New personal record: 53.69 MPG

[R2D2]

BailOut,

Congrats, that's awesome. Many thanks for the hypermiling tips you posted here-it's how I got interested in hypermiling and I'm getting a little better all the time (plus my car is breaking in). I'm pleased with my mileage given my driving conditions (lots of in town and short trips) and the tips really help.

I see in your fuel log you switched to 0W-20 oil-if you don't mind me asking I was curious what brand (or brands) you use? Also you noted using a grill block-any tips on what you use and/or how to construct one? With cooler weather approaching this has been something I've considered.

TIA

R2

[BailOut]

Thanks for the kind words, all.

Originally Posted by R2D2

I see in your fuel log you switched to 0W-20 oil-if you don't mind me asking I was curious what brand (or brands) you use? Also you noted using a grill block-any tips on what you use and/or how to construct one? With cooler weather approaching this has been something I've considered.

0W-20 was a typo on my part (thanks for pointing it out - I've fixed it). It's actually 5W-20, of the Mobil1 Extended Performance synthetic variety, coupled with a K&N Gold oil filter. While synthetic is nice I enjoy the 15k mile drain interval even more as it saves both resources and money (it costs the equivalent of 2 "conventional" oil changes but has the longevity of 3 changes).

I use a grille block in the cold months in order to help the engine stay warmer without burning more fuel, and to help the engine burn fuel more completely. This is especially important as my area employs reformulated gasoline in the winter which burns a tiny bit more cleanly but puts a huge dent in fuel economy. I first did it by cutting foam pipe insulation in half and zip tying it in, but while this worked well it was time consuming and knuckle busting. Last season I simply cut 2 rectangular pieces from a roll of foil-based home insulation wrap and shoved them in behind the 2 grille openings. I put them in when daytime temps start peaking below 55F, and take them out when daytime temps start peaking above 55F.