mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

I did some research and there aren't many threads on it and if there is, they don't have much useful info in em, regarding either the low fuel light or gas mileage in general.

I'm pretty big into gas mileage. It's like a game to me: How much can I get out of one tank of gas? Back when gas was almost $5.00 a gallon (for me anyway) I was driving a semi modified Integra GSR Sedan and managed high 30's, low 40's using my "Ultimate gas mileage" techniques.

I havn't really used them on my Del Sol yet, as gas is fairly cheap right now. I seem to manage around 32-34 mpg. If I fill it all the way, I can get close to or over 400 miles per tank before I start feeling too uncomfortable about how much fuel I have left.


Which brings me to the low fuel light.. My 93 Del Sol doesn't have one. If I swapped in a cluster that DID have the low fuel light, what else do I need? I would need to swap out the sending unit (I'm guessing) so it can send a signal to the cluster when the fuel is low, correct?

Thanks!

rick_rabies

i think the cluster, sending unit and maybe a relay
how bout making a thread of all the techniques and making it a sticky...good idea yeah?

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

Ask and you shall receive. Here's the post I kept updated.


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**Edit** 5-4-09
My car is now turbo'd: Precision SC-34 w/7lbs of boost, street tuned. First week of driving my car with the turbo on, I managed 29.1 mpg. This is with rather spirited driving at times I plan on revisiting this thread further once I get a better tune. I'm sure I can get mid 30's easily with a turbo'd Teg. Not that it hasnt been done before, but documented stuff.

Terrance

**

Results of first week:
42.7 MPG!!! 237 miles on 5.5 gallons!!

Results of SECOND week:
41.7 MPG!!!

Results of third test:
34.4 MPG!!!


It cost me $53.49 to fill up my car Friday.. I was dumbfounded when I was handed $6.51 back in change, out of $60.00. I vowed to never do that again and to change my driving habits.

A few details on my route to work
I live in a small town, so city traffic isn't bad. Round trip, I go through 14 red lights If I catch a green light through all of them, I have to make 9 stops, 8 if I roll a stop sign. I pick up 2 guys everyday for work. One is kinda fat(230 lbs or so) the other one is just a big guy(220lbs or so) so I'm carrying approx 550 lbs of passenger weight, excluding my weight (138 as of Saturday). I have some stuff in the trunk, maybe 40 lbs.
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The Test
I've hit 36.6 MPG 2 times before, just driving easy, slow starts.. Common sense stuff. My record is 42, but that was ONE TIME and I didn't back it up, so I'm not counting it. This time, I'm adding a couple more stipulations to my driving habits:

#1 - Coasting
I know when decelerating in gear (5 spds) the injectors are closed and you are using no gas. Problem with that, is you can't coast very far. I've found out that if you are doing 55-60 MPH (on a flat road) you can coast a good 1/2 mile before you're going pretty slow (30 mph or less). I figure I'd rather coast much farther using a lil bit of gas than coast less and use none. I suppose it's all on how you feel/think. I'll try both ways to see which is better in my case.

I can coast a 1/2 mile 5 times one way, 10 times total.. So thats 5 miles (give or take) approx I get just from that. I NEVER get all green lights so I coast then too. I figure I can coast around 2- 2.5 miles, total trip in town.

Realistically, I can coast 7-8 miles a day.. MAYBE 8, depending on the red lights. realistically, I can do 6, no problem. I've coasted exactly 3 miles coming to work this morning!

I work 4 days a week.. So I'm looking at anywhere from 24-32 miles just chillen at idle. Thats anywhere from over half a gallon to a gallon of gas (normally) I'm saving.

#2 - Acceleration
It takes me approx 1 mile to get to 55 MPH. I shift at 2000 RPM, every gear. I give my car JUST enough gas to move, no more, no less.


Reference the video below to see how I am accelerating during these tests. On avg, this is how I do it, though this one is SLIGHTLY longer because I had to go around a rather large curve.

#3 - Hills
This is an obvious one.. You can roll down hills or build up a lil speed when you're going down them to be able to coast UP them. I have very few hills in my lil town, but I've got enough I can play with and get a lil bit of coasting out of em

#4 - Air Conditioning
Not using it. Crazy in Florida, but I like rolling with the windows down. These tests will all be with the windows down, no AC. I have confirmed (in my case) I lose approx 1 mpg. I tested this on a trip. 1 tank without AC: 32.9 I got 31.9 WITH the AC on. This was done on the open road, 75-80 mph (which is 3500-4000 RPM in my GSR).

#5 - Fill Up
I don't like it, but I think it's the most accurate way of testing: Fill it till you're about to overflow.
It's the ONLY way to know you're 100% full. Hell, if anything, fill up, drive around the block, and do it again. That way if you had an air pocket or something, you can fill the rest of the way up.
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I figure it merits mentioning that these techniques I'm using are only when it's safe. No, I'm not puling out in front of somebody and driving like a grandmother. I'm very mindful of traffic, though in my small town, I have the luxury of little traffic.

SO, for the next couple of weeks, I will take a picture of my trip odometer and gas gauge at the end of the day, so you can see whats happening. This week and the next, I will use the above driving style to get an avg mpg with coasting.

