I have a little "discovery" to share. I was doing the front brakes last night and when I took the top off the fluid resevoir I noticed the cam position sensor at the back of the engine. I then noticed that it had a slot instead of a hole for one of the bolts. Hmmm.... Off to the service manual, it turns out you can set the time on both the 4 and 6 cylinder with a regular timing light.
I've attached a picture of page 6F2-7. When I have a little time I'm going to check my timing as my tracker seems especially weak at low rpm and has been since new. I know on some cars the manual trans version gets the timing backed off a bit compared to the automatic, so people don't kill the engine lugging it. I hope the timing is very conservative on my engine.
This might be an easy 1 or 2 mpg adjustment for us.
I was having some problems for several months with my Cam Position Sensor getting too hot between short trips...or when stalled in traffic for more than 6-8 minutes....and the engine would either not start or it would stall out. I found if I raised the hood to let the heat out, I was OK between short trips. Or, if I poured some water over the sensor, that would cool it down immediately and I was good to go again.
I actually exchanged that sensor late last summer and the one I got then made things worse rather than better. So, I returned it for a full refund and simply dealt with the situation as I described.
But, with the work I recently did [replaced timing chains, water pump, front timing chain cover seal and #1 cylinder ignition coil pack] I also went ahead and changed the CPS. I had to do a little fine-tuning with the CPS as it was initially quite sluggish...even feeling like it was about to stall...if I tried to give it too much gas from a full-stop. But, I gradually advanced the timing and this Tracker now runs like a champ!
And, since this thread is about fuel efficiency, I'm going to top off my tank in the next few days [if I strike it rich! ] and see how well the car is performing after all this work. I do know that last September I took my mom on a trip from GA up through SC, NC, VA, WVa, KY, back down through TN and back home. During the trip, with A/C working constantly and with the auto-transmission, we averaged around 21.6 mpg. I actually thought it would do better than that, but, considering that most of the trip was at 70+ mph, and through the Appalachian Mtns, I don't think I can complain much. We didn't have anything carried on top...everything was packed in the rear compartment.
What do you guys think? Is that about right, or should it have been a little better?
Cool, I look forward to seeing what you get for mileage. I've been working mostly on technique and I'm getting 27mpg with a manual 4x4. I'm not doing 70mph though. Usually up to 60mph and then coast down a hill to about 50mph and then back up to 60.
I will assume the auto has a higher top gear(runs at lower rpms) than the manual so if you can get it into 4th with converter locked up you should be able to get decent mileage. I bet you could break 25mpg doing 65ish and coasting down hills when you get the chance.
Don't change anything for this tank but after check out all the tips at Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com
Ian
Cool, I look forward to seeing what you get for mileage. I've been working mostly on technique and I'm getting 27mpg with a manual 4x4. I'm not doing 70mph though. Usually up to 60mph and then coast down a hill to about 50mph and then back up to 60.
I will assume the auto has a higher top gear(runs at lower rpms) than the manual so if you can get it into 4th with converter locked up you should be able to get decent mileage. I bet you could break 25mpg doing 65ish and coasting down hills when you get the chance.
Don't change anything for this tank but after check out all the tips at Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com
Ian
The auto transmission on these cars has a switch to disable the OverDrive. There's also a Power switch on the console. I've seriously never had to use that Power switch. But, just to clarify what's being said in this thread: Would be it better, for around town driving, to disable the OD?
It's probably better for your transmission to disable overdrive, as I assume everytime you let off the gas it goes to 4th and then everytime you hit the gas it goes to 3rd, lots of shifts!. I have a scangauge(it shows realtime mileage among other things) and its amazing how at the same throttle position, an engine will use much more gas at even 1000 rpm higher so for mileage it might be better to leave OD on. Depends on what you think is more important.
If you are comfortable with coasting in neutral in town this will get you the best mileage, depends on your streets how easy this is to do of course. Also shutting off the engine at long lights can make a big difference too. I don't commute with my tracker as I can wrangle about 37mpg out of my auto Neon.
Ian
Would be interesting to hear what others have to say about disabling OD while running about town. Usually, speeds in our area around town are less than 55 mph on 4-lanes.
I leave mine on (5 speed auto) even when some places I drive have a 50km/h limit.
I don't see it wasting fuel (or saving any) by turning it off - unless it is constantly dropping in and out of overdrive? Mine certainly doesn't.
