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Old 22-01-2013, 11:47 AM   #1
D.O.G.
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BA hatch - Econo'tina.

This in my 2/98 BA Astina hatchback, bought in late 2011.



It was bought for my daughter, who then changed her mind, so it became my daily driver.

I've treated reducing my fuel consumption as a hobby/game for some time now, using whatever car I had at the time, so I was curious what I could squeeze out of a 1.8 litre engine with a 5 speed.
It was reasonably economical on fuel from the start, about 6.9 l/100km, but I wanted more (or is that less?).

The first thing I sorted out was, what fuel does the car respond to best?
My car likes straight ULP, 91 RON, no ethanol.
95 RON works nearly as well, but costs more.
E10 is good for a 5% drop in fuel economy, with only a 3.5% saving in cost over ULP.

The most effective changes I've made, however, have been driving style changes. That's what has really brought my average down.
My daily commute is 52km each way, which takes about 40 minutes (including traffic lights, etc.), for an average speed of 78 kph. I mention this to show that driving with fuel economy in mind doesn't necessarily mean "driving like a grandma".

To help in this, over 2012, I:
1. Added a vacuum gauge (poor man's economy gauge).
2. Removed the spoiler and the mud flap thingies front and rear to slightly reduce aero drag. As a bonus, I think it looks good that way and I can see out the back window easier.
3. Ran the tyres pumped up harder than the tyre placard recommends to reduce rolling resistance.



By mid October 2012, fuel consumption was down to around 5.8 l/100km.

In late October, I changed from the 195/50R15's that the car came with (odometer was right, speedo was fast when compared to my GPS), to second hand 195/60R15's (odometer is now 5.7% slow, speedo is about 1% slow).
This was as a trial to see if dropping engine revs would help. Something helped (by about 5%), but it may have been the change of tyre model (Kumho KU25 to Pirelli P6) as much as the change in tyre circumference.

By the end of 2012, I'm averaging just under 5.5 l/100km … and still hungry.
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Old 22-01-2013, 12:22 PM   #2
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thats some good figures. i thought i was doing well at 7.2-7.5L/100km.

i wouldn't mind 800km per tank like you are getting.
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Old 22-01-2013, 02:57 PM   #3
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Wow. I get 8.5-9.5 depending. My car sees foot to floor to redline multiple times per tank. What do you get when the gauge is half full?
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Old 22-01-2013, 04:51 PM   #4
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Um 10 l/100k highway driving with the KLDK-R. Is that a lot?
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Old 22-01-2013, 11:02 PM   #5
D.O.G.
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i wouldn't mind 800km per tank like you are getting.

My best tank so far is 960km, but I was getting pretty nervous by that stage.

What do you get when the gauge is half full?

Half tank estimates are always a bit unreliable, I have set myself goals though, that have slowly crept upwards. I started aiming for 350km at the half mark, it's up to 500km now.

Um 10 l/100k highway driving with the KLDK-R. Is that a lot?

How long is a piece of string? Answer - it all depends.
You have to take into consideration How you drive, Where you drive and When you drive, not just What you drive.
The figure for your V6 was 8.5 l/100km highway (optimistic) but that only addresses What and Where, not How and When.


I'm still trying to squeeze more out of my car.
My present goal is to get 5.0 l/100km (or less ) for three consecutive tanks ... it may take a while.
I'm trying a new trick at the moment, I'll let you know how it's working out after a couple more tanks ( but it looks promising so far )

Pete.
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Old 23-01-2013, 10:15 AM   #6
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500kms at half! Bloody hell. How much will you sell you gauge cluster for haha. Or your right foot would be good too. I'll try again. Any exhaust/intake modification?
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Old 23-01-2013, 02:08 PM   #7
D.O.G.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Clean_Cookie View Post
Any exhaust/intake modification?
None done by me, but I bought it from a car yard and have no history from the previous owner.

It's got standard manifolds, new(ish) rear muffler (sounds OK), haven't checked timing.
It has a pod filter in place of the original air box, so it's sucking hot air from the engine bay. In theory that could be helping (by reducing pumping losses), in practice, I don't know by how much, if at all.

This is something on my "to do" list, compare this pod filter and the original set-up.
I read (on here? can't find it now) that the original set-up gives better torque at low revs than a pod. Can anyone comment if that's correct?

As for the 500km at halfway, that's my goal, I don't always reach it.
I did last night on the way home from work though.
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Old 23-01-2013, 02:57 PM   #8
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Just looked up the KLDE specs and it is about 10l/100 so the KLDK-R is not using extra fuel at all which is amazing considering the way I drive
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Old 24-01-2013, 07:34 AM   #9
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could you please elaborate on how this is being done?
im doing 400km on LPG (43 l. tank) - 10.5 l./100 km
and about 500km on patrol which goes for around 9.5l./100km
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Old 24-01-2013, 11:50 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomy View Post
could you please elaborate on how this is being done?
OK, this may not be answering your question too well, but it's probably the only honest way.

This list, or others like it, are a good starting point.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hyperm...ecodriving.php

I'm lucky, I do very little urban driving and almost never drive in peak traffic hours.
That's not by choice, it's determined by where I live and what hours I work.
Specifics of what works for me may be useless for you, because you have to contend with different roads and traffic conditions.
That's why I've directed you to a general list. You need to decide what points on that list pertain to your conditions.

