101 MPG segment for ZX2 at 32 degrees.
 

Old Reliable ZX2 did it again today. 11/17/2006

I believe noteworthy by virtue of being done at highway speeds.

101 MPG segment, 33 miles, 50 MPH avg. speed, 74 MPH max. speed.

ScanGauge Readings Below.

https://aycu23.webshots.com/image/766...7125337_rs.jpg

Weather not the most desirable today.

The general consensus seems to be that coId weather puts a virtual end to serious testing and FE. I decided to give it a try anyway. I blocked both front and rear of the radiator today. Had bought an engine block heater but didn't get it installed yet. Also added extra blocking at bottom of engine compartment. New 195 thermostat and new battery. This seemed to work well for getting up to temperature in 32 degree weather. I will make this run again on a nicer day.

Car is complete as sold new. Zetec DOHC Engine, 5 Speed transmission, Air conditioning, power steering, power brakes. Stock wheels and tires 185/65R/14.

Nothing missing on car, seats, spare tire, jack, small box of tools I carry, my wife, our cat & her equipment, on the road lunch, all there today.

We have had this car for about 4 years and the best mileage measured during that span was 43 MPG. The cheapo aero mods I have done cost practically nothing but produced a marked improvement in FE. I don't believe I have spent over $200 on the car otherwise including battery, block heater, thermostat, a 4X8 sheet of plastic, spun wheel discs, a couple switches and wire for shut-offs on the ignition and fuel injectors.

One notable exception to my cheapskate ways was to spring for a ScanGauge II. Paid $165 for it. A very important piece of equipment to me. I thought I was a pretty decent economy driver. WRONG!!!

EPA rating for this car 25 city 33 highway.

I got seriously involved in fuel economy in September, 2006. It has been since then that this car has transpired into what it is today. Since September 27, 2006 I have logged over 5000 miles FE testing. Average 53.25 MPG for those miles.

I hope this serves to inspire others who have taken up the fuel economy game.

Thanks for looking in.

Thanks clencher. Actually 5000 miles in 50 days today. If I don't do things NOW I am prone to put them off forever. I put up a post in Daily FE Updates yesterday of a run I did yesterday. 103MPG. Take a look.

Maybe the inspiration deal is working if it had anything to do with your deciding to get moving. I hope so.

With the fuel economy you're getting, this would probably make you one of the best drivers in the country insofar as hypermiling is concerned. Wish there was a way to see how much of the effect on FE was your mods and how much was driving style. Was the 103 mpg segment mostly downhill?

Hello from Colorado.

We have owned this car for about 4 years. The best mileage previous to cardboard skirts and frontend block was 43 MPG. September 27, 2006 was my first ever 50+ tank, specifically 53.90 MPG. At that time my driving style was essentially the same as when I got 43 MPG.

I have fell under 50 MPG tanks twice since then, attributable to weather.

I have changed my driving style drastically recently, largely from installing ScanGauge II. My first tank using SG2 was 59.87. Check my Gas Log for more.

I have recently made a couple changes in engine controls to complement my current driving. I know these were a help.

As I stated in my post for the 103 MPH segment, terrain is up and down.
Two towns near opposite ends of my run show 1530ft elevation differential.
I live about one third toward the lower elevation which I approximate to equate to 1000ft elevation change for my run. Not so much for 32 miles.

I'm not sure I would have ever believed this sort of gas mileage if my car was dropped from an airplane.

Thanks for your comments on this and my other posts.

I'm amazed by this feat, really. It would be a huge advancement is new cars came with a switch to an 'economy mode' that automatically did P&G coasting, ignition off if downhills are sensed, gear changes(for an automatic tranny), and optimum acceleration for efficiency for the driver, with a manual over-ride that can be accessed by 'flooring' the accelerator for emergencies. Don't want the economy mode? Simply turn it off. It would make hypermiling much more accessible and much easier, even if it may not be as outright effective as doing it all manually.

CO ZX2 -

Thanks for joining! You're practically a rock star for MPG right out of the gates! For your magic run, do you know the net elevation change for the run? I can't tell from your comment above if the net elevation change was up or down for the run.

Personally, though, I think the cat had something to do with the MPG. My MPG always is better with the car on board.

CarloSW2

clencher, DO NOT mention that K word around my cat. She is in her 23rd year. We were taking her to her vet for a checkup yesterday.

Carlo,

I surely do not want to place myself in the rock star catagory. Try again.

We should not be confusing the 103 MPG run I made on 11/16/06 with the 101 MPG run I made on 11/17/06.

Specifics of the 103 run were posted here:
https://www.gassavers.org/showthread....2737#post32737

You are at the post for the 101 run now.

I am not sure that The Toecutter realized that either.

In any case, I was heading for the lowlands on my 103 run. Neither my cat nor my wife witnessed this run. (My MPG always is better with the car on board.)also.

