[754] Fuel Economy

"7.67km/L on my Rav4. Biggest change? I was driving.

Edit: Previous top ups (including this one) 7.67km/L, 5.09km/L, 6.6km/L, 6.16km/L, 6.51km/L.

Driving style affects consumption A LOT. Also traffic. One other notable change was leaving the house earlier to bring my daughter to school to avoid traffic. Ten minute difference was a major factor."

- My Facebook post earlier today.

I drive a 2001 Toyota Rav4 AWD with a 2.0L 1AZ-FE engine. It is obviously an old car, and for quite a few years I've always had an issue with the fuel consumption.

This past week I had to drive my daughter to school and pick her up. This was a bit concerning for me since the price of gasoline here is relatively high right now and I know that the Rav wasn't exactly a fuel efficient car.

As a quick reference, I've heard that some 2nd generation Honda Jazz get 8 - 10 km/L consumption in heavy traffic. 8 - 10 km/L! How I wish I could experience that consumption.

Anyway, I had noticed that I was spending quite a lot almost every week for the gasoline of the Rav4. And now that I had to use it everyday to bring my daughter to school, I knew it was time to see if I could improve the consumption. As you read from my FB post above, I did.

The biggest change that happened was I drove it almost exclusively. My driving style is quite different from my Mom's driver, who normally brings my daughter to school and fetches her. I anticipate when to let off the accelerator. I try to make sure I keep the engine revving smoothly. And when it's an open road I make sure I move near the street legal top speed. Also, I stay in my lane and avoid snaking in and out of traffic.

Another change that greatly helped improve fuel economy was leaving earlier. Traffic sucks in the Philippines. Ten minutes is a big deal in traffic. We left ten minutes earlier, around 5:50 am and we normally got to my daughter's school around 6:20 am. Before when they left around 6 am they would get to school around 6:45 am or so.

Finally, I'm not sure if this helped but I put in 100 octane fuel instead of the minimum recommended 95 octane. Hopefully putting in a higher octane fuel helped de-clog the fuel lines or clean the engine. I don't know. For all I know using higher octane fuel did no difference.

You can imagine my surprise when I computed for the consumption of the Rav4. I was very pleased with it, but I also know that consumption will go back down once someone else starts driving my car. Oh well, at least I was able to get a little more bang for the buck in my last top up.

Out.

My Trusty Rav4

An old photo of the Rav4 getting a car wash

I recently had a discussion with a friend about mods I'd do to a dream car. He then asked me what my budget was, and I honestly replied, "None." It was a dream car, and for now it will remain that way. Then I told him if I did have a budget I would most likely spend it to upgrade my trusty Rav4.

The Rav4 still belongs to my mom, as I love to reiterate. However it is technically assigned to me since I use it almost all the time.

Anyway you can guess what this article will be about. Mods to the Rav4. I just gave this an oil change with a BG oil change package that improved consumption by 1km/L. Also the Rav4 was recently fixed for all the issues found during the 45-point check-up it got. So now, in order of priority if I had the money, are the mods I'd do.

Headlights. Again I want to try the all-weather headlights and fog lamps. Plus I did some research online and found a way I might be able to restore the headlights to near brand new look without having to buy a new set of headlights. Unless I decide to buy new fixtures.

Sounds. A new head unit and maybe upgrade the speakers. Nothing too fancy. If I can mount a small but effective sub-woofer that won't eat up too much space I might do that also.

Tint. The car still has no tint. I just need a decent clear tint that can keep the car cool if I am travelling during the daytime.

Rims. I still wish I can get the RS Watanabe looking rims. If not possible I wouldn't mind just getting better looking and lighter rims to improve fuel economy.

Interior decor. I currently work for a company that imports Brembo aftermarket brakes and Sabelt racing gear, to name a few. I plan on getting a few "luxury" items for the car interior. Harness pads for the seat belts and a little something crazy I plan on doing. Plus maybe pedals and footrests, even if the car is an automatic.

Brembo brake pads and discs. This is more of a practical luxury item since the aftermarket pads and discs are built as good as, if not better than OEM discs and pads.

Lowering springs and sports suspension. I want to see how good the Rav4 can handle. And I don't want it too low. Just around 1.5 inches or so.

So you must be wondering why I'm putting Sabelt and Brembo among the last. The answer is simple, the top three mods I've wanted for the longest time. The others are not as crucial for now. Plus these things do cost money, so I have to prioritize the more important details first.

Out.