The following 2 weeks I will leave my car in gear and let the tranny slow my car, with the injectors closed. While this stuff isn't new, I figured since I was doing it myself, I would make a thread showing the results for other to see and let them decide on how to drive. My car isn't stock, but it's not "right" either, but thats a whole 'nother story

Stay tuned and keep the flaming to a minimum, please.
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<FONT COLOR="red">Note: An extreme measure which I MAY use in some circumstances in the future is while I"m coasting: Shut the car off. It's how the guys with the Priuses get over 100MPG. Thats not very safe so, like I said, in certain circumstances only.</FONT>
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**Edit** I figured I'd post this. It's straight out of the helms, proof (in case anybody questions it) that the injectors close during coasting IN GEAR.
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Monday 6-16
Coasted - 5.9 miles Engine off: 0.8 miles
6.7 miles total
No pic.. parked on an angle, fuel gauge incorrect. (edited mileage, was incorrect)
Temperature: Morning 70 degrees - Afternoon low 90's humid

Tuesday 6-17
Coasted - 4.6 Engine off: 1.8 miles
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s13.photobucket.com/alb...2.jpg
6.4 miles total
Temperature: Morning 70 degrees - Afternoon high 80's - humid

Wednesday 6-18
Coasted - 5.6 Engine off: 1.4 miles
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s202.photobucket.com/al...3.jpg
7 miles total
Temperature: Morning 70 degrees - Afternoon lower 90's - humid


Thursday 6-19
Coasted - 4.6 Engine off: 1 mile
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s13.photobucket.com/alb...2.jpg
3.2 miles total
Temperature: Morning 64 degrees


Running total:
Coasting: 20.7
Engine off: 5.0
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25.7 Miles
Results from the week: 42.7 mpg

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The test:
To duplicate last weeks results. Same exact techniques from before will be used. Looking to hit 41-42 mpg again.

Monday 6-23
Coasted 0.0 Engine off: 0.0
Wife had my Integra, fill up at night.


Tuesday 6-24
Coasted 5.4 Engine off: 0.7
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s13.photobucket.com/alb...0.jpg
6.1 miles total

Wednesday 6-25
Coasted 5.2 Engine off: 0.5
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s13.photobucket.com/alb...1.jpg
5.7 miles total
Temperature: Morning 72 degrees


Thursday 6-26
Coasted 2.55 Engine off: 0.5
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s13.photobucket.com/alb...4.jpg
Temperature: Morning 71 degrees
dATA INCOMPLETE. Laptop crashed, no way to update, forgot ho much I drove/coasted.

Running total:
Coasting: 14.35
Engine off: 1.7
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16.05 Miles
41.7 mpg

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The test:
There really wasn't one. When I filled up and got 41.7 mpg, it was my last day of work before my vacation (june 27). I proceeded to drive how I wanted to, beating my poor little car, redlining it.. everything that could go against ultimate gas savings, I did it. On the 7th, I was to go back to work and proceeded to drive "normal again", in my gas savings mode.

Except I DID NOT coast out of gear NOR turn the car off and roll. I coasted IN gear. Other than that, I just accelerated easy and watched redlights. Went 379 miles and got 34.4 mpg

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The test:
Run my car till either:
The gas light comes on
I hit 440 miles.
This will be done over the course of 2 weeks, on a single tank. This is to appease local guys who are skeptical of my gas mileage. I will be using all of the previous techniques I had been using in Tests 1 & 2.

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Monday
Coasted 1.4 Engine off: 0.2
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:... Filled up after I got home.
1.6 miles total
Temperature: Evening, high 80's

Tuesday
Coasted 6.6 Engine off: 0.5
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
No camera
7.1 miles total
Temperature: Morning 74 degrees, humidity 84%

Wednesday
Coasted 3.3 Engine off: 0.3
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s240.photobucket.com/al...1.jpg
3.6 miles total
Temperature: Morning 76 degrees, humidity 85%

Thursday
Coasted 1.8 Engine off: 0.5
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s155.photobucket.com/al...9.jpg
2.3 miles total
Temperature: Morning 85 degrees, humidity 63%

Friday - Sunday
Coasted 1.7 Engine off: 0.3
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
No picture/weekend
2.0 miles total

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Monday
Coasted 5.0 Engine off: 0.6
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s202.photobucket.com/al...1.jpg
3.6 miles total
Temperature: Morning 78, humidity 84%

Tuesday
Coasted 4.0 Engine off: 1.0
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s240.photobucket.com/al...7.jpg
3.7miles total
Temperature: Morning 75, humidity 84%

Wednesday
Coasted 7.5 Engine off: .5
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s293.photobucket.com/al...3.jpg
3.7miles total
Temperature: Morning 775, humidity 84%

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Monday
Coasted 4.0 Engine off: 0.0
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://s155.photobucket.com/al...3.jpg
3.6 miles total
Temperature: Morning 80, humidity 81%

Tuesday
Coasted 2.4 Engine off: 0.0
Picture as of the morning, as I got to work:
http://i240.photobucket.com/al...8.jpg
2.4 miles total
Temperature: Morning 80, humidity 79%
Running total:
Coasting: 37.7
Engine off: 3.9
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41.6 Miles
*** mpg

rick_rabies

dang..im have to try that...

salaamq

So my question is, if a stock gsr engine was in jellybean, would you be able to get close to the mileage that a b7 sol would get? With the extra torque and light footed driving?

Yeah I know the thread is old, but this is what came up in my search.

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

I dunno.

I hit 38mpg in my 4dr Integra GSR, but I had to drive insane to get it. I mean, crazy hypermiling to do it. I could get mid 30's relatively easy.

But your logic is sound. A stock GSR should get great mileage in a light car