MPG run

[TominMO]

"My next run, I will remove the rear seat, stuff in the trunk, and right mirror, and fold in the left mirror. I will remove the passenger seat (20 lbs?) and spare tire (25 lbs?), to simulate driving with less gas in the tank. All windows were of course closed when I made my run. And I am using 10W40 dino oil."

I highly doubt you'll see a difference making it worthwhile to remove mirrors or seats.

Removing parts is to simulate driving with less gas in the tank, for less weight. And some people do remove their rear seats permanently anyway. I don't necessarily expect big (if any) results either, but you don't know unless you try. The whole idea here is to see what we can do with these cars.

Personally, I think the best mileage runs would be made at about 40 - 45 MPH in 4th gear, to reduce air resistance to the minimum, since these cars are not very aerodynamic. Fifth gear would be too high; we'd be lugging the engines. I will try to find a long country road with no interruptions to check this out.

[TominMO]

TominMO, very nice results... I never think to check humidity, etc for my mpg records.

Was curious - did you drive a steady 55, or where there stop signs and slow traffic to account for? The reason I ask is that with your car, (5-speed and F.I.), I'm thinking you should get better than 51 m.p.g. @ a steady 55 mph.

I know on my Festy, ('88 L+, carb, 4-speed- no overdrive), I once got 57 m.p.g. on a trip to MD from Pittsburgh.

I was not too serious about the humidity comment; it probably doesn't matter that much. Temp can matter though.

I tried to drive a steady 55 on open highway, circling St. Louis. Basically flat land with minor up/downgrades. I was shooting for 55 MPG @ 55 MPH, so I was a little disappointed.

Your 57 MPG is awesome!

[festyxfi]

I think the 45MPH idea is a good one.

I once (not too long ago, so I can't say "young and dumb") drove a metro XFi from Maine to Minnesota. Almost from the spot I bought it in Maine, the brake lines blew out due to rust. I tryed to plug them, reroute what I could to get something brake wise, nothing. I was in grad school, it was Sat. and class was on Monday night, so I tightened the e-brake as tight as it would go, and went for it. Since most of that insane trip was on interstates, it wasn't that bad. But out east, those toll booths are murder!....

I would pull up to them, down shifting a mile back, keeping as much distance as possible from the car ahead (driving at night to min. traffic) then use the e-brake to inch up to the booths.

As an unintended result, I was driving 45-50mph for that whole trip, and was getting 64-67MPG!!! Now that was an XFi--nothing beats them. But a festy probably would reach the mid to high 50's (guessing)

It only took two tanks of gas to drive from Maine to Minnesota!!!...

If I ever do it again, I'll have brakes...

FX

[TominMO]

I think the 45MPH idea is a good one.

I once (not too long ago, so I can't say "young and dumb") drove a metro XFi from Maine to Minnesota. Almost from the spot I bought it in Maine, the brake lines blew out due to rust. I tryed to plug them, reroute what I could to get something brake wise, nothing. I was in grad school, it was Sat. and class was on Monday night, so I tightened the e-brake as tight as it would go, and went for it. Since most of that insane trip was on interstates, it wasn't that bad. But out east, those toll booths are murder!....

I would pull up to them, down shifting a mile back, keeping as much distance as possible from the car ahead (driving at night to min. traffic) then use the e-brake to inch up to the booths.

As an unintended result, I was driving 45-50mph for that whole trip, and was getting 64-67MPG!!! Now that was an XFi--nothing beats them. But a festy probably would reach the mid to high 50's (guessing)

It only took two tanks of gas to drive from Maine to Minnesota!!!...

If I ever do it again, I'll have brakes...

FX

I've had to do e-brake-only driving a few times too. Makes life very interesting! Metro xfi's rule--makes me laugh at the whole hybrid idea. An updated inexpensive Metro-type car is all we need, not expensive hybrids. I'm curious to see what the coming Scion iQ will get in mileage. It's supposed to be about 1900 lbs, 1500 cc, approx 110 HP. Too bad we can't get the more fuel-efficient engines they use in Europe.

[gotrootdude]

What I'd like to see is the effect of a full body under-pan on mpg.

[graywolf_14]

Wow most highways were I am from are atleast 65 and most people do over that. Oh and I read an article about mpg that was in car and driver I believe. Well anyways it did a study about things that affect your mpg like low tires,windows down and stuff. It actually showed more of a decrease with over inflated tires than it did with under inflated. Also it said that most new cars the ac is so effective that windows down actually decrease it more. Me im not really worried about mpg because my trip to work is less than 10min. The only time I do is on trips because well my 4800 pound jeep only gets 20mpg.

[Pu241]

Oh and I read an article about mpg that was in Car and Driver I believe. Well anyways it did a study about things that affect your mpg like low tires,windows down and stuff. It actually showed more of a decrease with over inflated tires than it did with under inflated. Also it said that most new cars the ac is so effective that windows down actually decrease it more.