You could borrow your Dad's ZX2 and within a couple hours and a couple cardboard boxes you could be out finding out all this stuff for yourself.

Thanks for the comments.

clencher, I can't believe you rounded up all that info. I didn't know that much info about my wife when we were married. Maybe I still don't.

Seriously, in my opinion, a man with an inquisitive nature and an analytical mind will have a huge advantage in any pursuit if he diligently chooses to put those qualities to work. You appear to be this man.

Do not outfigure yourself or let anyone else do it for you either. I am positive that experts(?) would not have given the ZX2 a snowball's chance in hell to accomplish what she's done. So I'm thankful I didn't ask. Do you agree? We'd all be surprised at how many things in life are this way.

Make your decisions, go to work on them and do the best you can. If I can be of any help in any way, you know where I am.

I saved the info you provided. My wife may want her z back and there's this
Tempo in Auto Trader. . . . . . .

.... and my cat lives on the other side of the world from me. :(

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, I was just pullin' yer chain.

Go to bed for a couple hours after you read my last reply. Good night.

gammy, cat in Finland? Can your cat swim? Can you swim. Do you have a boat? I will go with you.

clincher has 2 cats. Maybe you could trade him your turbo for one. or both.

Simply amazing.

Compaq, have I heard that a word from you before? Thanks.

Glad you're not sore at me for the sermon.

Yes , cats can swim , but they usually dont because they look goofy when wet.
Yes , I can swim , I have scuba certification although that doesnt help here (not a very popular hobby)

Cats here are house cats , and I dont like the idea of that too much.
Some of my friends here have cats and they look dead and soul less ,,not like my Ozzie cat , always out having fun and killin some thing to eat. :D

Seems I have read statements similar to yours somewhere recently. Maybe in news reports about the guys that got 109 MPG-1400 mi tank with a Prius.

I agree that this would be a monumental tool for the auto industry. My fear would be they would find a million ways to screw it up.

With your vast outlook (or lookout) of the FE game, what would you like to see me try next. With my car that the experts would not give a chance.

I'm totally confused. What's a sermon?

Sorry, not sleeping much, too much stress right now.

you mean this thing???

https://www.gassavers.org/showthread....2595#post32595

I think its something that makes babies.

The a was for amazing. I thought you used the word amazing in one of your messages to me.

Preachers usually preach sermons in church.

I felt I might have got a little carried away with my advice giving.

I was showing my wife your post on gas mileage freaks. She got a good laugh out of some because she knew they applied to me.

Have you seen this? My 103 MPG run on 11/16/06?? https://www.gassavers.org/showthread....2737#post32737

I am looking for a used car right now. I didn't really consider the ZX2 because i thought it has a 2.0 and 130hp and a lower EPA. I figure i would only be able to get mid-30mpg with it. I guess not!

Amazing. ZX2 you are up to super-hypermiler status and you have only been here a week.

What were the winds like during your run? Colorado gets pretty windy at times, and if you were driving along with a 30 mph tailwind, that would have a great effect on your mileage.

Thats true. The blustery winds on Thursday gave me 46.9 mpg on the way to school, but less than 40 on the way back.

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

Thanks for the comments. I may have only been here a week but I've been around cars all my life. An ex-drag racer and a race engine builder for 30 yrs.

As I have said before we have gotten 40-43 MPG with this car ever since we bought it. I am impressed with the variable valve timing. Enables low end torque along with high RPM performance. I am positive that this feature contributes very positively to the FE of the car.

I would try to find a 5 speed if I were you.

Good to hear from you. I have read many of your posts with great interest. A man after my own heart making do with what is at hand.

I did include the local weather conditions at the bottom of the SG2 report.

No I did not have substantial winds. Noticed some slight side wind. All in all relatively quiet. I have been around long enough to realize the importance of major factors that affect testing. I have tried to be as straightforward and honest as I know how. I would not post test results I knew were tainted.

Did you read my post on Daily FE updates of the 103 MPG run that I made the day before this one (11/16/06). I would have to be some sort of magician to manipulate the wind in totally different directions 2 days in a row.

I am disheartened when I hear negative insinuations but I really can't fault anyone for doubting the validity of these 2 runs. Sometimes I can hardly believe what I am seeing with this car myself. FYI I have made a number of runs with better MPG than these 2 runs that were never posted.

Come back soon.

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.

[QUOTE=CO ZX2]Seems I have read statements similar to yours somewhere recently. Maybe in news reports about the guys that got 109 MPG-1400 mi tank with a Prius.[\quote]

:Thumbup: for dan, I miss him, :p

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.

We're still cool. I'm just a little frustratrated because of the belly pan and I still don't know how to drive the clutch. Looking at your gas logs gives me hopes because my car is suppose to be more ecoomical than yours stock vs. stock so it would be really interesting what I can get if I drove the car right and had aero mods.

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

CO:

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

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!

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?

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.

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.

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. :)

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.

[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 :thumbdown: :p

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

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.

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.

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.