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Date:         Sat, 28 Mar 2015 12:13:52 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Load vs fuel consumption..
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuKz90j=QW-GbcjBYsxxRyf924Syo3PWucbuQsVVw9tx7g@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Actual overall speed along with wind conditions probably have more of an overall effect on fuel economy than carrying weight. As for the knock sensor compensation enough for a fuel economy change during extended steady stat cruising, not accelerating or hill climbing could be an indication of that engine, gearing, and load combination really working at the limit of both efficiency and the edge of destruction. Over the years I find it common to get differing fuel economy on trips based on direction, especially when mountain ranges are involved. Outside temps can also mean a difference. Colder air is denser air and you need more energy to push through it. It also takes ~30% more fuel to push a vehicle at 70 mph compared to 55 mph so speed changes and traffic conditions can make huge difference on the trip. I'm just not sure the weight difference alone accounted for the mileage difference.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Don Hanson Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:25 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Load vs fuel consumption..

My 84 tin top with a westie interior and an inline ABA Jetta motor driving though a 5sp manual shifter: I just recently completed another winter sojourn to the Southwest US. On my return trip along the east slope of the Sierra Nevada range, near San Diego to Near Portland, Or...My normal fuel economy went down, as I expected, because I was loaded to 4900lbs, weighed on an ODOT highway scale, with half a tank of gas...I dropped from average of 24.xx to about 22.xx mpg, driving at my normal cruising speeds of 55-70mph.... Just today I found another ODOT scale turned on but unattended and weighed again, without my tools and camping gear aboard for a 2 month trip......4100lbs....again with half tank, me and my big dog aboard....I am back to about 24.5mpg average....So that approximately 800bs of tools and camping gear uses 2mpg to haul around....The ODOT scales are only accurate to about 100lbs...so

For those who might be considering one of these "hybrid" ABA/1.8 liter motors, like the one that I stuck together in my van, about 50k miles ago, the fuel of choice is indeed premium fuel with a decent octane rating....I was told, by Techtonics Tuning as they helped me with parts and specifications for exhaust, etc etc....I was told this particular combo of an 8 valve head on an ABA block results in a pretty high compression ratio and that I should run premium gas...I did some experiments with premium and regular....the regular burns less effectively....I think the knock sensor must be working overtime on regular gas but with premium, all is sweet inside and I get an estimated 1-2 miles per gallon better gas mileage and have substantially more torque and high rpm power...


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