A volume and number so others can gain from this valuable resource would be good.
Never seen a study indicating reduced MPG with over inflated tires (bad for wear, stopping, and handling but not MPG).
AC has only be marginally improved in efficiency over the years. Still better with windows down below 45 MPH and up at speeds greater than 45 MPH.

Me im not really worried about mpg because my trip to work is less than 10min. The only time I do is on trips because well my 4800 pound jeep only gets 20mpg.

Guess you better use the better vehicle on trips then.
I didn't know they even let people from Kansas drive jeeps!
Who knew?

[festivaWES]

We should have our very own list of 10 festivas that get the best MPG's through ecomodders website. I think what it boils down to is CF drag/aerodinamics/driving style. A set of racing "pan style" wheel covers both mirror deleted, a under body pan, and rear wheel deletes would net the most gians.

I could go as far as removing all un-neccisary weight, going alternator less, warm air intake...ect.ect.ect....

[TominMO]

Overinflating tires will lessen resistance by decreasing the contact patch. This can only contribute to increased MPG. I agree with John that 45 MPH is the approximate speed that open windows would matter, because that is about the speed that air resistance starts to become a factor. The exact speed would depend on how aerodynamically slippery a specific vehicle is.

This weekend I will do another run on the highway, at about 40 - 45 MPH, with flashers on so people will cut me some slack (thinking the car has some issue). I will remove the rear and passenger seats, fold in the passenger mirror, leave in the spare tire/jack. Fourth gear and 40 MPH up hills, fifth and 45 level/down hills.

As far as removing seats goes, I think this is legit because some of us take out the rear seat anyway; this also simulates a lighter driver and/or less gas in the tank.

One rationale for doing this is that if you ever find yourself low on fuel, it would be nice to know how much mileage these cars can really get if you try. Might make the difference between being stuck on the highway or making it to a gas station. Sometimes running out of gas could even be a life-or-death issue, not just an inconvenience. I remember once I was low on gas driving cross-country, so I slowed down to save fuel. The engine cut out as I coasted up to the next gas station! I had exactly enough momentum to make it to the pump; it stopped right it front of it without using the brakes!

[festyxfi]

"I remember once I was low on gas driving cross-country, so I slowed down to save fuel. The engine cut out as I coasted up to the next gas station! I had exactly enough momentum to make it to the pump; it stopped right it front of it without using the brakes! "

I did this once too!...and a few times I pushed the last few feet...

[batstiva]

Overinflating tires will lessen resistance by decreasing the contact patch. This can only contribute to increased MPG. I agree with John that 45 MPH is the approximate speed that open windows would matter, because that is about the speed that air resistance starts to become a factor. The exact speed would depend on how aerodynamically slippery a specific vehicle is.

This weekend I will do another run on the highway, at about 40 - 45 MPH, with flashers on so people will cut me some slack (thinking the car has some issue). I will remove the rear and passenger seats, fold in the passenger mirror, leave in the spare tire/jack. Fourth gear and 40 MPH up hills, fifth and 45 level/down hills.

As far as removing seats goes, I think this is legit because some of us take out the rear seat anyway; this also simulates a lighter driver and/or less gas in the tank.

One rationale for doing this is that if you ever find yourself low on fuel, it would be nice to know how much mileage these cars can really get if you try. Might make the difference between being stuck on the highway or making it to a gas station. Sometimes running out of gas could even be a life-or-death issue, not just an inconvenience. I remember once I was low on gas driving cross-country, so I slowed down to save fuel. The engine cut out as I coasted up to the next gas station! I had exactly enough momentum to make it to the pump; it stopped right it front of it without using the brakes!

I'll be curious to see what kind of results you get this time, given the things you are doing that should increase the MPGs.

[Oranger]

I did a road trip yesterday from Cold Lake to Edmonton .I drove at 110 km (70mph) sometimes faster ,with nothing removed and hauled back about 300 pounds of lumber.
Puddle (when I got my Festy it was sitting in a puddle of coolant)had 557622 km when I left,{ 318 km (200m) highway to the city then 40 km (25m)city and back on the highway home 290km (181m)} and at 558270 km when I refilled . That's 648km (405m) the fill up was 35.939L (9.5 US g) ,that"s 5.54 L /100 km or 42.6 mpg combined.It sounds better converted to 7.91imperial gallons though, makes it over 50.
I have done a few things to her ,ported intake,port matched head,2.5 exhaust ,K&n filter,full synthetic lube and a MSD coil.

[batstiva]

42.6 ain't bad, considering the speeds you were running, and the load she was hauling on the way back.

[graywolf_14]

Hahaha yeah we bought it in ks but now live in nc. I love the thing but it is a beast on gas. That is what happens when you allow your wife to pick her own car without you their...

[FFW]

man ive been getting 31 mpg city&hwy combine