting daily FE updates

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by Jack

Most of the the change I would atribute to change in route. I stopped taking my kids to school so I can now go a much freindlier way back up the mountain. I also changed my highway speed from 58ish to 68ish. My car just didnt seem to be running "right" up hills (now hills I mean 1+ mile mountain climbs on the interstate) at 50 to 55 speeds. Very boggie and needed alot of peddle to maintain speed. At 65 I can maintain speed with no additional peddle. I know I know I really really need a scangauge but still not in the budget.

My last tank I was much better at maintaining my "new speed" and not forgetting and going back to bog down speed.

But so far so good.

Wouldn't you want the boggie speed? More pedal same rpm more effeicent? Unless it interfers with lean burn mode.

[skewbe]

46.9 MPG, best day (according to the scangauge) by a wide margin. Maybe that injector cleaner is kicking in. I feel like I'm on the board finally Still sad for a metro, but moving in the right direction at least.

[red91sit]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

Wouldn't you want the boggie speed? More pedal same rpm more effeicent? Unless it interfers with lean burn mode.

I'm thinking it's falling out of it's optimal torque rpm, loosing efficieny there.

[skewbe]

I decided to make a trip to the parts store for a timing belt and ignition wires/cap/rotor, and my youngest tagged along (30 lbs). The store is like 11 miles away. Totals were 22.1 miles @ 47.5mpg (indicated).

The most interesting part was the return trip, I had made some real good glides and was reading 52mpg on the return trip, and finally I had to make the death climb out of the river vally I had been following. Well my indicated mpg went from 52 to 50 in a few short blocks!

"Well", figures I, "there goes a stellar reading, I'm on residential streets and this is where it usually hurts". But there's no one behind me, and there's only a couple stops, so I goose it a little then "FAS" to the next stopsign that was several blocks away, mileage actually improved!? I have just enough momentum to bump it and goose it again and "FAS" (gawd I hate that acronym) for anouther couple blocks. One more turn and another push and "FAS" into the garage a block away. I somehow managed to eek out a 51for the return trip (which means I was getting significantly more than 51 mpg on residential streets). I think I'm starting to understand why Metrompg doesn't like his bike trailer Again, all indicated, take with salt.

Anyway, I drilled a "hopefully" 10 degree advance hole in the cam gear, it fits the pin snugly, the new timing belt is in as are the ignition components, still deciding what to start with the ignition timing. I kind of like Coyote-X s "plug a knock sensor into your stereo" idea, I wonder if any microphone would work. Stay tuned

Update: couldn't find my timing light so I don't have much idea where either timing actually is, but I had to back off the ignition timing after the cam gear change, it would ping under load. Of course I moved the distributer the wrong way and it would ping if I blipped the throttle
So i fudged some retard in and it seems happy. It does have more torque where I need it, can do my residential "FAS" pushes in 4th now, climbs hills in 5th better, etc. Too many variables for a proper experiment, but the effects of changing valve and ignition timing are pretty well understood. I would like to know EXACTLY how much I changed it at some point

[basjoos]

I swapped out my alternator and my voltage is running nice and stable with the new voltage regulator, so my Civic is back on the road again. While I was waiting for the new alternator to arrive, I was driving a 97 Ford F150. When I gassed it up, I got 23mpg after driving mostly interstate at temps mostly in the upper 20's F.

[skewbe]

basjoos, just read through some of your stuff, Awesome! I'm not worthy

[skewbe]

I'm liking the cam change. Best commute mileage yet AND I was getting on the gas pretty good.

I'm still not happy though, Still a long way from being a hypermiler. I've a couple mechanical things to do yet, but there's some spots where I could use a longer glide. If I don't want to drastically exceed my tires psi ratings, I'll have to get silly with the aero mods And no, I'm NOT going to add ballast, or replace brand new looking tires.

I confirmed that the scangauge average mph is including the time sitting at the stoplight with the engine off. Even though it says I'm doing 26mph average, it is probably more like 35 mph. So the return on aero mods is probably more than I was figuring.

Got a couple O2 sensors ordered @ $25 ea.

[MetroMPG]

skewbe - you should make a thread to explain your cam change. I'm sure people would like to hear about it (who don't follow this thread).

[DRW]

I just filled the tank tonight and scored another 'BEST'. I just kept driving until I covered over 600 miles on one tank of gas! 600.2 to be exact. The fuel pump was making squeeking noises, which I hope is the sound it makes when it sucks air, not the sound of an overheated, siezing pump. My tank is rated for 15 gallons and it took 14.5 when I filled it. MPG was 41.3, my second time over 40mpg.

I was nervous the whole day, the low fuel warning light was already on when I began my 70 mile commute in the morning. I was even more nervous when I began the commute home. I kept expecting the car to die at any moment. I had my bike in the back just in case. I admit I drove about 8 miles farther than my standard commute route to get over 600 miles, but I figured that I'd go farther on a warm car on the freeway, rather than start the car again tomorow morning and see how far I got. I don't think I'll push it that far again anytime soon, though it's good to see just how far I can take it.

[diamondlarry]

The temp was 4F for me this morning. I decided to drive the whole first leg of my morning commute with only coasting in neutral with the engine running. I came up with a 39.9 as a result. From there to my work was 48.3 with a slight headwind. The temps only got into the mid teens by this afternoon but I was able to manage 49.5 going back to pick my wife up. From there to my mom's(10.8 miles), I managed 51.0. Then we took her grocery shopping and I ended up with 54.3 after 12.2 miles with a slight tailwind. The return to mom's was 47.7. From there back to my house, I had 57.7 by the time I plowed through the snow and got turned around. I was seeing 61+ before that.