OK, don't laugh at me for stupid questions.
I wasn't at all aware of ECU tuning until recently. Heard it being discussed in news report about the VW emissions scandal.
But I haven't followed any discussions on it on this board.

Has anyone used a tuner program to improve their fuel economy?
If so, how much of a gain (or not) did you get?
How much did it cost, all in, to do it?
Would you recommend it?
Which tuner did you use?
Is this something a non-gearhead/non-tech person can do themselves, or should it be done in a shop?

(I realize that with gas prices being so low as they currently are, this might not seem worth doing, but I am interested in the possibilities, since we all know prices will inevitably rise again eventually.)

 

What mileage are you already getting, and do you already have instrumentation?

The first, cheapest and most effective mod: adjust the nut behind the wheel. Changing the way an efficient engine burns fuel to make it more efficient may help a bit, but understanding (and changing) the way you tell the car to burn gas will be more rewarding and effective.

If you're going to pay for something, make it a ScanGauge or UltraGauge. Or get a cheap Bluetooth OBD dongle and use Torque on your phone. But changing the tune isn't going to help you if you're leaving the easy stuff on the table.

 

Currently getting about 26 mpg.
The car was capable of 35 mpg in the past, but that was when most of my driving was 1.5 - 2hr a day at 60+ mph and minimal use of air conditioner.

Nowadays, it's all short distances, and all stop and go in heavy city traffic, often with the air conditioner running.

 

That, unfortunately, is just how it goes. Short trips in heavy traffic won't do you any mpg favors.

Maybe it's time to ride a motorcycle? Or if the trip is shorter, a scooter... Or even a bicycle?

As for tuning, people that go for turnings, forgo efficiency for more power. Generally speaking, the car is already tuned for efficiency from the factory (after all, their selling point is high mpg, right?).

And no, you can't just buy some off the shelf digital tuner, the best you can do is a scangauge/ultra gauge like Fit Charlie said to monitor various reading. Actual tuning requires deeper ECU reprogramming, and that requires significantly more knowledge and tools than the average consumer has at their disposal. Cause a misstep can all too easily make your car is a 1 ton paperweight.

 

The car's still capable of 35 mpg, but as you've noted, the contitions you're using it in won't let it get 35. Not the car's fault, you're doing as well as you can under the circumstances.

But a real gauge will help you work within those conditions.

 

No!

Nope!

 

Here's the article.
Problem is they're talking about diesel engines on vehicles that probably weren't advertised as being particularly fuel efficient to begin with plus the reporter is just repeating what the performance tuning service seller claims. It could all be fairy dust (like with this bogus "performance chip":
)

It's Not Just VW: A Robust Market For Reprogramming Vehicles : All Tech Considered : NPR

edit: I didn't intend for a huge Youtube video snap to take over the post -- apparently the forum's software automatically does that; I was just trying to put a simple link in

 

You could try this modification --> 5 Cent Modification

 

Interesting, but
I'd be interested in something proven to actually make a difference in fuel economy, at the end of the day.

 

The worst problem with stop and go driving isn't combustion efficiency or tuning, it's constantly hauling the car up from a dead stop... in order to hit the brakes again. The second biggest problem is running the engine while stopped- that's zero mpg.

So what can you do?
1.Shut the damn thing off when you're not moving. Zero mpg hurts your average.

2. Drive as if you don't have brakes. If you have to hit the brakes it means you wasted gas getting to that higher speed.

3. Use "pulse and glide" so that engine is either under load (and all the fuel being burned is actively being used to move the car) or you're in neutral and the engine's idling, burning a tiny amount of gas while you're still moving at your desired speed. I get around 270 mpg while doing this at 60 mph.

4. Understand traffic patterns and predict movement. Do things like slowing down well ahead of a red light- if you do it right it'll be green before you have to come to a complete stop. Even if it isn't, not racing up to the stop still saved a lot of gas.

But the first real step is to get a gauge. None of this is going to help much if you can't learn from it, and you aren't going to learn just from looking at the pump receipt.

Any modifications (like second guessing the tuning) are useless without good technique. Carlos Santana can give you his favorite guitar, but unles you use it the right way you're going to sound like crap. My only mods are tire pressure at max sidewall (for lower rolling resistance), an UltraGauge (for real, useful information) and a lower grille block (for smoother aero and faster warmups). The most effective one is the gauge, because it tells me what I'm doing.

 

Thanks, but I used to drive a Toyota Prius, so I am very familiar with those techniques.

My question was about how to take advantage of any additional newer technological advances in ECU tuning.

 

You went from a Prius to a Fit and you're looking for technological advances...

 

This was pretty darn informative. Thanks Fit Charlie!

 

How much does increasing your tire pressure to max affect gas mileage? Won't the tires wear out faster and negate the advantage? Plus wouldn't that also cause a harsher ride since the tires are so stiff? Since increasing the tire pressure reduces the contact patch of the tire (reducing the rolling resistance) would that also negatively affect handling? I guess I'm trying to see if the advantages outweigh the cons.

 

Yep.
As I recall, was getting 50mpg on the highway, 45mpg in stop-and-go on NYC streets.

 

What about this lower grill block. Pics?

 

Tire pressure is one of those "every little bit helps" things, and yes, reducing resistance will reduce stickiness somewhat. But I've never felt an issue or seen one of the mpg folk say "If only I'd been running a lower pressure!" As to tire longevity, it's not an issue unless you use the reduced traction to drift.

It's a small, skittish car and I live in the land of frost heaves. But if I didn't want to feel and work with the road then I'd be in an SUV.

Pucci- the Prius defined the application of technology to get efficiency. The Fit's approach is old school "small, light, tiny engine." Applying driving technique will pay off everywhere, not just under specific load conditions. And if you're not going to apply technique, who cares what the tune does? You're wasting any added efficiency by using it inefficiently.

12tooth- I don't recommend the block unless you have a gauge, are used to watching your temp, and hypermile- even at over 50 mpg, it gets hot under there. Unless you know it's blocked and look for it, you're not going to see it anyway.