Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:14:01 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Gas Mileage Improvements?
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do you have pretty standard size tires ?
wouldn't want big fatties , not for fuel mileage.
it's running up to temp ?
I imagine it is at this time of year there...but that's important.
oxygen sensor is good ?
muffler and cat too ?
try Royal Purple synthetic ATF ....that'll get you a little stronger feeling
running ..
and a smidgen of an mile per gallon.
that's 'it' ..that's what they do.
16.5 mpg on the highway driving nicely, ...2.1 wbxr with stock 3 speed auto
trans.
when I was driving an 85 Wolfsburg Weekender with auto trans and complete
2.1 engine, fuel system, and cooling system upgrade ......
I thought seriously about wiring the starter circuit such that, when I came
to a stop in heavy traffic ..
I could just shut off in 'D' ......
turn igntion back on ....when light turned green ...just hit a dedicated
starter button and move right out ...click-moving-in-gear .
don't try it at home though ! .....could be unsafe used less than very
wisely.
fwiw ....there are a few prodction cars coming out now that shut off
automatically in stop and go traffic .
and ....this can only be worth a smidjin of fuel savings...
but I never pull into a parking spot, then put the shift lever in Park ..
and the engine revs up, then shut it off..
lots of things wrong with that ..
you're running the engine unnessarily ..and shutting it off at a higher idle
speed.
I shut the engine off in 'D' .......shuts off much faster that way. Engine
is under load .....and rpm is lower
then I put it in park.
if pulling straight into a parking spot I shut the engine off 10 feet before
I get there,
then when stopped I put it in park.
but I am warning you..
given how humans are ...if you shut it off in D ..
you'll think it's time to get out of the car ..
and it can easily roll if not put in park.
which is why I say don't try this at home..
but what I do my auto trans cars is ...shut off in D, then put it in Park,
then get out of the car.
saves a tiny bit of fuel and wear on things.
never coast an automatic in neutral, especially above a few mp.............
not on all, but on many, it can do severe internal damage to the trans.
running 10 % ethanol gasoline there ?
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Sullivan" <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 2:58 PM
Subject: Gas Mileage Improvements?
>I have a 91 GL Auto with approx 188K miles. I tracked a recent tank from
> empty to empty again. I put in 14.4 gallons and got 218 miles out of it.
> This equates to only 15.14 mpg. A/C was off majority of time. This sucks
> worse than I thought. These are a mix of highway and city miles. Can I
> get
> some suggestions on improving this, please?
> Michael in San Antonio
> P.S. No engine conversion suggestions, please. Thanks in advance.
> 91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
> 73 Beetle