Have a look at my fuel consumption chart on Fuelly. I've gradually reduced fuel consumption over the 15 months that I've owned this car. That's by working out what works (or not) for my conditions.

As for mechanical mods, start with a car in good mechanical condition and keep your tyres pumped up.

I've started this thread because I'm at a point now where I want to try more advanced mechanical mods and that's something that may be useful for other Astina drivers.
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Old 24-01-2013, 12:28 PM   #11
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I have to say that this is a very cool thing to do. I might have to get into it and see how much I can reduce my consumption!
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Old 24-01-2013, 01:56 PM   #12
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there are some very unsafe driving practices suggested in that ecomodder site. hybrid engines are designed to shut off in certain instantances, full petrol engines are not, so a driver shouldn't be doing so with a key while the vehicle still has momentum.
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Old 24-01-2013, 03:23 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by project.r.racing View Post
there are some very unsafe driving practices suggested in that ecomodder site. hybrid engines are designed to shut off in certain instantances, full petrol engines are not, so a driver shouldn't be doing so with a key while the vehicle still has momentum.
That's another reason to sort out what suits you in lists like this.
What one person is comfortable with, may horrify another person.

Take the example of drafting semi trailers. It can save you fuel, that's been proven, but having once been hit by the debris from a truck tyre blow-out (many years ago), I won't do it.

In regards to shutting off the engine while on the move, I've found using the key is potentially dangerous for a number of reasons ... which is why I'm trialing an injector kill switch at the moment.
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Old 26-01-2013, 01:47 PM   #14
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G'day Astina folk.

I'm sorry, but I've had a change of heart about posting details of my driving techniques and modifications here.

Project.r.racing has reminded me that there are a number of relatively new drivers reading this site (as judged by the number of P plates in photos) and I believe it would be irresponsible of me to encourage practices that may be outside their capabilities.

I know that sound pretentious, but my intention isn't to put anyone down.
I'm 55 years old, I've been behind the wheel (and handlebars) for many moons. That doesn't make me a talented driver, it does makes me a very experienced one over a fairly limited range however.
I've lived in the Blue Mountains and worked in western Sydney for nearly thirty years, so I know every curve and grade of the highway, be it day or night, rain, fog or smoke.

Having that experience, I still started small, practicing techniques that were new to me where I wouldn't inconvenience (or harm) other drivers and gradually reduced my fuel consumption.
This Astina lends itself to pushing consumption figures far past those of my previous cars, so I've expanded some techniques and abandoned others, but I've done so using baby steps.

What I'm trying to say is, "don't try this at home", it's not as easy as it sounds.

I'll still post results here, but I'd recommend lots of reading on a site like http://ecomodder.com/ if you're keen to try it yourself.

Pete.
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Old 26-01-2013, 02:17 PM   #15
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A quick update on my latest numbers.

This is my best ever tank.
I filled up last night on my way home, using 43.72 litres to cover 842 km, for a tank average of 5.19 l/100km.

The new injector kill switch is working out well.
My previous best was 5.3
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Old 26-01-2013, 03:55 PM   #16
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So we're all the poorer yet again having pandered to the lowest common denominator in society.
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Old 26-01-2013, 07:01 PM   #17
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Quote:
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So we're all the poorer yet again having pandered to the lowest common denominator in society.
I understand what you're saying, but it's not really correct.
I've chosen to give my posts relevant context, by posting on a site that's primarily centered around reducing fuel consumption. Where you'll get varied opinions from those who've been there and done that.

Take my fuel injector kill switch as an example.
I've adapted it from someone else's idea, to suit me (and I've already changed it once). If you want to copy mine, that's fine, but it's better for you to look at the variations in form and function and then decide what suits you.

Then there's the question of where and when to use it.
Usage options vary from conservative to radical and all points between, just as peoples opinions vary on what is safe or practical for their circumstances. I'm still working out just how far I'm comfortable pushing the usage of this.


I'm still posting stuff on ecomodder, so if you're genuinely interested I'd be very pleased to discuss details there.
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Old 26-01-2013, 08:59 PM   #18
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I dont remember ragging on the ecomodder site. I just made a observation about one of the suggestions and shared a personal view about it.
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Old 26-01-2013, 09:22 PM   #19
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I assume you're not using a/c, how much did you increase without the use of it? Curious because my findings seem to suggest a large amount.
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Old 26-01-2013, 10:05 PM   #20
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A/C uses little extra fuel if you are in a rural area. I mainly do 80-100kph cos of my location. For me A/C doesn't effect fuel consumption much. As the RPMs are high and the engine isn't straining. I think Pete is in a similar situation to me.

Be a different story if you did alot more urban driving. Those lower rpms and A/C will increase the consumption due to the extra straining.

I think I lose about 20-30km per tank using the A/C all the time. I dont really moniter it, most of the time 42L goes in, and I get 600 +/- 30 per tank. I'm happy with the figures I get, and alarm bells will only ring when for some reason I don't get near 600km, which I'm still waiting for the first time for that to happen.
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