Start of Hypermiling Week of Driving

First of all, let me start by saying I weighed my car today. The reading on the scale was 2860 pounds - only 80 pounds less than previously. However, I also weighed it with a full tank of gas, whereas it had only about 3/4 tank last time (about 4-5 gallons different). Assuming a tank of gas weighs 6.1 pounds, that equates to an additional 24.6-30.5 pounds. So my total weight loss was about 105 to 110 pounds. Not a whole lot considering the interior is pretty well emptied of large parts. I do like that the weight difference is about the same as what is frequently reported in news articles. For example: "Every 120-pound reduction can yield a 1% gain in gas mileage, says Bill Grabowski, director of body core engineering for Chrysler."
I guess that'll make a small improvement in my gas mileage, but probably not enough to keep it that way. One side benefit is that I can't carry passengers, so that reduces my weight a bit and forces other people to drive and use their gas if I car pool anywhere (like a meeting for work).

Next, I filled up my tank and kicked off my hypermiling week today. For the record, I'm at 157,851 miles now (as seen in the picture below). I didn't want to sit in the parking lot baking in the heat with the car off for too long, so the needle isn't quite up to full, but it was headed there. I've started parking at the top of my driveway to avoid backing out and I'm shutting off the car and coasting whenever I can. I'm also following at a pretty good distance so I can avoid hitting the brakes too much. I had a hectic day at work so I didn't get a chance to wash the car and inflate the tires, but I will do that ASAP.

P.S. If you got here looking for posts on Volvo A/C or other repairs, feel free to leave a comment and let me know and I'll try and reply with my thoughts on your problem. If it is specifically Volvo A/C related, I'd suggest checking out www.volvoforums.com.

Future Posts on Completed DIY Projects

I thought I'd make a list of projects that I've completed in the past so that you will know what to expect. Some of these may seem easy, but I have been asked or seen questions about all of them. Also, it's helpful for some people (including me) to see pictures of what someone else has done before jumping into a project.

Volvo V70 Repairs and Maintenance
1) Replacement of A/C compressor (including receiver/dryer and orifice tube)
2) Addition of tow hitch
3) Random little belts, hoses and ductwork
4) Replacement of latch for rear hatch
5) Blower motor and blower motor resistor replacement
6) Coolant level sensor and thermostat replacement
7) Shift light replacement
8) Air filter replacement
9) Oil change

Mitsubishi Eclipse Repairs and Maintenance
1) Timing belt replacement (including water pump, serpentine belts and camshaft seals)
2) Valve cover gasket and spark plug seals replacement (to fix oil leak)
3) Radiator replacement (including draining and refilling coolant)
4) PCV valve and hose replacement
5) Spark plug and wires replacement
6) Fuel filter replacement
7) Clutch master cylinder replacement and slave cylinder cleaning and replacement attempt
8) Air filter replacement
9) Oil change

Planned Yamaha XJ650 Repairs and Maintenance
1) Air filter
2) Oil change
3) Bleed brakes
4) Replace battery
5) Turn signal replacement
6) Replace spark plugs
7) Clean carburetors

So if you somehow find this blog and are interested in seeing any of those descriptions, let me know and I'll be sure to bump it to the top. Or, if you drive one of these cars, leave a comment and I'll focus on that car's repairs first.

Introduction

First of all, here is what is in my garage with a little history:
1) 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS: These cars are sometimes referred to as 2gnt, as in 2nd generation non-turbo. It's not actually in my garage because it used to leak oil and now that I've fixed I've just gotten used to parking it out there. I bought this car brand-new from Girard Mitsubishi in New London, CT and it still has there bumper sticker on it. I live in Alabama now so nobody's heard of Girard and now my Eclipse is sometimes simply called, "Girard." It's approaching 160,000 miles and was pretty well mistreated for many years but has been enjoying better treatment in its later years. It has a 4-cylinder engine that is still stock with a 5-speed manual transmission. It has no extras except A/C (power nothing). The closest thing to a modification I've done is add XM radio, but I sold the unit for after moving to where I have a 7 minute commute instead of the 1 1/2 hour commute in DC. I use this car for any driving I do by myself, mainly commuting to and from work.
2) 1999 Volvo V70: This is the station wagon pictured on my banner. When we moved to Alabama, I bought a VW Jetta for my wife to drive, but after having our son, we wanted something a bit more roomier. We could barely fit anything but the stroller in the trunk. It has about 165,000 miles on it and this is our family car. It has a 5-cylinder engine with a turbo. It has a lot more options including a sunroof, power windows, power locks, ABS, etc. I've gotten pretty sick of this car after driving it for a little more than a year. A lot of the interior parts are falling apart and the surfaces are heavily worn. We also have a lot more problems with it than with my Eclipse. Someday we'll probably sell it and get a minivan (to the dismay of some friends).
3) 1983 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim (motorcycle): In the banner picture, this bike is hiding under the blue tarp. It was my dad's until he passed away in 2003. I inherited it since we worked on it together and I drove it as much as he did (although I still don't have a license - don't worry though, I'm not driving it now and before I do I will get a license). It took me until last year to get it down to Alabama, so it spent 3 years sitting in a covered area outside in Connecticut (going from 0-deg to 90-deg over each year). It needs some restoration work, which I started last fall, but never had time to finish. My wife is not too excited about me riding a motorcycle, but I want to get it running at least for nostalgic purposes.
4) Riding lawn mower - this occasionally comes up needing work done, so I thought I'd include it. Also, it was riding on that trailer in the banner too. My brother was in between houses and didn't want to pay to store it (thinking that he'd be using a lawn service in his next house) so he let me have it if I could move it. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy to load that thing up and I was definitely pushing the limits of the Volvo and the trailer that I'd borrowed from a friend's father-in-law.

So that's what's in my garage. I plan to start by posting some projects that I completed on them and then leave it open for future projects.