Just completed 4,000 miles...avg of 10mpg |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Topic: Just completed 4,000 miles...avg of 10mpg Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 8:14pm |
The HP needed is always lower going slower because the air drag is always lower when the speed goes down. So, when folks talk about a sweet spot what is usually going on is that they have found a speed where the engine is efficient, typically when its running at a low rpm, just before the tranny kicks into a downshift. Those points are going to vary quite a lot with conditions (headwind vs, tailwind, grade, temperature). There are so many uncontrollable variables that it gets pretty subjective really quickly.
For me I also find 61 or 62 to be a good speed (no wind, flat ground) because the tranny downshifts much more frequently above that speed, killing my mpg. That's not to say that 45, 50 or 55 aren't better for fuel efficiency, they are. But its a tradeoff between efficiency and speed, if efficiency was all that counted we could stay in one place and use no fuel at all
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 10:38pm |
It's difficult to convince people of the value of a nearly $170 ScanGauge, but I think they are worth the money for monitoring mpg and transmission temps when towing.
One thing I learned is that, crazy as it sounds, there is a noticeable difference in avg daytime and nighttime mpg...presumably due to the fact that the air is usually calmer, cooler, and more dense in the evenings in my part of the country.
Bonus....with the Scangauge (or most other OBD2 readouts) you get air temps, oil temps, coolant temps, avg mpg, instantaneous mpg, current horsepower, exact RPM, error codes, etc. |
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 7:04am |
Most modern vehicles will give you that info on the dash. I have an BT OBD connection and have Torque Pro on my phone. But it gets it's information from the same sensors the truck readout does.. It does have the ability to read, track, and clear codes if needed, but so far, have not needed that much.
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 8:11am |
See, that's exactly my point. It's a lot like trying to convince someone who confidently uses a smartphone for turn-by-turn directions....that a stand-alone GPS is a better option. They just won't hear of it.
OBD sensor readouts offer many more options and advantages (like improved accuracy and granular control) than the factory 'optimistic' readings that are displayed on the dash. And even with a really well-equipped, newer, higher-end vehicle with a comprehensive readout selection, there are still some sensors that the OBD device will probe that are not shown on the factory display. |
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 8:33am |
You also run into the fact that a lot of owners don't care..
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6289 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 9:01am |
Also, some sensors are just flat out not provided. For example, there is no temperature readout for the transmission in our 2010 Nissan Frontier. I have looked, searched, and come to the conclusion that if I want that temperature, I would need to install a sender and gauge to get it. Engine temperature is there, just not transmission.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 9:03am |
But for me, keeping an eye on things is part of the deal, and without the proper gauges to do that, adding a $170 item that allows me to is no problem. Instantaneous horsepower and torque readouts are interesting to watch...as well as transmission and catalytic converter temps. Instantaneous MPG readings that vary with road and load, and the avg mpg that is based on each trip since engine start, versus the average over the last several hundred miles (which is common with factory mpg displays). Engine oil temps, coolant temps, torque converter slip ratio, actual intake air temp, etc etc.... Most people: Yawn. Me: Cool! |
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 9:14am |
Something that might conflict with your information is here: When I got my Nissan Titan XD, I bought and installed a Scangauge, and it would not read the transmission temps as supplied from the factory. I sent the company an email and within a few hours, I had a reply with a link to a page with about a half dozen possible x-gauge commands to enter. After a few keystokes, it was working great! YMMV but you might want to fire off an email and ask them about it.
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2630 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 9:42am |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 10:13am |
I always try to drive down hill with a tail wind.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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