Last time I checked auto transmissions didn't like coasting in neutral either. (Something about it builds up pressure internally? Or is that only old style transmissions???) EFI engines are supposed to shut off the fuel if you back off the throttle completely and are "coasting" anyway.
I leave mine on (5 speed auto) even when some places I drive have a 50km/h limit.
I don't see it wasting fuel (or saving any) by turning it off - unless it is constantly dropping in and out of overdrive? Mine certainly doesn't.
Last time I checked auto transmissions didn't like coasting in neutral either. (Something about it builds up pressure internally? Or is that only old style transmissions???) EFI engines are supposed to shut off the fuel if you back off the throttle completely and are "coasting" anyway.
The only real way to tell if a particular technique works for your particular car is to get some realtime feedback, the scangauge provides this so you can see if your engine is actually shutting the fuel off or not. My automatic neon does not shut the fuel off coasting in gear, it uses slightly more than idling does. I rarely coast in gear unless I'm coming to a stop and if its going to be a long stop at a light I sometimes put it in N and turn off the engine completely way back from the light, a poor man's hybrid! My tracker will cut fuel down to 1100 rpm coasting in gear but coasts are pretty short with engine braking.... Most likely the auto V6's are most efficient in OD even at 1200 rpm at 25% throttle than a higher rpm in town but I doubt an auto will hold it in top gear.
I'm not sure how automatics are affected coasting while idling in N or with the engine off and I'm sure its different for different cars. I don't know the rep of suzuki automatics but the 3 spd in the neon is supposed to be bombproof so I do whatever saves gas. If it dies its a good reason to switch to a manual tranny and get way better mileage!. In 3 months nothing has changed so far, the real test is 3 years from now...
Anyways I recommend a scangauge for anyone interested in mileage or reading engine light codes, it does both, and there is some neat features like "trip cost". You've inputted what the price per litre you filled up at, and then it can calculated how much its costing you as you drive. It can be scary for short trips! Costs me $.15 to get out of my driveway so it makes you think if you really need to go for that doodad right now.
Also it can show how unrealistic the rated highway mileage is for most vehicles, steady at 80km/h on a flat road I cannot get down to the 8.1L/100km that my tracker is rated at. So its pretty much impossible that anyone is ever going to get this driving normally... So, atleast in Canada these ratings might serve as a comparison tool only, not an actual indicator of reasonable expectations.
Ian
I know of at least one other post on here saying the Scangauge won't work on an Aussie GV XL-7 2.7l. My scanner won't connect either and I'd love to actually find one (or a PC interface) that will.
I think it might be a case of non USA model GV's not being OBDII compliant?
murcod,
My tracker is an '03 2.0L gas, 5spd 4x4 4 door. Mine is OBDII although the code for my oxygen sensor heater is not exactly what it should be for OBDII, It was close but not exact, I think it should've been P0041 and I got P0401. My Tracker was made in Ontario, Canada, as I believe all the non-XL7's are for Canada and the U.S. Is yours made in Japan?
The scangauge does work for me though, all functions as far as I can tell. There are different protocols that the scangauge can use but its default is to try all of them and find the one that works, but they do mention in the manual, it can manually set which sometimes solves a compatibility problem. I don't know anyone with an XL7 or I'd try it for you.
On my neon forum I've read about guys talking directly to the SG creator about adding various gauges so it might be worth the email to talk directly to him about the XL7.
Ian
Ps. from what I've read you won't easily be able to get mileage out of a PC based OBDII data logging software, OBDII doesn't record the fuel injector pulses directly so the scangauge guy figured out a way to do it using other engine inputs that OBDII does record/output. There is a correction factor for when you fill up vs what the SG says you used, for my neon it was right on to the tenth of a litre so his method works pretty well.
I think only the USA and Canada get your "locally" made versions, we get the fully imported Japanese versions here. Perhaps they run a different EFI system? I've been meaning to check under my bonnet for a compliance sticker for OBDII- from what I've seen all compliant USA cars are supposed to have something stuck under there?
We've also got a Jap made Mazda 6 2.3l (I think you guys get locally made examples of them as well?) and my scanner works fine on that.
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] and see how well the car is performing after all this work. I do know that last September I took my mom on a trip from GA up through SC, NC, VA, WVa, KY, back down through TN and back home. During the trip, with A/C working constantly and with the auto-transmission, we averaged around 21.6 mpg. I actually thought it would do better than that, but, considering that most of the trip was at 70+ mph, and through the Appalachian Mtns, I don't think I can complain much. We didn't have anything carried on top...everything was packed in the rear compartment.
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