so found this website

Original Article
http://ecomodder.com/blog/11-on-mods...ves-mpg-by-25/

Blog with Article
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/car-driver-magazine-ecomods-pinto-mpg-up-25-a-1186.html

it discusses what was done in the 70s to give Pinto's more mpg...
ya I know we dont drive a Pinto but it did make me curious and I wanted to get some thoughts for everyone

I was thinking of blocking my lower front grille so no air goes through.. was now thinking of also doing the top grille but I know the 3G TL have a really bad heat soak issue in the engine bay

If I did the top grille then "ultimate cooling mod" is a must before that could occur

I might also do a trunk lip spoiler but not sure if that would even be sufficient since what they did to the Pinto was a six inch spoiler.. and there is no way I am going to do a six inch spoiler to my TL

overall though I am looking for folks thoughts on the article/blog.. and if anyone has found a way to increase their MPG through other means of exterior modding

 

Blocking the lower grills isn't a smart move. That fresh air keeps the engine cooler.

The TL isn't meant to get 50 mpg so there's no point of trying to make it do so. If you're worried about MPGs, the TL isn't for you. I can consistently get 22 city and 30+ highway. I'm more than happy with those figures considering how large the car is.

 

 

Dude, your TL was designed to get a certain fuel economy range. There is NOTHING you can do that will significantly improve your fuel economy to where your wallet will notice the difference. Best way is to drive conservatively and stay away from congested cities if your able which will ruin any cars fuel economy.

The TL does great on fuel just leave it alone or if your that concerned about fuel economy then get a Prius, or a Volt, or a Leaf or whatever.

James

 

get a prius

 

get a leaf blower.

 

Get one of these

+MPG!

 

If you're trying to squeeze more MPG out of a TL or any car, I suggest you look at the tips at the eco modder site- they look good: http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hyperm...ecodriving.php

If you're driving on the the highway at a steady 60MPH on a level road, the TL will get 50 MPG but how often do you get to do that? Follow the tips and you might be able to squeeze an extra couple MPG.

I'll share what I did and it was easy. I use to take a coastal route to work each morning since it was always nice checking out the waves. The problem is there were about 8 lights to make and I could not go my usual 70. I got 17 MPG in those conditions like many of you complain about. I then took the freeway route in which 1/2 my commute is freeway- I get 19 MPG pretty reliably now and save about 5 minutes on the typical commute too. That would be tip #11 sort of or possibly 11H for use highway instead of surface streets perhaps.

 

IP check.. Looks like a couple of members got hacked.

 

OG members.

 

- Weight reduction.
- Tire Pressures.
- Throttle Control.
- Other "hyper miling" techniques.

 

so I was looking for discussion not "go jump off a bridge"

What I was looking for feedback on the suggestions from the website, not suggestions on buying a different car

If I dont ask the question then I wont know the answer, ignorance can be bliss for some people, I however like to know things and find answers

 

^bearcat gave some great suggestions.

 

bearcat did, and I am processing it, just curious on knowing more

maybe I am just a kid that just keeps asking questions, i like to chase things down to the end to see if it is of value or not

 

^since our engines run very hot, its not wise to block up anything on the front.

also, our cars weigh around 3500lbs.
which takes a toll on gas mileage during acceleration.
Lighten her up.

take a look at some of these threads.
"ultimate cooling mod"
"TL on diet thread"

furthermore, you can google some hypermilling techniques

 

I'd look at weight reduction. Look up the thread by user "inaccurate" in the performance modifications sub-forum - Putting the TL on a Diet. There are links to each of his summaries in the very 1st post (it's a very long thread).

You don't have to be that extreme, but there are a lot of things you can do to reduce weight that won't effect day-to-day comfort/reliability.

Besides driving style (google hypermiling), I think that's the most lucrative area for mpg improvement.

 

was looking up hypermilling.. never heard of that until today

I have plans for the ultimate cooling mod and decreasing weight
but I can’t remove my whole interior

And I doubt I will change the way I drive, I just enjoy driving aggressive.. well I would say I am a bipolar driver.. either very aggressive or very passive

I know our engines our heat hogs... trying to find some thread on how much our front grille openings actually help cool the engine.. was originally going to replace my front grilles with mesh but pausing right now until I am definite if it will help.. if neither then will just do it for ascetics

I will always choose speed over mpg... but always want best of both worlds

 

^if you read inaccurates "ultimate cooling mod" thread
it explains in GREAT DETAIL about how cool you can get the engine and how effective it is.

Decrease the heat soak, lighten the car and you'll be golden.


I've lighten my car a bit and did a little of the UCM.
Let me tell you, my car feels WAAAAY different than my buddies 6MT.

 

thanks, i will re-read it again from the beginning.. recently I was always just looking at the last couple of pages

 

Ok let me break this down and do some simple math that I think will really make you think twice about doing any ridiculous "diets" and removing all sorts of shit from your car. Yes I know this can help with performance if done signficantly enough, but lets face it, even if the TL had NO interior its still not going to be fast per say.

Ok im going to use my 2007 TL Type S 6mt for example. Overall my car averages about 24mpg per tank and I will use a average fuel price of $3.50 which is what I last paid. If I can remove enough weight out of my car to pick up my average fuel economy to 26mpg consistantly...without writing out the math I did I came up with that it will save me a whopping $390 A YEAR!!! Sure 400 bucks is 400 bucks, but most guys on this site will drop that amount of money going out to dinner just a few times. Or spend more than that on just a jpipe or any other mod. My point is dont beat yourself up over it and dont tear the shit out of your car just to save weight. Its not worth it!!! Leave your spare tire in the car, dont remove your back seats, or your center console LOLOL

I know my info isnt really helping towards your original question, but my point is when you really sit down and think about it its really just not worth it. Enjoy the car how it is, throw some money into good mods if you want a little performance. The cooling mods are probably good as well, but personally on my 07 Type S I have not noticed any signficant loss in performance on those hot summer days. Some TL's seem to be worse than others for reasons no one on this site has figured out yet. I did the RV6 jpipe on my car and LOVE it! Everything else is stock.

 

^well, no one is saying to go the extreme.
My TL is a lot more nimble than my friends car. Both 6MTs.

but agreed, this car does great in what it was intended for.
an entry luxury sports sedan.

 

 

^i know, right?
first he was concerned with MPG's.


NAO, he dont care.

 

now now, I do care about mpg
I was curious for thoughts since I came across that article and it was a big jump of mpg.. wasnt looking for a big jump but did get the hamster rolling a little

reason I said speed over mpg is if/when I implement diet, cooling and anything else I can possibly get back the speed if I closed off the front

the info on overall money stated is a good argument

your right, it truly wont matter to me in the long run and I honestly wouldnt really implement anything drastic

It truly was a "thinker" type of start to this whole thing and more or less not real application of thought/article

 

^it is very important to leave the front open. cant block any air vents.

 

Just follow the hyper-mile tips and call it a day. I love tip #1 which is drive less- that is a guaranteed saver! Many V6 sedans get slammed on their gas mileage, but I laugh when I see how crappy mileage 4-bangers got (and the Pinto was not alone because even Toyota Celicas had crappy mileage too) in the 1970s with no 5* safety, few amenities, and cramped passenger space- not to mention crappy performance. This was the era of a 17 second 0-60MPH Ford Granada V6- my have times changed for the better.

The TL is an economical car when you factor in the fact that 4 Adults can ride in relative comfort for long distances and get 30 MPG on a road trip with the A/C on. That is amazing to me actually and I have done it numerous times at 70+mph speeds.